Novels by Isaac

NadiaThe trading post looked exactly as abandoned as Row's scouts had described — half-collapsed roof, broken windows, river running quiet behind it. I walked in alone at dawn, exactly as Draven's terms demanded, every nerve in my body aware of the warriors hidden in positions we'd spent days preparing.Draven was already waiting, flanked by six rogues, arms crossed, confidence radiating off him despite the setback three weeks earlier."You actually came," he said. "Braver than I expected. Or more desperate.""I want this to end," I said, keeping my voice steady. "Whatever that takes.""How refreshing." He studied me carefully, circling closer. "No father hovering nearby. No mate posturing at your side. Just you, finally sensible enough to accept what's coming.""I'm here to talk. That's all I agreed to.""Talk." He smiled, cold and humorless. "There's nothing to discuss, Nadia. I claim you, the bond seals, and every pack watching finally understands I'm not some rogue scraping toget

NadiaThe days after the attack blurred together in a haze of meetings, wound-checking, and careful planning. Three warriors had been injured defending the compound, none fatally, but the reminder of how close things had come sat heavy over everyone."We can't keep playing defense," Alpha Ashford said, three days later, all three pack leaders gathered again in my father's study. "Draven proved he's willing to strike directly now. Waiting for his next move means waiting on his terms.""Agreed," my father said. "Which means we need to know exactly where his stronghold is, and exactly what we're facing before we move against it."Row leaned forward. "My scouts tracked the retreat pattern from the attack. They believe they've located the stronghold, deep in the unclaimed wilds, roughly two days north of my border.""Numbers?" Kade asked."Uncertain. At least forty, based on the attack itself. Possibly more remaining behind to guard the stronghold." Row spread a fresh map across the desk,

NadiaThe attack, when it finally came, didn't happen where anyone expected.It was a Friday night, three weeks into training, and the Ashford pack was hosting a smaller gathering — nothing like the fall bonfire, just a quiet dinner between the three allied packs meant to strengthen ties after weeks of tension. My father agreed to attend, cautiously optimistic that visible unity might discourage Draven from moving at all.He was wrong.The first sign of trouble was the lights.Halfway through dinner, every light across the Ashford compound cut out at once, plunging the hall into darkness. Shouts erupted outside almost immediately, warriors scrambling, the unmistakable snarl of shifting wolves cutting through the night air."Perimeter breach!" someone shouted. "Multiple points, north and east!"Kade was on his feet instantly, pulling me up beside him. "Stay close.""I'm not hiding this time.""I didn't say hide." His eyes were sharp even in the dark. "I said stay close. There's a diffe

NadiaTwo weeks passed with no new incidents, though the quiet felt more like held breath than actual peace. Patrols doubled along every border. My guard detail grew from two warriors to four. Even Priya started noticing the shift in mood at school, though I kept the details vague."You're jumpier than usual," she said one afternoon, watching me scan the parking lot before we crossed it. "Bodyguard stuff getting worse?""Something like that.""You know you can tell me more than 'something like that,' right? I'm not going to panic and run."I glanced at her, weighing how much was fair to share. "There's someone out there who might want to hurt me. Or use me, more specifically, to get power he's not supposed to have. My father and Kade's father are handling it, but it's not exactly resolved yet."Priya's easy expression sobered. "That's not 'something like that.' That's actually terrifying.""Welcome to my life."She bumped her shoulder against mine, gentler this time. "For what it's wo

NadiaThe guard rotation started the next morning. Two Ashford warriors trailed a careful distance behind me at school, blending in as older students, while Kade barely left my side between classes."This feels excessive," I said, glancing at the two warriors pretending to study a bulletin board near my locker."Six scouts breached a defended border two nights ago," Kade said. "Excessive is relative."I couldn't argue with that, even though the constant watching made my skin itch. Priya noticed immediately, of course."Okay, either you have secret bodyguards now," she said at lunch, eyeing the warriors at a nearby table, "or those guys have a very specific interest in the salad bar.""They're bodyguards," I admitted. "Long story.""With you, it's always a long story." She didn't push further, just squeezed my hand once under the table, a small gesture of solidarity that meant more than she probably realized.Days passed with no further incidents, though the tension never fully faded.

NadiaThe attack came eleven days after the three-pack alliance was signed.I was in training hour when the alarm horn sounded, three short blasts that meant border breach, not drill. The whole gym went still, then erupted into motion — teachers pulling students toward the shelter halls, phones buzzing with emergency alerts.Kade found me in the chaos, gripping my arm. "That's coming from the north. Row's line.""We need to go.""Nadia, you can't just run toward a breach—""My father will be there. Yours too, probably." I pulled free, already moving. "I'm not hiding in a shelter hall while our packs fight without us."He didn't argue further, just fell into step beside me, pulling out his phone to call his father as we ran.By the time we reached the northern ridge, the fighting had mostly stopped, though the air still smelled sharp with tension and the acidic edge of shifted wolves. My father stood near the tree line, alive, unhurt, but grim-faced, surveying a scene that made my stom