The compound sat on a busy thoroughfare near the market district. The commotion drew wolves from every direction, and whispers rippled through the growing crowd.
"They say the Thornwood Alpha is famously devoted to his Luna. He's got two pups with her and won't even take a second mate. So where did THIS mate come from?"
"Probably a fraud. I mean, look at her. The Thornwood compound is high-ranking territory. She claims to be his mate, but she looks like a feral rogue off the road. Bet she's just some packless grifter trying to latch onto a rising bloodline."
I listened without a flicker of emotion, then reached into the bundle I'd brought and pulled out a mating certificate.
"Take a good look. This is Finn Thornwood's own handwriting. If he refuses to acknowledge me as his mate, I'll take this certificate straight to the Grand Pack Council and demand justice before every Alpha in the realm."
The head steward, lurking in the shadows, caught a glimpse of the handwriting on the certificate from a distance. His brow furrowed.
He leaned toward the gate guard, voice low. "Stay here and watch her. I'm going in to inform the Alpha and the Luna."
I saw every bit of it.