The bed dips next to me, at my hip, as she sits down carefully. She must think I’m sleeping and is being quiet, trying not to wake me.

For some reason though, she keeps moving, leaning farther over me in a tentative manner. It has me raising a brow as my body dips the other way, toward a hand that is placed near the wall and leaned heavily on. I feel her caging me in.

“Raine?” comes a soft whisper.

My entire body freezes.

That isnotDelilah’s voice.

My wolf immediately comes to life, howling.

Rolling onto my back, I rip the covers off of my face and stare up into the deep, bottomless golden eyes of Aiden.

7

Raine

My heart pounds in my chest.

What is he doing here?Whyis he here?

“How are you feeling?” he asks, his eyes darting over my face while a concerned frown settles on his mouth.

“You’re seriously asking me that right now?” The words come out before I can stop them, shooting out like lava and burning us both in the process.

He winces and shifts his weight on his hands. His large body practically crowds me against the wall.

He’s so close that I can smell him. My lungs gleefully drag in more of his spicy, earthy scent. I want to bury my face in his neck, his chest, his hair: anywhere I can drown in that fragrance.

“About earlier…” His eyes dart away from mine. “It’s not what it seemed like.”

My sadness is slowly being overtaken by the anger from earlier. If he thinks I’mthatstupid to pretend like him flirting with other females andkissing their handswas a simple and friendly gesture of a soon-to-be alpha king greeting his subjects, then he’s dead fucking wrong.

“Then explain it to me.”

“I’m sure you have heard the rumors about my ascension.”

My brows knit together.

There have been many rumors, most of which I’ve mainly chalked up to being just that. Rumors. We may be within Aiden’s territory, but we’re far away from everyone else.

Far enough that we’re typically left to our own devices.

He glances back at me when I remain quiet.

“It’s…about my Luna,” he admits.

“What about it?”

“In order to take the alphaship, I must find a Luna. That’s why my advisors are throwing this weekend-long ball.”

I blink.

Daniel had told us all as much—or rather, he’dhintedat it. Heavily.

Besides, it’s not so much of a rumor as it is a heavy speculation. Obviously the king-to-be would need a Luna by his side. And obviously the coincidence of a ball being held right after it was announced he’d be taking the throne would get people speculating, especially when young females had been requested to attend.

“What does that have to do with you flirting at breakfast?” The question comes out harsher than I meant it to. My anger is taking hold of me and not giving me any slack while I try to sort through my conflicting emotions.