"And Ethan is down that corridor because he could not protect himself, let alone us, from what Kade Nightshade deployed today. That is not a judgment against him, it is a statement of scale." She let the words settle. "What does love offer against an Alpha who absorbed six territories before this evening concluded? What does Ethan's pack offer against two hundred?"
Luna's gaze moved to Thomas across the room, and the line of her mouth tightened.
"Stay with your brother," she said, rising with the deliberateness of someone whose body is registering the day's full length. "I will find your father. We will look at what alliances are actually available, a marriage treaty may be the only meaningful protection left to us."
"Mother." Maya's voice stopped her before she reached the door.
Luna turned.
