His bear’s restless pacing suggested otherwise, but Korran had learned to override instinct with reason long ago.
A soft knock interrupted his brooding, followed by the gentle creak of his chamber door. His mother, Queen Lysia, stepped inside with the quiet grace that had always marked her presence, though Korran noticed the new lines around her eyes and the way her shoulders carried invisible weight.
Ten years of watching Father fade. Ten years of holding hope that grows thinner each day.
“Good morning, dear.” Her voice carried warmth despite the exhaustion he could read in every line of her posture. “I hope I’m not interrupting your breakfast.”
Korran gestured to the chair across from him, noting how she moved with careful precision—as if sudden movements might shatter something fragile. “Please, sit. The reports can wait.”
Something in his mother’s expression caught his attention. A brightness he hadn’t seen in years, a spark of energy that made him straighten in his chair.
“Actually, I have some good news.” The words tumbled out with unusual eagerness, and Korran felt his world shift slightly on its axis.
He couldn’t remember the last time those words had been spoken in their household. Every conversation for months had centered on managing decline, preparing for the worst, accepting the inevitable.
“What good news?” His voice came out rougher than he intended, hope and suspicion warring in his chest.
His mother’s eyes brightened in a way that made Korran’s bear instantly alert. “I’ve hired Gerri Wilder to find someone who might be able to help your father. Someone who could potentially determine what’s been causing his illness.”
The name hit Korran like a blow. Gerri Wilder. The legendary matchmaker whose reputation preceded her across multiple worlds. His stomach dropped as implications crashed over him like an avalanche.
“The matchmaker?” His voice turned sharp. “Mother, how can a matchmaker help Father? She pairs fated mates, she doesn’t practice medicine.”
“Gerri is well-connected beyond her matchmaking services,” his mother said, her tone carrying gentle authority. “She helps shifters in many ways, though matchmaking is certainly her greatest gift.”
Korran’s suspicions crystallized into cold certainty. “Are you sure she isn’t trying to bring me my fated mate instead?”
His mother’s eyes sparkled with something that looked like mischief—an expression so foreign after years of grief that it sent warning bells clanging through Korran’s mind.
“I don’t think Gerri could find your fated mate and a person to help your father in the same woman,” she said with careful innocence. “But maybe she can work miracles.”
Miracles.
The word landed like a stone in still water, sending ripples of unease through Korran’s carefully ordered world. His bearstirred with sudden recognition, a primitive awareness that something significant was shifting in the currents around them.
“Has she found this mysterious healer?” His words came out clipped, but Korran could hear the edge of panic bleeding through.
“She’s supposed to be reaching out soon.” His mother stood with fluid grace, smoothing down her dark blue dress. “I just wanted to give you advance notice so you could ensure our medical facilities are prepared.”
“The facilities are already in order. But I’ll let them know an outsider is coming soon to assist.” Korran’s response came automatically, his mind racing ahead to implications he didn’t want to consider. “Our healers and scientists have been working tirelessly on Father’s condition while maintaining the health of the entire territory.”
And now she thinks some stranger is going to waltz in and succeed where our best minds have failed?
The thought should have brought hope, but instead it kindled a flame of territorial possessiveness that had everything to do with the growing certainty that Gerri Wilder was orchestrating something far more complex than a simple consultation.
“I’m pleased everything is running smoothly,” his mother said, genuine warmth in her voice. “I know how much you’ve taken on to spare your father and me from additional stress.”
The acknowledgement should have felt good, but Korran barely registered it. His bear was pacing frantically now, agitated and alert in a way that suggested imminent change.
“Well, I’ll let you know as soon as I hear from Gerri,” his mother continued, moving toward the door with that same careful grace.
“Don’t worry about the arrangements, Mother.” The words felt hollow, inadequate for the magnitude of what was approaching.
She paused at the threshold, turning back with an expression that combined maternal love with something that looked almost like anticipation. “Thank you, dear.”
Then the door closed with a soft click, leaving Korran alone again. His bear’s restlessness intensified, primitive instincts recognizing patterns that his rational mind refused to acknowledge. Something about this entire situation felt orchestrated, as if invisible hands were moving pieces on a board he couldn’t see.
Hours later, the heavy oak door of the office burst open with enough force to rattle the bear totems mounted on the stone walls. Korran’s head snapped up from the territorial boundary maps he’d been reviewing, his bear immediately alert at the sudden intrusion. Only one person would enter his father’s office—now his temporary command center—without knocking.
