Through the blur of my vision, Kael's boots appeared in front of me again.
He hauled me up by the collar and forced something bitter between my lips. "It's to save the pup. Once it's born, our bond breaks."
The bitterness flooded my mouth, and only then did I remember. Eron was the name Kael had chosen.
Back when he first scented the pup growing inside me, he'd been so happy he called three nights of open hunts beneath the moon, every wolf in the pack welcome at his fire.
Every day he ran the long miles back from the border territories, just to press his ear to my belly and murmur to the pup the way only a father could.
The name itself he'd chosen from a thousand, combing through the old bloodline ledgers to find it.
So how had we ever come to this?
Kael tucked me into a corner and turned to leave.
But I caught the mocking curl of Seris's smile.
I strained to read the shape of her lips. She seemed to be saying.
Wolfsbane.
The pain dragged me under, and when I woke I was already in the Moon Queen's chambers, the cold amber and night-blooming moonflower of her scent close around me.
Her Majesty looked at me, eyes rimmed red. "Lyra, the Shadow Fangs I sent didn't reach you in time. Your pup."
With Seris's poison inside me, the pup could never have been saved.
I gave a bitter smile and signaled to the Moon Queen that I was all right. Deep beneath my ribs, my wolf had gone silent in a way I had never known her to be, curled around an emptiness that would not fill.
"Lyra, you risked your life to shield the consorts and the young of the court. The Crescent Hall owes you a great debt."
"Is there anything you want? That Ravenmoor she-wolf—"
I cut her off quickly. "Your Majesty, all I want is a Bond-Severance Decree."
Seeing the grief in my eyes, the Moon Queen agreed, and left me alone to rest.
Garran Thornfield came to see me, his scent of warm oak and clove carrying his worry before he spoke. "My Luna, your pup. I'll have the War-Alpha summoned to the Crescent Hall for you at once."
Before I could refuse, he'd already sent a runner off.
But a day passed, then two, and Kael never came.
The Moon Queen told me to rest easy, yet the maids' chattering still drifted into my ears.
"War-Alpha Stormbane truly does love his Luna. The rogue siege is barely put down, and already he's riding through the Moon Court with his Enforcers, calling on every moon-healer, den to den."
"True. They say he won't even use the silver-safe salve the Moon Queen granted him. He gave all of it to his Luna."
The Crescent Hall had been in chaos, and I'd been found alone and dragged from the fire; fearing for my standing, the Moon Queen had not named me as Kael's Luna.
Listening to the maids' envy, Garran came in awkwardly to give his report.
"My Luna, there's been no word from the War-Alpha."
I gave a soft sound of acknowledgment, pressing down the dull ache in my chest. "He's busy."
Too busy tending Seris. How could there still be room in his heart for me? The mate-mark at the junction of my neck had gone cold long ago, and it did not warm now.
After half a moon, it was no longer fitting for the Crescent Hall to shelter an Alpha's Luna.
The Moon Queen sent word for Kael to take me home.
But all that came was one shabby obsidian carriage, and the very Enforcer who had once stamped on my belly.
Dorn's face was full of resentment, a low growl threading under his words. "The War-Alpha hasn't had a moment's rest, and you actually dared to stir trouble before the Moon Queen herself."
"The messenger who carried her order tore into the War-Alpha. If he weren't honoring your old companion-bond, he'd have cast you out with a Bond-Severance Decree long ago, you vicious she-wolf."
"It's Beta Thornfield I pity—"
His words broke off the moment he caught Garran's scent of warm oak a step behind.
Garran gave him a puzzled look. "Why do you look like you've scented a wraith? See the Luna home with care. The moon-healer was clear. She can't take the cold right now."
I said nothing, and climbed into the carriage.
Outside, once Dorn had heard the truth from Garran, he came to the front of the carriage and struck himself hard across the face, the blow loud enough that even his wolf flinched beneath it.
I spoke up to stop him from begging forgiveness.
If Kael hadn't allowed it, his own Enforcer would never have dared treat me so brazenly.
In the end, I simply didn't measure up to Seris.
When we reached the War-Alpha's estate, the carriage was carried around to the back gate.
Dorn's face went grim. "I'll go call for the War-Alpha right now."
Before he could move, the back gate creaked open, and Kael came storming out, the air thickening with the cold iron and ozone of his fury, and yanked me down onto the ground.
"I spared you out of mercy, and you actually go and slander Seris!"
