Richard's arm wrapped around me protectively as Nonna stepped forward, her wolf flashing golden in her eyes. The tavern had gone silent, every pack member watching the confrontation unfold.
"You call that being smart, you filthy creature?" Nonna snarled at Daisy. "You were bedding your best friend's intended mate and you think you were clever? How can you be this vile?"
Daisy's face flushed red, but she lifted her chin defiantly.
"Have you no honor at all?" Nonna continued, her voice cutting through the room. "Opening yourself to your friend's promised mate, letting him mount you like you were nothing. And you think you are the smart one here?"
"Nonna," I whispered, but she ignored me.
"No, darling, you are a scheming wretch. A betrayer who destroys the sacred bonds of friendship and pack loyalty. You make sisters doubt each other forever. I hate wolves like you." Nonna turned to me, her expression softening. "Do not worry. They will regret what they have done to you."
"I think you have more to worry about than picking on Aurora, Lady Daisy," Richard said coolly, guiding Nonna and me toward the exit.
Behind us, I heard the whispers starting. Pack members did not hide their disgust. An older she-wolf spat on the ground as we passed. "Such females are terrible. They make one lose faith in pack bonds."
"The male is worse," a warrior muttered. "Promised to one and rutting with another. Disgusting."
My cheeks burned as Richard led us outside into the cool evening air. The moons hung heavy above us, both full and bright.
"What was that for, Aurora?" Nonna rounded on me once we reached the carriages. "I expected you to stand tall and show them you do not care. Why were you so weak?"
"Nonna, this is not the time," Richard interrupted firmly. "She needs to calm down. Let us take her somewhere else."
Nonna and I climbed into one carriage while Richard took his own. As we pulled away, I glimpsed Ethan and Daisy emerging from the tavern, their faces twisted in anger.
The ride home felt endless. Nonna held my hand, squeezing periodically. Richard's carriage followed close behind. When we finally reached my small dwelling on the outskirts of the pack territory, both my friends insisted on staying until I felt better.
Hours later, after they finally left, I found myself smiling as I prepared dinner. Something about the way Richard had looked at Nonna throughout the evening made me hopeful. Maybe something good could come from this disaster.
"Mama, you said you would take me out, right?" Cody bounded into the kitchen, his green eyes bright with excitement.
I had promised him an outing to the royal gardens where pups played. This was the fourth time he had asked since I returned home.
"Of course, darling. Tomorrow is the rest day. I will take you there and you can see other pups your age playing."
Later that evening, my communication crystal glowed with Richard's magical signature. "May I join you tomorrow? I would like to spend time with Cody."
"That would be wonderful," I replied. "Nonna should come too."
"Perfect. I will arrive at your home around mid-morning."
The next day, Richard appeared at my door dressed in fine traveling clothes. When his eyes swept over my modest home and the worn neighborhood, his expression flickered with something like pity. But he said nothing about it.
"This is Cody," I said as my son walked into the room.
Richard froze. His eyes went wide, darting between Cody and me. The color drained from his face.
"This is Cody? Your son?" His voice came out strangled.
My stomach twisted. "Yes. Is there a problem?"
"No, I mean, yes. He is amazing. So handsome, just like his mother." Richard recovered quickly, but I had seen his shock. He scooped Cody up, pressing kisses to his chubby cheeks. "You have such an incredible pup."
I watched him carefully. Why did everyone react this way when they met Cody? Was there something wrong with him that I could not see?
Nonna arrived soon after, and we piled into Richard's carriage. She volunteered to sit in the back with Cody while I took the front beside Richard.
Throughout the journey to the royal gardens, Richard kept glancing at Cody in the mirror. His jaw was tight, his knuckles white on the reins. When his eyes met Nonna's reflection, she looked away quickly.
"Richard," I said, trying to break the tension. "Do you have a mate?"
He chuckled, the sound forced. "I used to court someone, but we ended things."
"So you are single again?"
"Yes."
The royal gardens were magnificent. Massive oak trees provided shade over manicured lawns where dozens of pups ran and played. Noble families sat on benches, watching their children with fond expressions.
Cody's face lit up as Richard took him to ride one of the tame horses kept for the pups. I watched them circle the riding area, Richard seated behind Cody, keeping him safe.
Nonna and I found seats under a pavilion. "He is good with Cody," she observed.
"Yes. Richard is kind."
My communication crystal vibrated several times, but I ignored it when I saw the Alpha King's advisor's signature. I was done with that place, done with those wolves.
A noble couple sat nearby with their pups, surrounded by guards. They kept glancing our way, smiling and whispering.
When Richard returned with Cody, he suggested we have lunch at the gardens' dining hall. We had barely settled at our table when other pack members began staring. Fingers pointed. Whispers grew louder.
Then I understood. They were taking pictures of Cody with their crystals, their faces bright with delight.
"Such a beautiful pup," someone said loudly.
The noble couple from earlier approached our table, their guards already capturing images of Cody. Within moments, I knew those pictures would spread across the kingdom's communication network.
My son's face would be everywhere by nightfall.
And somewhere in the Royal Palace, someone would see those images. Someone who needed to know the truth about the pup he had created and abandoned.
The thought made my blood run cold even as Cody laughed, unaware of the storm coming our way.