En Garde! My Wolf

ealization kept circling as I pac

shi

ead. My mother stood i

r a while," she stated.

N

lips as she pushed the d

ded from becoming an office or a museum display. Father sat at the far end of a long sofa, hi

e golden prince graces

xpecting so

to entertain offe

his glasses.

r, plucking out a dark grape. "Leave him alon

her a

into her mouth with a

or the amate

entirely

p of black coffee without asking whether I

ass table. "We need to finali

esting her forehead against the back of her chair. "Could we perhaps phrase

e Varenne delegation wants the formal annou

s," I respo

e to thei

updated calend

"Possibly six if House Bellacourt attem

sing demeanor instantly vanishin

meline was approa

xistential sense that we will all eventual

fort

It's my duty to

our back-and-fo

e for the nuptial ceremony, with the formal

down with a faint cli

grunted, picking his glasses back up before setting them down again. "I want the primary energy infrastructure agreement signed befo

t way regardless," I r

re is no reason to hand them signed

th. "I'm beginning to see why no one writ

holars have written a great dea

f it remot

N

ely my

ner of Father's mouth, gone as fast as i

shi

er eyes

in the conversation

ut w

rying Evadn

necessity of that union thre

that the match was politicall

you were open to the arran

found differenc

Alphas who ruled this House. "What

to marry he

liant, gorgeous, and supremely controlled without being dull. We had grown up in the same aristocratic circles and had long ago bypassed the awkwardness of

vadne, I trust her, we understand precisely what is required of us, a

r while Mother closed her eyes. Father rubbed a hand ov

" I de

to build a life with a woman, Dashiell, not w

er is exc

hand snapped up, catching it effortlessly an inch from

e an investor prospect

I enjoy her company. She is one of the very few people aliv

r head. "That was

nk y

a complim

uncil seats on the line o

thout my permission, a sudden, vivid memory of her intoxicating scent

on hypothetical lives

Father spoke up, his deep vo

my gaze

rritorial boundaries and permanently ended a blood feu

"You formally proposed to me before any of th

g my interests

stent. You sent eleven private

ed eleven

she corrected. "The other two

they were los

hem," she s

r looked genuinely, deeply offended. "

lied, taking a sip of her coffee. "A success

siders never understood about the Hohenzollern dynasty. My parents loved each other Viscerally, fierce

example entirel

I am not asking you to become

nk G

elieve you can construct a good, meaningful life together, or becaus

aware of my

she count

brought another completely unwanted, dangerous memory of

his family has never given

our intention," Fa

n to wear a crown I hadn't asked for. Perhaps those two realities had been inte

reiterated, leaving zer

begin drafting the an

cross the table with a sly grin. "Can

ree of us sa

up. "This family act

thigh. I pulled the device from my po

o the staging tunnel again, I will personally st

t of a smirk t

it instantly

es

ull authority to carry out w

arable," I grinned, sliding t

nbearable," Fath

toward

shi

hovering over the

t actually happened on

I cannot

e, then gave a qui

the handl

my mother's voice. I stopped,

n immediate spike of warning through my inst

e, sniffing the air like a hound.

rrifyingly placid. "Were you do

fact I wished to inspec

tilie pressed, her sharp ey

door open.

corridor and closed the