Chapter 111
Thorne's POV
I watched Freya leave the dining room, her back straight, her movements stiff with barely contained emotion. She thought I was being cruel, asking her to stand in for Kaelin at the fitting. Perhaps I was. But cruelty wasn't my intention.
The truth was far more complicated.
I turned back to my half-eaten meal, appetite gone. Martha's words echoed in my mind: "She's not happy, Alpha. She's like a pup without a pack." At the time, I'd dismissed her concern as irrelevant. Freya Riley's happiness was not my responsibility. Her presence at Grey Estate was about justice, about penance, about keeping her where I could watch her.
Wasn't it?
With an irritated growl, I pushed away from the table. The Moon Crescent Court documents I'd brought home sat untouched on my desk, waiting for review before tomorrow's hearings. I should focus on them, not on the hollow look in Freya's eyes or the way she barely touched her food.
In my study, I attempted to concentrate on the cases before me—a territorial dispute between two Beta families, a petition for hunting rights expansion from the northeastern pack. But my mind kept returning to Freya.
She'd moved to Martha's old room. A smaller space, but with a lock on the door. Why did she need that security? What—or who—was she afraid of?
Lucy. It had to be. The Beta had always been Kaelin's creature more than mine, reporting back to her mistress like a well-trained spy. I'd kept her on staff because she was efficient and because dismissing all of Kaelin's allies would have created unnecessary tension. But if she was threatening Freya...
No. That wasn't my concern. Freya Riley was a grown wolf, a survivor of three years in the Forgotten Wilds. She could handle one spiteful Beta.
I forced my attention back to the documents, signing off on judgments and recommendations with practiced efficiency. When my phone rang, I welcomed the distraction.
"Alpha Grey," I answered.
"It's Mark. I wanted to confirm tomorrow's schedule. The Moon Light District visit to Price's Boutique is set for nine, followed by your meeting with the council at eleven."
"Good," I said, leaning back in my chair. "Make sure the car is ready by eight-forty-five. Freya Riley will be accompanying me."
A brief pause. "Sir, I thought Miss Brooks was scheduled for the final fitting?"
"She's still recovering. Riley will stand in for her."
Another pause, longer this time. "Understood, sir. Will there be anything else?"
"No, that's all."
After hanging up, I turned to the window, looking out over the darkened grounds of Grey Estate. The moon was waxing, nearly full now. Soon, the binding ceremony would take place, cementing the alliance between the Grey and Brooks families.
It was the right decision for the pack. For Moon Bay. The Brooks family had been loyal supporters for generations, and Kaelin's condition, while challenging, didn't diminish her value as a mate. Her father's position as head of enforcement ensured stability, and our pups would strengthen both bloodlines.
So why did the thought of the ceremony fill me with such... reluctance?
"Because she's not the one you want", my wolf growled.
I silenced the thought immediately. Want had nothing to do with it. I was Alpha. My decisions were based on duty, on what was best for the pack, not on personal desire.
And yet, tomorrow I would take Freya Riley to try on ceremonial robes meant for my future mate. What duty did that serve? What pack interest?
None. It served no one but the wolf inside me that refused to stop circling her, that caught her scent even across a crowded room, that remembered the softness of her skin under my fingers.
This had to stop. After the binding ceremony, I would need to make a final decision about Freya Riley. Send her away from Grey Estate, perhaps with enough money to start fresh somewhere far from Moon Bay. It would be better for everyone.
Better for her.
Better for me.
Better for the hollow feeling that grew in my chest whenever I imagined her gone.
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Freya's POV
The next morning arrived too quickly. I barely slept, my mind churning with anxiety about the upcoming trip to Selena Price's boutique. By eight forty-five, I was standing in the foyer of Grey Estate, dressed in the most presentable clothes I owned—a simple navy blue dress that Martha had altered for me, with a high collar that partially concealed my moon-silver mark.
Thorne appeared exactly on time, his imposing figure clad in an impeccably tailored charcoal suit. His eyes swept over me, his expression unreadable.
"You look adequate," he said, which from him was almost a compliment.
The drive to Moon Light District was silent and tense. I kept my gaze fixed out the window, watching as the landscape changed from the wooded seclusion of Grey Estate to the elegant streets of Moon Bay's most exclusive neighborhood. My wolf grew increasingly restless as we entered unfamiliar territory, sensing we were far from anything resembling safety.
When the car finally stopped in front of a sleek, modern building with elegant silver lettering that read "Price Designs," my hands were damp with nervous sweat.
"Remember why we're here," Thorne said quietly as Mark opened the door. "You're simply trying on the ceremonial robes in Kaelin's place. Nothing more."
I nodded stiffly, following him into the boutique. The moment we stepped inside, I was overwhelmed by the opulence. Crystal chandeliers hung from high ceilings, illuminating displays of the most beautiful garments I'd ever seen. The scent of expensive fabrics and subtle perfume filled the air, a stark contrast to the earthy smells I'd grown accustomed to at Grey Estate.
A tall, elegant Beta wolf with streaks of silver in her dark hair approached us immediately, her face lighting up with recognition.
"Alpha Thorne! What an unexpected pleasure." Her eyes shifted to me, curiosity evident in her expression. "And who is this lovely creature?"
Before Thorne could answer, the woman's eyes widened with sudden understanding—or rather, misunderstanding.
"Oh! Is this—have you changed your—" She looked between us, a delighted smile spreading across her face. "Alpha, you should have told me you'd chosen a new mate! The Moon Goddess has blessed you with quite a beauty."