Chapter 13

Nicole The month following our unexpected night together was a whirlwind. Between arranging my mother's discharge paperwork and adjusting to my new role as Luna of the Thornfang Pack, I barely had time to process the changes in my life. Mom was recovering well from her latest treatment, but she wasn't strong enough to live independently yet. The assisted living facility Alpha Damien had arranged was beyond luxurious—private nurses, gourmet meals, and therapeutic amenities that cost more than my previous year's salary. "You're staring at me again," I said, feeling Alpha Damien 's intense gaze as I reviewed my mother's medical charts. His lips quirked up at one corner. "Just admiring my Luna." The title still felt foreign. One month married, and I was still struggling to wrap my head around being mated to one of the most powerful Alphas in the region. When I first brought Alpha Damien to meet my mother, I'd been terrified. Mom was my only real family, the only opinion that mattered to m