(Audrey’s POV)

I struggled against Arthur’s grip, but he only held me tighter, almost crushing me against his chest. His familiar scent surrounded me, making my wolf whimper despite my anger.

“I’ve beenpletely cooperative whether you announced mate marking or severance,” I said, my voice trembling with rage and hurt. “I thought we could go our separate ways from now on. But I didn’t expect that you couldn’t even tolerate my existence.”

“That’s not it!” Arthur’s voice was desperate as he pressed me closer. “Audrey, that’s not what I meant, please don’t get upset.”

I pushed against his chest with all my strength, finally creating enough space to look up at him.

“Then what did you mean?” I asked, my emerald eyes shing. “Are you going to tell me you never intended to mark Emma Shadowcrest? That sending me to distant territories is somehow for my own benefit?”

My bitterughter echoed in the quiet room. “I can’t forget you pointing that silver gun at me, Arthur. I can’t forget how easily you chose her over me.”

The memory of that moment in the basement with Marcus ckw still haunted me – Arthur’s cold eyes as he aimed the gun at me instead of Emma. How could he expect me to trust him after that?

“I can’t forget how you protected Emma in front of Elder Shadowcrest just now,” I continued, my voice growing harder. “How quickly you jumped to her defense.”

I finally managed to create some distance between us, looking up into his dark eyes with all the hurt I’d been carrying.

“Maybe the Shadowcrest mother and daughter are right,” I continued, my voice softening with resignation. “You and Ie from different worlds. Even living under the same pack territory, we’re like parallel lines-we never truly intersected.”

Arthur’s face contorted with what looked like genuine pain. His Alpha presence dimmed slightly, almost vulnerable.

“Audrey, it’s not like that. There’s so much you don’t understand.” His hands slid from my shoulders to grasp my hands, squeezing them almost painfully.

“Then exin it to me!” My patience snapped like a taut rope. “Make me understand! You keep saying to trust you, but you never actually tell me anything!”

“I can’t… not yet.” His jaw clenched tight. “I just need you to trust me onest time.”

“Trust you?” The words tasted like poison on my tongue. I pulled my hands from his grasp. “In three years as marked mates, you never even allowed me to have pups.”

The memory stung worse than any silver burn. Each time I’d brought up starting a family, Arthur had a new excuse. Too busy with pack matters. Not the right time. The territory wasn’t secure enough.

“Those could have been our pups,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Our family. But you never wanted that with me, did you?”

Arthur’s expression changed, rm mixing with something that looked almost like guilt.

“That was-” he began, reaching for me again.

A sharp knock on the door interrupted us. My heart leaped into my throat.

“Audrey Winter?” Florian Stormhowl’s voice called from the other side,zy but insistent. “Are you in there?”

Panic flooded through me. We were on Shadowcrest pack territory, in what seemed to be a private area. If Florian found us together and told Emma…

Arthur seemed to have the same thought. His grip on me loosened immediately, his eyes suddenly alert and wary. “What is your rtionship with him?” he asked, his voice low and tight with suspicion.

I looked at him incredulously, a hystericalugh bubbling in my throat.

“Are you seriously asking me that right now?” I hissed. “If Emma finds out you were alone with me, your precious mate marking will be ruined!”

The moment the words left my mouth, Arthur released mepletely, stepping back as if I’d scalded him. The Alpha who moments before was making promises and derations now feared his intended mate discovering our interaction.

The transformation was so quick, soplete, that it told me everything I needed to know about where his true prioritiesy.

I smoothed my clothes and took a deep breath before opening the door. Florian stood there, his golden eyes immediately moving from me to Arthur with obvious suspicion.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, leaning against the doorframe with practiced casualness that didn’t match the sharpness in his eyes.

“I… I got lost after breakfast,” I stammered, hating how unconvincing I sounded. “This ce is enormous.”

Florian’s eyes narrowed, his wolf presence expanding slightly as if testing the truth of my words. “This area is off-limits to irrelevant wolves,” he said, his tone unusually serious. “You shouldn’t be here.”

As Arthur silently slipped past us into the corridor, Florian’s gaze followed him, cold and calcting. Once Arthur was out of sight, Florian carefully locked the door and changed the ess mark with surprising reverence.

The care he took struck me as odd. This wasn’t just any room.

“Whose room is that?” I asked, curiosity oveing my embarrassment.

“None of your concern,” Florian replied coldly, his usual yfulnesspletely absent.

I watched his careful movements, the pieces suddenly falling into ce. The reverence, the locked door, this wing that seemed preserved rather than lived in.

“It’s hers, isn’t it?” I said softly. “Your missing mate-Serena Shadowcrest.”

Florian’s body tensed, his golden eyes shing in warning. He didn’t answer, but his reaction confirmed my guess.

“What happens if she’s never found?” I asked, the question slipping out before I could stop it.

His golden eyes met mine, hard as amber stones. “Then I remain as I am now. I still won’t settle for anyone else.”

There was a finality in his voice that silenced me. Then he added, almost as an afterthought, “Including you.”

I snorted, genuinely offended by his assumption that I might be interested. My wolf bristled beneath my skin.

“Even if someone gave you to me, I wouldn’t take you,” I shot back.

I’d already suffered enough from being second to Arthur’s true loyalty to his pack. I had no interest in Alphas with “first loves” hanging over them, especially someone like Florian. He was the precious heir of the ancient bloodline Stormhowl Pack-they would never ept a bond-severed she-wolf like me anyway.

“Let’s go,” Florian said, turning abruptly. “Elder Shadowcrest will be wondering where you are.”

When we returned to Elder Shadowcrest’s quarters, Arthur and Emma were already there. Emma looked agitated, her perfectly styled hair slightly disheveled, her eyes red as if she’d been crying.

“Grandma, you can’t be serious!” Emma was saying, her voice high with distress. “You won’t attend my mate marking ceremony with Arthur?”

Elder Shadowcrest sipped her tea calmly, not even looking at Emma. “Marking ceremonies should just involve the parents,” she replied dismissively.

“But if it were Serena’s mate marking-” Emma began, her voice cracking with hurt.

Elder Shadowcrest didn’t need to answer. The implication was clear-of course she would not only attend but personally arrange everything for her true granddaughter. For Serena, she would move mountains. For Emma, she couldn’t even be bothered to attend.

Emma’s face flushed with anger and hurt. “Why is it always about Serena? Since we were pups, you’ve alwayspared me to her!”

She began pacing, her agitation growing with each step, her wolf presence ring with distress. “Why can’t I stopparing myself when even the Beta wolves always mentioned how clever and strong Serena was! She may have been wonderful, but she’s gone now. Why can’t you praise-”

Before Emma could finish her sentence, Florian suddenly moved forward, throwing his hot tea directly into her face.

I gasped in shock as Emma screamed, wing at her face as the liquid dripped down her expensive blouse. The scent of burned skin filled the air as the hot liquid seared her.

Arthur immediately leapt to her side, pulling out a handkerchief to dab at the tea, his protective stance leaving no doubt about his allegiance.

Florian stood over them, his face a mask of cold fury, his wolf presence expanding to fill the room with menace. “Emma Shadowcrest, what right do you have topare yourself to her? The only reason you can stand here making demands is because of what she gave you.”

His words held a weight I didn’t understand, but they struck Emma like physical blows. She cowered against Arthur, who stood to his full Alpha height, putting himself between Emma and Florian.

His eyes shed with danger as he faced the other Alpha, his own presence expanding to match Florian’s. The tension in the room was so thick I could barely breathe.

“Alpha Stormhowl, whatever she says, she is my intended mate,” Arthur stated coldly, his voice carrying the unmistakablemand of an Alpha King.

Florianughed, a mocking sound that held no humor. “Is that so? If she actually manages to bear your mark, I might consider respecting her.”

Emma looked confused, still wincing from the hot tea, but Arthur’s jaw tightened as if he understood exactly what Florian was implying. Something unspoken passed between the two Alphas, some knowledge I wasn’t privy to.

“This isn’t the ce for this discussion,” Arthur said, his voice low and controlled.

Florian’s golden eyes shed. “No? Then where would be appropriate to discuss your true intentions, Alpha Moonstone?”

He turned to Emma, who was now huddled against Arthur’s side, and delivered his final blow.

“Do you really think he could ever care for a she-wolf like you?”