“First, I want to say my life is not a media strategy, nor do I want it to be one.” Putting my hands in my lap, I clenched them together to keep myself from shaking. “I don’t want to live a curated life. I want to live a real one. So I won’t be talking about a different media strategy. Not here, not ever. Not once have I ever done something to warrant the press’s hatred of me, and I’m not planning to. All I want is to be myself and live my life. If the press and the public can’t handle that, I’m sorry, Mom, but it’s not my problem.”

Beneath the table, Eva reached over and squeezed my hand. I squeezed back, grateful for the support, and equally grateful for her silence in this moment.

Mom, however, was staring at me with a mixture of incredulity and shock. I continued. “I met one Alpha at the studio party I went to with Eva. He’s a world-renowned tattoo artist who was invited to do tattoos on whoever wanted them. Our scents—” I took a breath. “Given the amount of scent cancellers in the room, the strength of his scent was notable. The rest of the pack are also renowned artists, and when I met them, they asked to court me. Shortly after, because of the presence of so many… impactful Alphas, my heat started. They helped me through it, and now I’m courting them.

“I wasn’t hiding it from you intentionally. I was going to tell you, it was a little impossible given the timing and the flow of events. I’m sorry you found out from the pictures—I did my best to keep out of the eye of the press. For my own sake.”

“Let’s not keep the staff waiting.” She waved the waiter over, and we ordered. I didn’t order much, uninterested in food. But Mom got her glass of white wine and waited until the waiter retreated. “While I am happy you’ve found a pack who’s interested in you, this looks bad, Esme.”

Shame coiled in my gut, though I knew it didn’t belong there. “Why?”

“You might not care about the appearances, and I wish they didn’t matter. Truly, I do. But our family is well known, and whether or not you like it, people are paying attention. I’m sorry it’s not the life you wanted, but it’s the way it is. We have a legacy now, and it needs to be protected. It’s why I hired Katrina, to help you find a suitable pack. One who could support you in a life like this one. Maybe you think I’m blind, but I am plenty aware lives lived in plain sight like ours aren’t easy. But it is the way it is, and your father—”