“I’ve got you,” Rylan says, his arm sliding around my waist.
I should refuse his help. It isn’t proper... not when my mate is elsewhere. But my body betrays me, leaning into his solid warmth.
“Everyone will be watching,” I murmur as we approach the hospital exit.
Rylan’s jaw tightens. “Let them.”
The moment we step outside, I feel it... dozens of eyes tracking our movements. The courtyard between the hospital and packhouse is crowded with pack members who pretend to be engaged in daily activities while stealing glances our way.
“Heard she collapsed when she was caught,” someone whispers, their voice carrying on the breeze.
“Pathetic,” another responds.
My cheeks burn. Each step feels like walking through quicksand, my shame weighing me down as much as my physical weakness.
Rylan pulls me closer, his body angled slightly in front of mine. The gesture is subtle but unmistakable... a shield.
“Ignore them,” he murmurs, his breath warm against my ear.
A group of younger wolves block our path, their curious stares making my skin crawl. Rylan doesn’t break stride, his presence alone enough to make them scatter.
“The human can’t even be loyal. Look at her clinging to Rylan,” a female voice sneers from somewhere to my left. I flinch and take a step away from Rylan.
Rylan growls, low and threatening, and the whispers temporarily cease.
“Why are you helping me?” I ask, my voice barely audible.
His eyes remain fixed ahead, scanning constantly. “Because your parents were good people who died from the wounds they received while trying to protect my mate. You are our future Luna. And most of all… because no one else is.”
We reach the packhouse steps, the massive wooden doors looming before us. My stomach tightens with each step closer. Something feels wrong, the air too still, the usual sounds of pack life unnaturally hushed.
Rylan pauses at the threshold, his nostrils flaring. “Something’s not right.”
Before I can ask what he means, the doors swing open.
*****
Rylan's POV
The great hall falls silent as the doors open. Every Silver Moon Pack member forms a semicircle around Ronan, flanked by the Alpha Roland and Luna Vivienne. Ronan’s face softens at the sight of Selena and he sweeps her into a possessive embrace. My wolf snarls beneath my skin.
“My mate,” he breathes. “I’ve been so worried.”
Selena’s voice trembles: “What’s happening?”
“We need to talk about why you collapsed,” Ronan says.
My father, Alpha Roland, steps forward. “Selena, we’re relieved you’ve recovered. When Ronan toldus...”
I cut him off. “What did he tell you?”
My father warns, “Rylan, this is between mates.”
Ronan’s arm tightens. “I explained how the stress of her… activities is taxing the bond. Border patrols found her scent near the boundary lines three times this month, always where rogue scents appeared.”
Selena protests, “I was just running!” No sympathetic faces meet her gaze.
I step forward. “I. Demand. The truth rite ceremony.”
