apter 131
Fai viske took my hand in lead ine kolky, Sophia suddenly poked through the crowd, her face night with worry.
?Father tail," the called out, slightly breathless.
Rikke stopped bin kept his fingers firmly intertwined with mine. His expression remained series, though I right that ishaning around his eyet he reserved for his children.
"What is it, Sophin?"
She nced at me, somethingplicated flickering across her face before turning back to ke. The Hayes family behoved the assholes, but please don''t. bail on the ceremony.
A knife twisted in my gut. Not one word of apology for my humiliation-just straight to defending the Hayes family. We''d huddled together in that underground cell, facing death side by side, and now she was choosing them.
"This is Jackson''s big day," Sophia continued, golden hair falling forward. "Eleanor and Vanessa were just... you know how they get."
ke''s saw tightened, though his voice stayed patient. "You know what they did was wrong, right?"
Sophia lowered her head, using her hair as a shield. "Yes, Father. But this alliance matters for both packs. Please."
ke sighed, reaching out to brush her hair back-pure dad energy in that simple gesture, I won''t wreck your day, but the Hayes family owes an apolog
Through our mind-link came his thoughts: I have to think about Sophie, but I can''t let them disrespect you like that
get it, she''s your daughter. But I think our friendship at crashed and burned, I replied, tasting bitterness. Another rtionship turning to ash
"Go back to your fiancé," ke told Sophia. "I''ll stick around."
She hugged him gratefully before hurrying off without even a backward nce. I watched her disappear into the crowd, something hollow opening up inside me. The girl who''d fought beside me through hell had vanished.
ke turned to me, voice dropping low, "I''d rather take you to our cabin. These people aren''t worth our time."
The tenderness in his eyes hit me right in the chest-that look he saved just for mir
I shook my head despite wanting nothing more than to escape. "I need to clean
up and check on my mom. She''s probably freaking out.
My wolf D
paced restlessly-half wanting to follow ke, half worried about Sarah,
studied me before he nodded:
1. d. "Don''t make me wait too long."
His gray-blue eyes stür
Across the room, Eleanor and Vanessa exchanged looks that could curdle milk. Their faces still showed the aftershock of being publicly dressed down by the Alpha King
The mark on my neck warmed beneath my cor a reminder of just how weird my situation was. An ordinary wolf with the Alpha King''s mark, swimming with political sharks.
My foster mother Sarah appeared at my side, gently taking my arm. "Let me help you clean up."
Her voice had that slight tremor it got when she was worried. Until she spoke, I hadn''t even noticed her hovering nearby, but her presence was like finding solid ground.
I nodded, then turned to ke, forcing my voice to sound normal despite the emotional hurricane inside.
Trapierka
Ho theghu brashed mine: re kreponglu on pan. Anythiut happens, kat n? hamediately.
i exught a glimpse of Sophia standing beside Jackson, her face lighting up as her father approached. That fiend whird meira nowpletely lost. In her men bubble,
As ke walked away, I noticed the wolves armind me shift-their hostility morphing into wary, confused side eyes.
We made our way through the ceremony hall. Through our link, I could feel ke''s attention partly on me even as he yed nice with the Reyes family
The connection fell like wearing invisible amor in enemy teritory.
Sarah remained quiet as we walked, but her shoulders were wound tight, her steps quick and pervous.
We passed Richard Hayes and several elders who froze mid convertion, their faces hardening.
"That Rivers girl..." one muttered, not bothering to lower his voice. nee of warrior training.
Sarah''s grip tightened on my arm as I lifted my chin, channeling every ounce
The second the cleaning room door closed behind us, Sarah spun to face me. "What''s going on with you and the Alpha King? Why would he stand up for you Her eyes were wide, fingers twisting together like anxious snakes
“He''s just Sophia''s dad," I kept my voice low. "He doesn''t like seeing guests disrespected."
No way I was telling her about the mark hidden on my neck that bomb could wait.
She sighed, her forehead creasing. She didn''t buy it but didn''t push.
She dampened a fancy towel and began gently dabbing at my face, wiping away wine stains with motherly care.
In the mirror, the red streaks on face looked like blood-a perfect visual for my position in this pack
"wa," she said quietly, "before that wine incident, Jackson talked to me about something."
Her voice wavered, eyes darting away from mine.
My wolf instantly went on alert. Jackson talked to you? About what?"
hadow Creek as a training instructor."
As she worked on cleaning my dress, she said, "He suggested you could return to Shadow Creek
There was a thread of hope in her voice that made my stomach clench. "What? With Dad''s situation? They''d never-the entire park thinks he''s a traitor." My voice jumped before I forced it back down, paranoid about eavesdroppers. Sarah shook her head, something like life returning to her eyes for the first time in months. Jackson said that''s not an issue. If he personally rmends you, the council will approve it."
Her hand touched my cheek, the gesture straight from my childhood. "This could be our chance, Ava.
I frowned, internal rms ring.
1. ng. "Since when isckson Helpful? That doesn''t sound like him at all. He must have an angle."
My wolf growled, sensing a trap that Sarah was unknowingly pushing me toward.
the ware suddenly found steel 1 ritely heard. I already told Jackson you''d think
about it. 114 said If you agree,
Chapter Comments
Mike
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I do hope she isn''t going to let herself fall back into that snakespit like that... that
is just asking for problems
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