Mara
Martha’s words cut deeper than I wanted to admit. Not because they were cruel—but because they felt real.
No matter how many times Lucian touched my hand under the table or whispered reassurances between bites of breakfast, I couldn’t shake it. I couldn’t lie to myself the way he was trying to lie to both of us.
She was right.
Once upon a time, Alpha Vander probably told Martha that Darian would have everything. And look where that got her. Now she watched another woman’s son take the crown her own child was promised. What if that was my future too?
What if the child Tina carried was the future Alpha? Lucian’s firstborn. His legacy. And Tina—whether I liked it or not—would always be tethered to him through that child. Always present. Always a reminder.
Where would that leave me?
