Chapter 361 361
Maurice POV
The moment we stepped back into the Alpha house, Maxime was already there, waiting with the morning report. You’d never guess he and I had just come from training he was freshly showered, dressed, and fully in command mode.
“Give us two minutes, Maxime,” I said. “We’ll get changed and come straight back down.”
“Actually, Alpha,” he replied, his tone shifting, “I need a word. In private.”
His eyes flicked to Bee, softening as he offered her a reassuring smile nothing to worry about. That look alone told me this wasn’t routine.
“Bee, I’ll be up shortly,” I said, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek. As always, the blush bloomed across her face, that shy warmth she never quite managed to hide when I showed affection openly. I was being careful painfully so because every instinct in me wanted to pull her close and keep her there.
“Okay,” she said, glancing between Maxime and me before retreating upstairs.
Once her bedroom door clicked shut, I led Maxime into my office.
“What’s going on?” I asked, crossing to my desk and gathering my watch and car keys as if this were any other day.
“It was my call not to tell you the past few nights,” he began. “I wanted the Luna to settle in. I wanted you focused on her not distracted.”
“Tell me what,” I said sharply.
“Scouts,” he replied. “They’ve been spotted a few miles beyond our borders.”
I frowned. “Passing through?”
With our land size, that wouldn’t have been unusual.
“No. They’ve been changing formation every night. Testing. Looking for weakness.”
Shit.
“They won’t find one,” I growled, my wolf surging forward in agreement.
“I’ve already increased patrol numbers,” Maxime continued. “Night shifts are armed now.”
“You should’ve told me,” I snapped. That decision should have come from me.
“I thought I could manage it,” he said quietly, his head lowering in submission.
“Have they been here while the Luna and I were gone?”
“No, Alpha.” He hesitated. “But I believe they’re here for her.”
“Fuck.”
This was exactly what Damien had been warning me about. He’d even offered to send royal guards an offer I’d refused. I hadn’t wanted to draw attention to my pack.
But now it was inevitable. The alliances would know. Other packs would know. I was mated to the King’s sister. My pack was now tied to the royal bloodline more closely than any pack in Bloodnight or Darkvale despite not belonging to either alliance.
That kind of connection bred resentment.
“Are they a threat?” I asked.
“Alpha,” Maxime said firmly, “they won’t breach our borders.”
He was right. Our defenses were the strongest in the region.
“Launch trackers,” I ordered. “Let’s beat them at their own game.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
“And Bee doesn’t hear about this,” I added. “She doesn’t need that weight.”
“The Luna won’t know.”
“Are your eyes closed?” I whispered, covering her eyes from behind.
“Yes… they’re closed,” she answered obediently.
“No peeking.”
“Maurice,” she laughed softly, “I promise. I can’t anyway your hands are huge. What’s all this about?”
“I want to show you something.”
The plans for the rest of the day had changed the second Maxime spoke. There was no chance I’d take Bee off pack grounds not while we were on alert.
She hadn’t once said she was homesick. Truthfully, she hadn’t had a real home in a long time. The farm had come closest. She missed the twins, of course, but even Damien’s house had never given her peace.
Until this place felt like hers, I wanted to remind her of where she’d been happiest.
“Maurice?” she prompted.
“Okay,” I said, removing my hands. “You can look now.”
She stared out at the pack allotments overgrown, neglected, nearly reclaimed by wild earth. I’d outsourced everything years ago, but my father used to bring me here when I was young, teaching me how to harvest fruit and vegetables with my own hands.
“I know it’s rough,” I said when she didn’t speak. “But it’s yours. Well technically allotments. With time and care, you could bring it back.”
Minutes passed. Her gaze stayed fixed on the land, and doubt crept in.
“I just thought”
“It’s perfect,” she said suddenly, cutting me off.
She crouched down, brushing debris away from the soil with gentle hands.
“It might take a while,” I said.
“Not as long as you think,” she replied softly. “You’d be surprised what survives.”
She cleared away more dirt, revealing a fragile green shoot pushing stubbornly upward. Standing again, she slipped her arm through mine and drew closer, her other hand resting against my side.
Gratitude shone in her eyes as she looked up at me.
“With patience,” she said, “and care… even thorns can grow into roses.”
In that moment, I knew I’d given her more than land.
I’d given her somewhere to grow.