“Thank you for the warm welcome,” Rosea says smoothly, taking my hand again.
“And… and how did you meet?” Mom asks, still completely in shock.
I wonder what the other pack members are thinking about her reaction. Any other mother would be head over heels at the fact that their son has found his mate, especially if it’s an alpha heir. I can only reign with a luna at my side, after all. For my pack, this means stability and strength. And it’s obvious at first glancethat Rosea knows how to carry herself. She appears confident—but not arrogant, strong and calm.
She is the ideal luna.
Mom should be over the moon, but she isn’t, and it’s pretty obvious. I notice Martin frowning slightly, and some of the warriors close by look confused, too.
Not a good look on her,Darien sneers.
Seeing my parents so obviously lost and losing a bit of face in front of the pack pushes me further. I put an arm around Rosea again, pulling her close, in what I hope looks like a possessive gesture. Rosea leans her head against my shoulder, her hand on my free arm. “The goddess sent this gift right into my arms,” I say.
“I literally stumbled into you,” she says. “Good thing you managed to catch my glass before I could drop it.”
“You didn’t stumble, you fell into my arms, gracefully,” I tease.
Rosea chuckles. To my surprise, it sounds real, as if she truly just found me funny.
I decide, though, that that’s enough. We made a good show, and it’s time to retreat and make sure we can talk about our next steps.Martin, help us get some privacy.
Of course, Alpha!
Martin turns to the crowd and waves at them. “Alright, everyone, that’s it. Let’s show our best side and allow the future luna to settle in properly.”
I am impressed. Despite his rather quiet manner, he manages to disperse the crowd and have them return to dinner, or to whatever else they wanted to do.
“Sorry, Mom, Dad,” I say, sounding firm, even to my own ears. But I really don’t want to talk to them more than necessary. Backstabbing traitors who killed my mate and despised me so much that they wanted to completely humiliate and break me. “Iwant to make sure that Rose can settle in properly and unpack her things. We’ll see you tomorrow at breakfast.”
thirteen
A Warning
*ROSEA*
Forest is a good guy. As much was obvious to me already, but I was unsure if he could really pull off the show and pretend to be my mate. However, I was worried for nothing. He excelled.
“That was good, wasn’t it?” he asks when we are finally alone in his suite.
“Very good! Forest, you were anxious over nothing. You are a natural.”
He blushes at my words and rubs his head. “I was honestly just leaning into my feeling of anger, and then… it’s surprisingly easy to interact with you. You are extremely witty and so quick on the uptake. Did your parents teach you that?”
“No,” I say. “Jordan did.”
His eyes widen in horror. “I didn’t mean to insult you, or remind you of anything traumatic.”
“You didn’t, Forest. You just asked a question. Nothing about it was hurtful. Unfortunately, Jordan was a major part of my life and shaped me more than anyone else did. He is everywhere and in every little thing,” I sigh. “A narcissistic sociopath.”
“We will get to him,” Forest says. “We will make sure he falls low.”
For a moment, I see Clara in front of my inner eye, and the expression of dread on her face when she realized what was demanded of her. “He has his sleazy hands on a barely-legal girl now, someone he will be able to break completely.” I pause. “I will not rest until I see his pathetic ass dead.”
“Death is too easy,” Forest says to my surprise. “Let’s strive for something better, like having him spend his miserable life in a cell, having lost everything.”
I raise my brows. “I knew you had it in you, Forest!”
“What? Being mean? Is that good?”
