KAIA’S POV
The dining room feels enormous when it's just the three of us. Alpha Raven sits at the head of the long table, with Ronan on his right and me on his left. The silence is heavy as we eat.
"This is delicious," I say, trying to break the tension.
"Thank you, dear," Alpha Raven replies with a smile. "I'll pass your compliments to the cook."
We eat in relative quiet for a few more minutes before Alpha Raven sets down his fork and looks directly at me.
"Kaia," he says, his voice gentle but serious. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but why did you want to postpone the mating ceremony?"
My fork freezes halfway to my mouth. I wasn't expecting such a direct question.
"I..." I start, then stop. What can I say? That I'm still not sure if I trust his family? That I'm using his son to get information about my sister's death?
"I just needed more time," I say finally. "Everything has happened so fast."
"Has it?" Alpha Raven asks. "You've been here for weeks now."
"Papa, please," Ronan says quietly.
"It's a reasonable question," Alpha Raven continues. "The whole pack is waiting for this ceremony, Kaia. They're excited to welcome their new Luna."
Guilt twists in my stomach. "I didn't realize there was pressure—"
"There's no pressure," Ronan interrupts firmly. "We've talked about this. She needs time, and I'm willing to wait."
"Are you?" Alpha Raven asks his son. "Because the pack members are starting to talk. They're wondering why their future Luna seems hesitant to accept her role."
"What are they saying?" I ask, dreading the answer.
"Some are questioning whether you're truly committed to this pack," Alpha Raven says honestly. "Others wonder if you have... other loyalties."
My blood runs cold. Do they suspect something?
"That's not true," I say quickly. "I don't have other loyalties."
"Then why the delay?" Alpha Raven presses. "Ronan has been searching for his mate for years. He's twenty-two, Kaia. Most Alphas are mated and producing heirs by his age."
"Father—" Ronan starts.
"It's only a matter of time before pack members decide to use this against you," Alpha Raven continues, addressing his son. "Your position as Alpha heir depends partly on your ability to secure a strong mate bond."
"My position is secure," Ronan says, but I can hear the tension in his voice.
"Is it?" Alpha Raven challenges. "Because I'm hearing whispers about your half-brother Marcus possibly returning."
Marcus. The name hits me like a physical blow.
"Marcus is returning?" Ronan asks, surprise clear in his voice.
"Perhaps," Alpha Raven says. "He sent word that he might visit soon. And if he does, some pack members might see him as a viable alternative to you as heir."
"Because he's not mated to someone who won't commit?" Ronan asks bitterly.
"Ronan, that's not what I meant—"
"Isn't it?" Ronan stands up abruptly. "You're basically saying that if Kaia doesn't marry me soon, the pack might choose Marcus over me."
"I'm saying that leadership requires certain demonstrations of strength and commitment," Alpha Raven replies calmly.
"And you think my strength is in question because my mate needs time to adjust?"
"I think the pack needs to see that their future Alpha can secure his own household," Alpha Raven says.
"It's not her fault," Ronan says, his voice rising. "It's mine."
"What do you mean?" Alpha Raven asks.
"I feel overwhelmed with everything," Ronan says, and I can hear the lie in his voice. He's protecting me. "I want to know Kaia better before we have the ceremony. I want to be sure we're compatible."
"You can get to know her better after the mating ceremony," Alpha Raven says dismissively. "That's how these things work. You mate first, then learn to live together."
"That's not how I want to do things," Ronan says firmly.
"What you want and what's best for the pack aren't always the same thing," Alpha Raven argues.
"So I should force my mate into a ceremony she's not ready for just to appease pack politics?" Ronan demands.
"You should consider that your mate's hesitation is affecting your standing with your people," Alpha Raven shoots back.
"My people will wait," Ronan says, his jaw clenched.
"Will they?" Alpha Raven asks. "Because I'm not so sure."
The two men stare at each other across the table, and I can feel the tension crackling between them.
"If the pack chooses Marcus over me because I respect my mate's wishes, then maybe I'm not meant to be Alpha," Ronan says coldly.
"Don't be ridiculous," Alpha Raven snaps. "You are meant to be Alpha. But you need to start acting like it."
"By forcing women into ceremonies they don't want?"
"By putting the needs of your pack above your personal desires."
Ronan slams his hand on the table, making both Alpha Raven and me jump.
"The needs of my pack include having a Luna who chose to be here, not one who was coerced," he says. "And if you can't understand that, then maybe we don't see leadership the same way."
With that, he storms out of the dining room, leaving me alone with his father.
"I'm sorry," I say quietly. "This is my fault."
"No, dear," Alpha Raven says with a sigh. "This is mine. I pushed too hard."
I excuse myself politely and follow Ronan out of the room. I need to find him, need to explain that I don't want to cause problems between him and his father.
I find his chamber door slightly open and push inside.
"Ronan, I'm sorry about dinner. You shouldn't have talked to your father like that just because I—"
The words die in my throat when I see him.
He's sitting on the floor with his back against the bed, his head in his hands. His shoulders are shaking slightly, and I realize he's trying not to cry.
My heart breaks seeing him like this. This strong, powerful man reduced to despair because of me.
But at the same time, something else happens. Something deep inside me stirs and growls.
My wolf.
She's been quiet for so long, suppressed by my anger and pain. But seeing Ronan vulnerable, seeing him hurting, she suddenly comes alive.
"Mate," she whispers in my mind, her voice clear and certain.