“How is she doing?” Resting her hips on her desk she looked up at me, probably expecting me to say that my mate was a mess after what happened.
“Apparently, much better than we thought.”
Mom scuffed at that, turning around and returning to her seat. “Don’t be fooled by the strength of a woman, baby. What she went through would have traumatized anyone.”
“Well, right now she’s just focused on learning to use her powers so we can go find Anastasia and save her.”
Mom’s gaze briefly became lost beyond me, as though she was suddenly in the past. “She might not cry in front of us, but that doesn’t mean her heart isn’t tearing inside her.”
With her words, my chest constricted harshly because she was right.
“Are you going to see her now?”
“Yes. We are going to continue her training.”
“Bring her to me this afternoon after she’s had a chance to rest from sparring. I will talk to her.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Turning around, I began to walk out of the office but halted and headed back to her, giving her an exaggerated, sound-making, huge kiss on the cheek. A brilliant smile curved her lips—the same one I was proud to have inherited from her.
Her gaze twinkled with love, watching after me until I stepped out of the office.
Contrary to what outsiders might think, it was not lost on me how lucky I was. I still had my parents, a loving family, and everything I’d enjoyed growing up in this perfect kingdom that my parents had risked and sacrificed so much to create—not just for me and my sister, but for every Wolf Shifter in the world.
A legacy that would be my greatest honor to continue.
“Oh, look! The mighty prince finally decided to join us this morning!” Natalia’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
My lips twitched while I tried my best not to smile as I walked out onto the clearing. I fucking loved it when she messed with me.
“I think you meant the privileged white man,” I countered, stopping before her and the guys.
Her perfectly groomed eyebrow arched, and she crossed both arms over her chest. “That’s what I said.”
Chuckles left André and Dante, but I cleared my throat. “I have news.”
Seriousness descended on them, and they all stepped closer. “Did Dresden reach out?”
I shook my head at Natalia. “I’m sorry. Not yet. But we’ve been able to dismantle twelve of the RavenWolf hidden packs across North America so far. Some of the Alphas and theirhuntersare being questioned as we speak. With any luck, we’ll get some useful info from them before they face my father’s justice.”
“What about the innocents?” Natalia’s mask slightly cracked, for the first time showing the distress she hid from us. “The women and children are not like them, they?—”
“We know,” I reassured. “You don’t have to worry about them. Mom knows they are innocent. She is having them brought here so they can be welcomed into our pack as Von Reinheits and be given everything they need to live the life they deserve.”
Astounded, and confused Natalia looked into my eyes for a few seconds. “Von Reinheit, like my father? I mean, Natasha’s father. Dresden.”
“Yes.” A kind smile tilted my mouth. “Like Dresden Von Reinheit. Anyone from the direct line of the Moon Princess is a ReinheitWölfe, all other members of our family become a Von Reinheit.”
“But they are not your family. They were created by the enemy.”
Her skepticism was only natural, so I nodded.
“And yet they are innocent shifters. My parents will welcome them into our family regardless of how they were created. They might not have the shifter blood our goddess gifted us, but they are pure of heart, and that’s enough for us.”
A light of appreciation and understanding illuminated her red eyes, and I loved that she was finally getting to see who we truly were.
Being a ReinheitWölfe wasn’t about collecting power to be above all others. It was about using that power to make sure no one was forced to stay down.
