I kept to the outer edge of the gathering, the bonfire casting flickers of gold across the dirt and faces. The crowd shifted, danced, drank, oblivious to the war thundering in my chest.
She hadn’t looked at me since the confrontation. Not even once.
Felicia stood on the far side of the flames, her posture tight but composed. The boys flanked her, Max and Danny, playing quietly, weaving between her legs with the same chaotic grace I’d once had at their age.
My sons.
She hadn’t said the words, but I didn’t need her to. Seeing them had done something to me. Something permanent.
I leaned against one of the support beams for the canopy tent, half-listening to Orion speak with a few elders nearby. That’s when I heard it — a smooth, too-calm voice slicing through the low murmur of the crowd.
“You’ve got the whole pack buzzing about you, Alpha Orion.”
Lucien Marrow.
I turned slightly, eyes narrowing as he emerged from the shadows like a damn politician stepping onto a stage. Tailored suit, easy stride, eyes sharp as daggers behind a smile designed to disarm.
“Lucien Marrow,” he said smoothly, offering Orion his hand. “Representative of Silverstone. We’ve had increased rogue activity on our borders. Thought it was time we build stronger alliances.”
“Didn’t expect a diplomat tonight,” Orion replied coolly, though I noticed the faint line that creased his brow. “Not during a festival.”
Lucien gave a slight shrug. “I prefer timing that unsettles. Keeps everyone honest.”
Then his gaze landed on Felicia.
“And who might this be?”
I didn’t move. My entire body went still, straining to hear her voice through the chatter.
“Felicia,” she said, her voice steady but clipped. She didn’t offer anything else.
Lucien tilted his head. “Ah, the famous Luna — or former Luna, I should say. I’ve heard whispers. Strength. Resilience. Raising twins alone in a pack not originally your own? That’s impressive.”
Felicia’s reply was thin as glass. “Whispers travel fast, I see.”
“When it comes to extraordinary people, they always do,” he said, too softly.
I gripped the tent post so tightly my knuckles ached.
I’d heard enough fake flattery in my life to know when it was a setup. He was testing her. Trying to dig beneath the surface with compliments disguised as praise.
And Felicia? She didn’t trust him. That much was clear.
Orion’s voice cut in, sharp. “Lucien, we’ll have time for pack politics later. Right now, we’re celebrating.”
Lucien raised his hands in mock surrender. “Of course. But I’d like to speak with Felicia again before the night is through.”
My jaw locked.
He turned back to her. “Your strength is admirable, Luna. Truly.”
She gave him a nod that was more of a dismissal, and I watched her grip tighten around the boys’ hands. She didn’t like him. I could see it in the slight shift of her stance — protective, bracing.
Good. Her instincts were still razor-sharp.
Lucien disappeared into the crowd, and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
He wanted something. He always wanted something. And if it involved Felicia and the boys, I’d find out what.
She glanced toward the food tents, probably watching the kids. Her eyes swept the crowd once — didn’t land on me — and then returned to her sons.
They darted off with innocent laughter, and she stayed planted in place. Guarded. Alone.
I stepped back into the shadows, anger simmering under my skin like coals ready to ignite.
Lucien Marrow had marked her with words.
But I remembered what it was like to touch her with truth.
And I’d be damned if I let him sink his claws into what’s fucking mine.