Chapter 32 I missed you
~Sage~
"The marking ceremony will be rescheduled," he continued. "Luna Sage and I will complete our bond in one month's time, during the blood moon. A more auspicious occasion, fitting for the union of an Alpha King and his queen."
One month. I had one month before Damon would try to mark me again.
My wolf snarled inside me, pressing against my skin so hard I had to grip the arms of my chair to keep from gasping. She didn't want Damon. She would never want Damon. And now that she was awake, I wasn't sure she would stay quiet the next time he tried to claim me.
The address continued for another twenty minutes, Damon discussing pack business and border disputes and economic partnerships with allied territories. I barely heard any of it. My mind was spinning, trying to figure out what his angle was, why he'd publicly exonerated me when I knew he suspected something.
When it finally ended, the pack members began filing out, many stopping to bow to their Alpha or offer congratulations on his recovery. I stood with the rest of the front row, intending to slip away before Damon could corner me.
I didn't make it three steps.
"Luna Sage." Damon's voice cut through the crowd noise. "A moment."
I turned to find him approaching, his expression warm and welcoming for the benefit of watching pack members. But his eyes were cold.
"Walk with me," he said, offering his arm. It wasn't a request.
I took it, hyperaware of Keith watching us from across the hall. His face was carefully blank, but I could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his hands had clenched into fists at his sides.
Damon led me out a side door, away from the crowds, into a quiet place. Warriors were already returning to their drills, the pack's normal rhythm resuming after days of disruption.
"You're wondering why I lied for you," Damon said once we were alone.
"The thought crossed my mind."
He stopped walking, turning to face me. This close, I could see that his recovery wasn't quite as complete as he'd made it appear. There were shadows under his eyes that makeup couldn't quite hide, a slight tremor in his hands that he controlled through sheer will.
"I've ruled this pack for forty years," he said. "I've survived challenges, wars, assassination attempts. I didn't do that by being stupid." He leaned closer, and my wolf recoiled, pressing back from the surface like she was trying to hide. "Something happened during that ceremony. Something involving you and your suddenly-not-dormant wolf. I don't know what it was yet, but I will find out."
"I've told you everything I know," I said, keeping my voice steady.
"No. You haven't." His hand came up to grip my chin, the same way he'd done in his study. "But here's what's going to happen. You're going to smile and play the devoted Luna for the next month. You're going to attend pack functions on my arm and let everyone see how happy we are. And when the blood moon comes, you're going to let me mark you without any mysterious interruptions."
"And if I don't?"
His smile was terrifying. "Then I'll start looking more closely at everyone you've interacted with since you arrived. Everyone you've spoken to. Everyone you might have formed... attachments to." His eyes glinted. "I hear my son has been very attentive during your adjustment period."
"Keith has been nothing but professional," I said quickly.
"Of course he has." Damon released my chin, patting my cheek in a gesture that was more threatening than affectionate. "He's a good boy. I'd hate for anything to compromise that loyalty."
He walked away, leaving me standing in the empty hallway with my heart pounding and my wolf howling silently inside my chest.
He knew. Maybe not everything, but he suspected. And he'd just made it very clear that if I stepped out of line, Keith would pay the price.
I stood there for a long moment, trying to calm my breathing. The windows beside me showed my reflection, and I barely recognized myself. The woman staring back looked pale and frightened, nothing like the queen I was supposed to become.
"Sage."
I spun around. Keith stood at the end of the hallway, having approached so quietly I hadn't heard him.
"You shouldn't be here," I whispered. "He just threatened to—"
"I know. I heard." Keith closed the distance between us, and despite everything, despite the danger and the fear, my wolf immediately calmed at his presence. "He was testing you to see if you'd react or give something away."
"He suspects something about us."
"He's suspected since the ceremony." Keith said. "But suspecting and proving are different things. We just have to be careful."
"Careful?" I laughed, the sound slightly hysterical. "Keith, he's watching everything. He practically said he'd hurt you if I don't play along."
"He won't touch me." Keith's voice was firm. "I'm his only heir. Whatever he suspects, he needs me too much to act without proof."
"And what happens in a month when he tries to mark me again?" I asked. "My wolf is getting stronger every day. I don't know if I can control her reaction to him."
Keith was quiet for a moment. "Then we have a month to figure something out."
He reached out, his fingers brushing my cheek so lightly it could have been accidental. But the touch sent electricity through my entire body, and I saw the same reaction flash across his face.
"I've missed you. Tonight," he murmured. "The garden behind the east wing. There's a spot where the cameras don't reach. Meet me at midnight."
Before I could respond, he was gone, disappearing around the corner like he'd never been there at all.
I turned back to the window, pressing my forehead against the cool glass. My reflection stared back at me, and this time, I could have sworn I saw something else there too. There was a tinge of gold in my eyes that hadn't been there before.
My wolf was waking up.
And in exactly twelve hours, I was going to sneak out to meet the one person I absolutely shouldn't want.