Chapter 67

Kingston

The last thing I wanted to see was a summons from the pack, demanding my presence early in the morning. But there it was waiting on the tray delivered by my butler like a neatly wrapped threat.

Luncheon, it read in delicate, unfamiliar scrawl. Formal dress. Mandatory attendance. You will be introduced to your proposed mate, Liana Lupe.

I stared at the words like they might rearrange themselves.

Proposed mate.

So this was really happening then. I couldn’t put it off any longer. And because I’d promised Cora I would keep our bond a secret for now, I didn’t have a single excuse to give for not attending.

I didn’t wake her when I left. Cora was curled up in my bed with her cheek pressed to my pillow, her hair fanned out like smoke, and her breathing soft. She looked so delicate. Peaceful. I wasn’t going to ruin that, and certainly not with this news.

The luncheon was being held at the Silverfang Headquarters’ gardens. Tables lined with white cloth and crystal were on prominent display, as well as the flowers blooming in manicured beds. Sunlight caught on polished silverware, making everything feel sharper than necessary.

I stood stiffly near the pack’s table, my jaw clenched as I looked on at the other members who had demanded my presence.

“Alpha King,” came a voice behind me, smooth as satin and twice as cool. “You’re taller than I expected.”

I turned to find a woman striding toward me in a tailored navy dress. Her hair was pinned back in a sharp twist, and her eyes were gray like a thunderstorm as they took me in with an expression that landed somewhere between unimpressed and amused.

“Liana Lupe, I assume,” I said, offering a hand.

She took it with a firm grip, no warmth. “Let’s get one thing straight,” she said, lowering her voice for only my ears and leaning in with a false smile for the onlookers. “I don’t want to be here.”

That made two of us.

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “Good. Then we might get along just fine.”

Her eyes flicked up to mine with a hint of surprise. “No offense, but I expected more of a fight. Alphas usually don’t like being told no.”

I smirked. “I’ve had more important things to fight for lately.”

Liana’s gaze narrowed slightly, as if she could sense there was something beneath those words. I saw her file it away for later, those gray eyes sharp and observant. “Well, this just got more interesting.”

We were seated at the head table beside each other, where we were supposed to make polite conversation for the benefit of the gathered pack members. She picked at her food like it had personally offended her and asked me exactly zero questions. Instead, she scanned the crowd with the air of someone deeply bored.

At least, that was until Ethan walked in.

He was late, as usual, with his tie undone and that reckless smile like he’d just finished charming someone and was looking for his next target.

I saw it happen the moment her eyes landed on him. Her posture straightened. Her lips curved not into something that resembled a smile. It sat strangely on her face, like she didn’t smile often, but there was no denying that she looked interested.

“Who’s that?” she asked, voice deceptively light.

“Ethan,” I said, watching her carefully. “My Second.”

She hummed. “Interesting.”

And just like that, I saw the opportunity I hadn’t dared hope for.

I leaned slightly toward her, keeping my tone low. “Liana, if I’m reading this right—and I think I am—you’re not here to mate and marry the Alpha King.”

She arched a brow. “And if you were correct?”

“Then maybe we can help each other.”

She paused, fork mid-air. “I’m listening.”

“This courtship and this luncheon… It’s all politics. The pack wants a show. Stability. A pretty story to convince the packs that everything is under control.”

“And you want none of it,” she finished for me.

“Correct.”

She set her fork down, eyes meeting mine with interest now. “So what are you proposing, Alpha King?”

“A mutually beneficial arrangement. We pretend this is going well. Maybe go on a few more public outings. Let the rumors build.”

“And in private?” she asked.

“In private, we’re free to pursue what we actually want.”

Her gaze flicked again to Ethan, who was now laughing at something one of the guards had said, oblivious to the fact that Liana was mentally undressing him from a feet away.

“I see,” she said. “You want a shield. A cover.”

“I want to protect someone,” I said quietly. “Someone the pack would exploit if they knew the truth.”

She tilted her head. “A secret mate?”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t have to.

“Well,” she said with a slow smile. “Aren’t we both just full of scandal.”

We shook on it beneath the table, hands firm and steady.

The moment felt strangely like relief.

“Just so we’re clear,” she added, “I’m not interested in being your decoy forever. If the situation changes, I want to know.”

“Agreed.”

“And if your secret mate turns out to be a threat to pack politics, you’ll deal with it?”

I flinched. “She’s not a threat.”

“That’s what every Alpha says,” Liana murmured, but she didn’t press. “Fine. We’ll keep the charade for as long as it serves us.”

“Thank you,” I said, meaning it.

She nodded toward Ethan. “And one more thing: tell your Second I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the view.”

I barked out a laugh, surprising myself. “I’ll pass along the message.”

By the time dessert was served, the afternoon was waning, and we had transformed into the picture of poised compatibility, sharing quiet words and leaning in like there were sparks between us.

And the pack ate it up. I could feel their smug approval like smoke clinging to my skin.

Let them believe it.

Let them whisper about a future Alpha pair with strong bloodlines and firm alliances.

Let them believe I was playing their game.

Because my skin still carried the warm memory of Cora’s fingers. My bond to her hummed just beneath my skin, alive and powerful, a tether that nothing could fake.

And I’d be damned if I let anyone rip it away.

When the luncheon ended and Liana and I gave our rehearsed farewell, she lingered for a beat.

“You’re lucky to have found your true mate,” she said. “Most of us don’t get to love the person we want.”

I swallowed, feeling the weight of those words. “I won’t take it for granted.”

“Don’t,” she said. “Or I might change my mind and steal her for myself.”

I snorted. “Good luck. She’d eat you alive.”

“She sounds great. And I like a challenge.”

We parted with mock smiles, and I stepped into the waiting car, tugging at my tie like it was strangling me. My thoughts were already with Cora. I wondered if she had woken to an empty bed and started to worry. I’d told her this was going to get complicated. That I would protect our secret.

Now I had to live up to it, no matter the cost.

And as long as Liana kept playing her part, maybe—just maybe—I could keep the pack at bay until the world was ready for the truth.

Until she was ready to rise as the Moon’s Daughter.