The palace was a powder keg, and everyone knew the Alpha's days were numbered. The heirs had dropped all pretense, clawing at each other openly. Out west, Belvaria and the frontier tribes were stirring, a storm brewing on the horizon. Over at the Morgan estate, they'd called Colton back for a "family dinner," but it felt more like a summons.
In the carriage, Colton could tell something was off with me. I buried myself in a book or fiddled with a chessboard, not saying a word to him. "What's wrong?" he asked, pulling me into his lap, his calloused hand gently prying the book away and toying with my fingers.
Since that night, these little intimacies had become routine. I looked at him, my voice steady but serious. "Colton, do you just like my body?"
His breath hitched, and he gripped my w
