Chapter 20: The Nursery Door

Rhys's POV

The welt on my daughter's cheek faded under Nora's palm in the time it took Joanna to wash her hands.

Nora held her cold palm against that small cheek and hummed under her breath.

The red went pink, and the pink went away.

"She'll scar if it's silver," Joanna said, and then, staring: "She's not going to."

I wrapped the blanket in a leather coat, card and all, and gave it to the Warden.

"Keep this," I said. "A silver weave and a note in her own hand. It'll be read out at the Stones."

The Warden took it from me in both arms.

"You mean to bring the Luna of Silver Claw in front of three packs?"

"She's not our Luna," Nora said from the bed, without looking up. "Not any more."

That afternoon the two Silver Claw elders came up the road.

They had driven all night.

They had Gideon in the back seat with his wrists bound, because I'd told them to bind him.

They stood in the hold's courtyard in the snow, hats in their hands.

"Alpha," said the older one. "The pack has no one at its head. Your wife has gone north and the Hall is shut. We need you to come home."

I looked up at the window where my cubs lay.

"I'm not your Alpha," I said.

"Rhys..."

"Not tonight."

I took the iron key to the Moon Hall off my belt, the one my father had worn, and held it out.

"This goes to Nora. Take it to her at Midwinter. If she says the word, the seat is hers."

"If she doesn't, you choose who sits in it, and I'll abide by what you choose."

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