Word spread fast that Alpha Ryan of the Blizzard Pack would visit to “offer congratulations."
People in the pack repeated the words like they meant only one thing, but the tone was never simple. Some sounded excited. Others sounded afraid. Nicholas heard every version. The more he heard, the tighter his jaw got.
The house showed the strain. Guards checked doors twice. Staff polished the same banisters again and again. Victoria drifted through the rooms in a soft dress and a softer voice, always near the places where people gathered. She liked to say, “I hope Luna doesn't mind me here," and then look at Nicholas like the answer lived in his face.
Diana did not argue with her. She woke early, met her parents in the study when she could, and saved her energy for what mattered. She watched,
