"But you're not mated—"
"The mate bond exists whether it's formally recognized or not. My relationship with Alpha Blackthorn is our private business, not Council jurisdiction. Unless you're suggesting the Council now wants to regulate private relationships and family planning?"
The staffer actually backs down. "Point taken."
Helena is beaming. "Perfect. You didn't get defensive, you reframed it as a privacy issue, and you turned it back on them. That's exactly how you handle personal attacks."
By the time the staffers leave, I'm exhausted but grimly satisfied. I can do this. I can walk into that Council chamber and hold my ground.
"You were magnificent." Kieran says after everyone else has filtered out. "The way you handled that pregnancy question? Marcus Thorne is going to choke on h
