My Mate Delayed Our Bond for His Mistress

Rebecca Lewis arrived at Silverfang on a Tuesday morning without warning.

I was in the training hall reviewing warrior rotation schedules when Daniel appeared in the doorway. His expression was carefully neutral, which meant something unpleasant was coming.

"Alpha," he said quietly. "You have a visitor."

"Who?"

"Rebecca Lewis."

I looked up from the schedules. For a moment I didn't speak. Then I set down my pen very carefully. "Did she call ahead?"

"No."

Of course she hadn't. Rebecca didn't call ahead. She arrived and expected doors to open.

I stood. Smoothed my hands down the front of my shirt. "Where is she?"

"The main sitting room. She's already asked the Omega staff to bring tea."

I nodded once. "Thank you, Daniel."

He hesitated. Just for a second. Then he left.

I walked through the corridor toward the main sitting room. My wolf was quiet beneath my skin, watchful. She didn't trust Rebecca Lewis. She never had.

Rebecca was standing by the window when I entered. She turned and smiled, that smooth, practiced expression that never quite reached her eyes. Her perfume hit me immediately — heavy floral, the kind that announced itself before she did.

"Valerie," she said warmly. "I hope you don't mind the surprise visit. I thought it was time we spent some quality time together. A bonding visit, you might say."

I smiled back. "Of course not. You're always welcome here."

She crossed the room and took both my hands in hers. Her grip was firm. Possessive. "You look tired, dear. Are you sleeping well?"

"Fine," I said. "Just busy with pack business."

"Of course you are." She released my hands and gestured toward the sofa. "Shall we sit? I'd love to hear about everything you've been managing."

We sat. The Omega housekeeper — Maria, a quiet woman who had worked at Silverfang since before my father's death — brought tea on a silver tray. Her hands shook slightly as she set it down.

Rebecca watched her with sharp eyes. "Thank you, dear. That will be all."

Maria glanced at me. I nodded once. She left.

Rebecca poured the tea herself, taking over the task as though it were hers to perform. "I've been thinking," she said as she handed me a cup. "Silverfang is such a large territory. It must be exhausting managing everything alone."

"I have my Beta," I said. "And my council."

"Yes, but there's only so much they can do." She settled back with her own cup, her gaze moving around the room with the assessing quality of someone cataloging assets. "A Luna's touch makes all the difference. The right guidance. The right experience."

I sipped my tea. Said nothing.

"Take your training grounds, for example," Rebecca continued. "I passed them on the way in. Very impressive. But I couldn't help noticing the warrior rotations seem... inefficient. Too much emphasis on individual skill development, not enough on coordinated pack tactics."

My wolf stirred. Just slightly.

"My father designed those rotations," I said quietly. "They've served Silverfang well for twenty years."

Rebecca's smile didn't falter. "Of course they have. I'm not criticizing, dear. Just observing. Sometimes a fresh perspective helps. A more experienced Luna's touch, perhaps."

I set down my teacup very carefully. "I appreciate your observations."

She reached over and patted my hand. "I know you do. That's what I love about you, Valerie. You're so open to guidance."

I smiled at her. Inside, I was making a list.

---

Rebecca stayed for three days.

She moved through the pack house with the confidence of someone who considered it already half hers. She offered unsolicited opinions on staff management. She questioned my territory allocation decisions in front of senior warriors during a morning briefing. She suggested I reconsider my approach to border patrols.

I thanked her for every observation. I smiled. I poured her tea.

And I watched.

On the second afternoon, I was in my father's study reviewing supply manifests when Daniel knocked.

"Come in."

He entered and closed the door behind him. His expression was carefully controlled. "Maria just reported something."

I looked up. "Go on."

"Rebecca cornered her in the east hallway this morning. Asked about your schedule for the next two weeks. Specifically about any upcoming territory negotiations."

I went very still. "What did Maria tell her?"

"Nothing at first. But Rebecca was... persistent. She implied it would be helpful for Zander to know, since he's your mate and should be kept informed of important pack business."

My fingers tightened on the manifest. "And?"

"Maria mentioned the quarterly regional council meeting. And the fact that you've been reviewing proposals for expanded trade route access."

Both true. Both standard information. And both things Rebecca had no business extracting from my Omega staff.

I set down the manifest. "Thank you, Daniel. That will be all."

He hesitated. "Alpha—"

"That will be all."

He left.

I sat at my father's desk for a long moment. Then I opened the locked case beneath it and added a new page to my list.

Rebecca Lewis.

Systematic surveillance. Information extraction from Omega staff. Possessive behavior toward Silverfang resources and authority structures.

I pressed two fingers to the inside of my wrist. Felt my pulse. Still steady.

Then I picked up my phone and called Daniel back.

"I need you to do something," I said when he answered. "Feed Rebecca a piece of information. Tell Maria to mention — casually, as though she's nervous about revealing too much — that I'm in preliminary discussions with the Clearwater Pack about a mutual defense alliance. Emphasize the phrase 'preliminary discussions.' Make it sound sensitive."

A pause. Then: "Understood."

"And Daniel? Make sure the phrasing is specific. I want to know if it surfaces elsewhere."

"Yes, Alpha."

I ended the call.

The information was false. Clearwater Pack and I had no such discussions planned. But if Rebecca was feeding intelligence to Zander, the fabricated alliance would appear in his next conversation.

All I had to do was wait.

---

Zander arrived the following evening.

He called ahead this time, which meant he wanted something. I met him in the main sitting room — the same room where Rebecca had poured tea and offered her observations.

He kissed my cheek. His scent was clean tonight. No jasmine. He'd been careful.

"I missed you," he said, settling onto the sofa.

I sat across from him. "How are things at Hollow Creek?"

"Manageable. The warriors you sent have been incredible. Our eastern border hasn't been this secure in years." He leaned forward, his expression warm and open. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Of course."

"I heard you're in preliminary discussions with Clearwater Pack. About a mutual defense alliance."

There it was.

The exact phrasing. Preliminary discussions. The precise words I'd instructed Daniel to feed Maria.

I kept my expression neutral. Interested. "Where did you hear that?"

Zander's hand came up briefly and touched the back of his neck. "Just pack gossip. You know how these things circulate."

I nodded slowly. "It's very early stages. Nothing formal yet."

"I think it's smart," he said. "Clearwater's geographic position would complement Silverfang's perfectly. And if you're expanding alliances, Hollow Creek should probably be part of those conversations. We're already so integrated."

Integrated. The word sat between us like a stone.

"Of course," I said. "When things become more concrete, I'll make sure you're involved."

He smiled. Relieved. Satisfied. "I knew you would. That's what I love about you, Valerie. You always think about us as a partnership."

Partnership.

I smiled back at him. "Would you like to stay for the week? We could review the Clearwater proposal together when it comes through."

Something flickered in his expression. Just for a second. "I'd love to. But Hollow Creek needs me right now. Border patrol rotations. You know how it is."

"Of course," I said softly.

He stayed for dinner. We talked about pack business. He asked about my training schedules. I poured him wine.

He left within two hours.

I watched him go from the window of my father's study. His car disappeared down the drive, taillights fading into the darkness.

Then I opened the locked case beneath the desk.

I added a new entry to Rebecca Lewis's page: Confirmed intelligence pipeline to Zander. Information extracted from Omega staff surfaced in his conversation within 36 hours. Surveillance is systematic, not occasional.

I pressed two fingers to my wrist. Felt my pulse.

Still steady.

Still whole.

For now.