Most wolves miss the subtle things. They see the fangs, not the smile. The claws, not the caress. But I’ve spent centuries perfecting the art of seeing what others miss, and our new Luna is providing quite the show.

The formal dining hall buzzes with conversation as Pack delegates from across the territories enjoy their fifth course. Lara sits at my right, the very picture of a proper Luna in a deep blue gown that makes her red hair gleam like fire. To all appearances, she is focused on delicately cutting her meat into perfect bites.

But a good hunt needs patience. The animal is close, I’m sure of it. But where? And what am I hunting exactly?

One obvious clue is she’s not eating the rich stew at all. The servants are too busy attending our guests to notice, but the spoon stirs the steaming contents as though under their own power. Lara’s gaze follows it intently, her aura pulsing with silver.

I see how her eyes track every movement. How she tilts her head just so when the River Pack Alpha discusses border tensions. How she asks seemingly innocent questions that lead delegates to reveal far more than they intend.

“The trade routes through the Dark Mountains have been particularly treacherous lately,” she comments to Beta James of the Moon Valley Pack. “I heard bandits attacked three caravans last month?”

James preens at her attention, missing the calculated gleam in her hazel eyes. “Four actually. Nasty business. We’ve had to redirect all traffic through the eastern passes.”

“The eastern passes?” She widens her eyes in feigned concern. “But isn’t that near where the Shadow Pack was last seen?”

I hide my smile behind my wine glass. Clever girl. The Shadow Pack is nomadic, impossible to track—unless you know which trade routes they are forced to raid for supplies. Her casual question reveals intel that James’s second-in-command probably shared hoping for an alliance.

James shifts uncomfortably. “They’ve chosen to remain hidden for now. Besides, our patrols are hunting them mercilessly.”

She hides a smile behind her napkin, quickly changing the subject.

My pulse beats a little faster, excitement buzzing through my veins.

Through our bond, I feel her satisfaction at the information gained. She is getting better at masking her emotions, but little spikes of triumph still leak through. My wolf stirs, pleased by her cunning even as my mind notes another piece of evidence for her eventual escape attempt.

“You’re awfully quiet tonight, brother.” Alaric’s voice carries a warning. He’s noticed my scrutiny of our mate.

I grin, letting my usual mask of cheerful irreverence slide into place. “Just enjoying the entertainment. Our Luna has quite the gift for conversation.”

Alaric’s eyes narrow as he watches Lara skillfully direct the conversation toward patrol schedules along the mountain passes. “She’s gathering intelligence.”

“Of course she is. Wouldn’t you, in her position?”

“We should stop her.”

“Why?” I catch the flash of Lara’s eyes in my direction—she’s heard us, despite the low volume. “Let her play her games. It’s not like she can actually use any of this information.”

“We can’t have her getting too comfortable,” Alaric growls.

I raise a brow. “Doesn’t need to be a contest, brother. Allow her some freedoms. Let her explore her new strengths. She’s earned it, don’t you think? After everything we’ve put her through?”

Alaric doesn’t look convinced, but he returns to his conversation with the River Pack Alpha. I feel Lara’s relief through the bond, carefully masked beneath a layer of practiced submission. Her gaze flicks over to me, so quick that most wouldn’t notice. And the brief flicker of warmth, of gratitude. She’s not exactly grateful, not to me at least, but she’ll take the small reprieve where she can.

I offer her a private smile in return, pleased to have secured her at least one win in the vast ocean of losses so far.

The rest of dinner passes in similar fashion. Lara plays her role perfectly—attentive mate, gracious Luna, interested listener. Only I seem to notice how she steers every conversation toward useful topics. Border security. Guard rotations. Pack alliances. The location of every possible exit from our territories.

When the final course is cleared, she excuses herself with impeccable manners. “If you’ll forgive me, I’m feeling rather tired. The healing is still taking quite a lot out of me.”

Her husky voice drips with allure, and I take a moment to silently congratulate her—even our most shameless packmates suddenly remember she’s still recovering from the ordeal Jackson put her through. None of the ther packs dare to mention her old connection to the Starfang pack. We’ve made it clear she’s ours now.

“Of course, Luna.” Kian’s gruff voice holds genuine concern. Of the three of us, he’s most susceptible to her occasional displays of vulnerability. “Do you need an escort?”

Her smile is warm enough to fool anyone but us. “Thank you, mate, but that won’t be necessary. I wouldn’t want to pull anyone away from such fascinating conversations.”

I wait exactly seventeen minutes before following her. Long enough to be polite, short enough to catch her before she reaches her destination.

As expected, I find her in the library. Shelves of leather-bound tomes cover the walls from floor to ceiling, giving the wide room an extra air of privacy. At first glance, I see no sign of her—but through our bond, I can sense the silver power now swirling around her in a cloak of invisibility. Careful, very careful. With a bit more practice, she could walk the castle unseen by anyone not actively looking for her.

She stands before the architectural section, one hand tracing the spine of a book about the castle’s original construction. At my approach, she quickly moves to grab a volume of Pack histories instead.

“Doing some light reading?” I ask, letting amusement color my tone.

She doesn’t startle—she’s known I was coming, either through the bonds or her enhanced senses. “I thought I should learn more about my new... home.”

I move closer, reaching past her to grab the book she’d been looking at originally. “The Ancient Structures of the Stone Pack Territories,” I read aloud. “Fascinating choice. Particularly the chapter about the underground tunnels used during the Great War.”

A flash of frustration leaks through her careful control. “You can’t blame me for being curious about my surroundings.”

“On the contrary. It’s good you’re finally feeling comfortable.” I pull the book from her grasp, leaning close enough to feel the heat radiating off her bare shoulders. Her scent fills my nose—sunshine and steel, mixed with the lingering traces of our marking. “Just like I can’t blame a caged wolf for looking for weaknesses in her prison.”

“I’m not—”

I silence her words with a kiss.

It’s nothing, really. A slight graze of my lips against hers, a tease, a caress more promise than contact. Something to remind her we are more than her captors. Her mates—hers and hers alone.

“Lying doesn’t suit you, little Alpha,” I whisper against her mouth. “You’re too honest for it. Too direct. It’s what makes watching you try to be subtle so entertaining.”

Rage sparks through her aura, sending fire licking through her blood. I nearly gasp as my own body responds, arousal surging through me like a drug. Too much, my wolf warns, pulling back before I lose all control.

“Is that what I am to you? Entertainment?” Her tone is even, but I hear the raw edge beneath the surface. Hurt, betrayal, rage, mingled with the sharp pain of unfulfilled desire. I curse internally. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Kiss her, distract her, give her something else to think about. But I’d forgotten how easily we affect her, and how easily our mate affects us in return.

“Among other things.” I catch her chin between my fingers, tilting her face up to mine. “You’re also fascinating. Dangerous. Beautiful.” I let my gaze drop to her lips. “Tempting.”

She blinks. Anxiety flashes through our bond, sharp enough to steal my breath. A wall slams down over our connection, but she can’t stop me from seeing how quickly the word affected her. Tempting. A dangerous word to use when we’re alone, with only the moonlight between us.

Her pulse jumps, but she holds her ground. “I’m your prisoner. Nothing more.”

“That’s not entirely true, is it?” I smile wolfishly. “You can keep telling yourself that, but we both know there’s more between us than chains.”

For a moment, something flickers in her eyes—want warring with hatred, loneliness battling pride. Then she pulls away, her walls slamming back into place.

“You’re wrong,” she says quietly. “There’s nothing between us but the bonds you forced on me. And someday, I’ll find a way to break them.”

I laugh, though it isn’t really funny. “Oh, sweetheart. Haven’t you figured it out yet? The bonds aren’t what’s keeping you here.” I tap her chest, right above her heart. “Your own nature will do that for us.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she snaps.

“You’re an Alpha. A protector. Every minute you spend here is another minute your sister stays safe under our protection.” I see the truth of it hit home in her eyes. “You’ll never leave while that’s true, no matter how many escape routes you memorize.”

She flinches like I’ve struck her. “You don’t know me.”

“I know you better than you think.” I step back, giving her space to breathe. “Just like I know you’ll be back here tomorrow, looking for more weaknesses to exploit. And I’ll let you, because watching you plot is infinitely preferable to watching you break.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Suspicion sharpens her tone. “After warning me about hiding my power and helping me fight Alaric, what game are you playing now?”

I smile, letting her see a hint of the predator beneath my playful mask. “Wnlike my brothers, I understand that the most dangerous prey is the one that thinks it’s getting away.”

She lifts her chin. “Is that what I am? Prey?”

“No, little Alpha.” I brush past her, pausing at the library door. “You’re something far more dangerous—you’re our mate. And sooner or later, you’ll have to decide if fighting us is worth losing yourself in the process.”

I leave her there, surrounded by books that won’t help her escape the truth in her own heart. Through our bond, I feel her confusion, her anger, and beneath it all, a tiny spark of something warmer. A tingling of vulnerability, quickly quashed, but I catch it. Feel the way her wolf thrums when we touch. Hear the tiniest echo of our name on her lips.

Lara Black is torn. Her wolf recognizes her mates, but her human half won’t let her surrender. But our little Alpha has no idea how dangerous her continued resistance is.

My wolf rumbles in satisfaction. Let her plot. Let her plan. Let her think she’s being clever and subtle.

In the end, her own nature will be what binds her to us more surely than any ritual ever could.

The hunt is only beginning.