Chapter 27
Tori's POV:
I watched as Morgan's expression shifted from defiance to alarm.
The color drained from her face when Hannah mentioned invoking pack law.
"Pack law?" Morgan whispered, her earlier bravado evaporating. "They can't... they wouldn't..."
I squeezed her arm gently, trying to steady her.
Morgan might be outspoken and brave, but she was still a teenager whose family depended on the good graces of powerful wolves.
Being involved in a formal pack complaint could jeopardize her family's position.
"It's okay," I murmured, then stepped forward to face Hannah directly.
"Are you really going to do this?" I asked Hannah, my voice steady despite the tension filling the room.
"A formal complaint doesn't just mean an investigation for us. Mia will face punishment too. The pack laws don't discriminate." I held her gaze, letting the implications sink in. "Is that what you want for your daughter?"
Tracy growled approvingly in my mind as I spoke. Nice move.
I watched Mia's eyes widen with sudden understanding.
She tugged at Hannah's sleeve, her previous crocodile tears forgotten.
"Mom," she whispered urgently. "Maybe we should just go. It's not worth all this drama over a stupid necklace."
Hannah looked between Mia and me, her jaw clenched tight.
"Fine," Hannah finally spat. "But don't think this is over, Tori."
She put a protective arm around Mia's shoulders, but couldn't resist throwing one last glare my way.
The shop fell silent after they departed, with the few remaining customers whispering behind their hands.
Morgan sagged against the display case. "Holy moonstone," she breathed. "That was intense."
I nodded, suddenly feeling exhausted.
I glanced down and noticed something glinting on the floor.
Bending down, I picked up the silver moon pendant necklace that had fallen during the scuffle. The delicate crescent caught the light, sending tiny rainbows dancing across my palm.
"Look what I found," I said, holding it up for Morgan to see.
Her eyes lit up. "The necklace!" She reached for it reverently, as if it might disappear. "I can't believe it survived that whole mess."
I placed it in her palm, closing her fingers around it. "Your mom is going to love it."
Morgan looked at the necklace and then at me, a slow smile spreading across her face.
"We kind of won that round, didn't we?"
I nodded, relief washing through me. "Thank you for standing up for me back there."
"Are you kidding? That's what friends do," Morgan said, bumping my shoulder gently. "Besides, I wasn't about to let Mia walk all over you again."
We paid for our purchases and headed toward the exit.
My stomach growled audibly, reminding me we hadn't eaten since breakfast.
"Let's find somewhere to grab lunch," I suggested.
Before Morgan could respond, a commotion near the plaza's central fountain caught our attention.
A small crowd had gathered, respectfully parting as a distinguished man walked through.
Morgan grabbed my arm. "Oh my god," she whispered.
"That's Alpha William Sullivan. The head of the Sullivan Pack."
I followed Morgan's gaze across the plaza, my eyes landing on the tall man who commanded such respect from the crowd around him.
Even from this distance, there was something commanding about him. Unlike Lucas Grayson's cold intimidation, William Sullivan radiated a warmer kind of authority.
"He's here for the quarterly Alpha Summit," Morgan explained. "All four pack Alphas meet to discuss city matters. It's a big deal—they only happen four times a year."
"How do you know all this?" I asked, glancing at her with curiosity.
Morgan grinned. "That's the perk of living on the Grayson estate. You get all the juicy news first-hand."
She lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Lucas has been completely wrapped up in preparations for it lately. Jack says he's been in meetings till midnight most days this week."
I nodded slowly, remembering how exhausted Lucas had looked when I saw him last night.
No wonder he'd seemed so weary.
Morgan sighed dreamily as she continued to watch Alpha William.
"He still looks amazing for his age, doesn't he? So distinguished."
She shook her head with a hint of sadness.
"It's such a shame the Sullivan Pack doesn't have an heir. "
"No heir?" I asked, curious despite myself. "Why not?"
Morgan's voice dropped, taking on the tone she used for sharing particularly juicy gossip.
"They had a daughter once," she said, her normally bright expression sobering.
"But she died in a car accident about twenty years ago. " She glanced around to make sure no one was listening.
"His mate, Susan—who is both the Luna of Sullivan pack and the Alpha of Shepherd Pack—was also in the car. She survived, but her injuries were devastating. Her legs were paralyzed, and..." Morgan hesitated, lowering her voice even further, "the damage was so severe she couldn't have any more children."
"That's awful," I murmured.
"It really is," Morgan nodded solemnly. "They say Susan was never the same after losing her daughter. She went from being one of the strongest Alphas in Moonhaven to barely making public appearances. William had to take over most of the Shepherd Pack responsibilities."
She sighed wistfully, watching William in the distance.
"Can you imagine how happy their daughter would be if she were still alive? The beloved princess of two powerful packs, with both Sullivan and Shepherd blood."
Morgan shook her head sadly. "And she would have been the sole heir to both packs. "
I felt a strange twist in my chest.
"Life is strange," I murmured. "The children no one wants fight to survive, while the ones who are loved beyond measure are taken too soon."
I looked at William's distant figure, the weight of his loss somehow palpable even from here.
"Fate has a cruel sense of humor."