Page 24 of Lycan’s Hunt

Her expression shifts, a shadow crossing her face. “It’s just been me and Granny since I returned.” She chews her lip, glancing at Max before speaking again. “My parents… they shunned me over my ex-mate. They disapproved of him, so they kicked me out.”

“They shunned you?” I ask her. “So, you were part of a pack?”

“I was until I found my mate. My father is the…”

“Bree!” my mother’s voice cuts through the air behind me.

Before I can press further, my mother appears, her voice bright. “There you are! The seamstress is here. It’s time to try on some of these wedding dresses!”

Bree sighs, her shoulders slumping slightly. “Can we talk later?”

I lean in and kiss her softly, feeling the warmth of her lips linger on mine. “Of course. I’ll try to finish up early tonight.”

The tension from the council meeting swirls in my mind as she heads inside with my mother. I want to trust Bree, but the weight of my responsibilities looms heavy. I know I must find the answers to the council’s demands.

It’s not until much later that I catch up with her at dinner; I sit at the table, the warm glow of candlelight flickering around us. The meal is laid out, and there’s an air of unease hanging over everyone. Bree looks exhausted as she picks at her food—no doubt from my mother smothering her with fabric this afternoon while the seamstress was here.

My mother peers around the table with a frown. “Where is Damian?”

I glance at his usual seat to see it is still empty. I spoke to him just before coming in here.

“He was right behind me,” I reply, glancing toward the staircase. The nagging feeling in my gut grows stronger. I can’t shake the sense that Damian’s absence is deliberate. He knows how our mother gets over dinner, especially when she cooked tonight, much to my staff’s horror. They know that means they have no say, and she’ll try to do everything herself while they are forced to watch or pass her things.

“He might be checking patrols,” my father offers.

“He knows I do that after dinner,” I reply.

“You aren’t coming to bed early tonight?” Bree asks, looking rather disappointed.

I frown slightly, knowing we still need to talk. “I’ll try to get up earlier tonight. I just have a few meetings.” I’m sure she is sick of hearing that. “Are you alright with Max?”

She nods, pushing her food around her plate. My mother seems to notice the tension between us and quickly tosses her napkin aside.

“I’m going to find your brother,” she announces, but my chair scrapes against the floor as I push it out.

“No, stay. I’ll find him,” I tell her, and she quickly sits again.

I excuse myself and head up to find him. I knock on his bedroom door, but there’s no answer. My curiosity piqued, I open the door slowly and step inside. The room is dark, and the curtains are closed tight.

“Damian?” I call out, scanning the space. He’s not here and doesn’t answer me through the mindlink. Opening the mindlink to the staff, I ask them. “Has anyone seen my brother?” One of the maids quickly answers and I recognize the voice instantly to be Vanessa.

“He was in your room before we served dinner; I was going to take the laundry up. He said he’d drop it in your room, Your Majesty.”

I growl. “Thank you, Vanessa.” Closing the link, I head upstairs.

Entering my room, I call out to him. “Damian, are you in here?” My heart sinks when I spot him crouched in the corner of the closet, rummaging through Bree’s suitcases that we had stored in there.

He jumps slightly at the sound of my voice, peering up with wide eyes filled with surprise and a hint of guilt. “I didn’t think you’d find me so quickly,” he mutters, trying to compose himself as he stands, brushing invisible dust from his clothes.

“What the hell are you doing?” I demand, crossing the room in a few strides.

“Nothing,” he snaps, his defensiveness palpable.

“Doesn’t look like nothing to me. You can’t go through her things, Damian.”

“I’m protecting the kingdom, something you are refusing to do,” he shoots back, his voice rising. “You’re blinded by your feelings for her. You can’t see the risk she poses!”

I step closer, my fists clenched. “And what exactly have you found that justifies this invasion of privacy?”