Chapter 25
CHAPTER 25
K ai had been right. Come the next morning, Eli asked Isla to thebanquet.
The way the general framed the invitation, she would be accompanying him as his protégé, his second. It was all to observe how one would interact in their position within the setting: navigating political conversation, easing minds, and maybe tempers, especially in times of uncertainty and strife.
It would’ve been an honor if she wasn’t so aware of his ulterior motives. Still, even if his objective at times had been to woo her, he seemed shocked when she’d been so gleefully responsive, flashing him a wide smile, thanking him, and saying that she’d love to attend. She’d played the “role” just as Kai would want. Eager and bright-eyed, ready to schmooze and flatter.
When four in the afternoon hit on the day of the banquet, Isla received a knock on her door. She groaned, rising from the edge of her mattress where she’d been working to remove her mud-slicked shoes, and hobbled over to it, her limbs barking in protest.
She’d just returned from training with the guard again, and there was only a little less than two hours until she’d need to meet General Eli in the lobby. She would need every second of it—mostly to remove all the dirt that seemed to coat her like a second skin.
Hand on her sword, which she always had perched by the exit—while Lukas’s dagger, claimed as her own, remained hidden under her pillow—Isla opened the door, leaving the chain latched.
“Davina?”
On the opposite end of the threshold, the fiery-haired woman beamed, green eyes sparkling. Isla moved to close and unlock the entrance.
Once given full view of the warrior, Davina’s features fell, screwing up as if she’d eaten something sour. “You haven’t showered yet?”
Isla retreated a step, feeling self-conscious. “I just got back.” She darted her eyes to the large brown leather trunk that sat at Davina’s side. “What is that?”
The floral scent of Davina’s perfume wafted through the room as she brushed by Isla, dragging the heavy-set box along behind her. “I told Rhydian to make sure you got back here by three.”
No answer to the question, but Isla didn’t bother asking again.
“Rhydian’s not my commander,” she told her, closing her door softly.
“Funny, he said the same thing, but I’d heard countless stories of the boys sneaking out of things before; I figured he’d get creative.”
Davina heaved the trunk onto the bed, and Isla watched as it bounced on the mattress, listening to whatever was inside rattle. She bent down to untie her other shoe, not removing her eyes from the case. “What are you doing here?”
Once again, Davina failed to answer right away. Instead, she moved to flip the brass latch on the front of the trunk. It came undone with a click beneath her fingers before she flung it open. Isla rose to peer inside, abandoning her shoes in their spot.
She blew a soft whistle at the overabundance of cosmetics and hair accessories, seemingly for every occasion. From the soft hues of morning brunches to the dark, sultry shades of nights out and dinner gatherings.
Davina turned to Isla, placing her hands on her wide hips and proclaiming, “I’m getting you ready for the party.”
Isla’s mouth opened and closed as a particular silver and ruby comb caught her attention. It almost looked like a tiara. She met Davina’s eyes. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to,” Davina argued, pulling a few powders from the trunk and comparing them against Isla’s skin. Isla wasn’t sure how she could even see it beneath the dirt. “You’re going to blow everyone in that room away. Especially that mate of yours.”
Isla ignored the rise of wicked excitement her words had brought and instead focused on the reminder of her objectives,why she was attending the party in the first place. “Did Kai make you do this, too?”
Davina scoffed, dropping the powders and picking up a rouge. “Kai is my alpha, but he doesn’t make me do anything.” She dropped the blusherandthen went to examine Isla’s fingernails, smudged with grime that was also matted in her hair. She clicked her tongue before waving her off. “Go shower. We don’t have much time, and you look like you’ve been living in the mud.”
When Isla emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a fluffy white robe, Davina was examining her dress hanging near the closet.
“This is gorgeous,” she commented, running her fingers over the silk.
Isla continued scrunching her hair with a towel. “I hate to admit, Kai has good taste.”
“That he does.” Davina fluffed the pillow on the chair in front of the bureau she’d converted into a makeshift vanity. She gestured for Isla to take a seat before gathering Isla’s hair in her hands and clipping it back out of her face. As she examined her features to determine the first line of attack, she said, “You have beautiful eyes.”
Feeling heat rise to her cheeks, Isla thanked her. “My mother had the same.”
Something flashed along Davina’s face—something like regret—as she caught the word. Had.
“Very pretty,” she complimented again before rising and retrieving a cream off the dresser. She nodded to the side, and Isla followed her gaze to Kai’s jacket sitting by the window. “That looks familiar. Did he leave it here?” A playfulness colored her tone, probably in an attempt to lighten the mood.
“ No ,” Isla countered just as sprightly. “It was cold, and he let me wear it. ”
“And you kept it?”
“I forgot to take it off and never had a chance to give it back.”
“I’m sure he has no problem with you keeping it. He has plenty.” She shook her head and snickered. “You know, I cannot believe you’ve gone this long without even touching . I mean, Kai is…he’s an alpha and your destined mate. You have the self-control of a saint.” She dabbed spots of the lotion over Isla’s skin. “One look at Rhydian, and I was ready—well, I already explained.”
Isla recounted her and Davina’s first interaction. “At a bar?”
Davina nodded, swiping over Isla’s forehead. “Before I worked here at the hotel, I worked at a pub in Abalys. It was my second night on the job, and some hooligan started a fight.”
“Rhydian?”
“ Jonah ,” Davina said as if she was still wrapping her mind around it. Isla was just as confused, as Jonah seemed the most mild-mannered of them. “Rhydian and Kai had gone in to break it up. They got caught in it themselves—not the best for a prince. All the while, Ameera was watching from the side. When I went in to berate them, I saw Rhydian and…” She trailed off into a dreamy sigh. “We went into the storeroom after that.”
“Sounds romantic,” Isla mused, trying not to grin too wide as Davina rubbed at her cheeks.
“We knocked over an entire rack of liquor. More than we could ever afford.” She sounded both amused and mortified. “Thankfully, Kai took care of it as a mating gift.”
The two women fell into a fit of laughter that forced Davina to break away for a moment.
Isla always used to enjoy hearing the anecdotes of how mates found each other, even if it caused the smallest resentment. It seemed the meeting—even with its increasing rarity—could happen anywhere. A crowded market, an elegant ball, a walk down the street, or a bar brawl. Somehow, the unpredictability made it feel plausible, possible .
She’d always wanted a story of her own—of choice or fate, she’d take anything. If only to be rid of the pitying look she’d receive when she confessed she had no one.
Though a bit unconventional, maybe now she did have that tale to share .
As Davina reached for a tinted powder, Isla began explaining for the first time to anyone. “We met on a terrace by the garden of Callisto’s Hall. I was trying to get a break from the feast and, I don’t know, just found myself outside. He was already out there apparently, hiding in the shadows.”
Davina grabbed a firm feather brush and dabbed it into the small glass jar. “It’s like your body knew where to lead you.”
Isla pursed her lips, remembering the pull. “I suppose.”
“Crazy how the mate thing works.” Davina chuckled. “I’d peddled this nonsense all the time, and I never really believed it until I felt it.”
Isla couldn’t stop her head from jerking, earning a soft tap to right it again. “You were the one who worked at the mate gatherings?”
Davina leaned back, a hand on her chest with mock amazement. “He told you about me?” After Isla nodded, unable to contain a smile, she continued her work. “The pay was horrendous, and I felt terrible about it. Sorry saps.”
Isla’s grin bittered. “Yeah, sorry saps.”
The two settled into silence as Davina finished pressing the powder, then reached for a brush of a fluffier variety to dust a shimmer over Isla’s cheekbones. As she did, Isla found herself closing her eyes, getting comfortable. She didn’t know Davina that well, if at all, besides these small stories that had been shared, but she felt understood by her in a way she hadn’t been before.
Isla opened her eyes and looked at Davina through the reflection. “What happened after you were mated?”
“I pulled my skirt back down.”
Isla snorted.
Davina smirked. “After my shift ended—meaning, I got fired—I went back to Rhydian’s.” She shrugged. “And I guess I never left his side after that.”
It was exactly as Isla thought it would be. Mated and dropping life as one knew it to take on one with another. She’d leave—she’d lose —everything.
“Did that scare you?”
As if she’d sensed the sincerity and unease in which Isla spoke, Davina’s tone had gone soft. “I think it scared both of us, but I don’t think it’s meant to not be a little terrifying. I find the beauty of a mate is that…” She padded along Isla’s cheeks with the rouge. “Even though it’s scary and uncertain, it’s not just you who’s terrified and unsure. You figure it out together. All of it: the newness, having someone there to care for, to worry about. Someone to care and worry about you. Probably in a way no one else ever has.” Isla caught her jaw tensing, and the memories that seemed to be flashing behind her eyes. “Yes, it’s sudden and overwhelming, but that’s just the way life is. I wouldn’t want to work through it with anyone else. I can’t picture my life without him there.”
Isla swallowed, allowing the words to sink in, watching as Davina’s eyes glossed over and noting how she’d gotten choked up.
Realizing she’d gone a bit too serious, Davina cleared her throat, and her lips twitched into a devilish smile. “And then there’s also the amazing sex. That helps with the adjustment.”
Once again, they descended into hysterics.
Isla wasn’t sure how Kai had known, but the dress made her look like a dream. And not necessarily the whimsical kind. The smooth black fabric bunched and hugged, draped and flowed in all the right places, accentuating every curve that seemed non-existent in her warrior garb. It brought out the best parts of her, and the jewels were dazzling, a mix of diamonds within the ruby.
Davina had been an artist, and Isla her canvas. Her face had been made up in the perfect balance of sultry and sweet. Unassuming. There was a dewy look to her skin, drawn and highlighted, tinted rosy to the right shade of innocence. Charcoal lined her eyes, her lashes plumped and long, and crimson—matching the jewels around her neck, dangling from her wrist and ears—painted her lips. She’d allowed Isla’s hair to dry into its natural state, letting the waves take the wild shape they wanted before she’d swept it off to the side, clipping it over, and then sliding the tiara-like comb through her tresses.
Davina sighed in satisfaction as she stepped back, admiring her work as Isla towered over her small stature in her heels. “Kai is going to be furious with me. ”
“Why?” Isla asked, feeling invigorated in the ensemble and conceitedly unable to stop staring at herself.
“Because you are sex on legs, and he already has a hard enough time containing himself around you.”
To that, Isla scoffed, but her cheek nearly bled between her teeth as she kept from a wicked grin.
Eli’s reaction when she’d met him in the lobby was another great way to boost her confidence.
“You look…wow.” His eyes were wide as he took her in, and it seemed his gaze didn’t know where to land. Though the ruby pendant glittering between her breasts, just covered enough by the deep V of fabric, seemed to be his favorite resting place. “Wow.”
Isla glanced at Davina, sitting at the concierge desk, pretending not to be watching and failing to hide her smugness at the compliment on her efforts.
“A man of many words.” Isla couldn’t help but tease before nodding towards the lobby door. “Come on. We can’t be late.”
Isla was going to kill Kai.
“Uh, who’s supposed to be here again?” she asked as she and Eli found themselves in a line leading into the front hall. Hordes surrounded them, a commotion made up of reporters, citizens, and party guests. All of this for a retiring delta?
The general shook his head as if he, too, hadn’t realized what he’d signed up for. “Anyone who the delta has influenced in his tenure. He’s been in service for nearly fifteen years. It must’ve been quite a few.”
Quite a few, indeed. How in the Goddess’s name did Kai expect her to navigate this place? Everyone who held any type of standing in Deimos had to be at this party.
She scowled. Not a palace, my ass. What the hell did you get me into?
Isla found her gaze drawn upwards, not to shoot a prayer to the Goddess—which maybe, she should’ve—but to the stained-glass window in the front hall’s high center. Even with the distance, she could’ve sworn she saw something like a speck move along the base, outside of it. She scrunched her brows and squinted as if it would help her see any better, but as soon as she blinked, it vanished.
They ended up in a wide-mouthed underpass that cut beneath the front hall’s structure. And from there, they found themselves in a gorgeous courtyard.
She wasn’t sure what parts were done up for the event and what was a mainstay for the hall. There were delicate lights through trees and endless blooms of flowers—deep purples, some nearly black, and blues much like the window eye above. There was a great fountain in the center that seemed to glow, but all she was really drawn to was a depiction of two wolves lurching for a sapphire orb, and she pondered if it was a representation of the moon.
“The alpha’s choice,” Eli quipped from his spot beside her, and Isla directed her eyes to where his gaze had been.
A crowd was gathered beside them in their queue. Their chatter and laughter, along with the shutter of reporters’ cameras, echoed within the open-ended cavern. They weren’t in the line to come in. They were just standing there, watching, waiting. She’d been struggling to think of for what , when Eli’s statement answered the question for her.
Many of the women, though not invited to the festivities, were dressed beautifully. In all types of ways. Much like Davina’s trunk of cosmetics, from soft and delicate to bold, sultry, and daring.
“I swear every unmated girl in this pack is tripping over themselves to get in his eye-line and catch his attention.”
The alpha’s choice.
That roaring returned to her blood, much like when she’d heard Belle disclosing her past on guard for Amalie.
Davina’s words itched at her mind again. They were here for Kai’s attention. To be the woman the alpha chose to take as his mate or to be… the one .
That magic spark.
Isla shocked herself as she snarled and fought the urge to start waving her arms around, telling them to go home.
Thankfully, Eli managed to break her focus with his never-ending remarks.
She felt him nudge her with his elbow. “A little excessive, don’t you think? ”
He’d said it as a joke,and Isla recalled his comments about Kai and his killing of four bak being a bit much.
He’d gestured to the heightened guard presence within the underpass leading to the banquet’s entrance, and the fact they’d been waiting in this line for so long was for security reasons. To be checked out, inspected, and cleared by name and invitation. With so many guests—and so many gate-crashers—it was taking quite a while to get through.
“Necessary,” she said, grateful for the protection Kai had.
“General.”
At the voice from behind them, Isla felt the hair of her neck stand on end. She turned slowly.
“Beta Ezekiel.” Eli beamed, reaching forward to shake Ezekiel’s hand. Immediately, he nodded towards Isla. “I’m happy we crossed paths. This is Isla, the recruit I was telling you about.”
When Ezekiel’s worn eyes fell upon her, she bit down hard on her tongue, resisting her urge to snap.
The last she’d seen him, he’d called her insolent and dim-witted. He’d said she wasn’t right to sit at the helm of his pack. Though she wanted nothing more than to kick his ass right here, she flashed him a soft grin. So pure, so fake. She could see it now, where Ameera and her beta father shared their looks—the hair, the eyes, the arrogant scowl.
Ezekiel didn’t smile back—Isla hadn’t expected him to. He simply said,“ Warrior ,” before turning back to Eli. “Delta Sol would like to reconvene with you. He’s on the veranda between the Western Hall and the House.”
Western Hall and House.
Isla noted the names as Eli asked, “What for?”
“Wouldn’t say,” the beta said. “But it sounded urgent.”
“Odd.” Eli furrowed his brows. “I’ll have to clear this line first.”
Ezekiel reached into his pocket and pulled out a stamped placard. “Just give them this. They’ll let you through.” The general took it before his eyes shifted to Isla. Ezekiel caught on and added, “I’ll escort her in.”
Eli had no words of protest, eager to escape the waiting. “I’ll see you inside,” he told her with the smallest touch, and he was off.
As he walked away, now beside her, Ezekiel snickered. Isla wondered if Sol truly wanted to meet with the general at all or if this had all been a ploy to get her alone.
“Aren’t you two close,” Ezekiel said to her once he turned back to face her. He’d noticed the caress.
“It’s nothing like that,” Isla said pointedly.
Ezekiel hummed, not offering a rebuttal. “Come with me.”
She didn’t want to—but she didn’t really feel like waiting in the line anymore. Not as the number of women by the barricade increased. Not as she had to watched them preen themselves. Seen their beautiful faces. Be reminded that they all knew this pack better than she ever would.
“Hide your face,” Ezekiel said as they moved along the line by some reporters and photographers who were approved to be at the banquet. To capture the moments.
Isla didn’t want her time here immortalized, so she did so, using the lightweight black shawl Davina had offered just before they left to cover herself.
When they broke into the party, Isla watched the waiters flutter about, holding trays of hors d’oeuvres and glasses of different types of drinks—wines, spirits, and cocktails. Davina had told her to have an eye out for an open bar, though. The guests—the entire overwhelming lot of them—seemed cheerful and, if she looked and analyzed the fine details of their clothes, seemed to come from all walks of life.
She knew none of them.
“I’m sure you noticed the women outside,” Ezekiel drew Isla’s attention.
She resisted the urge to growl. “I did.”
“Our alpha must take a mate,” the beta said, ignoring how Isla jerked a bit. “And before we jump to a mating ball, Marin wants to see if we can kick off something a bit more naturally. Less archaic in the face of younger, more progressive leadership.”
“Marin?”
“The alpha’s secretary. Maybe you’ll meet her eventually.”
Isla wasn’t sure she wanted to.
She couldn’t believe there were potential brides for Kai here. Handpicked by his secretary, his do-all. The person who likely kept him sane, organized, and looking exactly as he should in the face of his pack.
“Can you control yourself?”
Isla opened her mouth for a snap retort before she closed it and reconsidered. “What does that mean?”
“You’re bold in your stand against the Goddess, but you’re also naive. You cannot change the fact that you’re a wolfand, therefore, territorial over what’s yours .” His last word had a slight bite to it. “So, unless you’re here to claim it, don’t interfere.” He looked forward and nodded at a passerby who’d greeted him. “I told him you being here was a bad idea, but he insisted. If it were up to me, you wouldn’t have even been approved.”
“Good thing it’s not up to you, then,” she said, now not taking time to think.
“Goddess above,” Ezekiel cursed under his breath, but it wasn’t at her.
He powered forward, and Isla debated ditching him but decided to keep up. He was insufferable, but he was familiar.
He rested his hand on the back of a woman’s shoulders who’d been telling what seemed to be a highly entertaining story to a group of guests.
The woman turned, and Isla found herself stumbling a bit.
Upon the beta’s approach, the group disbanded.
“Zahra,” Ezekiel said, dropping his hold. “What are you doing out here? You’re supposed to enter after Delta Atesh and before Kai.”
Zahra.
This was Kai’s mother.
The former luna narrowed her gaze, and Isla could see where Kai had drawn his looks from. The strikingness of his eyes, the elegant draw to his face. Zahra was every bit stunning and regal as she’d expected. But to Isla’s surprise, her amber skin—just like her son’s—wasn’t sallow or drawn. Her deep blue-gray eyes not bloodshot from endless crying and sleepless nights. She wasn’t hunched over and brittle-boned. From all she’d heard, the former Luna of Deimos was supposedly on her death bed. This woman seemed vibrant .
“And I told you, that’s not my place anymore, Ezekiel. ”
“Zahra…”
“Beta.”
“Ezekiel!”
Ezekiel turned as he was called by yet another person Isla didn’t know to meet someone else Isla didn’t know. He muttered something to Zahra—something like don’t move —before stalking off. Isla pursed her lips at being left in the dirt and watched as the former queen shook her head and rolled her eyes. The typical actions shouldn’t have stunned or amused her as much as they did.
As if she could sense Isla staring, the luna turned and met her gaze.
Isla blinked at her in awe, but Zahra looked at her flatly.
“Another one,” she said.
“I’m sorry?”
Zahra sighed. “If one more person looks at me like I’m about to keel over and die, Goddess, help them.” Isla felt heat flood her cheeks, and before she could nod in the respect she’d forgotten, the luna scanned her peculiarly. “Have we met?”
“No,” Isla answered quicker than she meant to.
The luna did another sweep. “Are you sure?”
“No.” Isla felt her nerves ratchet up. This wasn’t only a luna, it was her mate’s mother . A woman who’d lost nearly everything. What if she said something wrong and stupid? “I mean, yes, no , we haven’t met, Your Majesty. I’m not from this pack…I’m of Io.”
Isla winced, unsure how her pack’s name would be taken.
“I no longer warrant that address,” the former luna said, and Isla noted the uptick of her brows. “You’re far from home.”
No detectable animosity, at least.
“I’m a warrior. Here to help with the rogues along with my team.” Isla brought back her smile. “Isla.”
Zahra mirrored it, in a way much more refined, Isla was sure. “Well, thank you for your service to my pack and your service to my son.”
At the last words, Isla choked.
The former luna paused but didn’t comment on it. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, that appetizer platter is calling my name.” Before she departed, she added, “Run while you can.”
Isla followed the former luna’s eyes to the still-occupied Ezekiel .
She weighed her options—and then she did just that.
Isla eventually found Eli—or he found her—and he immediately began grumbling about how Sol had no idea what he had been going on about.
The banquet technically would not be in full swing until three things occurred: all guests had arrived, the guest of honor finally made his entrance, and then finally, Kai, the alpha, entered the room and declared it should begin. Right now, it was aimless chitter-chatter, eating and drinking, and already, Isla was ready to stab herself in the eye with her tiny toothpick.
Kai’s plan had been working. She drew attention—both good and bad. Sneers and smiles. Genuine questions and snide, underhanded remarks. Lecherous leers from unmated suitors. An offer to get out of here with one particularly inebriated man who was lucky Kai hadn’t appeared yet.
But that wasn’t the worst.
If she had to hear one more rosy whisper of when will Alpha Kai be arriving from the mouth of one more female, if she had to listen to the ambitions of getting a dance or being invited to the alpha’s chambers one more time, she would turn feral.
It didn’t cease, though. Instead, it only got worse when Kai finally made his appearance.
Before the actual eating began, while he made his rounds greeting his guests, Isla always had a faint idea of where he was in the room. Not only through the bond but also through the way the guests seemed to gravitate towards him. The party grew lopsided when he’d been off to sides and corners.
“Are you having fun?”
Isla felt a warm hand on her back, felt the gentle brush of a thumb along her skin. She looked up at Eli, whose eyes were slightly glazed over from the alcohol he’d consumed. He’d been getting a bit touchieras the night progressed. Enough so that the question of is this your mate became more and more frequent.
Just as Isla was about to pull away from his touch, she felt it. A dark cloud. A sharp tug. She whirled around enough to escape Eli’s hold and found herself face-to-face with Kai.
She could confidently say that she had never, ever been looked at the way Kai gazed upon her then with such intent, ferocity, and hunger. All that power, all that predatory focus honed in on her, on her body. She honestly thought he was about to pick her up, throw her over his shoulder, and take her out of that room. Or maybe clear off the banquet table and have her right there…and maybe she’d let him, even if everyone was watching, though they were pretending not to.
They’d match with their outfits if it weren’t for her crimson jewelry. His tailored black suit jacket was stitched with not identical but similar corded patterns on its lapels. Isla was too distracted by how good he looked to ponder if he’d done it on purpose as a joke for the two of them, a way to get under her skin.
Neither of them was laughing.
Isla shuffled on her feet, heat rising in her blood, between her legs.
“Alpha!”
Eli, the dumbass when it wasn’t battle strategy, none the wiser in his semi-drunken state, stepped forward with his hand outstretched.
For once, Isla was grateful.
Kai, in a snap, appeared to be the picture of coolness, but she still felt it lingering. That tug. That hold .
He grabbed the general’s forearm. “General.”
Eli pulled away and turned to Isla, expecting Kai to take hold of her arm next.
They would do no such thing, but they would pretend they hadn’t truly spoken since the Hunt.
“Alpha,” Isla said, getting a grasp on herself and standing tall.
“Warrior,” Kai echoed. He put his hands behind his back as if he had to lock them there. Away from her or to keep from punching Eli, who was getting increasingly closer to her side again.
“It’s nice to see you,” Kai said stiffly, eyes flicking to the general periodically. He gestured to her arm that had once been swathed in heaps of bandages and donned her scars. “You seem to be healing well.”
Isla smiled. “I’m back to form. ”
Kai returned it, excitement and relief flashing in his eyes. “You’re able to shift again.”
Eli’s hand fell to her shoulder and, either from drunkenness or stupidity, caressed down the exposed skin of her back. “You couldn’t shift?”
Kai’s brows drew into a scowl, and his arms loosened.
Isla felt something shift in the room then. Felt Eli’s fingers tense as he swayed and raised his other hand to rub at his temple. “Oh.” He shook his head as if to clear it.
She furrowed her brows, slipping his grip as she assessed if he was okay before looking at Kai. Her mate appeared to shake his head, too, and his scowl had become a concerned and confused grimace.
But before she could question anything, a voice, sweet and seductive, emerged from the guests.
“Alpha Kai.”
Isla turned and found it was a beautiful woman with the sapphire tiara and matching eyes. Deimos incarnate.
“Amalie.”
Isla blamed the way Kai relaxed on the distraction from Eli, not on the presence of the woman before him. Or maybe, somehow, through some odd bond transfer, all his tension had gone straight to Isla’s shoulders.
What is she doing here?
Isla found her fingers constricting at her sides as she darted her eyes between her mate and the woman he’d once courted.
They were a good-looking couple.
Murmurs of excitement surrounded the exchange, a few too many pondering if Amalie was to become luna. The perfect fit given her ties to an alpha bloodline and Deimos’s strong relationship with its southern neighbor.
“I forgot to mention something in our meeting earlier,” Amalie said, not paying Isla any mind, though Isla knew she saw her. She noted how the woman’s eyes had slid between the similar patterns on Isla’s gown and Kai’s jacket, signaling not a threat to the alpha-blooded she-wolf but a challenge. “Do you have time after the festivities tonight to talk again?”
A meeting? After the festivities? That would be nearly midnight. Isla knew nothing good, nothing she’d want could happen during talks after midnight.
Kai glanced briefly at Isla. “I don’t, but speak with Marin. She can tell you when I’m free, or you could talk to Ezekiel.”
Isla tried to keep her satisfaction at bay, which wasn’t hard when it was so overtaken by irritation as Amalie reached for Kai’s sleeve.
“Okay.” Her delicate fingers brushed over the fabric of his suit jacket. “Is this new?”
Like some kind of twisted gift from the Goddess, Isla spotted Ezekiel then, watching her intently.
Unless she was here to claim Kai as her mate, she shouldn’t interfere.
She was going to if she didn’t leave that room. She was going to interfere, make a scene, and probably ruin everything.
So, she made a haphazard excuse that no one really cared about and walked out.