DEREK POV

I was halfway through my warm-up sets when my mind drifted again to last night.

The image of Nora in the kitchen last night, standing over the pan, that shy smile. My wolf still hadn’t stopped talking since.

Mate knows how to take care of us, he kept repeating, like a drumbeat in my head.

I threw another punch at the bag, but my focus was gone.

The door opened and Gerrick walked in.

“Training early today?” he asked, coming closer.

I slowed down. “What now?”

“The Queen ...