When the Alpha King finally stirred awake, the tension in the air nearly suffocated me. His chest rose with a slow breath, and when his eyelids fluttered open, his wolf aura rippled across the room like a storm breaking free. For a heartbeat, the entire Shadowfang pack seemed to exhale in relief.But Jasper, he didn’t waste a single second.“Father,” he said firmly, stepping forward, “there’s something I must ask. Let me take Lydia as my Luna. With her gift, her medical skill, and our bond, I can’t stand to leave her. And neither can our pup.”My chest tightened. His words hung heavy, like chains trying to lock me in place.The Alpha King turned his gaze on me, sharp and measuring. His eyes narrowed as if he could read every thought written on my face.“This Omega…” he muttered, his voice still hoarse but laced with power. “She doesn’t want to be Luna. I can see it written all over her expression.”Jasper didn’t even flinch. He stepped closer, his voice low but steady.“So what if she
My words slipped out before I could even think.“H-Hell no!” His voice cracked with raw disbelief. The desire in his gaze dimmed instantly, replaced by something wounded. Even his wolf, Jacob, whimpered and went silent inside his chest.The silence between us was thick. For once, Jasper didn’t fight back. He looked at me with that desperate, almost lost look, then finally muttered, “You need to cool down. I’ll give you some space.”He left the room, the door clicking softly behind him.I barely had a moment to breathe when Amelia stormed in.Her voice was dripping with smugness as she crossed her arms. “Lydia, the Alpha King says you could give it a shot. Treat him. Since Jasper failed to bring the healer, and you once studied under one. But...” she tilted her head, smirking, “you should know the risk. If you fail to cure the Alpha King, you’ll be buried right next to him.”Her tone was venom, her smile almost gleeful at the thought.I shrugged, trying not to give her the satisfaction
Brayden’s face went pale when Jasper said I was his mate. His jaw flexed, but instead of shouting, he lowered his voice, almost like he was trying to keep control.“Then tell me,” Brayden asked, eyes narrowing on Jasper, “why the hell did you leave her out there? Huh? Why did you let her live alone on the edge land if she’s your mate?”Jasper’s brows furrowed deep. He didn’t answer fast enough, and I felt the air grow heavy.Before Jasper could open his mouth, Liam shoved past him and ran straight into my room. The boy flung himself at me, wrapping his small arms tight around my waist.“Mom!” he cried, voice breaking, “are you trying to dump me? Dad and I waited for you in Silvermoon pack, but you never came back! You just left us there!”I froze. My arms stayed stiff at my sides. I tried to pull back from his grip, to breathe, to steady myself. Liam’s scent, the little warmth of his body, all of it clawed at me, but I forced myself to stand still.When he realized I wasn’t hugging him
Lydia’s POVI never thought my life would settle into something steady after leaving Silvermoon. But out here, at the very edge of the pack’s territory, I finally found a place that felt… respectful. No one looked at me like I was worthless, not anymore.Meryl had been the one to change everything for me. She wasn’t just a healer; she was patient, tough, and sharper than any Alpha I’d ever met. Under her teaching, I learned how to treat wounds, how to tell when a fever was about to break, how to use herbs to draw out poison, even how to set bones when warriors came limping back from rogue fights.Day by day, my hands grew steadier. The first time I stitched up a boy’s arm after he’d been torn open in training, he looked at me like I’d saved his world. Maybe I had. After that, people started coming to me for help.Pretty soon, it wasn’t just the wolves from the outer huts. Rogues, those living just outside the boundaries, the ones no one wanted to claim, started showing up too. At f
Jasper’s POVAfter days of traveling, dust and exhaustion clinging to us like a second skin, Liam and I finally crossed the border of Silvermoon pack. The cold mountain air bit at my lungs, and the tall pines stretched like guardians around their territory. My wolf was restless, pushing inside my chest. He wanted to find her. He wanted to see Lydia.I rubbed my temples and exhaled. *Steady now. First things first.*“Go, Liam,” I told my son, my voice rough from the long road. “Ask the healer to help us. I’ll go find your mom.”Liam shook his head fast, his eyes stubborn and too much like mine. “No, Dad. I’m not just gonna sit around while you find her. I’m going too. Why don’t you talk to the healer instead, and I’ll find Mom?”I clenched my jaw. That boy was getting bold, too bold. For a moment, irritation flickered, but I swallowed it down. He wasn’t wrong to want his mother. “How about this,” I muttered. “We talk to the healer soon, and then get to see your mom.”We made our w
Jasper’s POVThe night had been restless. Liam’s words earlier still echoed in my head, and maybe he had voiced what ’d been too afraid to admit. He wanted his mother back, and deep down, I wanted her too. My wolf, Jacob, had been nagging me for days, pushing, growling, restless before, and now quiet, motionless, and dumb, until I couldn’t take it anymore.So that morning, I finally asked Liam straight out.“Liam,” I said, watching him carefully, “are you willing to go back to the Silvermoon pack to get your mom?”He looked at me, his young face caught between hope and fear. Then he nodded, firm. “Yes. I want her back.”Something heavy lifted from my chest. At least I wasn’t the only one thinking it.Before we could even start planning, though, Amelia noticed us packing. She stood in the doorway with her arms crossed, brows pinched.“Where are you two going?” she asked, her voice sharp.I shot Liam a quick look, raising my eyebrows, trying to tell him don’t say anything. But the boy