Brunch went surprisingly well.
Kieran had been… gentle. Attentive without hovering, present without crowding me. He made sure I was included, drawing me into the conversation with quiet questions and small smiles that made my chest warm in a way I wasn't used to.
Maybe I could do this.
Maybe I wasn't completely out of my depth.
Maybe I'd just been overreacting earlier.
"Earth to Samantha."
A hand waves in front of my face, snapping me out of my thoughts. Cameran squints at me, unimpressed. "Are you even listening? Mayla, she does this a lot."
Heat floods my cheeks. "Sorry," I mumble. "I was… lost in thought."
I'd completely forgotten we were still sitting in the dining room, tea cups half empty, plans for the day scattered across the table.
The doors open.
The shift in the room is immediate.
Mayla stands first, posture straight, expression carefully respectful. She bows her head.
"Good afternoon, Queen Mother."
My stomach drops.
Holy shit.
Kieran's mother.
Instinctively, Cam and I stand as well. Cameran bows her head. I don't.
Not because I don't want to because I physically can't.
Panic spikes.
Fuck. She's going to think I'm disrespectful.
'We have never bowed for anyone. And we never will,' Emma snaps, sudden and firm.
I swallow hard.
The Queen Mother's gaze lands on me. Just for a second. Then her eyes widen, her breath catching as her jaw parts slightly.
She bows her head.
Not deeply. But deliberately.
"Lumera," she whispers.
My heart stutters, then stops entirely.
Color drains from my face.
Because what the actual—
"What did you just say?" My voice shakes as I step forward, urgency flooding me. "How do you kn—"
A commotion erupts near the entrance, cutting me off.
A young staff member rushes in, clearly rattled. She glances at me, then quickly looks at Mayla.
"Beta Mayla," she says breathlessly. "Roxy is here."
Mayla swears under her breath.
"And she's demanding to see the King."
"Shit," Mayla mutters.
The Queen Mother's expression darkens, disapproval sharp and unmistakable. She steps closer to me, protective, grounding.
"Sam, just stay here a sec—"
She doesn't finish.
The doors fly open.
A woman strides in like she owns the place.
She's devastatingly beautiful, tall, sharp, polished. Black tailored pants, a luxury top that probably costs more than my car, knee, high heeled boots, and a long trench coat flowing behind her. One hand grips a designer purse, the other lifts her sunglasses to rest on her head.
Her smile is dazzling. Calculated.
"Kieran!" she calls, then pauses theatrically. "Oh, sorry. I was just looking for Kieran."
Emma is instantly alert, pressing against the forefront of my mind.
Something is very wrong.
Who is this woman?
Why is she walking in like she belongs here?
Why is she saying his name like that?
A flare of anger ignites in my chest. Slow. Hot. Unfamiliar.
"Mayla," the woman starts, waving her hand casually, "be a dear and go get—"
"Roxy."
The Queen Mother cuts her off, voice calm, but lethal.
"We are not your lap dogs. You will do your own bidding." She stands tall, regal in a way that silences the room. "You are not permitted here without an invitation. Leave the castle grounds. You may visit the pack commons instead."
Emma stretches restlessly, but that's not what worries me.
It's the heat.
The pressure building in my chest, tight and insistent.
"Don't be silly, Margaret," Roxy laughs.
"Roxy," Mayla snaps. "Address her properly."
Roxy turns and finally notices me.
Her eyes drag over me, then narrow.
"Well," she says slowly, lips curling. "Hello. Who are you, and why are you sitting there?"
Cameran moves before I can speak.
"Because she's the fucking next Queen Luna," Cam snaps. "Who the fuck are you?"
The pressure inside me spikes, burning hotter now, spreading outward like it wants out. Emma has gone completely silent.
Roxy laughs. "Please. This is his flavor of the week." She looks at me again, condescending. "Sweetie, do yourself a favor and don't embarrass yourself. He does this. Picks a she-wolf, fucks her for a week, two if you're lucky ,then comes back to me," smiling, "arent I right Mayla? Margret?"
Their silence crashes over the room.
"She's his fated mate, you bitch," Cam snarls.
I can't move.
The pressure is unbearable now, screaming to be released.
Roxy scoffs. "I know every Alpha's daughter. I don't know her. And if she's not an Alpha's daughter, she can't be his mate."
Cold floods me.
Is that true?
The pressure snaps.
I push my chair back and step forward, movements no longer entirely mine. Mayla freezes. Cam shifts uneasily. The Queen Mother coughs, struggling to breathe.
Roxy falters.
"So either way," she continues, shaky now, "he'll have his fun with you and then—AHH!"
She drops to her knees, screaming.
Mayla, Cam, and the Queen Mother sink as well, not in pain thank the goddess, but under the weight of something immense.
I let more of it out.
Bones snap in the air.
"What—what is happening?!" Roxy shrieks.
My voice is calm. Too calm.
"You will never come here again."
"Who the fu—"
I release just a little more.
Pop. Crack.
She screams.
"You will never get close to Kieran again," I say, Emma's growl threading through my voice. "Understood?"
"Y—yes!"
The doors burst open.
Enoch and Callen stagger in and immediately drop to their knees. Kieran halts at the threshold, eyes blazing with alarm.
"What is going on?"