Chapter 3

The towering gates of the East Pack rose from the mist like ancient sentinels—blackstone laced with silver veins, pulsing faintly with enchantments meant to detect outsiders, and repel magic. The energy in the air shifted as Ava and Ashton approached, thick and oppressive like a brewing super storm.

Ava tightened the hood over her head, the coarse wool brushing against the mark on her wrist. It throbbed, a soft pulse beneath her skin, like it always did when Ashton was near. The tension between them since the attack in the forest had not eased. If anything, it had sharpened. So sharpened enough.

The guards stationed at the gate didn’t move at first. They just watched with sharp, calculating eyes—wolf-born, trained not just to protect but to judge.

Ashton swung down from his horse with the elegance of an Alpha. His expression was cool, composed, but Ava could see the set of his shoulders: alert. Ready for anything.

Ava followed suit, her boots crunching lightly on frost-covered stone as the gates finally groaned open.

And there she was. She was standing there, staring.

The woman who made Ava’s stomach twist and spine straighten all at once. She cannot deal with it.

Tall and imposing, Beta Kaelin strode through the arch like she owned the entire territory. Her skin was a rich bronze, catching the dull sunlight like burnished metal, and her long black hair was braided with silver rings that clinked softly as she moved. She wore armor that hugged her form too perfectly for it to be merely ceremonial, and her amber eyes gleamed with sharp amusement as she sized up Ashton.

“Alpha Ashton,” she said with a smile that was anything but warm. “Still brooding. I see nothing’s changed.”

Ashton gave her a tight nod. “Beta Kaelin.”

Ava’s brow arched. So they knew each other well enough for casual jabs and that tone.

Kaelin turned her gaze to Ava, and the heat of it was like sunlight focused through a lens. Sharp. Scrutinizing.

“And you must be the witch,” Kaelin said.

Ava met her stare. “Ava.”

Kaelin’s smile widened, clearly waiting for her to say something more—until Ava added, softly but pointedly, “Luna-to-be.”

That changed the air. Ashton tensed slightly beside her, and Kaelin tilted her head.

“Oh? That’s news. Last I heard, Ashton wasn’t the… claiming type.”

“He doesn’t have to be,” Ava replied coolly. “The bond claims us both.”

Kaelin laughed—rich and mocking—and turned on her heel. “You’ll do just fine here.”

The East Pack’s fortress was both beautiful and brutal. Ava drank in every detail: obsidian statues of their ancestors, enchanted lanterns flickering with blue fire, and protective runes carved into nearly every surface. The magic here was strong—structured, controlled, not the wild, intuitive force she carried.

The courtyard buzzed with activity: young wolves sparring, elders whispering in corners, and guards who never stopped watching. Ava’s power prickled beneath her skin, reacting instinctively to the foreign energy around her.

They entered the war hall—a circular chamber crowned with a dome of stained glass. The floor was polished dark wood, the walls lined with maps, weapon racks, and banners bearing the East Pack crest: a silver wolf with eyes like fire.

And in the center stood Alpha Rhian.

He was older than Ashton, but no less commanding. His silver-streaked hair was pulled back into a knot, and his eyes were piercing and strange—like moonlight through smoke. His presence quieted the room the moment they stepped inside.

“Alpha Ashton,” he said with measured warmth. “And the witch we’ve heard so much about.”

Ava inclined her head. “I’m here to help. But I don’t play games.”

A faint smile tugged at Rhian’s lips. “Good. Because this is not a game.”

Kaelin moved to his side, unfurling a large map across the war table. “The attacks began near the southern border,” she said, pointing to a stretch of forest. “Scorch marks. No bodies. No scent trails. Just… death.”

Ava stepped closer, scanning the patterns of the reported attacks. Her fingers hovered over the parchment, a tingle running through her skin.

“This isn’t random,” she said. “These aren’t ambushes. Someone—or something—is tracing a path. They’re following the ley lines.”

Rhian raised an eyebrow. “Ley lines?”

“Natural conduits of magical energy. Invisible to most, but not to those like me. If someone’s corrupted one, they could channel dark magic through the land itself.”

Kaelin folded her arms. “So what? We’re being poisoned by the earth?”

“No,” Ava said. “You’re being hunted through it.”

A moment of silence passed. Then Rhian spoke, his voice quiet.

“You’ll go to the site tomorrow. Dawn. Kaelin will lead you.”

Ava nodded, but Kaelin’s eyes didn’t leave Ashton.

“If anything happens to her, Alpha, I assume you’ll be… protective?”

“I don’t assume anything,” Ashton said coldly. “I act.”

Ava caught Kaelin’s smirk as they turned to leave. The tension between the three of them was palpable, pulsing like a second heartbeat in the room.

When they reached the guest wing, Ava finally let her mask slip.

“You slept with her,” she said, not a question.

Ashton paused. “A long time ago.”

“Is that why she can’t keep her eyes off you?”

He faced her, jaw tight. “That has nothing to do with now.”

“No?” Ava stepped closer, fury sparking under her skin. “Because I’m not going to be used as some pawn in a pissing contest between you and your ex.”

“You’re not a pawn,” he said, voice suddenly rough. “You’re the reason I’m even here.”

“Then start acting like it.”

A beat of silence. And then—softly—

“I see you, Ava. I always have. But the second I claim you, I can’t undo it.”

“And you’re still afraid of what that means,” she whispered.

He didn’t deny it.

He just walked away.