Chapter 0477

'Just under two months.'

'Feels like an eternity.' His words mirror my own thoughts exactly.

I return to the gathering, grabbing a plate of food while scanning for Alistair. Spotting him on the phone, isolated from the crowd, my stomach tightens at the grim expression he wears.

The moment he ends the call, his sharp nod summons me away from prying ears.

"What's wrong?" I demand, already striding toward him.

"Sit down." That tone never precedes good news.

"I'll stand. Spit it out."

"Discovered something about Aaron Sinclair's dealings with Alpha Dominic."

My jaw clenches. "And?"

"He's drowning in gambling debt to the Sapphire Moon Pack. Six figures."

A harsh exhale escapes me. "That's not debt—that's a death sentence. He can't possibly repay that."

"Correct." Alistair hesitates, then delivers the killing blow. "But we both know Dominic's actively seeking a mate."

Evander erupts in my skull, my snarl ripping through the clearing loud enough to halt nearby warriors mid-conversation.

"You think he'd sell his own daughter?" My voice drops to a lethal whisper that would make lesser men tremble. Alistair merely raises placating hands.

"I'm stating facts, not conclusions. Could be coincidence. But we need my father's counsel on this."

"Need me for what?" Alpha Patrick materializes from the shadows like a specter, his silent approach unnoticed until now.

I pace like a caged beast, claws elongating as Evander's fury threatens to surface. "Gregory." Alistair warns, but only Patrick's firm grip on my shoulder halts my frantic movements.

"Start from the beginning. We'll find a solution."

I meet the steady gaze of the man who raised me after my parents' deaths—who never treated me as anything less than his own blood. Drawing a shuddering breath, I lay out everything: discovering Ivy as my mate, her father's inexplicable hostility, this weekend's sudden trip to Sapphire Moon territory, the suspicious absence of her mother, and now this damning debt.

"Dominic operates with brutal efficiency when debts go unpaid. Why didn't Aaron come to me when this spiraled? I'd have disciplined him, but covered the debt to prevent this disaster." Patrick rubs his temple. "His behavior reeks of desperation. Though it's equally possible he's simply hoping Dominic will favor Ivy as a potential mate."

"She's MINE." Evander and I roar in unison.

"I know." Patrick remains unshaken. "But she doesn't. As of now, only we three hold that knowledge." His gesture encompasses our tight circle.

"Dominic wouldn't claim an underage mate—the scandal would tarnish his pack, and he knows I'd declare war. But that doesn't stop him from evaluating her future potential. Or prevent her father from... influencing her choice."

Evander's rage scorches through my veins, patches of fur erupting across my forearms as I battle for control.

"Can't we relocate her to the packhouse? Remove her from his influence until her birthday?"

Patrick's exhale carries the weight of centuries-old laws. "I won't abuse Alpha authority, Gregory. Unless Aaron directly endangers her or forces a mating, my hands are tied."

Evander's fury ignites my blood, my vision tinting red as claws pierce through my fingertips. The scent of my own blood fills the air.