CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY NINEGRAHAMMorning brought no relief. The entire house felt charged, like a single spark could burn it down. Zoey was quiet, eyes distant, as she sat on the edge of our bed pulling her hair into a loose braid. She’d barely slept, and I could see every hour of worry in the darkness beneath her eyes.I fastened the last buckle of my belt and glanced at her. “I’m going to talk to Charlie,” I told her.Zoey didn’t reply right away, just pressed her lips together. Finally, she nodded, stiff and guarded.I stepped closer, brushed a hand across her cheek. “I’ll handle it,” I said softly.“She was out there again, Graham,” Zoey murmured, voice cracking. “In the middle of the night, acting like a ghost. What is she up to?”I sighed. “I’ll find out. Try to get some rest, okay?”Her arms folded across her chest, defensive. “I don’t like this.”“I know,” I said, kissing her forehead, “but trust me.”Before she could answer, I left, moving through the halls toward t
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY EIGHTZOEYThe morning felt too quiet, almost like the calm before a storm. I hadn’t slept much after dinner the night before. Charlie’s sudden need to speak privately with Graham still nagged at me. I kept replaying her uneasy face in my mind, and it refused to settle.By the time the sun broke over the pack grounds, I needed to talk to someone or I would go crazy. So I made my way to Hannah’s quarters. She opened the door in her robe, hair still tied up, blinking like she’d just woken up.“Zoey? You look like you didn’t close your eyes all night,” she said.I let out a heavy breath. “I don’t even know where to start, Hannah.”She motioned me inside. “Sit down. Tell me everything. Is it Graham?” She asked.I sank onto her couch. “No,” I shook my head, “It’s Charlie. Ever since I saw her looking uneasy yesterday, then asking to speak to Graham alone, I haven’t been okay. I know she’s his cousin or whatever, but I can’t trust her. You know what she did.”
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SEVENZOEYIt had been so long since Graham and I had shared a peaceful moment. Just the two of us, no worries pressing down on us, and no threats breathing over our shoulders. So when he asked if I wanted to take a walk after lunch, I didn’t even think twice.The evening was gentle, with the breeze carrying the soft scent of pine and fresh roses from the garden. Graham held my hand as we moved through the trail behind the pack house, and I felt my shoulders relax for the first time in weeks.“It feels like we haven’t had a second alone,” he said quietly, giving my hand a squeeze.“You’re right,” I replied. “I missed this.”He smiled, one of those small smiles that didn’t reach his eyes but still made my heart flutter and the butterflies in my stomach scurry around.We talked about a lot of things but nothing important, how the training had been going, how Ronald had nearly lost his temper with a stubborn young wolf, and how I wanted to redo the garden b
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SIXGRAHAMThe ride back from Viktor’s territory had felt longer than usual. The words he’d spoken kept running through my head, rattling me more than I wanted to admit. Someone close to me. Someone with access, someone I trusted. That was the worst kind of betrayal.Ronald had stayed quiet most of the journey, giving me space to think. I needed it. Needed to breathe through the anger simmering in my veins. How could I lead a pack when I didn’t even know who to trust?By the time we got home, the sun was almost down, casting a dull gold across the trees. It should have been peaceful. Instead, it felt like a lie.I headed straight for my office. I had to act normal, even if my thoughts were a storm. The council would expect strength from me. The pack would, too. If they saw a crack, everything could break apart.A few minutes later, Ronald walked in, closing the door behind him.“You look like you didn’t even rest,” he said, a frown pulling at his face.“
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVEKELVINThe abandoned building on the far edge of the territory smelled of rot and old stone. Moonlight poured through shattered windows, falling in broken patterns on the floor. Kelvin stood there in the middle of it, hands behind his back, eyes cold as he watched Elder Mathias approach.Mathias looked older tonight, shadows drawn deep into the lines of his face, but his posture still carried that pride Kelvin had always hated.“You’re late,” Kelvin drawled.Mathias scoffed, stepping into the circle of faint light. “You think I have nothing better to do than answer your summons?”Kelvin let out a soft, humorless laugh. “Trust me, old man, if you want your plan to succeed, you’d better learn to show respect.”Mathias glared, but didn’t argue. “Speak,” he snapped.Kelvin raised a brow, amused. “So eager? Good. Then listen carefully.”He turned, pacing around a crumbling column, letting his boots echo on the stone. “Graham is getting desperate. I have
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FOUR ZOEYI found Hannah in the little sunroom at the back of the pack house, her feet propped up on a chair and a mug of tea steaming in her hands. The sight of her alone, calm and comfortable, made something inside me relax. After everything that had happened lately, I needed this, a friend, no drama, just honest talk.She looked up and grinned when I walked in. “Finally! You’ve been avoiding me since yesterday.”I laughed a little, sitting across from her. “I haven’t been avoiding you.”“You have,” she teased, raising her brows. “You’ve been walking around with that silly smile. Something happened, didn’t it?”My face went hot. “Maybe.”She smirked and leaned forward. “Tell me everything.”I bit my lip, shaking my head. “It’s embarrassing.”“Zoey,” she scolded playfully, “don’t you dare hold out on me. I’ve been invested in this soap opera you and Graham have been playing since you met. Spill!”I sighed, staring into the corner of the room to steady