Rodrigo closed the book and pressed his hand against his face, his eyes shutting.

For the past few days he had refused to think about her. Refused to think about the fact that she was going to die because of him.

The previous brides — he hadn’t cared. He didn’t know who they were or when exactly they’d died. Couldn’t picture their faces if he tried. He’d kept it that way on purpose, kept the distance clean and deliberate, because if he didn’t know them, he could not grieve them.

But her.

Against everything he’d decided, he’d known her.

He dragged a hand through his hair and pushed back from the desk.

He’d told himself if he ignored it long enough she’d fade like everything else that didn’t matter. Three days had passed and he still couldn’t get her out of his head —

Rodrigo stood, his eyes moving to the door.

He should leave it alone. She didn’t matter. She was going to die, and there was nothing he could do to change that, and going to see her would only make it worse for the both of them.

He stood there for another minute.

Then he was in the hallway.

He walked slowly, his hands clenched at his sides, each step slow like he was still deciding whether to keep going. The corridor to her room stretched ahead of him and he kept walking anyway, his jaw tight, his eyes fixed ahead.

When he reached her door the guards snapped to attention.

"Alpha."

He stopped.

His eyes settled on the door and stayed there. He thought about her on the other side of it — what her face would do when she saw him, what she’d think it meant.

It didn’t mean anything.

She was still going to die.

His hands unclenched slowly at his sides, and then he turned and walked back the way he came, his jaw grinding hard enough to ache.

Nina stood close to the door, her hand pressed lightly against the wood, her chest rising and falling.

She heard the guards outside. He came. He’d come to see her...

Her heart beat loudly against her chest as she waited.

She counted the seconds, her fingers pressing a little harder into her palms.

But there was nothing.

No knock.

She drew a slow breath and stepped back, a faint smile finding her mouth as she turned toward the bed. This was for the best. She knew that. She was just another Luna, and when she was gone there would be another one after her, and the Alpha would not remember her face any more than he remembered the others.

She was still telling herself that when the knock came.

She turned quickly.

The guard pulled the door open. Nina’s chest dropped when she saw who was standing on the other side.

Lady Gina.

And behind her — Moreen, her head lifting, a small careful smile on her face.

Nina let out a shaky breath and smiled back.

Lady Gina nodded once to the guards inside. They filed out without a word, pulling the door shut behind them.

"Change into these," Lady Gina said, and nodded to Moreen.

Nina’s eyes dropped to what Moreen was holding. A white dress, clean and pressed, laid across both arms.

A burial outfit.

She took the dress. Moreen helped her out of the one she was wearing and into it, smoothing the fabric at her shoulders when it was done. Then she cleaned her face and combed her hair. Nina sat still as her mind drifted.

Suddenly a bell sounded, loud and sudden, its ring carrying through the walls.

Nina’s head lifted in dread, as she turned to look at Lady Gina.

"What... is that?" she asked.

Lady Gina looked at her, and for once her face carried a hint of sorrow.

"Today, is the day you die," she said.

...

"The Alpha is late. Again." Dominic dropped into his seat at the long council table, leaning back, a smirk on his lips.

"I can’t I blame him. I wouldn’t be rushing to watch another wife die either."

The council chamber was cold. Lady Charlotte sat near the far end, turning her teacup slowly in both hands, the steam curling up and vanishing before it reached the air. She hadn’t looked up once since the meeting began.

The Matriarch sat at the head, opposite the Alpha’s empty chair. She said nothing.

Sir Radeon cleared his throat.

"Matriarch." He straightened in his seat, his eyes moving briefly to Charlotte before settling somewhere near the middle of the table. "The council has discussed the matter at length. We are of the position that if this Luna dies, it confirms the Alpha is unable to hold a Luna, and the seat should pass to someone who can. To Dominic."

The room went very still.

The Matriarch’s eyes moved to Radeon. Slow, unhurried.

"Which council?" she asked.

Radeon’s mouth opened.

"I am not aware of any council that operates without me, Radeon. So I will ask you again." Her head tilted, just slightly. "Which council?"

He shifted in his chair. "Matriarch, this is not an attack on the Alpha. But four brides are dead. These were daughters — people with families. The pack cannot continue—"

The doors opened.

The sound cut off like someone had pressed a hand over it.

Every head turned.

Rodrigo walked in without hurrying, his footsteps measured against the stone floor, his eyes already fixed on Radeon. The frown on his face hadn’t shifted since he came through the doors, and it didn’t shift now as he moved to the head of the table and sat down.

Nobody said a word.

Rodrigo settled back in his chair and raised his eyes across the table, letting them move from face to face, unhurried, until they came to rest on Radeon.

"Someone was speaking when I came in," he said. "Please. Continue."

Radeon stood. His eyes cut to Catherine once — she still hadn’t looked up, her fingers turning the cup around and around — and then he straightened.

"Alpha...’’ he cleared his throat, ’’we are of the position that the seat be passed to an heir who can keep a Luna."

The room held its breath.

Rodrigo looked at him.

"We," he repeated.

The single word sat there.

"Radeon." His voice dropped, quieter now, "Speak for yourself. Unless there is someone else at this table prepared to stand with you." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Dominic leaned forward, a slow smile crossing his face. "Oh, come on, brother. The people have lost faith. You’ve killed four women. The fourth is dying today." He spread his hands across the table. "At what point do you accept that the seat no longer belongs to you?"

Rodrigo looked at him for a long moment. Then he nodded once, almost to himself.

"That makes two of you," he said.

He turned his head to the guards at the door.

"Seize them."