The day was still tense at the Crystal pack. Warriors had been sent out in every direction. Some searched for Rina, some searched for Darius and the girls. The pack house felt emptier without so many men around. Rowland sat in his chair, brooding.
Maggie walked into the hall. Her steps were quick, and her face showed frustration. She looked around before her eyes landed on Rowland.“You are making a mistake,” she said.Rowland glanced at her, his tone dismissive. “What do you mean?”“You sent too many men away,” Maggie replied. “Almost half of the warriors are out. Some in one direction, some in another. Tell me, Rowland, what happens if an enemy comes now? What if they know you weakened your pack by scattering your men? What if they strike when you least expect it?”Rowland leaned back in his chair. “I am doing what any alpha must do. My pack has traitors who fled. I must bring them back. That is my duty.”Maggie stepped closerAlpha Glint had grown quiet in the last few days. He was a man of power, and his authority was never questioned by anyone in his pack. Still, something troubled him. He found his thoughts often circling back to Mara, the woman who had refused to give him an answer immediately when he first asked her to carry a child for him. Days had passed, yet she had not returned to him with a decision.One evening, Alpha Glint stood in his chambers, gazing out the tall window that overlooked the pack houses and the wolves walking below. His hand held a glass of wine, the dark liquid catching the light of the setting sun. He thought of his pack, of his daughter Leah, and of the future of his bloodline. He knew he was not young anymore, and his thoughts now often wandered to the question of heirs.At last, he gave the order for Mara to be sent for again. His guards went, and soon Mara entered his chambers. She carried herself with calm grace, her steps measured, her face composed
Rowland paced the floor of the Crystal pack house like a beast caged in. His men had been gone for hours, and he was getting impatient waiting for an answer. Every second without news was another knife in his chest. He wanted answers, and he wanted them fast. At last, the door opened, and the men he had sent the previous day came in. Their faces carried the look of men who had failed. Rowland’s eyes narrowed. “Well?” he barked. “Speak. What did you find?” The first man, an older warrior named Terron, bowed his head. “We followed the trail, Alpha. The scent led us beyond the eastern woods and close to the Feral pack. We could smell Darius there. The tracks were fresh, and we are sure they crossed into that land.” Rowland leaned forward, his hands gripping the table. “And did you enter? Did you see Darius and the girls?” The second man, Darel, shook his head. “We tried,
Kendrick had been on the road for many days. His search for Rina had carried him far from the Crystal pack, through rivers, forests, and long stretches of lonely paths. His body was strong, but even he was beginning to feel the weight of the endless journey. He never let himself rest for too long. Each time he thought of Rina, of her leaving the pack alone with the burden of her pregnancy, his chest tightened with guilt and fear. He knew she must have been desperate to go. He knew she must have felt unsafe under Rowland’s rule.By evening, he reached the borders of a pack he had never visited before. The scent of the wolves here was different and he could see warriors moving near the gate. This was the Khaalal pack. The guards stopped him at once. “Who are you? Speak before you take another step.”Kendrick raised his hands slightly. “I am Kendrick, son of Alpha Simon of the Crystal pack. I come with no harm. I seek only passage and perhaps some help.”
The days passed slowly in the human territory. Rina stayed in the small house with Beatrice, and although it was peaceful compared to the Crystal pack, she still carried fear inside her heart. She often woke up at night with heavy thoughts. The hunters in the city, the dangers she had escaped, and the babies she carried all pressed on her spirit.One morning, as the sun rose gently over the roofs of the houses, Rina felt a strange tightness in her abdomen. At first, she thought it was hunger or maybe the way she had slept the night before. But then the feeling grew sharper. It was not a sudden pain, but rather a dragging weight, a pressure that kept spreading from her lower belly to her back. She gasped, holding herself and leaning against the wooden frame of the bed.Beatrice, who had been sweeping the floor, noticed her sudden movement and hurried toward her. “What is it? Tell me what you feel,” Beatrice asked with worry in her voice.Rina pres
Chapter 137The morning was calm when Rina first opened her eyes. The house was quiet. Beatrice had gone outside to tend to her small garden. Rina placed a hand over her stomach and felt the steady weight of her unborn babies. For a moment, she let herself believe the world outside was peaceful.Then the sound came.At first, it was faint—distant shouts and the sharp crack of voices raised in alarm. Soon the sound grew louder. It was not one voice but many, filled with anger and fear. Then came the cries. Screams that pierced the stillness of the day. Rina sat upright, her heart racing.The door opened quickly. Beatrice rushed inside, her face pale, her hands still dirty from the soil.“Rina,” she said, her voice tight with fear. “I don't need you to worry, I know you're new here and might not understand what all the noise is about. There are hunters. Werewolf hunters. They are in the city and that's why there's so much chaos out there.”
The day was still tense at the Crystal pack. Warriors had been sent out in every direction. Some searched for Rina, some searched for Darius and the girls. The pack house felt emptier without so many men around. Rowland sat in his chair, brooding. Maggie walked into the hall. Her steps were quick, and her face showed frustration. She looked around before her eyes landed on Rowland.“You are making a mistake,” she said.Rowland glanced at her, his tone dismissive. “What do you mean?”“You sent too many men away,” Maggie replied. “Almost half of the warriors are out. Some in one direction, some in another. Tell me, Rowland, what happens if an enemy comes now? What if they know you weakened your pack by scattering your men? What if they strike when you least expect it?”Rowland leaned back in his chair. “I am doing what any alpha must do. My pack has traitors who fled. I must bring them back. That is my duty.”Maggie stepped closer