“Bold, aren’t we?” the Beta chuckled and Ria didn’t know what to think.

“Do youthink that the King will do whatever I tell him?”“I hope he respects you enough to do you a little favour,” she bit her lip.

She waswalking on thin ice here and was aware of that.But she had no choice either.“Fine,” the man grunted softly and for the first time Ria wondered what he wasdoing, “Crystle, dear, that’s enough of sucking.

I need to go.”Then he groaned again and Riannon’s ears turned red with embarrassment.

Washe in bed with someone? Why did he pick up then?!There were sounds of rustling and a female voice, “See you tonight, Beta.” Andthen sounds of steps.“Just so that you know,” the Beta spoke again, “I am sacrificing a lot right now topay you back.

So, after you talk to him, Consider us done.”“Of course,” Ria cleared her throat, “I appreciate your...

sacrifice.”He chucked and then she heard a sound of a creaking door.“Hey, G.

I need you to speak to someone,” the sounds were muffled but shecould still understand everything.“Not interested,” the other man growled and now Riannon was very afraid.

Shethought if the king was...

busy as well.

He sure wouldn’t sacrifice his pleasuretime for her.“I am not trying to set you up with anyone,” the Beta burst out laughing, “It’s justsome werewolf Luna.

I owe her one, okay?”“Not interested,” was the reply and Ria’s heart sunk.

This was it.

It was her bestchance...

In her past life, she called Beta Reid as well.

Later in the timeline of

events.

But he never picked up.

Lycans had some kind of trouble in their landstoo by the end of the year.

He was probably too busy by the time she gained thecourage to call.

She called him again and again until the calls stopped comingthrough, meaning that he probably blocked her.“Give her 5 minutes,” from the sounds of it, the man shoved the phone into hisking’s hands.

Another growl emerged and Ria was about to give up.

But then sheheard a resounding metallic voice.“Hello, Alpha Gideon speaking,” the man said and she sucked in a breath.

Hedidn’t even use his title.Was that really the Lycan King?“Hello, your majesty,” she decided to address him formally anyway, “ My name isRiannon Thorn.

I am the Luna of the Silver River pack.”He was silent and it bothered her.

But she remembered that she only had 5minutes with him.“I need your help,” she breathed out, “My husband is the Alpha Brayden Thornand we are planning to divorce in the nearby future.”“Fascinating,” the man said without any emotions in his voice, “ But what does ithave to do with me? You can divorce any time you like without my help.”“I know, Alpha,” she agreed and heard him growl slightly, “That’s not the part thatI need your help with.

You see, we are chosen mates.

And when we got married,we merged our packs.

What I really want from you is to help me to get my peopleand my territory back.

You are the Alpha King and when I raise this dispute, yourword will be the last at the Alpha Council.

They wouldn’t be able to decline.”“Hmm,” he sounded amused, “And you think that the case would go that far? Youdo know that the

Alpha council consists of male alphas.

What makes you think at least anyone willsupport you?”“They will if they know that you are on my side,” Riannon felt braver now, “Butalso I have proven myself as a leader and warrior.

This shouldn’t be a problem.”“Then maybe everything is awesome and you don’t need my help at all?” Hechucked.“I do, your majesty,” she assured him, “I really do.

And I would really appreciateit.”“This is a complex matter,” he said after a short pause, “Not something I woulddecide over the phone.

And to be honest, it doesn’t sound serious enough tobother.”Ria felt rage boiling her blood.

Was he serious?! Was that it?!“But...”“There is nothing to talk about.

You got married and gave your pack to yourhusband.

You didn’t think this through and it was your mistake only.

Now it’s toolate,” the Alpha King seemed bored, “He will still owe you generous alimonyaccording to our laws.

You will keep your luxurious lifestyle if that’s what bothersyou...”“It’s not about that!” She gritted her teeth, “I can’t leave my people with them!”“Them?” The king scoffed, “So, this is the problem.

He found another and you arebitter about it?”This was useless.

Ria hit her desk with her fist, almost breaking it.

This kind ofmocking was not new to her.

By now she heard it all.

Even from the people whowere considered her friends.“I am not bitter!” She spat, “I am furious.

Because only now do I see how manyflaws our system has! How unfairly and unequally women are treated when a

male doesn’t stand by her side anymore! How few chances we are given to proveourselves.

Sure, you will make a woman a warrior and speak about equality butwhen it comes to higher positions, you will make a woman work three timesharder than a man to even consider her for the job! I was doing an Alpha’s job foryears by my husband’s side and I’ve done it flawlessly.

But all you see is awounded woman who can’t get over her husband’s betrayal.

And you know what,it hurts like hell but here I am, not whaling in pain but trying to figure out my nextmove.

You don’t even know what is going on but you already judged me.

What adisappointing introduction to my king!”She threw her phone away with force, looking at how it smashed over the wallinto several pieces.What a joke!Gideon sat in his huge leather chair behind his desk staring at his Beta’s phone.What the hell was that now? Did she scold him and then hang up?“O-kay,” Reid carefully took his cell back, “I see that went well.”“Remind me again who was it?” Gideon looked at his friend furrowing his thickbrows.“What?” Reid let out a nervous laugh, “Before I tell you...

Are you going to kill heror...”“REID!” Gideon growled so loudly that probably all members of his pack heardhim well.“Fine!” the Beta fell into the chair opposite of him, “She is the Luna of the SilverRiver pack.”Silver River...

not far from Silver Lake.“What else?” the king tapped his fingers over the top of his desk impatiently.

“Her name is Riannon Thorn, if my memory does not fail me, she has been aLuna for five or six years.

Seven maybe.”“You said that you owed her,” Gideon was piercing Reid with his gaze, “How so?Is she one of your many whores?”“Of course not!” the Beta sounded offended, “She...

she saved Kyle seven yearsago.

The rogues attacked his boarding school and she was visiting some eventthere.

She wasn’t a Luna back then, by the way.

But she was preparing for therole.”“She saved him?” Gideon rubbed the bridge of his nose.“Yes, she killed a few rogues and protected him.

He was just 12 back then.

If shedidn’t come on time...”“Why didn’t you tell me?” the king groaned.“There was no time!” Reid shook his shoulders, “And how could I know that youwould be such a d*ck to her?!”“Is there a good time to be a d*ck?” the Beta chuckled, just annoying him more.“Find out where I can meet her,” Gideon cut him off, “I am intrigued.

She doesseem...

feisty.”“Just the way you hate them,” Reid stood up but when he noticed his Alpha’sglare, he wiped the smile off his face, “I’ll go...

get to work.”Gideon threw his back over his chair.

He had a lot on his mind already and thiswoman...

she got to him on some level.

A smile curled onto his lips.

It had beena while since someone dared to speak to him like that.

Luna Riannon wasamusing indeed.And since she saved Kyle, he owed it to her to at least have a look at her case.

So be it.Riannon prepared herself for the breakfast.

She put on a simple yet elegantdress and brushed her hair so that it fell down her shoulders in soft waves.

Shedidn’t use any makeup today because she knew very well what she was going toface once she went downstairs.But she almost bumped into Maya at the door.“Ria,” her friend tried to smile carelessly but she could tell that the latter wasnervous, “How about we eat here and chat.

Just the two of us?”Riannon smiled.

She knew that Maya tried to protect her from the new harshreality.

But luckily, she was ready for everything.“Maybe another time,” she said, taking Maya’s hand and still not believing thatshe was alive, “Right now I need to do something.

Just be by my side, okay?”“Always,” Maya’s eyes glistened with tears.The dining room was buzzing, but as soon as she stepped foot into it, everyonegot quiet.

On her first day in the pack, Roxy already sat at the table with thehighest-ranked wolves and was clearly in the centre of the attention.“Luna!” she jumped to her feet after she let Ria watch her succeed, “P-please,forgive my rudeness! I know my place!”Here we go again...