Heather’s POV
"The mother of your heir?"
"Unless you plan to keep pushing out children for Austin instead," he said calmly. "From what I hear, he is doing a great job killing them."
"I will never give him another pup." My fingers tightened until my claws bit into my own palm.
I could almost feel Daniel nod. "Good. Then we understand each other."
"Are you really serious?" I whispered.
"I do not make empty offers. You want justice for your father. I want a Luna whose spine is not made of mud and a mother strong enough for my heir. This solves all of that in one move."
"But I am still mated," I said stiffly. "Marked even."
"Marks can be broken. Bonds can be cut."
Breaking a bond hurts. It tore both wolves. It could drive one or both mad.
But I thought of Austin’s hands on Olivia’s body. And the bitch's voice bragging about killing my father.
"This is not a small price," I murmured.
"Neither is what you are asking me to do," Daniel replied. "You want my warriors. My name. My power. You want me to walk into your pack lands and drag your Alpha in chains in front of his people."
His tone softened a fraction.
"And I want you," he added. "I am just honest about it."
My heart slammed so hard it hurt.
The bond with Austin was still there, but the pull toward Daniel that I had buried was still alive under it. It stretched now, reaching toward his voice like a plant toward light.
I swallowed.
"You are asking me to jump from one Alpha to another," I said.
"No." His answer was sharp. "I am asking you to jump from a coward who hides behind you to a king who will stand in front of you. That is different."
A low heat pooled in my stomach at his words. My wolf wagged her tail I my mind.
"You have two weeks. Gather your proof. Call me the moment you are ready."
My hand drifted to my lower belly where Austin’s pup was still trying to grow. How could I promise Daniel pups when I was already carrying another Alpha’s?
"Are you backing out?" he asked.
I gasped. "What if... what if I do not agree to your terms?"
He chuckled, dark and low. "Then expect my warriors to be at your gates and to extract your Alpha and his mistress before I take my dinner, which will happen in three minutes."
Fear and anger crashed together in my chest. "I told you I need to gather proof first," I shot back. "Or do you really want your kingdom to see you as a tyrant? A cold-blooded king?"
"I don’t mind?" he said, and I believed him.
I bit my lip hard.
What was I supposed to do? I wanted justice for my father and for the pups inside me.
But I did not want Daniel’s name dragged through the mud because of my mess.
"Once and for all, my sweet Heather. Do you agree or not?"
My wolf pressed against my skin, torn and restless. "Fine!”
I didn’t know yet how I would fix all of this.
But what mattered right now was simple: Austin and Olivia would pay, and my pack would be free.
I composed myself after the mindlink.
Grabbing the old treaty, I walked out of the room.
As I expected, Austin was already at the table.
He had changed clothes, but Olivia’s scent still clung to him under the soap.
My wolf snarled, but I swallowed it back and moved closer.
Austin pushed his chair back and stood with a wide smile.
"Love, I did not know you were already here.”
He stepped toward me and kissed my cheek.
My skin crawled under his lips. My wolf tried to jerk our head away.
‘As if you would notice my arrival. You were too busy with your mistress,’ I thought.
Out loud, I said nothing. Even my wolf was howling for his blood, and for his heart between her teeth.
He hurried to pull my chair out. "You must be tired from the trip to the Ironclaw Citadel.”
I sat, my heart was beating so hard it hurt, but my face stayed neutral.
"So, how was the meeting with Alpha Daniel?" His eyes were bright, almost glowing.
Controlling my hand from trembling, I slid the folder across the table.
"See for yourself."
Austin snapped it open like a kid with a gift. I watched his face as his eyes ran over the fake victory. His grin stretched wider with every line.
He had no idea that paper was dead already.
"This is it, Heather. You did it!”
He stood up so fast his chair scraped back.
He grabbed his phone and hit a speed dial.
"Beta Gus, spread the word. Tell the Elders that our pack is now in the party of the current monarch. Tell them that after my endless persuasion of His Majesty, I got his golden yes."
I picked up my fork, cutting through the meat on my plate so I did not stab him with it.
Endless persuasion?
While I went to Ironclaw, my sister was on his lap.
Austin paused and looked at me. "You don’t mind, right, since you went to the castle for me?"
I looked at the hypocritical man in front of me and felt my nails bite into my palms.
"Of course," I said. Rage crashed through me, burning hot over the memory of my father’s body and my dead pups.
I chewed my food and tasted nothing.
He kept talking, planning, already picturing the elders praising him, other Alphas shaking his hand, calling him brother, ally, visionary.
He didn't even see the way my grip on the fork whitened.
Dinner felt like it took years and five seconds at the same time.
When we finished, Austin wiped his mouth, his eyes still bright.
"The Elders called for a small celebration," he said, getting up. His beta appeared by the door like he had been waiting the entire time. "They want to drink at our new place with the king."
I looked up at him.
"Aren’t you going to invite me?" I asked.
He paused and gave me a quick, nervous smile.
"I want to, but I know you are tired. Please rest. I will be right back before you know it."
I forced a gentle look.
"Alright. Just don't drink too much."
He laughed, leaned down to kiss my hair, then walked out with his beta.
The moment their footsteps faded, I stood then hurried straight to Austin’s study.
The room still smelled of what he did earlier, but I ignored it and walked past the couch straight to his desk.
I had watched him type his passwords a hundred times, so I knew the exact words to enter.
At first it was nothing, then I found a folder tucked inside a system drive.
The footage loaded slowly. My eyes burned from staring, but I kept going.
Hours passed. The digital clock on the screen ticked closer to the time of the attack.
Right when I was about to give up and try again tomorrow, I clicked on the camera feed labeled STUDY_ROOM_INT.
My heart dropped when I saw my father on the screen.
There was blood on his mouth, and his shirt was soaked red. He was on his knees with his hands tied in the middle of the room, and even with his head bowed.
Austin had his hand wrapped around my father’s collar, dragging him across the floor. Olivia followed, fake tears running down her face.
I slapped a hand over my mouth.
On the screen, Olivia sobbed.
‘Thank you, Austin. If you didn't come, this old beast would have already violated me.’
Old beast? That was what he called to the man who gave her a home.
Austin’s face twisted.
‘No one hurts you. And I wanted to end this old man a long time ago so my step to the Alpha position would be faster.’
My father tried to speak, but Austin yanked him again.
Olivia sniffed, wiping at her dry eyes.
‘But I will not be your Luna. Not now that you found your mate, and she happens to be his daughter.’
My whole body was shaking as I watched Austin let my father’s body drop.
Then, like my father was nothing more than a broken log in his way, Austin stepped on his chest to walk over him.
He went straight to Olivia and pulled her into his arms.
‘Heather may be my mate and the future Luna of this pack, but you will be my woman.’
He bent his head and kissed her in this same room.
A sob ripped out of me, rough and ugly.
My wolf roared, her eyes glowed through mine.
I wanted to shift, find Austin wherever he was celebrating, and tear him apart in front of the Elders.
Curse the both of you!
I squeezed my eyes shut and forced air into my lungs. If I broke now, all of this would be wasted.
'Evidence. Use it! my wolf snarled.'
My hands were still shaking, but I forced them to move.
I copied the file and sent them to my private address.
On the screen, the video kept running.
"I'm so sorry, Father," I sobbed quietly. "I should have protected you. I miss you so much it hurts, and I want to kill them for turning every memory of you into a crime scene!"
My wolf pressed her nose against the inside of my ribs, mourning with me.
I had two weeks to gather proof and stop myself from tearing their throats out in the hallway.
I was done being the Luna who endured.
