Chapter One

Raven - 8 years later

The thundering of my paws hitting the dry dead land is the only sound echoing around me. My tongue is hanging out of my mouth and all I can think about is how desperately I want water, as the sun blazes down on me.

I swear the forest on the horizon keeps moving further out of reach, despite the distance and time I’ve been running toward it.

‘I can’t,’ I gripe at my wolf.

‘Shut up, yes you can, because I can and am,’ my wolf sends back to me.

‘yeah yeah, I know, we can do this, hip hip hooray, but damn, how long have we been running?’

‘Too long. Stopping is not an option. We have to make it there.’

I cut off my thoughts from her. Even though we are the same, I can still tune her in and out. She is essentially like a part of my consciousness. A more brutal, honest, and primal side of myself.

I know how important this journey is. I don’t need to be reminded.

My paws falter as I look off to the side and see smoke rising in the far distance. I slow as I try to see, but being so far away, I can’t tell anything except this fire is massive. The sky is turning hazy from the smoke and the air holds the scent, but as I stop and sniff, there’s a weird smell mixed with what is a normal smell of smoke. I can’t decipher it.

‘Whatever that smell is, I don’t like it, it’s not natural,’ my wolf sends to me.

I heave a sigh. I hope this isn’t the start of the war. With that thought, I take off running in my original direction. I need to get there and see this through first, then I can deal with this fire.

Finally, after what feels like hours later, I break through the first row of trees and revel in the instant shade they provide. No longer running through a barren desert with the sun beating down on me, my run slows to a gait as I catch my breath. I come to a stop and listen to my surroundings, and a yip of joy escapes when I hear a trickle in the distance of water. I take off at a sprint in that direction and pounce like a pup when the stream comes into view.

I jump right in and let the cool water wash over me and help with cooling my overheated body down. I try to slow myself down when I guzzle down the water, not wanting to make myself sick. I know I still have a bit of a run until I make it to the encampment.

For a moment, I change back and enjoy the stretch of my muscles as I reach my hands above me. The natural stream is too cold for my human body, so I quickly jump out and pause when I hear a rustling in the distance. My body fluidly changes back into my wolf form and I go on alert. My ears can track whatever is moving at a steady pace towards me.

Glancing around, I spot a small cave on the other side of the stream. I lope across, stopping only to cover myself in water to help throw off my scent if it is another wolf or something else. I jump up the small hill into the cave, situating myself behind some rocks, and hold still as I peer out.

About 15 feet away, whatever it is stops and stands still. I try to peer through the shadows, but I see nothing. The woods are silent as we wait for someone or something to make its first move.

My ears perk when I hear movement, and my eyes home in on the direction it’s coming from. A small gray wolf slinks between the trees as it lies low to the ground, trying to remain unseen. I track its movements as it gets to the stream and gazes around. I assume, looking for me. After a few minutes of looking but not finding me, it takes a drink of water, stands to its full height, and starts its trek back to where it came from. I let them get ahead before I come out of the cave and begin following at a distance, keeping silent and downwind.

I imagine they’re going to lead me to the encampment. Exactly where I need to go. Thank you, guide.

An hour later I hang back even further when I can hear what must be the encampment.

A large stone wall blocks off anything else from coming into view. The wolf I followed runs through an arched gate into the camp as I stay back and watch. From what I can see through the gate that is still open, there is a mix of wolves and human forms inside. I watch as right inside the gate, the grey wolf I followed shifts into his human form, not caring about his nudity. I tune my hearing in and can hear him speaking with others that are standing near.

‘I searched but didn’t find anyone.’

‘Hmm, Oscar swore he saw one on its way here.’

Just then, a scent as familiar to me as my own wafts to me as I see him step up to the guy I followed. ‘Mmm’ my wolf hums in my mind. She refuses to wait any longer, so before I can take control she has us charging straight toward that gate and through it, coming to a sliding halt in front of Rafe.

Shouts ring out around me and soon I’m surrounded. Rafe steps up in front of me, his eyes softening as a small smile plays on his lips.

“Back off everyone,” though not the alpha here, his voice still carries command. “Koda, run to my tent please, and bring back one of my shirts and shorts.” The boy I followed nods and runs off to do his bidding. We wait only a few moments in tense silence for him to return. My eyes stay on Rafe the entire time, letting him see the anger in them.

I hear the fear in some of the people’s voices at this unknown wolf, this extremely large and rare colored wolf, entering their camp.

“Go behind that tent and change,” taking the clothes from Koda, he holds them out to me. I take them in my mouth, stopping just short of biting him, then turn to run behind the tent he said and shift back, pulling on his clothes.

I hate how I take the time to hold his shirt up to my nose and inhale his scent. A smell that can both calm and excite me.

His heated eyes rake over me as I step from behind the tent and walk toward him. I see that some of the crowd has dissipated with only a few remaining, Koda included.

“Hello love. Goddess, have I missed you.” My face hardens at his sweet, soft-spoken words, refusing to show him any emotion other than anger.

“Have you now? Could have fooled me, Rafe. Since you are the one keeping your distance from your family.” Lines appear around his eyes as they fill with sorrow, and a frown replaces the smile he just wore.

“Where are the twins?” His smooth, deep voice washes over me, bringing unwanted goosebumps.

“Where they belong.” A flash of anger crosses his face when I say that, but he quickly masks it. Goddess, how I want to goad him into a fight right now. But knowing that I won’t let it end as they normally do, it doesn’t hold the same appeal.

“Where they belong is by my side, as do you.” Mmm, there he is, my commanding asshole of a mate.

‘I do love this possessive side of him,’

‘Not now,’ I tell my wolf

I stand tall and harden my tone. “I belong with my pack and my children. But I left them to come here, to find my mate, who belongs by my side and our children’s side, to warn him, because believe it or not, despite him abandoning us, I don’t want to see him dead.”

“I didn’t abandon you,” his voice roars through the camp. Now all eyes are on us.

“Hmm, agree to disagree. Can we go somewhere else to talk, Rafe?”

“The meeting tent is free,” Koda says. My eyes dart to him and then to the others that have remained to listen in. I would prefer to do this one-on-one with my mate, not with an audience of the enemy.

“No, I will speak to my mate alone for now. Follow me, love.” I do as he asks and trail a step behind him in silence. He pulls back the door to a tent and ushers me forward. As soon as I enter, I’m engulfed by his scent. So this must be his tent. I look it over. It’s decent-sized but lacks any personal touch. With only a bed and dresser, this could be anyone’s room.

He walks up behind me, his hands come down on my shoulders before one slides down my arm to entwine our hands, and the other curls around my waist and pulls me back into him.

“I have missed you terribly,” his deep voice growls out, “and don’t you ever question that. This has to be the hardest thing I have ever done. To be away from my mate and our children is not natural, and I fight every day not to run back and give up what I believe in.”

I stiffen in his arms before turning to putty as he nips at my ear before kissing down my neck and settling on his mark at the base where my neck and shoulder meet.

It has been months since I have been in his arms. The minute he walked away, I built a wall so large and thick in our link that he could never break through. Now months without his presence in my mind or in person takes a toll and has my body sagging with relief as the wall drops and his emotions and thoughts come rushing in. I feel his body shake behind me as he once again feels mine.

“Baby,” he sobs.

“I won’t forgive you, Rafe,” I force out through the tears in my throat.

“No. You will,” he spins me in his arms and his hands come up to cup my face, as his dark green eyes gaze deeply into mine. “You will see. When this is finally all over, you will see.”

I swallow around the lump embedded in my throat. As I step away from him, his hands drop to his sides. “I won’t Rafe, that’s why I’m here.”