"I have to say..." Zara began as she settled on her seat with a regal posture, "it’s a real surprise seeing you here."
"Really?" Griffin said, giving her the look. "But should it be?"
"Excuse ?" Zara gave a light, awkward laugh, feigning confusion.
Griffin didn’t take his eyes off her. "You took Alaric back to the North Pack while every other cardinal alpha fulfills their duty in the West Pack. Did you really think I wouldn’t co back for him?"
Zara blinked, montarily stunned, but quickly recovered, her pleasant mask slipping back into place. "Griffin Hale, I understand where you’re coming from, truly I do. But I have a very solid reason for my actions. "Compared to the rest of you, Alaric has always been... fragile..."
She paused, as though savoring the word before continuing, "After such a traumatic experience, even though he wouldn’t admit it, I knew my baby boy needed ti away from all that chaos. My husband, Caspian, is in the West representing the North well. Alaric doesn’t necessarily need to be there, wouldn’t you agree?"
"Is that why I haven’t been able to reach him on the phone?"
Zara’s lashes lowered, her tone still sugarine sweet. "When the mind is unwell, the body suffers. Alaric doesn’t need distractions."
Griffin raised a brow. "I didn’t realize, Luna Zara, that even I had beco a distraction." His lips curved into a humorless smile, his tone soft but cutting, "A distraction who risked it all, walking away from the West Pack to see how his friend was doing."
Zara gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest. "Oh my! Griffin, dear, that wasn’t my intention at all. Please accept my apologies."
"It definitely sounded that way," Griffin retorted.
He was pushing her on purpose, dragging this conversation out to buy Violet ti. His instincts scread that sothing here was wrong. Very wrong.
Throughout their years of friendship, Alaric had always preferred spending holidays at the East Pack rather than staying here in the North. Zara had never once been this guarded or possessive over him. The shift in her behavior was setting off alarms in Griffin’s head.
He could sense Violet through the bond. Tis like this, he wished they could communicate telepathically like most mates. But for so reason, it didn’t work between them. Not that he was complaining, but it would have made things simpler. Now, he had to rely on instinct alone to stall for her.
Zara offered him a polite smile. "I truly didn’t an to offend you, Griffin."
"It’s alright," Griffin replied, mirroring her fake warmth with one of his own.
Her smile wavered with relief, only to freeze when he abruptly said, "So, can I see Alaric?"
The pleasant mask cracked. "What?"
"Since I’m clearly not a distraction," Griffin said firmly, "I’d like to see Alaric."
For the briefest mont, panic flashed in Zara’s eyes. She recovered quickly, lacing her fingers together on her lap. "About that..." she began, her voice slow and careful, "I’m afraid you cannot see him right now."
Griffin’s muscles tensed beneath his shirt as he crossed his arms, giving her a look that was nothing short of a challenge. "Why not?"
"Like I said," Zara explained, "Alaric suffered deeply from recent events. I’ve enrolled him in a specialized restorative program for the mind and spirit." She gestured vaguely, her tone posh and clinical. "It’s a form of advanced therapeutic ditation combined with sensory recalibration. During this process, his mind must remain undisturbed. Any interruptions could be detrintal."
Griffin nodded. "Yes, yes, I understand. Very scientific."
He didn’t understand a single thing.
"But all I need is one peek at my Alaric and I’m good to go. The others have been very worried about him too. Who knows, maybe we’d all try this advanced therapeutic restorative of yours, considering we’ve all been through a lot." His tone was light, almost playful. "Good idea, right?"
Inwardly, Griffin wanted to throttle her, and demand the truth about what was really going on. But outwardly, he presented nothing but calm innocence.
But his gaze didn’t miss the way Zara’s fingers tightened slightly against her lap. She was smart, but she wasn’t streetwise. And that was exactly where Griffin had the upper hand.
Zara’s patience was slipping through her fingers. Ti was running out and who knew what might be going on in the lab right now. She forced a controlled breath and said, "Fine. You’ll see Alaric before the end of today."
She added almost imdiately, "But first, make yourself comfortable. You ca alone, right?"
Griffin had already planned to give an evasive answer, but before he could speak, Zara’s expression shifted. Her sharp mind caught up with the situation, and suspicion dawned in her eyes.
When Griffin didn’t answer quickly enough, she turned abruptly to the guard who had escorted him.
"He ca alone, right?" she pressed.
The guard froze, startled by her tone. "No, Luna. He ca with his beta."
"What?" Zara’s voice cracked like a whip, the word filled with fury.
"Where’s the beta?!" she demanded.
The guard stamred, sweat beading on his brow. "He—he’s waiting at the foyer, Luna."
Zara’s stomach dropped. In that instant, the truth hit her like ice water. Griffin had been dragging out this entire conversation, keeping her distracted while his beta moved freely inside her packhouse. She clenched her fists. How dare he?!
Most of all, how could she have missed sothing so obvious?
Her gaze snapped back to Griffin, wild and blazing with fury. She opened her mouth to tear him apart when a deafening boom shattered the air.
The floor trembled beneath them, rattling furniture and sending dust cascading from the ceiling. The walls seed to pulse with the force of the explosion.
Zara staggered, her breath catching in shock. "What—what was that?!"
"I should be asking you that," Griffin snarled.
Before either could move, guards ca flooding into the sitting room, their boots pounding against the floor. They fanned out instantly, forming a barrier around their Luna as they scanned for threats, their bodies tense and ready.
"Protect the Luna!" one barked.
Zara pointed straight at Griffin. "Get him! Lock him up. Make sure he doesn’t escape!"
The guards moved toward Griffin.
Not wasting another second, Zara spun on her heel and fled. She didn’t need to be told where the explosion had co from.
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