Chapter 79
Third Person’s POV
No one asked whom he meant.
His gaze settled on Trista. “Go fetch your mother. Tonight’s catch is fine.”
His tone was even, almost mechanical, as if enforcing a rule carved in stone.
Camille understood instantly.
The invitation had to be extended.
The gesture had to be made.
But the response–didn’t matter.
“She ought to be invited,” Camille said softly. “Go.”
Trista’s fingers tightened. She didn’t want to move. She had just set down her cup. “But Mom said she wanted to be alone—”
“I’ll go.”
Alpha Archer’s voice wasn’t loud, but it cut through the night with crystal clarity.
The flames crackled, but for a heartbeat, the whole circle fell silent.
Archer had risen. No explanation. No hint of feeling.
Edric chuckled softly. “True. This was always your responsibility.”
Camille’s back stiffened.
It was duty. Merely formality.
She told herself this over and over.
Archer had severed that bond long ago. He couldn’t possibly feel anything for Luna anymore. 1
Trista didn’t see it that way. Her brow furrowed.
She knew her mother’s scent. And her father’s.
She understood too well that when those two scents drew close, her mother almost never had the strength to resist.
Upstairs, the room was quiet. Quiet, deliberate.
Melanie opened the window, letting cold air sweep in, trying to dilute the Pack scent that rose from below. She ordered a simple meal, devoid of any ceremony just enough to fill her stomach.
The computer screen glowed as she slipped into work mode.
The door swiped open. She paused.
The air shifted first. The Alpha’s scent arrived before his form
She glanced sideways, assuming, he’d returned for something, then quickly ducked her head again.
“Dinner is being served downstairs.”
Archer’s voice was low, restrained, just behind her.
Chapter 79
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“The bonfire is lit. Come down and sit for a while.”
Melanie exhaled slowly. Of course. A necessary invitation. A formal obligation.
“I’m working,” she said without turning. “I won’t be coming down.”
After a brief pause, she added, her tone cool, almost sharp: “If Moira asks, I’ll cover for you.”
No reply. Only the weight of his gaze pressing against her back.
Wolves could read too many details–heartbeat shifts, the rhythm of breath, the faintest tension in muscle.
She could feel Archer’s wolf pressing closer, and this time even his invitation seemed like an attempt to break the ice. But why? Hadn’t they already signed the bond termination agreement?
Her fingers tightened around the keyboard. She had spent far too long trying to read him–and now, she no longer wanted to.
With deliberate resolve, she rejected the pheromones he released.
“Thank you for coming up,” she said again, “but I won’t be coming down.”
He let out a soft sound, somewhere between a sigh and a laugh.
“Understood.”
No command. No coercion.
He turned and left. Only when the door clicked shut did the oppressive pressure slowly lift.
Back at the campfire, others were already dividing the kill.
Several pairs of eyes lifted at his solitary return.
Dwight frowned. “She refused?”
“Yes.” Archer’s reply was clipped.
He turned and spoke to a nearby attendant. “Prepare a portion from tonight’s meal and send it to her room.”
The attendant hesitated. “How much?”
“Enough for her.”
After a pause, he added, “By Alpha standards.”
“For whom?”
“Luna.”
Camille’s jaw tightened. The very use of that name carried certainty. A quiet acknowledgment.
She told herself quickly–it’s just for convenience. The attendant doesn’t know her. It’s nothing more than that.
Later, as Melanie massaged her shoulders, the doorbell rang
She was genuinely hungry.
The meal cart rolled in, and she frowned at the lid.
“This isn’t what I ordered.”
Venison chops, bone broth, meat still warın the aroma hit her like a punch, impossible to ignore.
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“It was not delivered in error,” the attendant said, bowing. “This was ordered by Alpha Archer. Your meal will be delivered
shortly.”
She froze.
It was too much. Too much like care offered in a way she couldn’t refuse.
In the end, she said nothing. She ate. Slowly. Carefully. For a long time. Even as the meeting approached, she hadn’t finished.
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