Chapter 237

The dining room at the Crystal Moon Pack house was filled with the rich aroma of food, but the atmosphere at the table was thick enough to cut with a butter knife.

Kira sat quietly, staring down at her plate. Her mind was a chaos of irritation and disbelief. She remained silent, ignoring the usual casual chatter around the table, until Braxton and his men strolled into the room and took their seats.

The moment Braxton sat down, Claudia leaned over with a grin and dumped an extra-large portion of roasted meat onto Kira’s plate. Kira blinked, looking from the small mountain of protein up to Claudia’s beaming face. A small, amused smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

“Thank you, Claudia,” Kira said softly.

Claudia waved her hand dismissively, her eyes crinkling with deep affection. “Oh, it is an absolute pleasure, sweetheart! Eat up, eat up. You are eating for two now, remember? The little alpha-to-be needs all the nourishment he can get, and you are far too pale p>

Claire reached across and rubbed Kira’s arm gently. “You don’t look bright tonight, sweetheart. Is something the matter p>

“I’m fine, Mum,” Kira said.

Kira took a deep breath, keeping her eyes fixed on Braxton. Her twin brother was now dishing out his own food with calmness, completely unaware of the mental target painted on his forehead.

Kira picked up her knife and, very casually, cut into her meat. “The King visited me today,” she said.

Braxton looked up. “Yes. He told me he would p>

Kira kept her eyes on her plate, slicing evenly. “I don’t recall being informed about his sudden visit by anyone p>

Braxton calmly reached for his glass of red wine, taking a slow sip before setting it down. He leaned back in his chair.

“I thought you wanted to see him. The man personally wrote me a deeply heartfelt letter, practically begging to see you. It wasn’t a royal command; it was one Alpha speaking to another. He genuinely sounded desperate. So, I invited him p>

Kira set down her knife. “And you felt that decision wasn’t mine to make p>

Braxton frowned, genuinely puzzled. He looked around the table. “I… well, yes. I honestly thought you would be happy to finally see the King and get some closure. I was trying to help p>

“Braxton.” Kira’s voice was firm now, though not unkind. “What I feel doesn’t undermine my consent. Whether I’d be happy to see him or not isn’t the point. I’m a grown woman, and I don’t want you making decisions for me. I’ve had a lifetime of other people deciding things about my life. I won’t have it from you, too. Not you p>

The table fell quiet for a moment. Oliver, Gavin and Milo suddenly found their mashed potatoes very fascinating, refusing to look up. Claire reached out and rubbed Kira’s forearm softly, a wordless little gesture to calm her.

Braxton stared at his sister for a few seconds, took another sip of his wine, then lowered the glass to the table. “You’re right,” he said. “I’m sorry. That was wrong of me p>

Kira let out a breath, and the fight went out of her at once. She felt, suddenly, that she’d been too sharp with him.

“I know you’re looking out for me,” she said, gentler now. “I know you want the best for me, Braxton, and I love you for it. I was just caught off guard, that’s all. I’d only appreciate it if, from now on, you asked me first. Before making any decision that involves me. That’s all I’m asking p>

Braxton’s face broke into a relieved smile, and he gave her a nod. “Noted. It won’t happen again p>

He raised his wine glass toward her, in a silent toast, and the tense atmosphere around the table finally broke, allowing the people at the table to start laughing and talking again.

The following morning in Dravengard.

“She wants a divorce,” Derek said, pacing the length of his private study. “And she’s never coming back here. She told me that she would reject the bond after birthing our pup p>

Declan and Kai sat quietly, watching him wear a track into the floor. They exchanged a glance, both of them feeling utterly helpless.

Kai sighed. “Well… that’s too bad p>

“I can’t grant it,” Derek said. “The divorce. I can’t see myself doing it. I won’t.” He crossed behind his desk and dropped into his chair, then coughed into his hand, a rough, rattling thing that went on long enough to make Kai’s brows draw together.

Kai got up, grabbed a bottle of water from the credenza, and handed it to him. “Have the pack doctors actually looked at that cough yet?” he asked, watching him closely.

Derek gulped down half the bottle and set it on the desk. “It’s nothing serious p>

Kai clearly didn’t believe a word of it. He opened his mouth to push the matter, but just then Derek’s phone pinged, and Derek glanced down at the screen. Kai followed his gaze and caught sight of the notification before Derek could hide it.

A blood donation reminder.

Derek dismissed it and flipped the phone face down on the desk.

“Are you going to go and donate today?” Kai asked. “Or any time soon p>

“I don’t think I can,” Derek said. “I’m not feeling up to it p>

Kai nodded slowly, filing that away, and said nothing more about it for now. “Just take it easy on yourself. Kira’s still hurt. But that doesn’t mean she’ll be hurt forever. She might come around, in time p>

Derek planted both elbows on the desk and dropped his forehead into his hand.

“I messed up,” he muttered. “So many times, Kai. And now here’s the irony of it. She’s carrying my child, finally, after everything, and I can’t even be there to take care of her. Or the baby. I can’t do a single thing right by either of them p>

Declan sat there in silence, saying nothing, but inside, he felt wretched.

He couldn’t stop the thought circling round and round in his head. He had been a major reason Derek ever doubted Kira in the first place.

It had been Declan, always at his shoulder, dripping suspicion into his ear, feeding his insecurities, telling him again and again not to trust the werewolf girl, that she’d break. And now look at the man. Derek was in pieces, and Declan had helped put the first cracks in him.

He hadn’t seen Derek like this in years. And the awful truth was, it had all come from love. Declan’s own fierce, protective love for his friend was exactly what had made him so cautious, so paranoid, so determined to shield Derek from another betrayal that he’d helped engineer a real one.

Declan was a proud man, prouder than most. But he was not too proud to see his own mistakes clearly when they were staring back at him. And he reasoned that if he had played his part in driving them apart, then he owed it to both of them to play a part in bringing them back together.

While Kai and Derek carried on talking, Declan quietly rose and slipped out of the study, and neither of them noticed him go.

Once he was clear of the room, he reached down the mind-link.

Connor. I need you to accompany me to Crystal Moon Pack. Right away.