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I bend, meaning to put her on her feet, but Rose gives a soft, petulant whine of dismay, holding me closer. I laugh and straighten, shaking my head at her,wellaware that pretty much everyone’s eyes are on us now.

And that Rose knows it.

She always has been a little possessive and eager to mark her territory.

“I came to help the war effort,” Rose says, grinning down at me and subtly wrapping one of her legs around my hip, an act that sets my wolf growling for…many reasons. “You know that I’m a patriot, after all, my Prince.”

My smile deepens. “How can you be a patriot?” I murmur, pleased as I always have been by her playful wit. “You’re from Eryndor.”

“Yes, well,” she says on a sigh, bringing her face closer and nudging my nose with the tip of hers. “I’ll be averyloyal patriot of your crown when youfinallymark me and –“

I burst out laughing, knowing that she’s walking that fine line she always walks between truth and kidding, making me guess which side she’s truly on. I bend again, this time truly lowering her to the ground. Rose huffs a pettish sigh but lets me, stepping back a little even as she takes my hand.

“Truly, Rose,” I murmur, squeezing her hand, genuinely pleased to see her. “Why are you here?” I glance over at the transport. “Last time I checked, you weren’t studying psychology, you were…”

My eyes drop to the camera around her neck and I tilt my head to the side, suddenly wary.

“A journalist, yes,” she says, grinning up at me, coy. “But don’t worry, Prince, I’m not going to publish all your military secrets and destroy your campaign. I’ve made an agreement with your father – I’ll cover the campaign and send all my drafts to him before publication. He has full discretion over whether or not I’m leaking anything confidential.”

I raise an eyebrow at her even as I inwardly groan, seeing my father’s game. He knows Rose, who is a Duchess in her own nation. Heapprovesof this match, even if my romantic history with Rose is…complicated.

“Don’t worry, Cole, my love,” Rose says, taking a step back and raising her hands like she’s holding a camera, pressing her index finger down and clicking her tongue to mime taking a snapshot. “I’ll make you lookverygood in all of your portraits. Just like that time when we went to the beach –“

I snarl a little – playful, not threatening – and lean towards her, a silent plea to shut up about that. After all, there are those with Alpha hearing in this circle who donotneed to hear about that particular trip.

And the photographs Rose took.

That I later destroyed.

“So, did you come here just to take pictures of me?” I ask, dropping my voice low, leaning further forward to loom over her a bit, eager to take some of the power back in this conversation. “Honestly, Rose, I thought you a serious journalist – not a paparazzo –“

She bursts out laughing, snapping a hand to my chest and giving me a shove. I laugh too, letting her push me back a step as my wolf studies her. Rose, she’sverybeautiful and she has always been a bit irresistible to us. But honestly, it doesn’t feel quite the same now that I’ve found my mate.

“Rose!” someone calls from over by the transport. We both turn our heads towards them.

Rose sighs and then looks back up at me, stepping close again, winding her arms around my waist. “I missed you, Cole.”

I smile down at her, my hand twitching as I resist the impulse to lift it and stroke it over her lovely white-blonde hair – something I’ve done hundreds of times. “It’s good to see you, Rose.”

She pouts. “Call me Rosie.”

I grin. I can’t help it. “We’re comrades now. Pet names are inappropriate.”

She squeaks, dismayed at my refusal, leaning her weight against me, her head falling back, eyes shutting, adorable in her sudden misery.

“Rose!” the voice calls again, angrier now.

She doesn’t budge.

“Go on, Rosie,” I murmur, my voice low but edged with humor.

She grins and lifts her head back up, her eyes shining with victory. “I’ll see you soon, my Alpha?”

“Oh, inevitably,” I murmur, shrugging as she drops her hands from my waist, her fingers tracing over my back and hips as she steps away. “Small camp, after all.”

Rose grins, mischievous and cunning, and then snaps her teeth playfully at me, the sharp sound of it clicking in the air. My stomach tightens at that because…god damn it if I don’t know precisely what she means when she does that. That little snap has become our secret code over the years.

And Rose knows it too. Rose always knows precisely what she’s doing – which is usually driving me insane. In a…very good way.