Chapter 66

Two months after the treaty signing, Arianna received a formal invitation that made her stomach knot with anxiety.

The Lycaon Council requested her presence for an official alliance ceremony—a public formalization of the bond between Ravenwood and Lycaon, complete with diplomatic protocols, formal presentations, and exactly the kind of political theater that made Arianna want to shift and run deep into the forest until everyone forgot she existed.

"You knew this was coming," Duncan said through the bond when she sent him her immediate panic response. "We discussed this. The council needs to formally recognize you as my mate and Ravenwood as our ally. It's pure ceremony, but...