Page 59 of The Alpha King's Mate

There was no point continuing the conversation. Malakh had already abandoned every scrap of dignity, tail high, fully given over to Zira as the two of them tore off together, racing circles through the foyer before bolting for the open door. We flew past Rev, Talon, and Jax in a blur of fur and displaced air.

The fury started to climb in me again—thoughts of daughters, of threats, of Rev’s terrified face—but Zira peeled back from her run and drove her head into my side, hard enough to stagger me, like she meant to knock the anger clean out of my skull.

Beneath it all, sorrow filled my heart. Alphas would come, one day, and take my babies away. True Lunas—claimed by other packs, other men, carried off to build bonds of their own the same way I’d carried Aliana off from Silvermere.

Malakh whined, the sound low and helpless, nothing like the roar that had chased Rev through the compound minutes ago.

Zira came in close, pressing her weight against us until there was no space left between grief and comfort.

If anyone harms our daughters, I will tear their heads clean off their bodies, our mate growled at us.

I could breathe again.

Of course. We could just eliminate them all.

Yes.

Let’s run, I growled.

Grass and soil flew into the air as Zira took off, powerful hindquarters driving her forward in long, ground-eating strides. Officers and the gardener scattered to clear the way, flattening themselves against hedges and fences as she tore past.

I gave our mate a few seconds’lead—enough to watch the dark grey blur of her weaving between the trees—before I howled our intention to the whole compound and burst into a sprint after her.

Chapter 29

Aliana

We ran and ran until we hit the boundary. Zira changed direction mid-sprint, and I felt every muscle at our rear adjust in a single fluid motion—haunches coiling, then releasing—before our hind legs pushed off again, paws tearing fresh grooves through the ground.

Malakh blocked our path, and when Zira tried to dodge around him, he leapt on top of us, all muscle and weight and intent.

He weighed a ton, and our legs began to give way beneath him.

Yield, he said, and we flopped down, breath heaving, the ground cool and damp against our fur.

It had been a good run for our first time.

He rolled off and began to lick our face, slow and thorough, tongue rasping warm over fur still damp with exertion.

Three daughters, I said in awe.Three true Lunas to shape the bonds back into what they used to be.

Malakh snorted in disgust.

Zira licked his disgruntled face, unbothered, affectionate despite the insult.

I understood what my mother had meant now. It had begun with me, but our progeny would continue the work—shaping thefuture back to how it should be. The Moon Goddess had blessed us with an abundance even I hadn’t anticipated.

We glanced at Malakh as he began to sniff our fur. Zira was receptive, right up until he reached her tail.

Wow. He really was going there, nose shoved in like a swine rooting out truffles.

Sorin and Malakh were incorrigible.

???

My ankles and knees were pressed together so tightly it reminded me of my pre-virgin days. Yet here I sat on our mattress while he paced at least twenty minutes into my lecture, the floorboards creaking under each turn. I lowered my head, hoping I looked suitably remorseful.

But also—hello? Triplets. I was still blown away by that little tidbit.