Chapter 49

“Congratulations, Kara,” he said, embracing me warmly. His face was open and genuine. I blinked, taking a moment after what I’d just seen to get used to his positive emotion.

Again, I was startled by it.

He was proud of me. Truly proud.

He pulled back from the hug, suddenly looking a little timid. His cheek grazed my hair, and I heard a soft intake of breath. Had he smelled it?

When I looked at his face, his cheeks were slightly pink.

“You’ve done great work here,” he said. “It came out perfect. I’d be honored to send children of my own here one day. Wouldn’t you?” His cheeks grew a shade redder.

I didn’t answer, but smiled sadly.

“Anyway, I know we’ve talked about little but the school for a while. I’m guessing you want to get home and relax. I have something else to ask you about, though.”

“Sure, what?” I replied.

“Well, they’ve planned a coronation ceremony for me becoming Alpha King. I didn’t realize they even did that sort of thing. Then again, I guess we were just kids when the last king was crowned.”

He was speaking quickly. Almost nervously. He continued:

“Anyway, I was hoping you’d go with me.” He smiled shyly. “It seems like every time I see you at an event you’re either running it or stepping in to do someone else’s job. I’d like you to just have a chance to enjoy yourself for an evening.”

I felt a tiny prickle of tears behind my eyes, followed by a swell of embarrassment for the emotion. I wasn’t going to be able to keep spending time with Adrian. Feeling looked after was making me soft, and I couldn’t afford to soften right now.

He smiled, suddenly looking more at ease.

“I can’t promise it will be a great night, but I’m hoping you at least don’t have to put a tourniquet on anyone.”

I let out a quick, happy scoff, in spite of myself.

What was the harm in it?

“I’d love to,” I said. “I mean, I’d be honored. Yes.”

I might as well say yes and enjoy, I thought bitterly. He was about to be King, and these types of casual interactions were numbered.

I felt another layer of grief I hadn’t experienced yet.

If I was honest with myself, I’d been growing increasingly disappointed at the fact that there was no chance of a romantic future between us.

But I was also sorry that him becoming king would almost definitely mean the end to our friendly banter, which I’d also been coming to look forward to.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, shocking me back to the present. I looked down at it quickly. Nothing. Just a password reset pin notification.

I must have frowned.

“Are you okay,” he asked. “What’s wrong?”

I hesitated. I shouldn’t talk to him about it. There was no point.

But almost without realizing it, the words started spilling out of me.

I told him everything—the cold war feeling I was experiencing with Hunter; Maya’s promotion to my position, and her plagiarism of my document; my friends choosing her because they could see that she was gaining power.

As I talked, I noticed his jaw clenching and nostrils flaring.

He was furious.

For my benefit.

I reminded myself yet again that it couldn’t happen. There was no chance of us being together. It was probably pity that had made him ask me if I wanted to attend the coronation with him. He’d seen me in so many awful circumstances lately. I was always sick, or heartbroken, or covered in blood, or needing to be helped. Either he had a hero complex, or he pitied me.

Everyone knew we’d been working together, too, so it wouldn’t be read as a romancing thing, necessarily. Maybe he was obligated to bring someone, and didn’t want it to be anyone people would think might become his Luna. If it was just me, people wouldn’t think anything was going on between us.

Even if he wanted me, which he didn’t, there was no way he would be able to be with someone from my family background.

I’d forgotten about it for a moment. Thinking about my family background made me remember what some of them had just done.

What was I going to do?

I could feel the expression on my face darken.

“What else?” He asked gently.

I couldn’t help but tell him.

“I’ve just found out the account for my grandmother’s long-term care facility is overdrawn,” I said sadly. My father and brother are horrible, both addicts, and are taking money that’s not theirs any chance they have. I had three years’ rent and care saved in that account and it’s all gone. It had to have been them. I don’t know how they got into the account—they shouldn’t have had access—but they did, and—"

He looked like he was about to reply, though I didn’t know what he was likely to say about it, when I heard a rustle in the grass and a shadow fell across ours.

Hunter walked up and held out his hand to me.

I paused for a long time, then shook it.

“Congratulations, Kara,” he said. His voice sounded stiff.

He held out his hand to Adrian as well.

Adrian paused for even longer, but shook Hunter’s hand as well. I guessed he needed to practice being diplomatic even with people he didn’t like, so he might as well start now.

It was strange to see Hunter awkward, like this.

He started to chat with Adrian about the Alpha Council, and I took the opportunity to stare at them.

They were so different. Hunter was rugged and severe, with harsh angles. A long time ago, I’d thought of him as more masculine than Adrian, whose features were more delicate. But that was when I’d been rejected by Adrian and seemed to have gotten Hunter.

Now that I looked closer, Adrian was stunning, and no less masculine than his cousin. The angles of his face were different, but his jaw was strong and his nose straight. His eyes were bright and honest. He moved gracefully but decisively.

I felt a pull deep inside me.

For the first time, I thought I might feel even more attracted to Adrian than I did Hunter.

Not that it mattered.

I focused back in on the conversation.

They were talking about the cocktail hour at the pack house. I’d already invited Adrian, but he was nodding kindly as Hunter told him about it.

I guessed Hunter was taking his moment to try to make nice with Adrian, now that he was going to be King.

They both turned to me.

“Are you heading back that way,” Hunter asked, at the same time as Adrian said:

“Is there anything we can help with before we go?”

I paused. I couldn’t go back to the house yet, but it wasn’t because anything else needed done here.

“I’ll be there soon,” I said quickly, “but first there’s somewhere I need to go.”