Chapter 1
I do not realize where I am until the silver-wolf crest of the Blackthorne royal family appears on the estate gates.
This is the Lycan King’s private territory.
I tighten my grip on my travel bag as I follow Gideon, the royal steward, inside. “His Majesty is looking for a she-wolf who can care for Noah, not a Lycan Queen,” he warns me.
“The women before you all thought they could use Noah to get close to His Majesty. I hope you won’t make the same mistake.”
I am not offended. Only this morning, I was still the Luna of Holloway Pack; by noon, I had accepted my cheating mate’s rejection and been expelled from his territory.
The heartbreak has driven my wolf, Skye, into a deep sleep. Now I am nothing more than a packless Omega.
Becoming Lycan Queen is the last thing on my mind. I only care whether I will have a bed tonight.
“I understand,” I say evenly. “I have no interest in the Lycan King.”
Gideon studies me for a moment before leading me into the estate.
As we reach the second floor, I see several attendants standing outside a closed bedroom with trays of untouched food. A tall, striking male is facing the door, holding a gray stuffed wolf in one hand.
The sleeves of his dark shirt are rolled to his elbows, and a small smear of blue paint marks one cuff.
“Noah, open the door.”
An angry little voice answers at once. “No!”
“Come out and eat dinner.”
“I’m not hungry!”
After a pause, the male lowers his voice. “Then let me come in and stay with you.”
“I don’t want you! All of you, go away!”
Something else hits the door from the other side. The male exhales and rubs the space between his brows.
I stare at him in disbelief. I have seen Ronan Blackthorne in High Council broadcasts, sitting at the head of the chamber and silencing a room full of furious Alphas with a single look.
Now the ruler of every pack is locked out by his own six-year-old pup and cannot persuade him to eat dinner.
Gideon steps forward and bows. “Your Majesty, the next applicant has arrived.”
Ronan turns, fixing me with dark-gold eyes. The pressure of his royal Lycan aura hits me head-on, tightening my lungs.
“Name?”
“Elara Quinn.”
“You try.”
Apparently, this is my interview. If I cannot get Noah to open the door, I will probably spend tonight back in neutral territory.
I knock gently. “Noah?”
The crashing inside grows louder. “Bad she-wolf! Go away! I don’t want any of you to be my mom!”
Clearly, Noah has already met more than one prospective “stepmother.”
I glance at the stuffed wolf in Ronan’s hand. “May I borrow him?”
Ronan hands it over without a word. I clear my throat and put on a rough, pained voice.
“Ow...”
The room goes silent.
Looking down at the toy, I answer in my normal voice. “What hurts?”
“My ears hurt. My tail hurts too.” I make the wolf sag in my hands, then add in a miserable whine, “But my stomach hurts most. I haven’t eaten since morning, and I’m starving.”
“Then why don’t you go eat?”
“I can’t. I’m Noah’s most loyal guard wolf. How can I eat when Noah won’t?”
No one answers, but faint footsteps move closer on the other side of the door.
I continue, “You’re already too hungry to stand. How are you going to protect Noah?”
The stuffed wolf’s head droops. “I still can’t betray him.”
“What if Noah never eats again?”
“Then I’ll stay hungry with him forever.”
The silence stretches so long that I begin to wonder whether my plan has failed. Then the door opens a crack.
A pair of red-rimmed eyes looks at me before dropping to the toy. Noah snatches it from my hands.
“His name is Storm, not Guard Wolf!” He hugs Storm tightly and examines his crooked ear. “I didn’t throw him away. He fell out by himself.”
I nod solemnly. “Then I misunderstood.”
Noah sniffles. “Is he really hungry?”
In Storm’s voice, I answer, “Very. Unless Noah eats with me, I refuse to take a single bite.”
Noah promptly covers the toy’s mouth. “Stop talking.”
Still holding Storm, he turns to the attendants. “Bring the food inside.”
They freeze for a beat before hurrying into the room. Noah sits at the small table, props Storm beside him, and takes a large spoonful of food.
Then he gives me a suspicious glare. “I’m not eating because of you. Storm is just dumb. If I don’t eat, he forgets he can.”
“I understand.” I fight back a smile. “This is entirely Storm’s fault.”
When I turn to Ronan, the exhaustion has faded from his face and his cold eyes have softened.
After a moment, he looks at Gideon. “Prepare a room for her.”