Raising His Hidden Heir

Chapter 1

"You are packing entirely too much silk for a northern university, Ivy," Nora Sterling said, her hands deftly folding a delicate, emerald-green slip dress. "The winters upstate are brutal. You’re going to freeze the moment you step out of the dorms."

Ivy Vance didn't even look up from her phone. She was lounging across the plush velvet settee at the foot of her canopy bed, her long, dark legs dangling over the edge. At nineteen, she possessed a striking, almost predatory grace.

"They’re for the frat parties, Nora," Ivy replied, her tone laced with a dismissive drawl. "You wouldn't understand. You were already mated and playing house with Darius by my age. I actually plan on having a life before I settle down."

Nora paused, her fingers tightening slightly against the smooth fabric of the dress. The words stung, a subtle barb aimed at the very core of her insecurities. It was true. By nineteen, Nora had already taken her place as the Luna of the Obsidian Ridge Pack, the last remaining heir of the true Sterling Alpha bloodline. But despite her ancient lineage and her devoted marriage to Darius, her body had failed her in the one way that mattered most to a pack. She was barren.

Eight years ago, when Darius had carried a traumatized, blood-soaked eleven-year-old girl out of the woods after a rogue attack, Nora had wept with relief. She had poured every ounce of her maternal desperation into the orphaned girl. She had loved Ivy as her own.

"I just want you to be comfortable," Nora said softly, placing the dress into the monogrammed leather trunk. "And prepared. The Succession Gala is only three weeks away. Will you be coming back down for the weekend?"

"Of course I am," Ivy scoffed, finally lowering her phone. "I have to be there. Darius said he’s going to announce my official executive title at the Gala. I need to be fitted for a custom gown."

Nora frowned, turning to face her adopted daughter. "Executive title? Ivy, we haven't discussed you taking a formal rank in the pack yet. You haven't even started your business degree."

Ivy offered a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. It was a sharp, perfect thing. "Oh, didn't he tell you? He promised me the position last week. I guess he just forgot to run it by the Luna."

"Forgot what?" a deep, resonant voice boomed from the doorway.

The heavy scent of pine and ozone washed into the room, instantly commanding the space. Darius Vance leaned against the doorframe, looking every bit the formidable Alpha he had become. His tailored suit clung to his broad shoulders, and his dark hair was perfectly styled. He smiled, that charming, utterly captivating smile that had stolen Nora’s heart over a decade ago.

"Darius!" Ivy leaped off the settee, her dismissive attitude vanishing in an instant. She practically bounded across the room, throwing her arms around his neck.

Nora watched as Darius caught her,