I stood beside Nonna in the palace gardens, trying to ignore the knot forming in my stomach. The evening air carried the scent of night-blooming flowers and expensive wine, but something felt off.
"Are you insane, Tessa?" Richard's voice cut through the pleasant chatter around us.
I turned just in time to see him throw off a woman's hand. She had raven-black hair and wore a dress that left little to the imagination. Her wolf aura pulsed with challenge.
"Hi dear," Tessa purred, reaching for him again.
Richard grabbed her wrist, his eyes darting around the garden before he released her with barely contained fury. "I am not your dear. What are you doing here?"
Nonna stiffened beside me. I touched her arm gently, feeling the tension radiating from her body.
"Alpha Jack, excuse me," Richard said through gritted teeth, already dragging Tessa toward the far end of the gardens.
Jack watched them go, his jaw tight. Then his expression shifted as two figures approached. I recognized them immediately from the portraits in Richard's quarters.
"It is my honor to have you here, Alpha King Jack Hudson," Alpha Elder Adrian Delmark said, extending his hand.
My heart hammered against my ribs. This was Richard's father, one of the most respected elders in the kingdom. His silver-streaked hair and commanding presence spoke of decades of leadership.
"My pleasure, Alpha Elder Delmark," Jack replied, clasping his hand.
"My mate, Jane Delmark," Adrian said, gesturing to the elegant woman beside him.
Jane had soft brown hair swept up in an intricate style and kind eyes that crinkled at the corners when she smiled. But there was something fragile about her, the way she held herself carefully, as if movement caused pain.
Jack kissed her knuckles in the traditional greeting. "Nice meeting you, Alpha King Hudson."
"My pleasure, Lady Delmark. You are a beautiful woman. No wonder Richard inherited such fine features," Jack said smoothly.
"Thank you," Jane said, her smile genuine.
Adrian glanced around the garden. "I thought Richard said you would be coming with his friend Aurora?"
My stomach flipped.
"We are here together," Jack said, his eyes finding mine across the space. "She has been eager to meet you."
Nonna giggled beside me, leaning close. "You look nervous. Are you jealous that your boyfriend went off with his ex?"
"Stop it," I muttered, but I could not help the small smile tugging at my lips.
When I looked up, Adrian and Jane were walking toward us with Jack. My breath caught. This was happening. I was about to meet the Alpha Elder and his mate.
Nonna nudged me, and I straightened my spine. We met them halfway across the manicured lawn.
Something strange flickered across Adrian's face. His steps faltered for just a moment, and I saw his hand tighten around Jane's waist. She seemed to lean into him, her legs trembling slightly.
"My companion, Aurora Bluey," Jack said, his hand finding the small of my back.
I smiled at them, hoping my nerves did not show. "Nice meeting you, Alpha Elder and Lady Delmark."
"My pleasure," Adrian said, but his voice came out rough, unsteady. He kept staring at me, and I could not understand why.
"It is my pleasure to meet you, Aurora," Jane said, opening her arms.
I stepped into her embrace, kissing her cheek in the traditional werewolf greeting. She smelled like lavender and something else, something that made my wolf stir uneasily inside me.
"Richard told us about you. I have been eager to meet you," Jane added, pulling back to study my face. "You saved the Alpha King's life. The whole kingdom knows your name now."
"Thank you, Lady Delmark. Your son is a good friend. I think it is because his parents raised him well," I replied, meaning every word.
Adrian had not stopped watching me. "You look familiar. Have we met before?"
"Not that I remember," I said, confused by the intensity in his gaze.
My eyes drifted to Jane's throat, and I froze. She wore a necklace identical to mine. The silver crescent moon with tiny diamonds scattered across its surface, the delicate chain, even the small wolf howling at the moon on the back. It was exactly the same.
I touched my own necklace without thinking, my fingers trembling slightly. In all my years, I had never seen another like it.
Jane noticed my gesture and smiled. "Your necklace."
"Yes," I said softly, unable to look away from hers.
Across the garden, Richard's voice rose in anger. "What are you doing here? Who invited you?"
I tried to focus on the conversation in front of me, but Richard's confrontation with Tessa pulled at my attention.
"Common, Richie, I have become part of this family. Thanks to you," Tessa's voice carried on the wind.
"I do not want you here. Get out," Richard snarled.
"Your necklace is similar to my mate's. What a coincidence," Adrian said, drawing my attention back.
I touched the crescent moon at my throat again. "My mother gave it to me. She told me to wear it everywhere."
The air seemed to leave Jane's lungs in a rush. Her hand flew to her own necklace, gripping it tightly. "Your mother? Who is your mother?"
Something in her voice made my wolf pace anxiously. There was desperation there, and hope, and fear all tangled together.
"I..." I started, but the words stuck in my throat.
Adrian's face had gone pale. He stared at the necklace around my neck like it held the answers to questions I did not understand.
"Please," Jane whispered, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Tell me about your mother."
The garden seemed to hold its breath, waiting. Even the crickets had gone silent. Jack's hand pressed more firmly against my back, a silent offer of support.
I opened my mouth to answer, but before I could speak, Richard stormed past us, his face thunderous. Tessa followed seconds later, tears streaming down her cheeks.
The moment shattered.
But Jane's question hung in the air between us, heavy with meaning I could not quite grasp. Why did she care so much about my mother? Why did they both look at me like they had seen a ghost?
And why did my wolf keep insisting that these strangers felt like home?