The Bel AME contract signing was set for the ninth hour, a ritual to be broadcast across the pack-links so every wolf in the territory would witness my ascent. It had been three years since I stood in such a storm of attention. As I donned a sleek, moon-white backless gown and the heavy silver collar provided by the jewelry house, I felt my inner wolf, Kaia, stir with a long-forgotten pride.
Lisa arrived at the Vale Hills Estate at dawn. Since I’d granted her scent-access to the grounds, she moved through the obsidian halls with wide-eyed awe. I was pinned into my dress when she burst into the master suite.
"Your High Alpha has tastes as lethal as his bite," Lisa whispered, tracing the velvet tapestries. "This den is a fortress."
Connor stepped into the room, his presence instantly heav
