I stare at him. He’s not just asking for company. He’s asking for something more. Something permanent.
“You want me to come as… your mate.”
He meets my gaze. “Yes. But only if you’re ready. No pressure.”
I swallow. “Keith…”
“I’m not trying to use this moment, Hope. I swear. But everything’s shifting. And maybe now, more than ever, people need to see what loyalty looks like. What unity looks like.”
I think of the Nightshade pack. Of Lilith, angry but broken, walking away from the gates. Of Camille’s cold voice echoing in that chamber. I think of the people on the edges, the ones who’ve never been invited to sit at the royal tables. The ones who are always first to be sacrificed when politics get ugly.
I think of Keith. The way he listens. The way he leads. The way he’s always seen me—
