Page 27 of Once You Go Pack
“Different how?”
Mila considered her words carefully. “My family loves each other, but we don’t really... connect. We work together, we accomplish goals together, but we don’t share our hearts much. Here, even with all the protocol and royal expectations, I can see how much you all care about each other.”
Lyra’s expression warmed. “Cade needs someone who sees that. He gets so caught up in being the perfect wolf prince that he forgets he’s allowed to be human too.”
Human.The word carried extra weight in this context. Mila was the human in a world of wolves, the outsider tryingto understand customs and instincts that weren’t part of her nature.
As if summoned by her thoughts, a figure emerged from a side entrance to the castle. It was Martin, King Drake’s Beta. Mila had noticed him hovering at the edges of conversations today, his brown eyes constantly assessing, cataloging, and evaluating.
He approached them with measured steps. “Princess Lyra, Miss Eldridge,” he said, nodding respectfully to each of them. “How are you finding Nova Aurora?”
“It’s breathtaking,” Mila replied honestly. “Though I’m still adjusting to everything.”
Martin’s gaze fixed on her with uncomfortable intensity. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he was conducting some kind of test, measuring her responses against criteria she didn’t understand yet.
“And the cold? Humans aren’t naturally equipped for our wolf shifter climate.”
There was something in his tone—not quite challenge, but close to it. Lyra shot him a warning look.
“Martin, don’t be rude.”
“I’m not being rude, Princess. I’m being practical. Miss Eldridge will face scrutiny from pack members, council elders, and neighboring territories. Better she understands the challenges now.”
Scrutiny.The word sent a chill through Mila that had nothing to do with the mountain air. She’d been so focused on her attraction to Cade and the magical nature of his world that she hadn’t fully considered the political implications of her presence here.
If I agree to become Cade’s mate, I would be a human queen in a world of wolves.
God, she didn’t really think about how impossible that would be. Every conversation, every interaction, every smile would be analyzed and judged by people who might already resent her for being different.
“What kind of scrutiny?” she asked, lifting her chin despite the anxiety coiling in her stomach.
Martin’s expression shifted slightly, showing the first hint of approval she’d seen from him. “Honest question. Good. The pack will want to know if you’re strong enough to stand beside an Alpha wolf. The council will question your ability to understand our shifter laws and customs. Other territories will test whether you can be intimidated or manipulated.”
“Martin,” Lyra said sharply, but he held up a hand.
“She needs to know, Lyra. Cade is too caught up in his wolf’s recognition of her to think clearly about the practical challenges ahead.”
“I appreciate your honesty,” Mila said, forcing her voice to remain steady. “What would you recommend I focus on learning?”
This time, Martin’s approval was unmistakable. “Pack hierarchy and customs, council protocol and laws, and the history of the three royal packs and their current political tensions. Plus, combat basics, even if you’ll never be expected to fight.”
The list was daunting, but not impossible. Mila had spent the past eight years absorbing complex legal concepts and political maneuvering at her father’s firm.
This was just a different kind of work environment, right?
“I’m a fast learner,” Mila said.
“You’ll need to be.” Martin’s brown eyes softened slightly. “For what it’s worth, Miss Eldridge, the prince has never shown this much interest in anyone before. His wolf recognizing you ashis mate suggests you have qualities that go beyond what we can see on the surface.”
A subtle thrill coursed through Mila at Martin’s words, warming her from the inside out. The knowledge that Cade had never shown this level of interest in anyone before made her heart skip with something she couldn’t quite name—hope, perhaps, or the dangerous flutter of possibility.
His wolf recognizing you as his mate.
The phrase echoed in her mind like a mantra, stirring something deep within her that she’d never felt before. Whatever this connection was between them, it seemed inevitable, like a thread that had been woven through time itself and was only now being pulled taut.
“I want to start learning all of this knowledge,” she said, surprised by the eagerness in her voice. “And begin combat training tomorrow if possible. But right now, I think I need to go to my guest suite and gather my thoughts until dinner, if that’s okay with you, Lyra.”
Lyra’s green eyes softened with understanding. “Of course. I totally get it—this whole situation must be completely daunting for you. We don’t want you to get overwhelmed and decide to leave Nova Aurora before you’ve really given it a chance.”
