Adide’s bPOV /b

My voice was soft, but my pheromones carried the chill of silverfir–like ice des slicing through the air.

Ulrik froze, his suppressed whine choked off by my aura as I brushed past him.

Halsey

immediately asked, “Adide, stand firm. I’ll fight for your justice.”

My eyes welled up as I bowed before her. “I’ve brought shame to the family–I failed.”

“Rise!” Her tailshed like a whip, silver fur revealing old battle scars. “Even Frostfang’sst pup deserves respect–not exile for keeping vows Blood Moon broke.”

Her pheromones surgedb, /brotting lcs flooding the room. “Since you joined Bloodmoon, has any Tenar wolf cursed or harmed

you?i” /i

I shook my head slowly. “No.”

Rosemary’s fury boiled over. “Then why attack me? Jealous of Velda? It’s Lycan Erasmus’s decree! Your jealousy’s a sin–what

more do you want?”

Halsey cut her off. “The whole city knows she nursed you day and night!”

Rosemary sneered. “I thought her ‘devotion‘ was sweet–until she cut off Digby. That’s attempted murder.”

Halsey fell silent, momentarily stumped.

“Exile me,” I said coolly, “but let me ask–what about the pre–nuptial assets I brought?”

Rosemary coughed blightly/b. “Bloodmoon doesn’t cover your wealth, but byw, exiled wolves can’t take all their assets. Considering you managed the pack for a year, bwe’ll /bonly retain 70%, leaving the rest for you.‘

“Shameless!” Elder Halsey’s pheromones red. “This isn’t about justice–it’s about scavenging from a fallen n. You’re

openly stealing from Adideb./b”

Turning to Ulrik, she demanded, “Alpha Ulrik, I respect your service to

seize bseventy /bpercent of Adide’s pre–nuptial wealth?”

he Lycan King Alme true–do you really bintend /bto

Ulrik stood at the doorway, avoiding my gaze. “Fifty percent,” he said, scanning the room. “I’ll return half. Report me to Lycan King if you will–see if my actions align with shifter traditions.”

Halsey snarled, “How greedy can you get?”

Ulrik’s knuckles whitened around the crumpled letter. “bGo /bahead–report me.”

A Beta handed him a parchment.

+15 Bonus

I nced at it–his signature dered my exile.

“Hope you find your mate someday,” Ulrik said, his voiceced with irony. “But learn honesty first.”

“Thank you for the lesson,” I bsaid/b, holding up the document. “But thiscks the council’s seal.”

He looked away. “I’ll file it myself… As for the assets, 50% is my final offer. bThis /bis on byou/b.”

I’d already transferred core assets to Frostfang’s offshore ounts. They’d only get furniture and trinkets.

I didn’t want to wait any longer. I suspected Lycan Erasmus bwas /bdying until Velda and Ulrik formalize their bond.

“No bprice /bis too high to see Bloodmoon’s true colors,” I said.

Ulrik paled. “Stop provoking me-”

“Or what? Take 90%?” I challenged. “Leave enough to keep me from starving.”

Ulrik’s Adam’s apple bobbed twice, his fingers nervously twisting the edge of the agreement.

“b50/b% is final,” he insistedb, /bhis knuckles whitening. “I’ve dyed you a year–bI/bb…/b”

“Drop the act,” I said. “Want the money? Just take it.”

Rosemary turned to Halsey, her voice shrill. “See her attitude?!b” /b

Halsey’s beard trembled. “She’s kinder than you deserve.”

Rosemary’s chest heaved. “Adide, hand over the asset list!”

I pulled out the real list from my sleeve, the paper snapping crisply. “You have a copy—why mine?”

“Hand it over, or leave empty–bhanded/b,” Rosemary snapped.

Halsey’s staff mmed the bfloor/b. “bYou- /b

I stared at Rosemary, struck suddenly by the absurdity of it all–how had I spent the past year keeping vigil by her bedside, begging shamans for help, and footing her medical billsb, /ball for bsomeone /blike her?

I tossed the list at bUlrik/bb, /bbthe /bpages fluttering to his chest. “Here.”

The asset list was practically pressed against Ulrik’s chest–within arm’s reach if he chose to take it.

Take it i

“Take it,” Rosemary urged. “End this

today.”