The following morning, Adrian was summoned to the pack house. He expected to be received with high honor and ceremony, given his current standing as a prominent warrior back from the front lines. He certainly did not expect to be left standing outside the doors of the Alpha’s study for an entire hour.
The marble corridor was silent save for the heavy footsteps of passing guards. Somewhere down the hall, a clock ticked through each minute with a patience that felt almost deliberate, and Adrian found himself counting the strikes without meaning to, his jaw tightening a little further with each one. Finally, Derek emerged from the carved wooden doors and adjusted his sleeves.
"Beta Warren, the Alpha is occupied at the moment," Derek said smoothly. "He asks that you return to your estate. He will summon you again another day."
Adrian frowned, staring at the closed doors. "Mr. Walker, why did the Alpha summon me in the first place?"
He had waited outside the study for an hour and had not seen a single minister or council member enter or leave. The Alpha was clearly not discussing urgent pack affairs with court officials.
Derek kept his polite, unreadable smile intact. "I am unsure of the reason, Beta Warren."
Adrian’s frustration mounted, though he did not dare force his way past the threshold to demand an answer from the Alpha himself. "Could you give me a hint? Did I do something to displease him?"
"You have just returned victorious, Beta Warren," Derek replied smoothly, his tone entirely even. "You have earned great merit thanks to your contributions on the border."
"Then why would he..."
"Please return home, Beta Warren," Derek interrupted politely, bowing his head slightly before turning on his heel and walking back up the elevated steps.
Adrian was left standing alone, a bitter knot of unease twisting in his stomach. At the victory feast just two days ago, Salvador had praised both him and Aurora before the entire territory. Why was he being treated with such cold indifference now?
He grabbed the reins of his warhorse at the gates, leading the beast across the courtyard. Every wolf he passed seemed to find somewhere else to look, a stable hand suddenly absorbed in a buckle that didn’t need fixing, a guard’s eyes sliding away half a second too fast. He told himself it meant nothing.
As he passed the archway, the quiet muttering of two guards reached his ears.
"The general’s Luna came to the pack house yesterday," one guard whispered in a low voice. "Now the general himself is here. Do you think something went wrong with the Alpha’s decree?"
"Keep your mouth shut," the second guard muttered back. "The Alpha announced his approval in front of the entire pack hierarchy. How could there be a problem?"
Adrian froze, his head snapping toward them as his aura flared in anger. "What did you say? My wife came here yesterday?"
The two guards flinched slightly, exchanging a hesitant look before nodding.
"Yes, my lord," the first guard said carefully. "She waited outside for an hour before the Alpha granted her an audience."
Adrian’s jaw tightened as dark realization set in. He had spent the entire day yesterday at Aurora’s residence, completely unaware of Cassandra’s movements. He could hardly believe she had gone behind his back to the Alpha.
It was no wonder Salvador’s attitude toward him had turned cold. Cassandra had run straight to the Alpha’s study to beg him to revoke the mating decree. It was a calculating, shameless move.
Aurora had even defended her yesterday evening, claiming it was only natural for Cassandra to struggle with the news since women were inherently fragile and narrow-minded. Aurora had urged him not to hold it against her. Yet Cassandra had been plotting behind his back the entire time.
Adrian mounted his horse, digging his spurs into its sides as he rode hard back to Grace Mansion. The wind cut against his face the whole way, and he barely felt it, too busy replaying every word Cassandra had ever said to him about loyalty, about family, about trust, turning each one over like he might find the lie buried underneath if he looked hard enough. He tossed the reins to a terrified gatekeeper upon arrival and stormed through the estate corridors.
"Cassandra!"
His voice roared through the private courtyard, rattling the windowpanes.
The moment Lulu heard the thunderous roar, she rushed into the sitting room and positioned herself directly in front of Cassandra. Her face was pale, but she glared at the approaching warrior. "W-what are you going to do?"
Cassandra did not flinch. "Lulu, step aside."
Lulu hesitated before obeying, stepping to the side while keeping her guard up.
Adrian marched into the room, his towering frame casting a dark shadow over Cassandra, who sat calmly in her chair. Whatever lingering guilt he had felt about bringing Aurora into the household vanished instantly as he looked at her composed face.
His icy gaze met her dark, silent eyes. "You went to the Alpha and asked him to retract the decree, didn’t you?"
Cassandra looked up at him, her tone completely even. "No."
"No?" A bitter, mocking laugh escaped his lips, his handsome face twisting with disdain. "You have the audacity to run to the Alpha, yet you lack the courage to acknowledge what you did? This is not how a daughter of a noble warrior bloodline behaves, Cassandra. You are a complete hypocrite."
Cassandra stared at the furious man standing before her. He felt like an absolute stranger, his sharp tone and hostility sending a deep chill straight through her chest. She found herself wondering if this was truly the same man she had married a year ago, or if she had ever known him at all.
When she remained silent, Adrian took her lack of defense as an admission of guilt. His anger flared even higher.
"Speak up! What did you tell him? Did he agree to retract the decree?"
Cassandra lowered her eyes, her posture impeccably straight. "He did not agree. Your marriage to General Yates will proceed exactly as planned."