I nod again, willing the sting of his decision to fade. He didn’t tell me, but it doesn’t matter. We’re stronger than this. I’m his Luna, in every way.
Kael turns to address Ronan, giving him instructions to approach the Alpha of Bloodstone, and then turns to me. “I need you to work the room,” he says, his tone firm but warm. “Talk to the Alphas. Build bridges. Shadow Ridge’s success depends on it.”
I smile tightly, pushing down the unease still gnawing at me. “Of course, Kael.”
I step into the crowd, offering polite nods and carefully crafted smiles as I move from one Alpha to the next. Each conversation feels like a performance, each word chosen with precision. But even as I throw myself into the task, something inside me feels unsettled.
The doors to the hall creak open suddenly, and a hush falls over the room. My head snaps up, and my breath catches as the latecomer strides in.
Lucian Blackwood—Alpha of Darkfang.
His presence dominates the room instantly. His dark hair falls just past his ears in artful disarray, and his piercing, nearly black eyes sweep the crowd with a quiet, dangerous confidence. He moves with the ease of someone who knows exactly how much power he holds and has no need to flaunt it.
Something stirs inside me, a pull so strong it’s almost dizzying. My wolf, Eira, stirs too, her voice murmuring faintly in my mind. “Who is he?”