Chapter 44

Kara’s POV

“What’s that?” Maya snapped immediately.

I blinked, confused. I’d thought I was going to faint a moment earlier, but I was feeling more steady on my feet now that I was a little bit cooler.

Shit. The cardigan.

I’d told myself not to remove it. She was staring right at the center of my chest.

The hickey.

I took a deep breath, hoping my cheeks weren’t getting red. That would be a certain admission of my guilt.

But her gaze snapped right over to Hunter. I let out the breath I’d been holding with her eyes elsewhere.

“What is that, I said?” She snapped at Hunter. I’d been sure she was going to explode at me.

I’d never seen her talk to him this way. But, for some reason, I kind of liked it.

“You lied to me,” she fumed in his direction.

“What?” He asked. He was playing dumb. I wasn’t sure if she knew him well enough to know that’s what he was doing. But I could tell from the set of his mouth and the tilt of his eyebrows that he was trying to look like he didn’t know what she was talking about. But obviously he did.

“You lied about that mark on your neck. You said you got into it with some rogues on the way home from the ball. But it’s a hickey? Isn’t it? Just like hers. And it’s from you.”

He squirmed uncomfortably and opened then closed his mouth.

I willed him to start talking. He was only making it look more suspicious.

I knew I should start talking as well. I could probably explain it away: coolly substantiate his lie, and explain what was on my neck in some way that she would believe.

But I found that I didn’t really want to.

All my anger at him lately boiled to the surface. From the day Maya had arrived—actually, years earlier than that. For all the hiding me and not appreciating me. For saying our relationship had always been transactional. For making me want him.

For not wanting me back.

I was too furious with him to step in and defend him. Too angry to even entertain the thought of lying for him.

He didn’t deserve it.

He still didn’t speak. I caught movement in the corner of my peripheral vision.

Adrian.

He was walking toward us casually—his posture seemed ridiculously relaxed in comparison to the tension of our group.

He was carrying a large wrapped box, which he handed straight to me.

“What—?”

“A gift for you,” he said quickly. It seemed to take him a moment to register Hunter and Maya’s presence in the group. He nodded to them, then swiftly looked between all three of us as he finally realized he’d walked in on an altercation.

I looked at Maya again. Her expression was clearing.

She broke into a smile.

“Oh, I see—” she said coyly. She sidled closer to Hunter and grabbed his hand. What was she doing?

“I’m sorry, Hunter, I thought—”

He didn’t speak. Probably for the best.

She continued.

“You’ve moved up in the world, Kara. Or you’re about to. I’m sorry for freaking out there. Hunter and I are so newly public, I’m still a little on edge. But why would you aim for being Luna of our pack, when you have a chance to be Luna to the King?”

I stared. It was hideously inappropriate for her to insinuate that.

Even if she thought Adrian and I were romantically involved, and even if she was extremely relieved that was the case, she was going too far.

She shouldn’t be insinuating anything about an Alpha Prince’s romantic life. Let alone a King Elect.

For that matter, she shouldn’t be insinuating anything about my romantic life. I glowered.

But I immediately looked to Adrian. He had much more to lose than I did. I wondered if he’d deny it, or discipline her, or at least instruct Hunter to.

His cheeks were slightly red, but his expression was calm.

I braced myself in case he was about to shout, but he just shrugged, nonspeaking.

“Kara,” he asked suddenly, “I was just coming to see if you’d come over and check in with Sean for me.”

We’d literally just done that. I’d just left Sean when Hunter had accosted me. But I followed anyway, relieved to be getting away from Hunter and Maya.

He led me toward a wooded area slightly set off from the stage. We’d decided not to clear this clump of trees, and to instead let them be part of the outdoor recreation area.

I imagined the younger children climbing in the branches. The older ones building a treehouse for a woodshop class project.

I turned to Adrian.

“I’m sorry about—” I started, but he held up a hand to stop me and shook his head slightly. He nodded at the box.

“Open it,” he said. He seemed excited. I couldn’t imagine what he’d have gotten for me.

I removed the bow and tore off the paper. It was a tablet.

Not just any tablet. The latest, most advanced model. It must have cost a fortune.

And why was he buying me an expensive gift in the first place?

“This is—thank you, but it’s too much. I can’t accept it.”

“You have to,” he replied with a slight twinkle in his eyes. “If you’re going to be a medal recipient with important events to attend, you’ll need to be able to work on-the go. Tell me this wouldn’t have made your life easier at the new member initiation ceremony, or today.” He paused, smiling. “You’ll still have to apply tourniquets yourself, but at least it will make it easier to keep your files and notes where you need them. And communicate with me—um, anyone you need to get in touch with when you’re running an event.”

He trailed off.

I couldn’t mistake the expression on his face.

He was proud of me.

I glowed with the warmth and novelty of the feeling.

There was something else in his eyes, too. A little hesitation, like he was anxious for me to tell him I liked the gift. Like he’d be upset if he didn’t.

Like someone self-consciously giving their new lover a gift for the first time.

It couldn’t be that, though.

Yes, he’d saved me last night—a few times recently, actually—and there had been some tension between us last night, but it didn’t mean anything.

He had been pretty clear with his rejection all those years ago. Had been clear that my family wasn’t the type of people he could associate with.

Not that I could blame him.

If he’d had a lot to lose then if he chose a partner from the wrong background, it was 100 times more important now that he was about to be king.

There was no way he’d ever consider me a potential Luna.

Did I even want him to?

“Thank you,” I said softly, staring down at my feet.

He let out an audible sigh of relief.

I knew I was right. There was no way he could consider me as a potential partner.

Still, he’d never looked at me this way before.