Adam's growl broke the silence after the call.
"Of course it's Brad. He'll take any excuse to be sniffing around you again."
Ann gave him a tired look from where she sat propped against the pillows.
"Don't start. Adam."
"He betrayed you and now he thinks he can just stroll back into your life like nothing happened?" Adam snarled, his wolf prowling just under his skin. He paced the floor at the foot of the bed, every movement tight and restless.
Ann reached for his hand when he passed close enough in an effort to calm him.
"I know what he did, Adam. I haven't forgotten. But I'm the Alpha Queen…and that means that I'm still his Queen. I don't have the luxury of ignoring him and whether we like it or not, his wolf still pines for what was stolen from him. That isn't his fault."
Adam's teeth clenched, his eyes burning.
"Whether he was at fault or not, I don't want him near you. Not now. Not ever."
Her thumb traced across his knuckles, soothing his wolf as best as she could.
"You don't have to like it, Adam. You just have to trust me and accept it.."
His chest heaved once, then again, before he finally dropped his gaze, but the tension in his shoulders never left.
"He's right, you know," Maeve smirked, " Brad still looks at you like you're the one that every man remembers as the ‘one that got away'. And, amusingly, Adam looks like he wants to rip his throat out every time even his name is mentioned. Next time, we should sell tickets…its much better than any live performance I've ever seen."
Ann's lips twitched despite herself and Adam narrowed his eyes.
"What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing," she said quickly, pressing a hand over her stomach as though the smile on her face had been for the babies.
Adam wasn't convinced, but he didn't push it. His wolf was already pacing too loudly.
"Adam, that's enough,now. Get your wolf under control." Ann said firmly. "Brad's visit will be handled strategically and with civility. Nothing more."
Adam didn't look convinced, and the responding grumble from his wolf made that abundantly clear.
Ann leaned back against the pillows, exhaustion tugging at her again as she thought of anything that would change the subject away from Brad.
"Lexi's right, though" she murmured. "Greyson's brothers making contact with Brad directly instead of through the official channels isn't just posturing. It's a message. Either they knew he was visiting already and they want him back under his father's control, or, they want to secure allies before they make a bigger move."
Adam prowled across the rug, still too restless to sit and barked a laugh.
"Whether they want him or not, they won't get him. He's ours, pack or no pack, blood or no blood, he grew up in the Enclave. He's not theirs anymore."
"How romantic," Maeve purred. "A little overbearing as expected, but still romantic…maybe hes considering taking Greyson on…"
"Maeve please shut up…" Ann said, hiding her smile with a slow breath.
"They don't know about the mother or the boy though," she said aloud. "Which does give us an advantage of sorts."
Adam stopped his pacing, bracing a hand against the bedpost.
"And Brad? What advantage do we get from letting him in here?"
Ann exhaled slowly. He really wasn't ever going to let this go.
"Stability and at least the appearance of a united front between the royal family and the two strongest packs in our nation." Ann explained patiently, "His wolf will rest easier if he sees me healthy, and knows that my children are growing up strong in a secure palace."
"Those are my concerns, not his." Adam snarled, "He has no right."
"The remnants of the bond will weaken over time Adam, and if he finds a second mate, then his wolf will lose interest in me and my children over time. As long as he can see that the Palace is secure and I'm well taken care of, it should be enough."
"It's more than he deserves." Adam snapped.
"Yes, but it also helps keep his pack loyal, and loyalty keeps the Lycan king from pulling strings where he shouldn't." Ann explained patiently.
"Or it gives him an excuse to look at you like you're still his," Adam bit out.
"He's not wrong there either," Maeve said with a snort, "That wolf of his moons after you like a pup with a bone he lost in the garden."
Ann pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed in exasperation.
"You're exhausting, both of you."
Adam stiffened.
"Both…?"
"I mean the situation," she corrected smoothly, cutting Maeve a glare in her mind.
"Oh don't be so salty Queenie, you love me really." Maeve snorted.
Ann tried her best to ignore her as she continued.
"He'll sit in a receiving hall, he'll bring his mother and the baby, and we'll talk defenses and borders. Nothing more."
"And if he tries for more?" Adam's voice was low, dangerous.
"Then I end the meeting. Not you."
Adam's wolf flickered in his eyes.
"You expect me to sit there and say nothing while he stares at you?"
"You'll sit there," Ann said firmly. "And you'll trust me. That's all."
"Ha! Good luck with that," Maeve murmured wickedly.
Adam growled under his breath, but he didn't argue further.
"There's also the plan for moving the Dark Moon, or at least some of them. I told her we'd wait until they returned home, but she and Allen will be central to the success of a smooth transition. Greyson too once…" She trailed off and didn't need to finish that sentence for Adam to know what she was talking about.
"Once you tell him," Maeve finished softly in her mind, all trace of humour gone now..
"When he's back. He deserves the truth." she said aloud, more to herself than anyone else.
Adam finally sank onto the mattress beside her, his arm wrapping around her shoulders protectively.
"He'll be angry and hurt, but not with us," Adam said gently, "I'm confident that he'll still stand with us. He's nothing like his father."
Ann leaned into him, eyes slipping shut for a moment.
"I hope you're right."
"He is," Maeve said, unusually gentle. "You've built a family here, one that you've chosen for yourself and blood doesn't undo that. Not even Lycan blood."
Ann opened her eyes again, staring into the fire.
"Then tomorrow, we'll start on our plans. For Brad, for Greyson and for whatever the Lycans think they're plotting. If they want to play power games, we'll show them what real power looks like."
Adam pressed a kiss to her temple.
"They'll learn soon enough." he said, his voice low.
"Finally," Maeve howled, "A bit of fire. I was starting to think you were going soft on me and I don't think Lexi would ever forgive me if I let that happen. You might be a giant softy and naive to a fucking fault, but you still pack a punch when you're pushed to it."
Ann gave a tired smile, and rested her hand over Adam's.
"I hope that the council meeting goes to plan tomorrow," Ann sighed sleepily, "For once I would like things to be…orderly. The less chaos the better. I've had enough of that to last me a lifetime."
"Orderly?" Adam snorted, unconvinced, "With a room full of those gossiping crones I highly doubt that."
"Adam! You can't call the elders that!" she gasped, slightly taken aback but he only replied with the ghost of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"Oh, Queenie…tomorrow's going to be so much fun!" Maeve cackled wildly.