The moon had barely risen when word spread across the Eastern Highlands: the Alpha had summoned an emergency council meeting.The call was unexpected, yet none dared refuse. Cloaked figures emerged from the mountain passes and river valleys, their banners carried by warriors as they approached the heart of the Highlands—Wolfe Keep, the ancestral stronghold of Lucian’s bloodline.Inside the great hall, the fire blazed high in the stone hearth, casting long shadows across carved wooden pillars etched with the symbols of the wolf packs who had pledged loyalty to the Wolfe line for centuries. The air was thick with anticipation, whispers of speculation curling through the gathered elders.Why had the Alpha summoned them so suddenly?What decree could not wait till morning?At the head of the chamber, Lucian stood tall, his dark presence commanding instant silence. The weight of his power pressed into the air—an Alpha at the height of his authority. Yet, there was something different tonig
Rayne’s voice trembled as she pulled away from Lucian’s kiss, her palms pressed against his chest, feeling the thunder of his heartbeat. His hands lingered on her waist, unwilling to let her go, but his sharp eyes immediately caught the shift in her tone.“There’s something I need to tell you, Lucian.” she said again.His gaze searched hers, fierce and unyielding, though soft with the tenderness he only ever showed her. “What is it?” he asked, his voice low, carrying both command and concern. “Whatever it is—you can tell me.”Rayne’s lips parted, then closed again, as nerves twisted inside her like a storm. She had faced enemies on battlefields, stood before councils who doubted her, defied fate itself—yet here, with Lucian’s piercing eyes fixed on her, she felt stripped bare.Her fingers trembled as she clasped his hand, placing it gently over her stomach.At first, he didn’t understand. His brow furrowed as his thumb brushed across her abdomen. Then her whisper broke through the sil
The winds of the Eastern Highlands carried with them the crisp bite of autumn, sharp and unforgiving, yet Lucian Wolfe hardly noticed. He stood at the threshold of his stronghold, his gaze fixed on the valley below, where the shadows of twilight stretched long and restless. His people had seen him endure wars, betrayals, and even the death of his father—but nothing had ever truly hollowed him the way losing her had.Rayne Valen.Her name was a wound he never allowed to heal.He told himself she had chosen another life, another future, that her silence was final. Yet in the quiet hours of night, when the world slumbered and duty released its grip, he still found himself staring at the empty space beside him, hearing her laughter like a ghost that would not fade.He had vowed never to wait for her again. But when the horn at the gates sounded, announcing a visitor from beyond Valen borders, his heart betrayed him with a violent thrum.Lucian moved fast—too fast for an Alpha trying to ke
Rayne’s heart thudded painfully, memories crashing into her all at once—the night she left Lucian behind, the agony of seeing the pain her decision brought him. All this time she had thought herself too late, that destiny had chosen another mate for him. But Cain’s words ripped that belief out by the root.She shook her head, though the tremor in her hands betrayed her. “No… no, you don’t understand. Lucian—he—” Her voice broke, and she pressed her lips together hard, swallowing the rest.Cain’s eyes softened, but his tone remained firm. “I understand more than you think. I saw the way you looked at each other back then. I also saw it at the inn, in the battles, even when you tried to bury it beneath anger and pride. Love like that doesn’t vanish, Rayne. It burrows into your bones, whether you acknowledge it or not.”Rayne closed her eyes, the truth of his words scraping against the walls she had built. She remembered Lucian’s steady hand catching hers when her mask threatened to slip
Garran remained still beside Rayne, his arms at his sides, his expression calm though his heart pounded like a drum inside his chest. He had never sought the crown, never dreamed of standing where he now stood—yet Rayne’s words, Cain’s defense, and the eyes of the council bore down on him like a mantle already placed upon his shoulders.Elder Marrow, whose silver hair gleamed in the torchlight, rose next. He had been the fiercest supporter of Rayne’s father, and his gaze cut like steel as it moved from Rayne to Garran. “You would give us a foreigner to lead us, Rayne Valen? A man who was once nothing more than a sword at your side? Leadership is more than battle scars. It is bloodline. It is history. It is legacy.”Rayne’s chest tightened, but she met the elder’s glare unflinchingly. “Legacy is nothing if there is no one left to carry it.” Her voice rang across the chamber, unwavering. “I have given you my bloodline. I have given you my legacy. But if you cling to it, if you refuse to
The fire in the council chamber had burned low, but neither Rayne nor Garran had left. Hours had passed in silence, the tension between them stretching thin as steel wire. Garran stood at the tall window, gazing out at the training yard below where warriors sparred, their shouts and grunts muffled by thick stone walls. Rayne sat slumped in her chair, her body weary, but her spirit refusing to yield.He had refused her request. Refused the crown she was ready to place upon him. But Rayne knew Garran well—beneath his calm exterior was a man of relentless loyalty, a man who would never abandon her even if he did not take her place.And yet, if she was to secure Valen’s future, if she was to ensure no more blood was shed over its leadership, she could not leave him ignorant of the truth any longer.Her hand drifted once more to her stomach, the gesture instinctive, protective. She froze when she realized Garran’s sharp eyes had caught the movement. He turned, his expression unreadable.“Yo