A few seconds of tense silence stretched between them before Dorian finally said, "Are you fucking kidding ?"
Lucas exhaled harshly. "No."
Dorian pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alpha, this is a disaster."
Lucas turned to him, his cold blue eyes flashing a warning.
"This would an you’ll have nothing to do with her anymore, right?" Dorian asked carefully.
Lucas didn’t answer.
Dorian’s stomach dropped.
"Oh, for fuck’s sake, Lucas! She’s Wishbone’s daughter. The man you butchered. The man who probably whispers curses from the grave every ti you fuck his daughter."
"Enough."
Lucas’s voice was a low growl, sharp enough to slice through Dorian’s rising panic.
Dorian swallowed, his frustration curling into sothing close to desperation.
"Alpha, what are you going to do about her?"
Lucas turned back to the window, eyes locked on Ava’s retreating form.
"She has to be initiated into the pack," he said finally.
Dorian felt sick.
"But, Alpha..."
Lucas’s head snapped to him, eyes flashing gold.
The look was so fierce, so predatory, it could have made a grown man shit his pants.
"Alpha," he pushed forward anyway, "you cannot have soone who will betray you around you. I say this for your own protection. What happens when she finds out?"
Lucas’s eyes darkened.
"When the ti is right, I will tell her."
Dorian almost laughed.
When the ti is right? When would that be? When she’s moaning your na? Carrying your pups? When she’s Luna?
Lucas was delusional.
Dorian wanted to scream.
"How many wolves do we have pending initiation?"
"ten." Dorian responded.
This wasn’t just an induction ceremony. This was sothing bigger. Dorian could feel it in his bones.
Lucas turned to him.
"Tell Lanaya to prepare."
Dorian bowed stiffly and left.
But inside?
He was fuming.
Lucas was a gone man.
He wasn’t just bringing Ava into the pack.
He was getting ready to introduce her as Luna.
Dorian’s chest tightened with anxiety. Whatever Sarah was up to, she needed to do it fast.
Because if this ceremony went through...
Ava would be untouchable.
And Lucas would be lost forever.
*****
The doors to the concubines’ dining hall swung open.
Ava’s stomach dipped and twisted as soon as she saw him enter.
It was so unfair how just the sight of the man turned her into a ss.
As one, the concubines rose from their seats, bowing respectfully.
Lucas barely glanced at them, his blue eyes scanning the room.
Then, his gaze landed on her.
She saw sothing dark and knowing flicker in his expression. A secret only they understood.
Lucas strode to the head of the table and took his seat.
His presence sucked the air out of the room.
It was unfair, really, how the Alpha of the Silver Pack had absolutely no right to be that big, that powerful, that dangerously attractive.
It should be illegal.
Nelly signaled to the maids to serve him.
"How was your trip, Alpha?" she asked sweetly.
Lucas picked up his glass of wine, taking a slow sip.
"Interesting."
Sarah, seated two chairs away from Ava, cleared her throat loudly to attract his attention to her.
Lucas barely glanced at her.
Ava bit back a grin.
Sarah fud.
The tension in the room was delicious.
Lucas waited until his plate was set in front of him before speaking.
"Ava’s induction into the pack will hold on the next full moon in the town square along with the other new wolves."
"Splendid!" Nelly bead, clapping her hands together. "Congratulations, Ava!"
Ava blinked.
It was happening.
She was really going to beco one of them.
She barely registered Nelly’s words because her gaze had gravitated back to Lucas.
He was already watching her.
Sothing warm spread through her chest, curling in her belly.
Her entire face betrayed her, eyes soft, lips parting slightly, as she stared at him like he’d just hung the moon in the sky for her.
Sarah saw the look.
And her insides twisted with jealousy.
"Alpha?" Sarah said suddenly, her voice syrupy sweet.
Ava nearly rolled her eyes into another dinsion.
Lucas didn’t react, continuing to cut into his steak with lethal precision.
"I have missed you," Sarah purred, batting her eyelashes.
Lucas said nothing.
He just hid his smirk behind his wine glass.
God, he loved watching Ava react.
She was so unfiltered. So comically expressive without aning to be.
"I could co over tonight and keep you company," Sarah continued, leaning forward just enough to give Lucas a view of her very generous cleavage.
Lucas finally looked at her.
"I would rather be alone tonight, Sarah." His voice was calm, firm. "Exhausted from the trip. So other ti."
Sarah didn’t give up.
"Tomorrow night, perhaps?"
Lucas took another sip of his wine.
"Sure. Tomorrow night."
Ava’s stomach dropped.
And she hated that it did.
She had absolutely no right to be jealous.
None.
She was the fourth concubine.
She was not special.
Lucas had options.
She... didn’t.
It was stupid to feel this way.
But logic ant nothing when it ca to Lucas.
And right now, she wanted to stab sothing.
Or soone.
Sarah, preferably.
Lucas wasn’t even hiding his amusent anymore.
His eyes lingered on Ava’s face, drinking in every micro-expression.
She looked like she was having a very passionate argunt with herself.
He could practically hear her thoughts.
Don’t be jealous. You’re not jealous. Are you jealous? No, you’re not jealous. Maybe a little. No, stop it, Ava. He’s not yours. He’s not...
Lucas bit back a laugh as he imagined her thoughts.
Gods, she was adorable.
He didn’t want to hurt her.
But until everything was finalized, he had a duty to keep his concubines happy.
Even if she didn’t like it.
Later that night, Ava stood on the balcony of her chambers, the night breeze cooling her heated skin.
She hated how unsettled she felt.
Hated how her heart ached at the thought of him with soone else.
It shouldn’t matter.
It doesn’t matter.
A sudden ping of her phone on the table made her stiffen. She picked it up.
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