CHAPTER 176: CHAPTER 176 FIGHT FOR WHAT IS YOURS

Freya

As Beta Timothy disappeared into the elevator, I sat in my car for a long moment, gathering myself.

*We need to be strong tonight.* I told her silently.

Selene whined in agreement.

I was about to start the car when my phone rang—Silvano’s mother calling. Victoria Moretti, the Elder Alpha’s wife, was formidable in her own right.

"Hello, Victoria," I answered, keeping my voice neutral.

"Freya, dear." Her tone was warm but measured. "I was hoping you might join me for lunch at Harris Garden. We have some things to discuss before tonight’s dinner."

A private conversation with my mother-in-law. Perfect.

"Of course," I replied, knowing a request from Victoria was really a command. "I can be there in twenty minutes."

"Wonderful. I’ve already reserved our usual table."

As I drove toward the upscale restaurant that Victoria preferred, I pondered what this meeting might be about. Was she going to lecture me about my duties as Luna? Remind me of the importance of presenting a united front? Or perhaps she meant to broker peace between Silvano and me.

Whatever her intentions, I needed to be prepared.

Harris Garden sat nestled between gleaming high-rises, its entrance draped in climbing roses despite the urban setting. As I approached the corner near the entrance, voices carried to my sensitive wolf hearing.

"Silvano, if it weren’t for your help just now, I might not have secured this contract even with all my efforts. Thank you so much for this."

I froze mid-step, my body going rigid. That voice—I would know it anywhere.

Logan Stone. My father.

"You’re too kind, Uncle," came Silvano’s reply, his tone warmer and more respectful than I’d heard from him in months.

My hands clenched into fists as I peered around the corner. There they stood—Silvano in his impeccable suit, the very picture of the powerful Alpha, and beside him, my father, looking pleased and comfortable in Silvano’s presence.

The sight of them together sent a wave of complicated emotions crashing over me. Betrayal was chief among them. My father—who had barely acknowledged my existence growing up, who had never once come to my defense against my stepmother’s cruelty—was now apparently on friendly terms with my mate. "Uncle," Silvano had called him, with genuine respect.

Selene growled deep in my consciousness. *Betrayal,* she snarled. *Ours is surrounded by betrayal.*

I stepped back around the corner, my heart hammering. Had Silvano been in contact with my father all this time?

My phone buzzed with a text from Victoria: *Are you nearby? Our table is ready.*

I took a steadying breath. I couldn’t confront Silvano here, not now. Tonight, at the estate, I would get answers. For now, I needed to face Victoria and whatever agenda she had for our lunch.

Composing myself, I walked past Silvano and my father, pretending not to see them as I entered the restaurant. The maître d’ recognized me immediately.

"Luna Freya," he greeted with a bow. "Luna Victoria is waiting for you."

I followed him to a secluded table near the back where Victoria sat, elegant as always in cream-colored silk, her silver-streaked dark hair twisted into a flawless chignon.

"Freya," she rose to greet me with the traditional wolf kiss to each cheek. "You look tired, dear."

"It’s been a busy morning," I replied, taking my seat. "Territory negotiations with the Stone Lake Pack."

Victoria signaled the waiter. "Wine?"

"Just water for me, please."

She raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment, ordering a glass of white wine for herself. Once the waiter departed, she fixed me with her penetrating gaze.

"Isabella has been asking for you," she said without preamble. "She misses her mother."

The simple statement cut deeper than any accusation. "I miss her too. More than I can express."

"Then why are you still living at your other home?" Victoria asked, her tone not unkind but direct. "Whatever is happening between you and my son, surely Isabella shouldn’t be made to suffer for it."

I took a sip of water to buy myself time. "It’s complicated, Victoria."

"Most worthwhile things are." She leaned forward slightly. "Freya, when you became Luna of the Shadow Pack, you took on responsibilities that extend beyond your personal happiness. The pack needs stability, especially now."

"I’m aware of my responsibilities," I replied, a hint of steel entering my voice. "I’ve never neglected them."

"Haven’t you?" Her gaze was piercing. "By removing yourself from your mate’s side, you’ve created whispers. Uncertainty. The other packs are watching, wondering if there’s weakness in the Shadow Pack’s leadership."

I thought of the way Jasper had approached me earlier, testing the waters. Victoria wasn’t wrong.

"I needed space to think," I said finally. "To decide what I want."

Victoria’s expression softened marginally. "And what is it that you want, Freya?"

The question hung between us, deceptively simple yet impossibly complex.

"I want my mate to see me," I said quietly. "To choose me, not just tolerate me because I’m convenient. I want to be valued for who I am, not just what I can do for the pack."

Victoria studied me for a long moment. "Has it occurred to you that Silvano might be struggling with his own demons? That perhaps he needs his Luna’s strength now more than ever?"

Before I could respond, the waiter returned to take our orders. I barely registered what I chose, my mind whirling with Victoria’s words and the scene I’d witnessed outside.

When we were alone again, Victoria continued as if there had been no interruption. "Aurora has been useful to Silvano in managing the northern territories. But she is not his Luna. She is not the mother of his child. She is not the woman he marked as his own."

I met her gaze squarely. "Then why does he turn to her instead of me? Why does he take Isabella to her home the moment I’m not there?"

"Have you asked him these questions directly?"

"I shouldn’t have to," I replied, frustration bubbling to the surface. "He’s my mate. He should—"

"He should read your mind? Know your heart without being told?" Victoria shook her head. "Even mates, even those bound by the strongest magic, must speak their truths to each other."

Our food arrived, and we ate in silence for several minutes. I picked at my salad, appetite diminished by the morning’s events and this conversation.

"There are things happening that you don’t understand," Victoria said finally, her voice lowered. "Forces at work that require delicate handling. Silvano carries burdens he cannot share, even with you."

"That’s convenient," I said, unable to keep the bitterness from my tone.

Victoria’s eyes flashed. "It is not ’convenient,’ Freya. It is dangerous. For him, for you, for Isabella. My son is trying to protect his family the only way he knows how."

"By shutting me out? By allowing Aurora to play mother to my daughter?"

"By keeping certain knowledge from you," Victoria countered. "Knowledge that would put you at risk. Aurora is... complicated. But she is loyal to the pack and to Silvano as her Alpha."

I set down my fork. "With all due respect, Victoria, I’m tired of cryptic warnings and vague explanations. Either tell me what’s really going on, or accept that I will make decisions based on what I can see with my own eyes."

A small smile curved Victoria’s lips. "There’s the fire that made you a worthy Luna. Hold onto that, Freya. You’ll need it in the days ahead."

She took a sip of wine, then changed the subject entirely, discussing the menu for tonight’s dinner as if we hadn’t just been talking about the fate of my marriage and possibly the pack itself.