Agnes

Flipping the binder open, I was met with page after page of names, faces, and intricate webs of alliances. Alphas and Lunas from every corner of the world, their pack sigils and colors, major exports, closest allies—even trivial details like their favorite foods and preferred wines.

And at the top of the first page, written in Elijah’s handwriting: “Memorize all of this before the gala.”

“Is he serious?” I muttered under my breath as I flipped through the pages. “He expects me to memorize all of this?”

A soft voice piped up behind me. “Mommy, what’s that?”

I turned to see Thea rubbing the sleep from her eyes, her hair adorably tousled. I couldn’t help but smile. “Good morning, sweetheart. It’s just some... homework I have to do.”

Intrigued, she jumped out of bed and padded over to me, peering curiously at the binder. “Homework? Like the kind I get from school?”

“Something like that,” I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck with my hand. “But maybe a bit more boring than what you’re used to.”

She tilted her head, studying the colorful sigils and portraits. She pointed at one of the headshots of a Luna from some random pack I’d honestly never even heard of. “Who are all these people?”

“Alphas and Lunas from other packs,” I replied with a soft sigh. “I need to learn about all of them for... for my lessons.”

Her eyes widened. “But there are so many. You have to know about all of them?”

“Apparently so,” I sighed again, half-laughing. “And I need to learn about all of them soon, too. Before that big party that’s coming up.”

Thea’s brow furrowed as she thought deeply for a few moments. Then, suddenly, her face brightened with an idea. “Maybe I can help you!” she exclaimed.

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And how would you do that?”

She grinned mischievously. “We can make a game out of it! It’ll be fun!”

“A game, huh?” I considered her suggestion. Balancing this mountain of information with spending time with Thea seemed impossible, but maybe she was onto something. “Alright, I’m listening.”

“Yay!” she cheered. “After breakfast, we can start!”

We spent the morning making a mess more than breakfast. Thea begged me for pancakes, which actually sounded appealing after last night. Soon enough, flour dusted the countertops, and Thea insisted on adding chocolate chips to the pancake batter. As we sat down, she looked up at me with syrup somehow smeared across her cheek already even though we hadn’t started eating yet.

“Mommy, did you have fun at your birthday last night?” she asked innocently as she shoveled a big forkful of pancake into her mouth.

I hesitated as memories of the kiss came flooding back. I’d really hoped that I wouldn’t have to think about it today, but that was silly of me anyway. “I… I did, thanks to you,” I said, forcing a smile.

She giggled as she reached for her orange juice. “I saw you and Daddy kissing last night.”

My fork paused midway to my mouth. “You... you did?”

“Mhm. Does that mean you’re getting married?”

A pang hit my chest, but I forced a smile. “Well, sometimes grown-ups kiss without... without getting married.”

“Why not?”

“It’s complicated, sweetheart.”

She seemed to ponder this. “Well, I think you and Daddy should be together.”

I swallowed hard, not sure how to respond. “Let’s finish our breakfast, okay? We have a big game to play.”

She opened her mouth to say more but then nodded, returning her attention to her pancakes. Thankfully, after that, she seemed distracted enough by breakfast and the thought of playing outside to keep pining over a fairytale marriage that was definitely never going to happen.

After we cleaned up, we took the binder out to the garden to play. The sun was warm, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves. I spread out a blanket under a large oak tree, laying the binder open between us.

“Okay,” I began, pointing to the first page. “This is Alpha Jonathan of the Fullmoon Pack. Their sigil is a silver wolf howling at the full moon.”

Thea studied the aging Alpha’s headshot. “He looks grumpy.”

I laughed. “He does, doesn’t he? But it says here his favorite food is strawberry pie.”

Her eyes lit up. “I love strawberry pie!” she said, then flipped to the next page, pointing at a regal-looking woman. “Who’s she?”

“That’s Luna Seraphina of the Golden Sun Pack. Their colors are gold and white, and their sigil is a sun with rays spreading out.”

We continued like this, turning each Alpha and Luna into characters in our little fantasy world. Thea would make up stories about them, and I would fill it in with the facts I needed to memorize. Eventually, we started turning it into a game, pretending that we were royalty.

“Greetings, Luna Seraphina,” I said, donning the picnic blanket like a cape and bowing to Thea, who had fashioned a crown made of daisies. “How fares the Golden Sun Pack?”

She lifted her chin, trying to look dignified. “Very well, Alpha Jonathan. Our fields are bountiful this year.”

“Excellent news,” I replied, struggling to keep a straight face.

Thea burst into laughter. “This is fun!”

By the time the afternoon sun began to cast golden hues across the garden, we were both starving, and all I could think about was eating a sandwich. We’d already gotten through nearly half of the binder, and with the gala still a little ways away, I’d say we were making excellent progress.

As we gathered up the binder and scattered pages, I packed everything up neatly. I ruffled Thea’s hair with a grin, honestly feeling a lot better after last night.

“You were a big help today,” I told her. She was a big help in more ways than one, truthfully, but I wasn’t about to dump my personal worries onto a child. Knowing Thea, she’d just make it her mission to help me, and I didn’t want her to have to worry about anything other than what to eat for lunch.

She grinned and grabbed my hand, pulling me back toward the house. “Did you learn everything?”

“Almost,” I said, tapping my temple. “Thanks to you.”

As we made our way back toward the house, Thea released my hand and skipped ahead, chattering about what she wanted to eat. I trailed behind, but my thoughts drifted.

No matter how much I tried to keep it off my mind that day, I couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss last night. Nor could I get the image of that mark on Elijah’s neck out of my thoughts.

As if on cue, as we reached the edge of the garden, something made me pause. It was a sensation of the hairs on the back of my neck rising, like I was being watched. I stopped in my tracks and turned, then looked up toward the mansion, squinting against the golden sun.

There, standing by his office window, was Elijah. He was gazing down at us with an unreadable expression on his face and his hands clasped behind his back, his hair tousled from work and his shirt slightly unbuttoned.

Most of all, he was looking at me.

I felt my cheeks flush instantly as he caught and held my gaze, but it was nearly impossible to look away. I felt frozen, just standing there like a deer in headlights. And at that moment, all I could think about was the taste of his lips on mine.

But then, suddenly, the spell was broken by the sound of Thea’s voice.

“Mommy? What are you looking at?”

I blinked, suddenly pulled back to reality, and offered her a watery smile. “Nothing. How about grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch?”

“Ooh! I want mine cut into a fun shape!” Thea exclaimed, turning on her heel and running inside.

I shook my head and went to follow her, casting one last glance up at the window.

Elijah was gone, but the feeling of his eyes on me somehow remained for the rest of the day.