“And this never stopped you before, my queen...”
Was she truly wrong? Or was Paul simply blinded by paternal softness?
The girl was an omega. She had tried to secure a chosen bond before. She had attracted scandal.
Could they risk the Nightshade’s reputation over some emotional fantasy?
No. The queen clenched her fists.
She could not stand by and do nothing.
Her mind raced with possibilities, calculations forming faster than her conscience could interrupt. The clock was ticking. Only one day remained. She had ruled by instinct and precision her entire life. She would not falter now.
If her mate and her son refused to act, then she would bear the weight of what needed to be done.
Her eyes gleamed with renewed clarity. If River wanted to take a place she wasn’t born for, then River
