He jerked upright, startled, then tried to mask it with a stiff smile.
"Your Highness! I'm sorry, I didn't see you."
"Clearly." Ann folded her arms and tilted her head with a small smile. "You can drop the title though Brad, we're not in court. I saw the way you looked at Coral though."
"It's nothing." he rushed out quickly, stiffening as if he had been caught doing something that he shouldn't have been.
"Oh, Really?"
"Yes." He shifted Devante in his arms and the boy tugged at his shirt happily, oblivious to the awkwardness that had settled in the room. "Coral's good with him. That's all."
Ann let the silence stretch until he squirmed.
"You know it doesn't bother me, right?" Ann said, her smile widening, I'm not going to be angry at you for just liking her and showing an interest."
His gaze snapped back to hers, searching her expression for any signs that she was lying, and when he found nothing, he sighed in relief.
"I thought…actually never mind what I thought. Thinning is not really my strong point it seems." He chuckled, shaking his head, "You really are too sharp for your own good, you know?"
"So I've been told." Ann answered with a wry smile, "So, do you want to tell me about it? Or do I have to piece the story together through guesswork and gossip?"
"This is probably epicly uncomfortable for him," Maeve smirked, "Imagine, cheating on your mate with her not even real sister, getting her pregnant, being outraged that you wouldn't take him back, devastated when he saw that you'd moved on, the failure he must have felt at watching Adam rise to Alpha Queen Consort when it should have been him, the humiliation that he can't even protect his child in his own pack, a wolf that wouldn't let go AND NOW, the ex mate in question coming upon him making googly eyes at one of her closest aides."
"I think you forgot to breathe there Maeve." Ann snorted.
"I'm just saying…must be awkward, that's all." Maeve shrugged happily as Brad seemed to hesitate for a moment.
He glanced down, smoothing the blanket with careful fingers.
"I mean, I wouldn't be against getting to know her better. But the timing's wrong. My pack's fractured. My people are scattered, and there's the threat of war pressing on every side. The last thing I should be doing is pursuing my own interests in the middle of a mess like that."
"Brad, Coral doesn't scare easily, and she's more than capable of making her own choices. If she wants to spend time with you, that's her right to decide. Don't bury it under excuses before anything even starts."
"I've already caused enough damage," he said quietly. "I don't want to hurt her too. She deserves better than a man still patching up what's left of his life."
Ann studied him for a long moment. The stubborn set of his jaw, the way he curled his arm protectively around Devante, the weight in his voice. She recognized it, guilt carved so deep that it felt safer to wall yourself away from everything than risk someone else getting hurt because of your decisions.
"You're not the only one who's lost and broken things," she said. "But Coral's tougher than you think. Don't write her off because you're afraid. If anything, that's insulting."
Brad met her eyes then, without the mask.
"You'd really encourage this? After everything?"
"By the Goddess YES!" Maeve roared, "Anything to get his wolf's mind off us! And if he can love Coral as deeply as he did us, I couldn't be fucking happier. Poor wolf needs to move on…and who knows, this could just be a mate bond that's slow to bloom because Coral is an omega.Come to think of it..I don't think I've ever heard her wolf…"
"It's probably more the fact that she can't get a word in with your constant chatter," Ann sniped back, suppressing a laugh.
"Fucking rude…" Maeve huffed as Ann turned her attention back to Brad.
"I'd encourage anything that puts that look on your face. The one you had when she held your son."
His mouth twitched slightly, not a smile exactly but sort of a half laugh, and half surrender.
"You don't make anything easy, do you?"
"That's never been in my job description," she chuckled.
He glanced toward the nursery door.
"The nobles will talk though."
"They already do," Ann said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "They called me weak at breakfast and hysterical by lunch and now I'm incapable of multitasking and running the kingdom. But, I'm still here. Let them waste their breath. You don't answer to them and neither does Coral."
He winced.
"It isn't only talk though is it? My own pack isn't stable. If I start anything now and then have to leave, or worse, if I don't come back, I'm not the one who's going to pay for it."
"Then be honest with her," Ann said. "Tell her what you told me. Give her the chance to decide whether the risk is worth it."
"Do you think she'd say yes?" He asked suddenly, looking every inch the teenager that she had once known.
"I think she's already halfway there," Ann said softly, "You were the only one who didn't notice."
Brad looked at Devante, then at the door again. He shook his head like he could clear the weight off his shoulders and sighed.
"I'll think about it." he said finally.
"Good," Ann said. "But don't wait too long. It might be the exact thing that you and your wolf need to find happiness again. Also, consider asking her to teach you bath time for Devante. You looked terrified when she mentioned water."
"I wasn't terrified."
"You were pale."
He snorted, "Fine. I was a little apprehensive. Babies are so slippery when they're wet."
The nursery door swung open and Coral returned with an armful of linens. She paused when she saw Ann and lifted her chin in greeting.
"Ann! Nice to see you here! Did you come to check out my amazing maternal skills and watch Brad be the bewildered Alpha that's afraid of breaking everything?"
Ann chuckled as Maeve snorted loudly in her head.
"Yeah…she's perfect for him." Maeve grinned.
"I was passing and saw the door open so I thought that I really should just look in and see how the pup is doing." Ann said. "I can see he's in amazing hands though."
Coral eyed Brad appraisingly.
"To be fair, he's doing well. Devante didn't even hiccup after the feed. I've seen seasoned warriors fold under burp cloth duty."
"I did not fold," Brad said, offended.
"Mm," Coral said, narrowing her eyes with an amused smile. "You almost did."
Ann hid a smile.
"I'll leave you two to it."
She slipped out, letting the door ease shut behind her.
"You're enjoying this aren't you?", Maeve said, smugly. "Queen of wolves and amateur cupid. Should I start a record for all the matches that you make?"
"Maybe we should start a ledger for your sarcasm," Ann muttered.
"Already full. I'm going to need a second volume." Maeve shot back quickly, "Perhaps you can add a cupid tax as well. Might even help fund the cost of this war."
"Shut up Maeve," Ann snorted back.