d held i

ehind him. They knew their Alpha

able to resist a chance to

mbarrass yourself in front of the

table. She pushed the gilded antique deck toward him, fanning the cards face-up across the

eyes. "Three cards.

em yourself. Then you can'

arby laughed-low, barely audible-b

, studied them for two seconds, then cl

chosen three. He surrendered them. She turned them facedown on the table, then riffled the

gan to

ked aside. King of Spades. Six of Hearts. Queen of Diamonds. Seven of Clubs. Her fingers

his brow slowly

parted. T

, his mouth opened agai

She closed the deck and push

esitated, his eyes scanning the closed deck as if h

r the top card.

tly. But Thorne's s

dn't changed. She closed the dec

n of sweat across his forehead. "Q

it over.

istled, cut off by an e

't memorized anything-he hadn't used memor

nds, Jack of Hearts, aligned in a neat row. "I never put these in the deck. The entire

nt still fo

hed-openly this t

his palms. But his pack was behind him, and the other Alph

d, his voice low.

aside. "My father taught me that Alpha contests aren't just abo

falling, his old-fashioned face cycling between red and pale. Behind

n the hall

l didn'

s. "Are you backing out now? You agree

u think I'm going to kneel? For you? For a m

ure in the r

uietly. "Fairly. In front of your

A real Alpha doesn't take

d out hi

ned to ice. "Wha

"Let's see what he thinks of his Luna sneaking around summ

N

ged for

inates closed in-one grabbing her arms, the other stepping betwee

lt," she hisse

s politics, little Ster

the phone

the room

cient. A shadow that had weight and will, pressing

a dropped

hoice. B

tantly, their faces pale, their wolves cowering in their chests. Even Mira-espec

spered. 'Subm

e didn

tu

hall, framed by the grand doo

King

st pur

hair was silver-white, pulled back from a face that belonged on an ancient coin: sharp, beautiful, and utterly without mercy. His eye

s voice low and terrible, "expecting to

pped f

before him like wa

ing to honor a fair challenge. And threatening to call her husband-" He

his face the color of aged cheese.

len

not loud. It did

m his nose. Evren's dominance pressed down on him like a fis

held it

urned t

er mother's pearls at her throat, the defiant set

daughter," he sai

hter of William and Catherine. And I came here

-thick enough to cut, silent enough

vren s

the smile of someone who had not been surprised in a ver

ention," he said

marble floor, and walked directly toward the private corridor at the far end of th

early gave ou

ally sa

horne remained on his knees, already forgotten. The other Alphas watched her pass with exp

not lo

ng shut behind her-sealing her away from the summit, and plac

waves-thick, ancient, suffocating. Any other wolf walking beside the Lycan King for this long would

clenched the fa

ep breathing. Yo

r to submit, to kneel, to flee. The blood vow in her chest pulsed with every step,

id no

silver, depicting a great wolf standing beneath a crescent moon. Guards f

pt her face, her trembling hand

he sm

ather's daughter,

lders beneath a tailored charcoal coat. A servant appeared from nowhere-silent, efficient-and caug

rs swun

epped inside without waiting. "