"What are you alluding to, Ashley?" the King asked, disbelief lacing every word as his gaze sharpened on him—was this defiance, or something far more calculated?
"Ashley…" he added, quieter now, but far more dangerous, his mind already racing ahead to the consequences of whatever answer was coming.
"Brandon is like a moonpup to me," Ashley began, his voice steady despite the weight of every watching eye. He deserves more than politics… more than this suffocating crown. "He is a good pup…loyal, hardworking… the kind most wolves pretend to be."
"He is better off without the title 'Moon Prince,'" he continued, lifting his chin slightly. Titles chain him. They'll ruin him before they ever honor him. "He can only be with her… if he gives up the title."
"What!!! To hell with your….your…your" he stammered and couldn't complete the sentence. He shook his head and lowered it. She looked at Brandon again, his calm steadied her, and she slowly began to relax."
