Julian's eyes drifted between focus and fog. He looked tired and lost. He'd been searching for me, I could tell. Now he blinked as if seeing me and Elena at the same time.
In a low voice he answered, "Alright."
I smiled, soft and bright. "Thanks, Julian. By the way, I haven't seen your mate. Where is Elena?"
At the name, something in him stirred. His gaze sharpened like dawn cutting mist. He wanted to say more, but the words stuck.
Camilla jumped in fast, all honeyed calm. "Aunt Riley, Elena was held up. It's late. Let's eat before the stew cools." She looped her arm through mine like she owned the space.
I slipped my arm free and stepped back to Lewis, letting the movement look natural. "Lewis, let's go," I said softly. I made my voice gentle around others. It made our bond seem real. It made us look close.
Lewis did not correct me. He let it be. Still, his eyes watched me cold, unreadable. When he looked at me, I felt exposed. He could see things others could not.
At the dining table, Elder Jeffrey seemed lighter. His brow was less heavy. He watched me with a small smile as I tended to Lewis. Of course he relaxed. Lewis was his son. A father's pride shows even when the body is weak.
Lewis moved slowly. He couldn't walk far, so I rose to serve him soup. I chose what I thought he would like. Our bond might not be born of love, but we were mates now. We owed each other respect. I owed him that. He had saved me once before. I would not forget.
"Tell me what you like," I said, offering a bowl. "I'll make sure you have it."
He gave me a look I could not read. Then he nodded. "Alright."
Julian watched us in silence. He looked small in the big hall. Maybe he remembered how I used to fuss over him finding the things he liked, setting aside the things he hated. Back then I paid attention to everything, thinking it mattered. Now it seemed he had no one to tend to him. Camilla would not dare with Elder Jeffrey watching.
My eye caught the bracelet on Julian's wrist. The beads shone under the lights. I smiled and said, casual, "Julian, that bracelet is interesting. It has a strange pattern."
He rubbed it, a new habit. "Made by a master," he murmured.
What he did not know was the secret behind those beads. No one could know. After my body burned, ashes and bone twisted and formed had been turned into keepsakes. They claimed it was memory. It made bile rise in my throat knowing my remains were worn like talismans.
"I like Nine-Eyed beads," I said lightly. "Yours looks rare. Would you sell it? I'll pay well."
Julian hesitated. He did not seem to care for such things. I guessed the bracelet sat on his wrist for reasons he could not say. Guilt, habit, a link to the past. He might part with it for praise.
Camilla jumped in, quick as a fox. "Aunt Riley, I have one upstairs. I'll bring it down. We're family no need to buy."
I tilted my head and smiled. "How kind. Thank you."
After dinner, Camilla offered to fetch the bracelet. I insisted on going with her. She looked uneasy but could not refuse.
As we walked the corridor, I kept my voice light. "You and Julian are close. It's rare to see siblings so tight." I let my words hang, meant to unsettle.
Camilla answered fast. "We grew up together. That's all." She opened the door to her den.
Her room was like a dream. Soft pinks and little trinkets. Curtains that smelled of powder and candles. It looked like a song about gentle things. Anyone would think she was tender and true.
I had seen this den before back when I was nothing but a lost spirit, drifting through the pack lands, unseen. I had floated through these very walls, watching, remembering. It still amazed me how someone like Camilla so cold, so cruel could live in a space that looked so soft and harmless.
She walked to her wardrobe and opened one of the mirrored doors. Inside, rows of jewels gleamed like captured moonlight necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings, each one shining beneath the warm glow of the lights.
Some were gifts from her allies among the powerful packs the Morrigans, the Hales but I recognized a few immediately. They were mine. Pieces that once carried my scent, my memories, my bond.
I remembered the first time she tried to take them. My parents had scolded me.
"Your sister likes them," they said. "You already have so much. Can't you share?"
So, I shared. First, my jewelry.
Later, my mate.
Camilla noticed where my eyes lingered and smiled sweetly. "Aunt Riley, is there something you like? Take whatever calls to you. We're family now, no need for formality."
I smiled back, calm and bright. "Camilla, you're so generous. Any Alpha would be lucky to have a she-wolf like you."
She laughed lightly. "Oh, Aunt Riley, you're teasing me."
I let out a small chuckle, then shifted the topic smoothly. "I really love your fashion sense. Since I just returned to the territory and didn't bring much with me, would you mind if I borrowed a few things?"
Her smile widened. "Of course! You're welcome to anything in my closet."
She crossed the room and pulled open another wardrobe, gesturing for me to browse. But instead of walking toward her, I moved toward the wardrobe on the opposite wall the one that hummed faintly with energy. My wolf stirred beneath my skin. I remembered what it hid.
Behind that door was a hidden passage a secret Camilla guarded like a wolf guards her cubs. Inside lay the proof of her betrayal, the truth about her and Julian's forbidden bond.
Just as my hand brushed the handle, her voice snapped through the air tight, anxious. "Aunt Riley!"
I turned slowly, wearing a light, teasing smile. "What's wrong, Camilla? You look… nervous. Is there something in here you don't want me to see?"
Her eyes flickered. Just for a second. Then the mask slid back into place. "Of course not," she said sweetly. "That's just where I keep old things. My new clothes are over here. Please, help yourself."
I held her gaze for a long moment. Now wasn't the time. A secret like hers needed to break in front of witnesses. When her lies finally burned, I wanted the entire pack to watch.
So I turned away and picked a few dresses from the other wardrobe, letting the silky fabric slide through my fingers. "Camilla," I said casually, "do you have any plans this afternoon? I was hoping you'd come with me to visit Julian's den."
Her head snapped up. "This afternoon? Isn't that sudden?"
I shrugged lightly. "Lewis and I need to start planning our new home. It's better to choose early. Besides, I'd love to explore the pack's borders."
She followed me out of the room, her curiosity barely hidden. "Sure. I heard your bond with my uncle was arranged through the elders. But from what you've said, you seem to get along really well?"
I caught the edge in her voice but only smiled brighter. "Absolutely. I've admired Lewis from afar for years. I used to dream about being his mate. Becoming his Luna it's the best thing that's ever happened to me."
A lie, every word of it. But it rolled off my tongue like truth.
Then I stopped. Two figures stood a few paces ahead Lewis and Julian. Both watching. Both silent. Their scents filled the corridor, heavy with dominance and unspoken tension.
I felt their eyes on me. The air thickened with energy Alpha strength, old emotions, buried instincts.
Still, I smiled.
Let the game begin.