Page 108 of A Warrior's Fate

At the end of the line, the cusp of the courtyard, they approached a woman running over a list of items—written in a large notebook—with one of the guards.

“Marin,” Ezekiel said.

As the name rang familiar, Isla examined Kai’s secretary. She was short—shorter than Davina who was already quite petite—and her silvery hair was pulled into a tight low bun. But despite the color of her tresses, she appeared relatively young. Couldn’t have been more than in her forties or fifties.

“Ezekiel,” she greeted hastily, not out of crudeness, but because she seemed in a rush. She didn’t bother turning until something—maybe the glint of Isla’s jewelry in the underpass lights—caught her eye. She gave Isla a long once-over. “Which one is this?”

Which one?

“None of them,” Ezekiel told her. “She’s the guest of the warrior general. A warrior herself.”

“A warrior,” the secretary considered before her teal eyes traced Isla again. Long and calculating. “Bloodline?”

“She’s not interested,” he said flatly.

“Then what are you badgering me for?” she responded before waving them off.

Ezekiel laughed—so odd to hear—before stepping around Marin and breaking into the party. Isla was on his heels. But before she’d gotten too far, she couldn’t stop herself from glancing behind to see what Marin was going through. The list seemed full of many names—female names.

She growled and distracted herself with the wonder of the courtyard again.

Waiters were fluttering about, holding trays of hors d’oeuvres and glasses of different types of drinks—wines, spirits, and cocktails. Davina had told her to have an eye out for an open bar, though. The guests—the entire overwhelming lot of them—seemed cheerful. Seemed to come from all walks of life if she looked and analyzed the fine details of their clothes.

She knew none of them.

“What did she mean by which one?” Isla asked Ezekiel once she caught up to him.

“Our alpha must take a mate,” Ezekiel said, ignoring how Isla jerked a bit. “And before we jump to a mating ball, Marin wants to see if we can kick off something a bit more naturally. Less archaic in the face of younger, more progressive leadership.”

That sounded all too political, but Isla got enough of the hint. There were potential brides for Kai here. Handpicked by his secretary, his do-all. The person who kept him sane, organized, and looking exactly as he should in the face of his pack.

“Can you control yourself?”

Isla opened her mouth for a snap retort before she closed it and reconsidered. “What does that mean?”

“You’re bold in your stand against the Goddess, but you’re also naive. You cannot change the fact that you’re a wolf, and therefore, territorial over what’s yours.” His last word had a slight bite to it. “So unless you’re here to claim it, don’t interfere.” He looked forward and nodded at a passerby who’d greeted him. “I told him you being here was a bad idea, but he insisted. If it were up to me, you wouldn’t have even been approved.”

“Good thing it’s not up to you then,” she said, now not taking time to think.

“Goddess above,” Ezekiel cursed under his breath, but it wasn’t at her.

He powered forward, and Isla debated ditching him but decided to keep up. He was insufferable but he was familiar. And apparently, she could trust him.

He rested his hand on the back of a woman’s shoulders who’d been telling what seemed to be a highly entertaining story to a group of guests.

The woman turned, and Isla found herself stumbling a bit.

Upon the beta’s approach, the group disbanded.

“Zahra,” Ezekiel said, dropping his hold. “What are you doing out here? You’re supposed to enter after Delta Atesh and before Kai.”

Zahra.

This was Kai’s mother.

The former luna narrowed her gaze, and Isla could see where Kai had drawn his looks from. The strikingness of his eyes, the elegant draw to his face. Zahra was every bit stunning and regal as she’d expected. But to Isla’s surprise, her amber skin—just like her son’s—wasn’t sallow or drawn. Her deep blue-gray eyes not bloodshot from endless crying and sleepless nights. She wasn’t hunched over and brittle-boned. From all she’d heard, the former Luna of Deimos was supposedly on her death bed. This woman seemed vibrant.

“And I told you, that’s not my place anymore, Ezekiel.”

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