CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SEVEN – COMPETING FOR HIS AFFECTION

It was Alia, one of the senior Lunas, who finally broke the tense silence, her eyes narrowed as she regarded Laura with open disdain. "So, it's true then," she said, her voice a low, dangerous purr. "The great Logan, our Alpha, has taken a human for a mate." The words hung in the air, heavy with implication, and Laura felt a flush of heat creep up her neck. "That's none of your concern," she countered, lifting her chin in a show of defiance that she hoped masked the sudden pounding of her heart. Alia's lips curved into a mocking smile, her gaze raking over Laura in a way that made her skin crawl. "Oh, but it is," the Luna purred. "You see, we Lunas have a vested interest in the Alpha's... proclivities. And the thought of him stooping so low as to bed a mere human is, well... disappointing, to say the least." A chorus of derisive laughter rippled through the small knot of Lunas gathered behind Alia, their eyes glittering with a mixture of scorn and barely concealed resentment. La