The one dark spot on my meal is Levi. I notice him watching from across the hall, his expression unreadable. When our eyes meet briefly, he doesn’t look away. Instead, heinclines his head fractionally, acknowledgment without submission.
Remember his face, my wolf whispers.Remember his scent, his manner, his place in the pack.
I file the impression away carefully, uncertain why it’s important but trusting her intuition nonetheless.
As the meal winds down, Ryker’s hand settles at the small of my back, warm and possessive. “Training continues tomorrow,” he says, his voice pitched for my ears alone. “Tonight, you rest.”
I glance at him. “Do you have a busy afternoon?”
He tangles his fingers in my hair. “Back-to-back meetings with packs who weren’t represented at the Claiming—they’re also not fans of Thaddeus. I’m optimistic we might come to some kind of allied agreement.”
“Do you want me there?”
“Not today. I’d rather you familiarize yourself with the pack before I throw you into the political mess that is pack dynamics.”
I chuckle, rising with him. “You’d be surprised what I know about pack dynamics. Varick was a particular fan of me spying during important meetings. He thought it would help my vision.”
“Did it?” Ryker asks, gathering cutlery and plates. I help him, collecting my own ensemble of items.
“When my visions showed political discussions I wouldn’t have otherwise understood.”
He chuckles. “Are they meant to be understood? Sometimes it feels like I’m speaking in circles.”
I lift my pile of plates and follow him toward the kitchens, acutely aware of the eyes following our departure. This has been my first real introduction to the pack and its complex web of relationships and power dynamics that will shape my life here.
“In my experience good leadership isn’t about whospeaks the loudest,” I say as we stack the plates near the wash bins. “It’s about who listens best. Most alphas I’ve watched treat politics like a performance. They posture and puff, and forget the fundamental reason they’re in the room together.”
“And that is?” Ryker asks, sliding cutlery into a standing basket.
“Their role is to be a service to the pack.”
He hums his agreement. “And that is the hardest part of my role—knowing what will be best for the pack.”
I lay a hand on his arm. “From what I’ve seen, you’re doing an excellent job.”
His gaze meets mine, and in a flash a vision hits me—this one isn’t of a future or a past, it’s of a desire unspoken.
Ryker doesn’t want a mate. He wants a partner.
The vision releases me, and I blink, shaking my head.
“Are you okay?” he asks, balancing me with one hand on my shoulder.
“Yeah, I just…” I don’t know what to say. I want to be what he desires—more than anything. But I know in my heart I can’t. I’m in all ways his inferior. “It’s nothing,” I lie, forcing a bright smile. “Shall we go?”
He hesitates, and I tense, wondering if he’ll push. Instead, he captures my hand in his, intertwining our fingers.
As we walk back toward our chambers, Ryker’s hand remains in mine, his presence both protection and possession.
“Your thoughts are loud,” he murmurs. “Tell me what troubles you, Kitara.”
“I’m just processing,” I reply honestly. “This place is so different to where I grew up.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
I laugh. “Not at all. Back there no one wanted to hear from me unless I had a vision to share. Here, all you seem to want me to do is share.”
His growl is low, barely audible but vibrating through his entire chest. “That life is over. No one silences you.”
