Chapter 2

Brielle swept in hugging a roll of parchment. She dipped a curtsy for Callum and acted like I wasn't there, then held out the roll with a perfect little blush.

"Alpha, I wrote something for you. A thank-you letter."

His smile grew. "You wrote it yourself?"

"You gave me the Claw of Honor. You trusted me with the whole pack. I just wanted to put how grateful I am into words."

Her gaze brushed past me, quick as a blink.

"Besides, the Luna's finally willing to follow the rules now. I think things will be a lot easier between us."

Callum couldn't have looked happier.

He came and sat beside me, rolled the parchment open, and went through every word of it.

Every word was praise. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for letting me teach the Luna how pack life works. Down at the very bottom was one extra line:

"The Luna has finally started to follow pack rules. May the Moon Goddess take away her pride and teach her some respect for pack law."

He rolled it up again, laughing under his breath.

"This is good. All this time, you've really carried a lot."

Then he looked at me like he was asking me to pass the salt. "Wren, write her one too."

I raised my head. "Write her what?"

"A thank-you. A public one. We'll pin it up on the pack board."

His brows pulled together, like he couldn't believe I needed it explained.

"She's been doing your job for you, and people are still saying she's overstepping. I've heard a few calling her the real Luna. You're my mate. It should come from you. Put a stop to the talk."

I looked at the letter in his hand, and the last six years crashed over me.

Brielle's brother had taken an arrow for Callum at the border and died of it. Callum swore he'd look after his sister as long as she lived. He kept her right by his side. Bit by bit, she took everything that should have belonged to me. On paper, I was Luna of Ashcrest. In real life, an Omega had more say than I did.

Once, I asked him why he'd given her what was mine.

"Brielle just knows pack business better than you do."

And now I was supposed to thank her for it. In my own handwriting.

I turned my face away. "Okay," I said softly.

Finally, he was satisfied. He dropped a kiss on my cheek.

"That's my girl."

He got up and said to Brielle, "Come on. I'm walking you home."

"Alpha, you really don't need to. There are guards right outside—"

"I'm walking you. End of discussion."

He was already holding the curtain aside for her.

Brielle took her sweet time going past me. Callum's hand found the small of her back. She tipped her head against him and beamed.

"How are you always this good to me?"

He shrugged it off with a grin. "I swore I'd look after you forever. Walking you home is the least I can do."

Down the hall they went, their voices getting fainter until there was nothing.

The old me would have gone after them. I'd have demanded to know why his hands were all over her. I'd have stayed up all night picking apart every word he said about what she deserved.

Now I couldn't even make myself get up.

Losing our pup had drained me dry. There was no hurt or anger left in me to waste on him.

I wanted out. Quietly, without a fuss. Two more hours.

I rolled out a clean sheet of parchment, bit down on my fingertip until blood welled up, and wrote my thank-you letter with it.

When I was done, my finger had already stopped bleeding.

The curtain swished. Callum came back in practically bouncing, acting like the last ten minutes never happened.

"All done?"

He sat down beside me, oddly cheerful. "We've still got time. Come on, let's find you a gown."

My eyes went to the rolled-up letter. "Sure."

Callum lit up. He grabbed my hand and tugged me along toward the dressing room.

Halfway there, his fingers clamped tight around mine.