Chapter 68 Chapter 68
Tiana
I found myself in the library without remembering how I’d gotten there.
Shelves of books stretched toward the ceiling, some filled with pack history, and others with adventures. I’d spent countless hours here as a servant, dusting and organizing while dreaming of someday having the freedom to actually read them.
Now I had that freedom and all I could think about was a crying woman in Zane’s arms.
If Zane already had a son, why make me go through all of this at all? Why force me into a contract to bear him an heir, and subject me to those brutal treatments?
None of it added up.
I pressed my fingers against my temples, hating that I was even thinking about this.
My relationship with him in the first place was temporary. So what did it matter if he had a child with someone else? What did it matter if he held her while she cried or if that little boy had called him father the other day?
I forced myself to take a breath, to push the thoughts away and focus on something else.
The council meeting Zane had mentioned. I should prepare for that. Do my actual job as ‘temporary’ Luna instead of spiraling over things that didn’t concern me.
I left the library, my steps more purposeful now.
The corridor outside was empty except for the usual guards at their posts. I kept my head down as I walked, focused on getting back to my chambers where I could rest when a call came.
“Tiana.”
I stopped, my heart lurching stupidly at the sound of his voice.
Zane stood a few feet away, emerging from one of the side passages. His expression was unreadable as always, no trace of whatever emotion I’d glimpsed earlier when that servant had interrupted breakfast.
“Alpha.”
“I need you to come with me. There are documents you’ll need to review before the council meeting.”
I nodded, falling into step beside him as he turned down the corridor.
We walked in silence, the only sound being our footsteps echoing off the floor. I kept my eyes forward, hyper-aware of his presence beside me but refusing to look.
Arriving at his office, Zane moved to one of the shelves, scanning the spines before pulling out a thick leather-bound folder.
“Start with these,” he said, setting them on the desk. “Housing allocation reports for the omega quarters. There have been complaints about overcrowding.”
I opened the folder, my eyes skimming over the texts.
Zane pulled out another document, then another, building a small stack beside the first folder.
“This one covers the budget proposal for renovations,” he said. “And this is the petition from the representatives requesting better working conditions in the kitchens.”
I began sorting through them, organizing by priority and relevance. The work was straightforward enough so I assumed it wouldn’t be hard to go about.
“How are the treatments going?”
The question came from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to find Zane still at the shelves, not looking at me.
“Fine,” I said carefully.
“I heard you are almost done with the rounds.”
It wasn’t a question, but I answered anyway. “Yes.”
“Any complications?”
“No. The healers said everything is progressing as expected.”
He pulled another document from the shelf. “One more round, then.”
“Yes.”
The word came out softly from my lips and it got me into a spiral of thoughts. One more round of injections that would leave me screaming and broken and one step closer to fulfilling my purpose here.
I turned back to the documents, trying to focus on the words in front of me. But my mind again kept circling back to Margaret’s insinuations.
“If you already have a son with Lady Elara, why do I need to be here?”
The words left my mouth before I could stop them. Awkward and blunt and absolutely not what I should have said.
Zane paused, lifting his face to me with that same unreadable emotion. I noticed the wrinkles that formed around the corner of his eyes, even as his face still seemed perfectly neutral.
“What are you saying?”
“The boy,” I said, my hands clenching on the edge of the desk. “The one Lady Elara was crying about. If he’s yours, then why am I going through all of this? The treatments and being your Luna.”
“Because he is not my son.”
Zane stood with his arms crossed, his expression hard but not angry.
“Elara’s husband was a warrior,” he said. “One of my best. He died a few years ago during a border raid. Bled out before the healers could reach him.”
I stayed silent, letting him continue.
“His last words were a request. That I look after his pregnant wife. Make sure she and the child were taken care of.” Zane’s jaw tightened slightly. “So I did. I provide for them. Make sure they have what they need. The boy calls me father because he doesn’t remember anyone else.”
A pause filled us for a second before he continued. “That’s all it is.”
I felt stupid. Monumentally, embarrassingly stupid for asking but glad that I did still.
“I’m sorry,” I managed. “I shouldn’t have made assumptions.”
“I agree,” he shrugged.
“Who put that idea in your head?”
The question was sharp now, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“No one. I just—” The lie caught in my throat.
“Tell me. Who?”
I shook my head, turning back to the documents like they might save me from this conversation. “It doesn’t matter. I was being stupid.”
“It matters if someone is spreading rumors about me and a widow under my protection.”
“It wasn’t—” I stopped, not wanting to throw Margaret under scrutiny when maybe she had genuinely been trying to help. “I misunderstood something. That’s all.”
The silence that followed was filled with disbelief, but Zane didn’t push further.
I gathered the documents I had been organizing, needing to leave before I said anything else embarrassing. “I should go. Review these in my chambers.”
“Okay.”
I was on my way out when Zane’s voice stopped me.
I turned back to look at him, but he was not staring at me. Just moving between shelves.
“Come to my room two hours after sunset, today.”