Jasmine's POV
Christopher's fork clattered against his plate. He abandoned the pretense of eating entirely, his gaze boring into me with barely contained frustration.
"Why?" The question came out sharp. "Why the pack? Why quarter of everything my family has built for generations instead of asking for money like any reasonable person?"
I set down my own fork, letting my expression shift into something softer. Vulnerable. The mask I'd perfected in my previous life.
"Because money can disappear." I looked down at my hands, picking at the napkin in my lap. "Accounts can be emptied. Transfers can be reversed. But pack rights, property, legal bonds? Those are permanent. Protected by wolf law."
"That doesn't answer the question."
"I'm getting there." I lifted my gaze to his, letting my eye
