He had it all figured out. He'd been planning to give Corvina a home all along.
Well then. Who was I to stand in his way?
I stepped into the doorway and spoke quietly. "A boy? Congratulations."
The moment I appeared, every face in the room went white. The laughter died. The warmth in the air curdled. I could smell the shift, the sharp spike of unease cutting through the easy camaraderie like a blade through cloth. Every wolf in that room felt it: the Luna had heard everything.
Theron released Corvina instantly and crossed the room in three quick strides. His scent shifted, the acrid edge buried beneath something deliberately softened, the way an Alpha smooths his aura when he's trying to manage a situation. His voice turned gentle, almost tender. "What are you doing here? You're carrying a pup. You should be resting at the den."
"I heard everything you just said."
I looked up at him. My wolf was silent now. Perfectly, terribly silent, the way a forest goes silent before a storm breaks. I held his gaze and did not lower mine.
"You want to sever our mate bond so you can register Corvina's pup under the Ironmaw bloodline."