Jaxson Fisher POV:

I watched Dawn's cold, rigid back as she stared at the room I'd arranged for Julianne.

But she didn't give it so much as a second glance, which bothered me more than if she had screamed.

I followed her into the study and shut the door behind us.

This was her space.

It smelled of her, of cool moonlight and clean paper.

It was a scent that used to drive me wild with need.

Now, it just made me uneasy.

"Dawn, let me explain."

I pushed through her mental barrier with my Alpha strength.

She flinched, the forced entry clearly causing her pain.

She turned, and her violet eyes were no longer just sad.

They were a frozen wasteland.

"Explain?" she finally said, her voice terrifyingly calm. "Explain why you brought a pregnant woman into our home? Explain why she is carrying your child?"

Her questions hit me like a physical blow.

My wolf snarled inside me, desperate to soothe our mate, to pull her into my arms and beg for forgiveness.

But my human mind, my honor, held me back.

I had to make her understand.

"During an ambush," I began, my voice rough, "A silver-tipped arrow was meant for me. It was Hector Gonzalez, Julianne's father, who threw himself in front of it. He died saving me."

I described the bloody battle, the chaos, and Hector's dying wish.

"He made me swear I would look after his only daughter and his grandson. I gave him my word, Dawn. I swore I would take care of them for the rest of my life."

I stared at her, willing her to see the impossible position I was in.

To understand my duty, my honor as an Alpha.

"Julianne's mate was killed in an earlier raid. She had no one. I couldn't turn my back on my oath. I know what I'm asking is impossible, Dawn. But a Fated Mate bond is law, and an oath sworn on a dying man's blood is also law. I am trapped between two vows, and I chose the one that came with a life debt."

"As for the child..." I faltered.

I vaguely mentioned a night filled with grief and pressure, of comforting a distraught Julianne...

I didn't finish the whole story.

The meaning was clear enough.

Dawn listened without a single change in her expression.

When I was done, she let out a soft, short laugh.

It was a sound filled with endless mockery and sorrow.

"So, for your 'honor' and your 'oath, ' I am expected to accept that my Fated Mate has fathered a child with another woman, and I must welcome her as family?"

Her voice was quiet, but each word was a lash against my skin.

A wave of frustration washed over me.

"I'm not asking you to be warm to her! I'm just asking you to accept her presence! I am the Alpha, and this is my decision!"

"And I am your Luna, Jaxson," she reminded me, her voice like steel. "The one chosen for you by the Moon Goddess. There is no such thing as a 'chosen mate, ' not when the Fated Mate is still alive."

Her words struck at the core law of our society, and I had no counter.

My wolf howled in agreement with her.

It hated Julianne's presence.

But I ruthlessly suppressed it.

"Julianne and her family sacrificed everything for me," I repeated stubbornly. "I have to give her a place here. It's what I owe them."

"And you'll sacrifice me to do it?" Dawn took a step forward, and for the first time, fire lit her violet eyes. "You'll use my dignity, my position, our Mate Bond, to repay your debt to her?"

"It's not like that!" I roared, feeling backed into a corner.

"It is exactly like that." She shook her head, the fire in her eyes dying, turning back to cold ash. "I will not accept it. I, Dawn Crawford, will not share my Alpha with another woman."

Her words were a final judgment, cutting off any hope of persuasion.

I looked at her resolute face, and a raw anger surged through me.

She was being unreasonable.

Jealous and petty.

"You have to accept it!" I grabbed her arm, trying to use my Alpha dominance to force her to yield. "That is an order!"

She didn't fight me.

She just looked down at my hand on her arm, then back up at my face.

Her eyes were filled with a profound disappointment and something that looked like pity.

Her expression made me feel like a brutish tyrant.

I released her arm as if it had burned me.

My wolf whimpered in my head, pained that I had hurt our mate.

"If this is your decision, Alpha Fisher," she said, taking a step back, creating a chasm between us, "then so be it."

I knew what calling me Alpha Fisher meant, and her words carried a dark premonition of the consequences.

She turned to her desk.

She picked up a heavy ring of brass keys and a thick, leather-bound ledger.

"But you cannot expect me to accept her and continue to perform my duties as Luna." She pushed the keys and the ledger toward me, her voice flat and calm. "From this day forward, the internal affairs of the Blackwood Pack can be managed by your 'chosen mate'."