Mag-log inRey woke to stillness.Not the brittle, watchful quiet she had learnt to sleep through over the years, but something softer and warmer. The slow rise and fall of a chest beneath her palm and the steady rhythm of breathing that did not expect danger at dawn.Orion was fast asleep beside her, and the realization of it alone felt unreal.He lay on his back, one arm flung above his head, dark hair loosened from its usual restraint. In sleep, the lines of command and fury eased from his face, leaving behind the man beneath the Alpha. Young, vulnerable and almost unbearably human.She shifted carefully, lifting herself onto one elbow so she could look at him without waking him. The furs were tangled around his waist, his bare chest exposed to the pale morning light slipping through the narrow window.Her gaze traced familiar planes—broad shoulders, the hard lines of muscle earned through battle and burden, then it caught on the scars.Two small, puckered marks on his chest from the bullet w
Rey melted into the kiss, her lips parting under his. It felt like a lifetime ago since she felt his warmth against her, and the taste of him ignited something deep within her.She pressed closer, her fingers threading through his hair, pulling him nearer as if afraid, he'd vanish again. The kiss grew hungrier, their tongues brushing in fervent strokes, breaths mingling in hot abandon, and she felt a spark of life return to her limbs, chasing away the numbness of grief.Orion broke the kiss only to trail his mouth along her jaw and down her neck, savouring the way she shivered."It feels like a lifetime since I've held you,' he said softly, his voice coaxing as he nuzzled her skin.He guided her back toward the bed, their hands exploring tentatively at first, his over her shoulders, hers tracing the contours of his ripped abdomen and the sinewy lines of his arms. They sank onto the mattress together, their bodies aligning naturally.As they settled, Rey felt the heat building between
Orion gasped as bright white light blinded him, and the meadow dissolved into nothingness. His body fell through cold air, weightless and suspended between consciousness and the world he had left behind.Then, with a jarring thud, he woke to warmth.Not the sharp bite of snow or the ache of cold seeping into his bones, but heat, steady and enveloping, wrapped around him like a second skin. His breath shuddered as consciousness returned, pain blooming slowly across his chest and ribs.Fur brushed against his bare arms.He blinked slowly, his eyes adjusting to dim golden light overhead, and found himself lying on a wide bed he didn’t recognise. Heavy furs were draped over him, rich and impossibly soft, the kind reserved for royalty. The air smelt of herbs, smoke, and something faintly floral.He frowned.This wasn’t the afterlife, and it certainly wasn’t where he had fallen.Orion tried to move and hissed sharply as pain tore through him. His hand flew instinctively to his chest, finger
Orion opened his eyes slowly, blinking back the darkness curling around the edge of his sight. The darkness gradually cleared and the world around him came into focus.Around him, there was nothing but an endless abyss. Black stretched infinitely in every direction, swallowing sound, time, and sense. And yet, in the center of that void, a figure hovered before him, radiant, serene and untouched by the darkness around them.It was the goddess, Selene and somehow, the most innate part of him recognised his maker.“Where am I?" He asked hesitantly, the sound of his voice echoing back.The last thing he remembered was the look in Reylin's eyes before he slipped into nothingness.Was this life after death?He'd never really wondered where he would go after he breathed his last, but he was sure it wouldn't be good and he'd come to terms with the fact that he deserved it.Her gaze fell upon him, calm and unreadable, yet there was an unspoken weight in her eyes.“You're stuck somewhere betwee
Long after Orion drew his last breath, Rey stayed curled over his body, her arms locked around his chest as if she could cage his soul inside her ribs if she held him tightly enough.Snow settled into her hair, melting against her cheeks and mixing with tears that wouldn’t stop falling.“Get away from him,” she snarled hoarsely when hands reached for her. “Don’t touch him. Don’t—don’t you dare!”Rey wouldn't let anyone near him or allow the Lycan warriors to take his body away.Her fingers were numb and stained red from his blood from where she'd still been pressing uselessly against wounds that refused to heal. She beat his chest again anyway. Again and again, as if effort alone could rewrite death.Aleksandr knelt a short distance away, his jaw clenched so tightly it ached, while Caspian stood frozen beside him, his bloodied hands hanging uselessly at his sides, but neither of them spoke. There was nothing left to say but watch Rey face the pain of losing a mate.Rey bent forward, h
Rey tried to take a step closer, but Malcolm was quick—viciously so—to press the barrel of the gun tighter against Beau's temple. The metal dug into his skin, causing him to flinch as he stared wide-eyed at his sister."Take another step closer and I will paint the snow with his fucking brains!" he snarled, and Rey stilled.Her fingers trembled around the blade she was gripping. The cold steel wasn’t half as chilling as the look on Beau’s face. He didn’t show fear; no, instead, his wide, soft eyes were filled with something far worse—pity. For her, for Orion and for everything.“Please don’t hurt him,” she whispered, her voice cracking. Malcolm let out a low, gleeful chuckle that scraped along her spine like a blade.Orion growled, the deep sound vibrating through the air, but he didn’t lunge. Not with the gun still pressed against Beau’s skull. He was furious, but for the first time in his life, fury wasn’t enough; he wouldn't risk Beau's life in that way.The bullets in my gun are l







