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    Today was the day the Hollow Kin was arriving. It had taken almost three days of Elias being constantly on the phone—one minute trying to convince the council, the next minute trying to convince Ramsey and me. After a whole lot of back and forth, arguments, and what I suspected were some very colourful threats from both sides, the Hollow Kin had finally decided toe here.

    I popped another slice of orange into my mouth and sighed with satisfaction.

    Today, I woke up craving oranges. Not just wanted them, I needed them in the way a werewolf needed the moon. My fingers were sticky, my lips wet with the juice. Nanny sat across from me, diligently peeling the next orange as if it were some sacred offering.

    "You know," I said, popping another orange segment into my mouth, "I think the babies are trying to tell me something with these cravings. Yesterday, it was pickles and ice cream; today, it''s oranges. Tomorrow it''ll probably be something equally random."

    Nannyughed, her knife working through the orange peel. "When I was pregnant with you, I once sent the man whose house I was staying at, with his wife, out at two in the morning to find dried cranberries. The poor man went to three different stores before he found them."

    "Did hein?"

    "Not once. He said if dried cranberries would make his girls happy, then cranberries it would be." She smiled fondly at the memory. "I craved a lot of fruits at this time too, and then beefter on, but always dried."

    "Beef? Seriously?" Iughed, licking thest of the juice from my thumb. "You''re a werewolf mom, isn''t eating beef a normal thing?"

    Nanny waved a hand. "For me, it was luxury. I grew up at the Moon Temple, and we barely consume things with blood. So maybe I was reacting to getting introduced to the world of meat and not because I craved them."

    I grinned. "Ramsey''s been pretty amodating, too. Though I think he draws the line at hunting down midnight snacks in the human world. He''s still traumatised by the grocery store incident."

    "What grocery store incident?"

    "You know, human women are shameless. He''s had a lot of theming to hit on him, and when he doesn''t respond, it turns into a string of insults. He still doesn''t get it."

    "Our women still possess a shred of decency in that aspect," Nanny chuckled. "We don''t go around haranguing innocent…"

    "If Ramsey is innocent, then I might as well be a Moon Priestess," I scoffed.

    Nanny burst intoughter. "That''s how they all are. I think men are the same everywhere."

    "Yeah," I agreed.

    "I still can''t believe the Hollow Kin areing here," Nanny''s tone turned serious as she separated the orange into sections for me. "Do you realise what you''ve aplished?"

    "Why?" I asked casually, tossing a slice into my mouth.

    "L, they have never visited any pack, ever. If they had issues with supernaturalmunities, they would always send messages through intermediaries or summon them to their mountain. You literally dragged the most ancient and powerful supernatural authority on Earth to your temporary human world residence."

    I shrugged daintily, selecting another orange segment. "I''m pregnant with twins. They can amodate me for once. I''m not dragging my babies eight hours through whatever means it''ll be to meet a bunch of egotistical old Lycans in animal skin. Lenny confirmed that."

    "You realise they''re probably furious about this?"

    "Then they shouldn''t have gotten involved with human world problems that require my specific abilities," I said pragmatically. "If they want my help, they cane to me."

    "You say that like it''s not the most sphemous thing a werewolf has ever uttered," Nanny muttered, but there was amusement dancing in her eyes. "Bless the Moon, you''re my daughter."

    "me the twins," I said, rubbing my stomach affectionately. "They''re spicy."

    With Nanny''s help, we''d been able to prepare food and entertainment for our guests. Thankfully, the duplex Ramsey had purchased had enough extra bedrooms to amodate a small delegation.

    The sound of multiple vehicles approaching made Nanny perk up. "That must be them."

    She hurried to take her peeling knife and fruit bowl back to the kitchen, returning quickly to stand beside me. I remained seated, continuing to eat my oranges, determined to look exactly like what I was—a pregnant Luna who didn''t have the patience for unnecessary pomp.

    The arriving party stayed outside for nearly thirty minutes, and Nanny began pacing the living room, anxious.

    "What do you think they''re discussing out there?" she asked for the third time.

    "Probably arguing about who has toe in first and acknowledge that a ''mere werewolf'' made them travel," I said dryly. "Let them take their time. I''mfortable."

    Nanny wanted to wear the floor thin from pacing. She was dying of curiosity about what they were talking about, but couldn''t bring herself to peek outside now that they''d arrived.

    Finally, we heard footsteps approaching the front door. I picked up their scents even before they entered.

    When the door opened, my eyes widened with surprise at the group of men who entered.

    Eleven of them were dressed exactly as Lenny told me to expect.

    They were in rough-hewn leather tunics, primitive jewellery made of bone and stone, and cloaks crafted from animal pelts. They looked like they''d stepped out of a museum exhibit on prehistoric civilisations, except for the unmistakable aura of power that surrounded them.

    The twelfth man, standing closest to Ramsey, lookedpletely different.

    He looked like he''d stepped off the cover of a magazine. He seemed to be around the same age as Ramsey. His dark hair was perfectly styled, and he wore an expensive designer suit that probably cost more than most people''s cars. His eyes were an unusual shade of silver-grey.

    He carried the unmistakable aura of a Lycan and something more.

    As the group entered, they all paused at the threshold, their eyes flicking between Nanny and me as we stood to greet them. Ramsey moved to stand beside me, but he had barely taken a step when the fashionably dressed man''s voice stopped him.

    He was staring straight at me with those silver eyes. "I thought you were heavily pregnant, but you''re only neen weeks and two days along, L Woond." His voice carried the kind of authority that would make people shiver with fear.

    But after my experience with dealing with Lycans, things like these were as easy as breathing.

    "You have some nerve dragging men who existed before your parents even mated to this..." He paused, his eyes flickering around our living room with distaste. "This dump. Do you want to tell me why?"

    I smiled and walked toward him, holding his gaze steadily. "I expected someone with a greying bald hairline and maybe a walking stick. I didn''t think you''d be so young. You''re Kyren." I held out my hand. "It''s a pleasure to finally meet you."

    Kyren stared at my outstretched hand for a long moment, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Who told you my name?"

    "My wolf," I said quietly. "She hates your guts because you''re so pompous, and she thinks I shouldn''t bother trying to be friendly. You wouldn''t want to get on Nymeris''s bad side," I added with a cold smile. "She doesn''t fear anyone."

    After another tense moment, Kyren finally took my hand and kissed the back of it in a gesture that seemed respectful. Then he sighed.

    "I can''t decide if I want to sanction the Lycan Leader, his Beta, who called our honourable council..." He paused, looking toward one of the men in animal skins. "What was that word again, Uncle?"

    The older man came forward and said reverently, though he was staring at me with curiosity. "Hollow King."

    "Ah, yes, Hollow King," Kyren continued with satisfaction. "Or his Luna—a mere werewolf—who dragged us halfway across the world for what better be a very good reason."

    "So it''s an ego problem," I interrupted. "You don''t want to be ''dragged halfway across the world,'' but you enter partnerships with humans that create problems requiring my intervention. If you didn''t, I''m sure you''d be tucked away in your Hollow Kin pce, sipping wine and contemting your importance, while my dearest husband and I would be cuddled in bed, making the most of our honeymoon. I should be angry, Kyren. Don''t steal that away from me."

    Kyren stared at me for a few seconds, then, to my surprise, heughed.

    "You''re a beautiful woman, L Woond, who happens to be powerful. In our world, that''s a rare sight. No wonder he chose you."

    I didn''t ask who ''he'' was, though I had a good guess.

    "Through the wise counsel of the other members of the Hollow Kin," he said finally. "We''ve decided to drop our differences and tackle the problem at hand. For the next few days, let''s try to tolerate each other. Can we do that?"

    I turned to Ramsey, smiling sweetly. "What do you say, baby?"

    Ramsey came to stand beside me, sliding his arm around my waist and giving me a lingering kiss. When he turned to face Kyren, who was watching us with an unreadable expression, he nodded.

    "Sounds like a fair n, Hollow Kin. The Lycan Leader and his Luna are at your service."