E

    My heart came screeching to a stop in my chest.

    The locket. Lilith’s family heirloom.

    I’d thought it was ruined beyond repair at the auction.

    “He asked you to pick up my locket?” I blurted out. “I thought it was broken.”

    Gabriel’s jaw tightened, and he admitted quietly, “Alexander told me to have it repaired,”

    I couldn’t believe it. Alexander had told Gabriel to take the broken locket, the trinket I’d thought he didn’t care about, and have it repaired.

    Something warm bloomed in my chest at the thoughtfulness of Alexander’s actions. He must have wanted to make up for what Sophia had done. Maybe Alexander actually-

    “Don’t get your hopes up,” Gabriel muttered, apparently reading the expression on my face.” It wasn’t out of love.”

    The warmth in my chest immediately turned to ice. “What do you mean?”

    Gabriel’s eyes shed with something that looked an awful lot like that twisted sense of satisfaction I’d grown to know so well.

    “Alexander realized the locket was valuable,” he said with a one-shouldered shrug, as if it were nothing to him. “Antique silver, probably worth a small fortune given its age and craftsmanship. He wanted it appraised and repaired so it could be added to the Alpha Collection.”

    Lilith stiffened beside me, and my stomach dropped. The Alpha Collection was Ashw’s finest and most expensive collection of artifacts: ewels, artwork, trinkets, even bars of solid gold. It existed deep beneath the estate, locked behind a solid iron door that only Alexander and Gabriel knew the code to.

    So Alexander wanted to take Lilith’s locket and lock it away in the vault like it was a trophy to him. He actually thought he had a right to keep it just because it was valuable.

    “And the reason why I didn’t want to go to the jeweler,” Gabriel continued, “is because I already picked it up yesterday and put it in the safe. Forgot to mention it to Alexander with everything that happened at the hospital, and obviously I couldn’t tell him with you standing right there.”

    No wonder Gabriel had wanted me to leave the room earlier. He was probably intending to tell Alexander that their precious ne was safely locked away, but they knew I would freak out if I found out.

    And rightfully so. That locket belonged to Lilith’s family. I had to get it back for her.

    But how? Gabriel had already made it clear that as far as he was concerned, the locket now belonged to the pack’s collection. Alexander would probably be thrilled when he found out it was already safely stored away.

    But my wolf was back. I was marked and mated and stronger than I’d ever been. I wouldn’t let them take this from me.

    “Take me home,” I said quietly.

    Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “Done shopping?”

    “Yes. Take me home. Now.”

    Gabriel, oblivious, nodded with satisfaction and pulled out of the parking lot. Lilith, who had been quiet throughout the entire exchange, shot me a wary look. I simply reached over and squeezed her hand-a silent promise.

    She had been the mother I’d never gotten to have. She was the only one who was truly there for me when I was ill. Hell, if it hadn’t been for her, I wouldn’t have survived that rogue kidnapping.

    I was going to get that locket back for her.

    When we pulled into the driveway, I was out of the car before Gabriel had even turned off the engine. He jogged to catch up with me as I strode toward the front door.

    “Luna, perhaps you should rest. You’ve had quite a week with the hospital and-”

    “Gabriel.” I stopped walking and turned to face him. The Beta skidded to a halt. “I need you to take me to the safe.”

    “I’m sorry, what?”

    “The safe. Under the estate. Where you put my locket.” I folded my arms across my chest and fixed him with a withering re. “I want to see it Now.”

    Gabriel’s face paled. “Luna, I don’t think that’s appropriate. The Alpha collection is Alexander’s private domain. I can’t just

    “You can and you will.” With a breath, tter that familiar authority slip into my voice. I wasn’t afraid of using it anymore, and now that my wolf had returned, all it took was the slightest change in timbre and suddenly Gabriel was tilting his neck like a green pup who had been caught red handed.