Ava''s POV


    Lucas darted behind us, taking two quick steps for every one of ours. My adrenaline was crashing, that fake confidence I''d conjured up dissolving with each heartbeat, leaving nothing but raw panic in its wake.


    I''d just pretended to be ke Morgan''s wife. The Alpha King''s Luna. While wearing his ceremonial cape. That kind of stunt could get me kicked off packnds or worse.


    Tyler waited by a sleek carriage near the gates, guards creating a careful perimeter-close enough to pounce if needed, far enough to give us privacy. ke dropped my hand the moment we were out of view, like he''d just realized it was still in his grasp.


    "What were you two thinking?" His voice was quiet but packed a punch.


    "It''s on me, Dad." Lucas wedged himself between us like a tiny shield. "I begged Ava to help. Thought you''d lose it if you found out what happened."


    ke''s eyes flicked to me, cold enough to give me frostbite. "And you just rolled with this crazy idea?"


    "I messed up,” I said, my voice wobbling like a newborn calf. "Should''ve pumped the


    1. s. Just wanted to get the kid out of hot water."


    He dragged a hand down his face. "Did it cross your mind what would happen if someone called your bluff? An Alpha King getting hitched isn''t exactly under-the- radar news."


    I chewed my lip raw. "Yeah, I dropped the ball big time."


    Dad,e on! Don''t take it out on Ava!" Lucas tugged his sleeve, eyes getting watery. "The whole dumb n was my idea. She just had my back."


    "Last I checked, she''s old enough to vote, ke shot back, voice hard as nails.


    "Look, if you want to fire me, just spit it out," I said, finally meeting his eyes. "I''ll be gone before the rooster crows."


    ke studied me long enough that I started counting heartbeats. His face gave nothing away, those storm-gray eyes swirling with something I couldn''t name. Then he just turned.


    I froze in ce. Was that my dismissal? A non-answer?


    Lucas looked back at me with raised eyebrows, then gave a tiny shrug and trailed after his dad. I stood there like an idiot, wondering if I was supposed to follow or just start walking home.


    ke paused at the carriage door and nced back. "Youing or not?"


    I hurried over, slipping into the backseat. Tyler closed the privacy screen


    betweenpartments with a soft click. The silence felt thick enough to choke


    on.


    Traffic clogged the city streets, stretching minutes into what felt like hours. Lucas eventually conked out against my arm, his face peaceful in sleep. The day''s drama had wrung him dry.


    ke watched his son with a softness I rarely got to see.


    "Look, I''m sorry," I murmured, not wanting to wake Lucas. "Today was a clusterfuck. Won''t happen again."


    "Damn right it won''t," he replied, but without the bite I expected.


    I turned to the window, watching buildings blur past, figuring the conversation was over.


    "That said... thanks." The word sounded rusty, like he didn''t use it much.


    I whipped my head back. "For what?"


    "Don''t push it," he warned, but a ghost of something almost like humor


    flickered in his eyes. "Lucas doesn''t have a mother. When he needs someone in his corner... I''m d he wasn''t alone."


    I tried and failed to stop the corner of my mouth from lifting. "He''s a good kid. Just needs someone to actually see him, not just the Alpha heir."


    ke''s gaze drifted to his sleeping son, his mask slipping just enough to reveal a crack of vulnerability. "Back there, watching you defend him... it was like seeing Elizabeth''s ghost."


    Chapter Comments


    Mike


    why isnt she sharing what she knows about her dad''s imprisonment, it may help connect the dots


    Michele Jones


    Confused... They are riding in a carriage, but referencing cars by pumping the brakes???


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