Page 56 of Alpha's Hated Mate

After he leaves, I break the seal and unfold the letter. My stomach drops with each line I read.

By official decree of the Vaultmore Pack:

Alpha Aydan Vaultmore is hereby summoned to return to Claymore immediately to account for his actions at Moonhelm Academy, including but not limited to: unsanctioned scientific experiments on wolves, the imprisonment of Lady Nadia Vaultmore, and the unauthorized marking of a Scarlet wolf as his intended Luna.

Failure to appear within three days will result in a formal review of his position as Alpha and escalation to the Royal Council of Clarion.

Signed and sealed by the Vaultmore Pack Council of Clarion

Well, they know about Saffron. Word travels fast in Clarion.

I pace my room, crumpling the letter before smoothing it out again. As I read it again, a tinge of my anxiety turns to anger. I never conducted experiments on anyone. “Imprisonment of Lady Nadia Vaultmore” makes preventing an assassination against the Luna Queen sound like I kidnapped my sister for no reason. “Unauthorized marking”—as if I need their permission to choose my Luna.

Another knock on the door breaks me from my thoughts. It’s Saffron. We always walk to our first class together.

“Hey,” she says when I open the door.

“Hey.” I turn to grab my backpack.

Her eyes narrow immediately. “What’s wrong?”

I hand her the letter as we walk out the door together. Her expression hardens as she reads.

“Three days?” She looks up. “When were you going to tell me about this?”

“I literally got it an hour ago.”

“Okay, when are we leaving?”

“We?” I look at her with surprise.

“You were planning to go alone, weren’t you?” The accusation in her voice stings because she’s right.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to come, Saffron.”

She stops walking abruptly, and her eyebrows begin to knit together in a slight scowl. “Why not?”

“You don’t understand what they’re like.”

“I’ll never know until I meet them.” She leans forward. “I’m going with you.”

“No.” The word comes out harsher than I intended. “This is my pack, my problem. These people—they’re not like the students here. We’ve never had a Scarlet in our pack. They’ve spent generations believing Scarlets are dangerous, untrustworthy.”

“So I should hide?” Her eyes flash. “You said so yourself. They’re my pack now too.”

I sigh. She doesn’t understand. “I don’t want you to get hurt.” I clasp her hands. “After everything you’ve gone through . . . after everythingmy familyhas already put you through . . . my father murdered your mother. My sister brainwashed and kidnapped you. I’m trying to protect you.”

“I don’t need your protection.” She pulls her hand away. “I need your respect. We’re mates, Aydan. If we can’t faceourpack together, what future do we have?”

“You don’t understand,” I try again to protest.

“I understand perfectly.” Her voice softens, but her gaze remains steady. “I’m worried too. Despite everything I did to stop Nadia, the prejudice against Scarlets continues. It might even get worse now, especially in traditional packs like yours. People are going to blame us for what happened, and that it’s our own fault that we can be mind-controlled. By not taking me, you’re telling your pack that you are ashamed of me. You know you did something wrong.”

“That’s not true.”

“That’s the only way they’ll see it. Have you really thought about what having a Scarlet as your Luna will mean for your future? For your reputation as Alpha? And shit, for your pack’s reputation in Clarion?”

The question hits me right in the chest. “Are you saying you don’t want to—”

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