Then I hear footsteps. The herald’s voice follows. “Alpha Kade Thorne.”
My smile fades.
I expect Izel to be trailing behind him. Maybe the Queen’s Wing itself would cast her out—the wards on these walls are old and loyal—but when Kade steps through the doorway, he’s alone.
For a moment, he just stands there. His gaze finds Ivy first, and something in his face softens. Then he looks at Finn, who freezes mid-run.
“Papa!” Finn bursts forward.
Kade catches him easily, lifting him off the ground. A laugh escapes his throat, rough and surprised, like he hasn’t used it in years.
My chest tightens. I turn away, stroking Ivy’s hair. The sound of his laughter used to make me happy. Now it just hurts.
When Finn wriggles free and races out into the hall, Kade lets him go. The nurse follows, and the door closes behind them, leaving only Ivy sleeping in my lap.
“They’re calmer with you,” Kade says.
I look up sharply. “They’re my children.”
He nods once, jaw tightening. “I know. I just meant… they seem at peace here.”
“They’re at peace because no one’s feeding them fear.” I keep my tone even. “They laugh because she isn’t here.”
Kade exhales. “Freya—don’t start.”
“You came here,” I remind him. “So, say what you came to say.”
He takes a few steps closer, his boots clicking against the marble floor. “I wanted to see them. That’s all.”
“You’ve seen them.” I brush Ivy’s curls back from her forehead. “If you’ve come to punish me for the Midnight Howl, then do it quickly.”
His gaze flicks to mine. “I’m not here to punish you.”
“Could’ve fooled me.”
He crosses his arms. “You disobeyed me, Freya. You called the wolves to howl without the Alpha’s consent.”
“You lost that right the day you let another woman rule my house.”
His expression hardens. “Izel has no hold over me.”
“She has every hold. Even now, you defend her.”
“Because this fighting helps no one,” he snaps. “The pack is tense enough. You want division in the pack? You’ll get blood.”
I rise to my feet, careful not to wake Ivy. “Better blood than silence.”
He stares at me, and for a long second, I see not the Alpha but the man who once loved me. His voice softens. “You think I don’t know what I’ve done by betraying our marriage?”
“Then why keep doing it?”
He looks down, exhaling hard. “I don’t know.”
I almost laugh. “You’re pathetic, Kade. I hate myself for ever loving you.”
“Freya—”
“Don’t say my name like you still have the right to.”
