He didn’t answer her immediately.
Not because he hesitated—because he chose his words carefully.
“Mira,” he said at last, “is noise. Beautiful noise, but still noise. There was an attraction because there should have been. She’s powerful. She’s dangerous. Wolves respond to that.”
“You kissed,” Talia said, not flinching.
He inclined his head. “Once or twice. Nothing more. I learned quickly my wolf didn’t want her. Attraction without bond is friction, not fire.”
It stung less than she expected.
Almost like she’d known.
“And Ena?” she asked quietly.
His throat moved. He didn’t look away.
“She was Casius’s sister. A Luna first before she was my queen. Gentle. Honest. She loved our people more than herself. Her idea of a crown was service, not the wearing of it.”
Talia felt the ache b
