IreneI walk into the packhouse and the first thing I see is Sophia standing there, waiting for me like she’s been glued to that spot all morning. Her arms open before I can even say hi, and then she’s pulling me in so tight it knocks the air out of me. For a second, I don’t even know what’s happening. Then the warmth hits me, like something is melting inside my chest where it’s felt cold since I said my goodbye to Ryan. My eyes burn and before I can stop it, tears spill over.Sophia doesn’t say anything, just holds me like she’s afraid to lose me. It is like she knows what happened with me... where was I, even though I haven't told her. She doesn't even asked anything just held me.I don’t know how she does it, but I swear I can feel something in me shifting, like she’s pulling the pain right out and patching it up with something softer. I know it’s her. I don’t need anyone to explain. I just know.Alexei hovers in the doorway like he can’t decide if it’s safe to leave me. His eyes k
AlexeiI stand beside Mikhail, arms crossed as we watch the younger wolves spar in the training yard. Dust kicks up under their paws, the air heavy with the sharp scent of sweat and fur. They move fast, snapping and circling, but most of them are sloppy. They need control if they’re going to work with the hunters. Anastasia’s idea for these joint drills of new recruits and newly shifted wolves was smart, but pulling it off is another story. Mikhail’s face is unreadable as always, eyes tracking every movement like he’s memorizing the strengths and weaknesses of each one. I know he already has a list forming in his head. Me? My attention keeps drifting. My wolf won’t settle. He paces in the back of my mind, claws raking, teeth bared, like he’s one second from shoving me aside and taking over.I grit my teeth and force the block between us, the mental wall I’ve built over years of training. I shove hard until he quiets down, though it takes effort."That one’s too reckless," Mikhail say
AlexeiStella is still at the packhouse, refusing to go home. I’ve sent a few of my wolves to dig into what’s really going on between her and Ryan. As much as I hate that guy, I know how much he doted on her, and I’m not entirely ready to believe her story about him leaving her to die. Still, I won’t decide what to do with Stella until I have the whole truth.But that can wait. Right now, my focus is Irene. I can see how weak she’s getting, and I know it’s because of her old mate bond breaking. Any wolf feels the hit of a bond severing, but hers was different. Rejection weakens the bond before it snaps. Death doesn’t. Hers was strong, and when it broke, it tore through her. Healing will take time, but it doesn’t stop me from worrying about her every second."Are you sure you want to go to the packhouse? She’s still there." Leaning against the wall, I cross my arms and watch her run a brush through her hair. Halfway through, she stops, her shoulders sagging with exhaustion. "I can call
Alexei Irene’s back rests against me, her body warm and soft, and my arm just hangs over her waist like it belongs there. Everyone’s gone now, the house is finally quiet. For a while, it was filled with laughter and chatter, Sophia pacing more than usual, restless in a way I couldn’t put a finger on. Only later, after Irene told me what she saw, what she experienced, I understood. Sophia felt it before I did. The weight of how close I came to losing Irene. Irene said what she witnessed was real, not some dream or her mind playing tricks on her. She can't justify how it is possible, but all she knows is that she met Ryder. And I believe her. And I hate it. I hate how close she came to crossing over, how close I came to being left behind. The thought sticks in my chest like a thorn. I tighten my arm around her, pulling her a little closer, and drop my chin on the top of her head. I don’t ever want to let her slip away again. She shifts, tilting her face up so her cheek brushes mine.
AlexeiHer voice is so faint I almost think I imagined it. My name, soft and fragile, slipping out of her lips while she stirs in my arms. My whole body jerks, and I sit up just enough to look at her face."Irene?" My voice comes out rough, desperate. I cup her cheek, my thumb brushing her skin, needing to feel her warmth under my hand.Her eyelids twitch, but she doesn’t fully wake. She’s caught somewhere in between, like she’s fighting her way back to me but not all the way there yet. Still, she called me. She said my name. That has to mean something.My chest burns with hope. She’s still with me. She hasn’t let go.Then I see it. A single tear slides out from the corner of her eye. I can’t let it fall. I wipe it away instantly, my thumb trembling. My heart twists so hard it almost breaks me. I can’t stop myself, I lean down and press my lips against hers. It’s not a kiss for passion, but for life, for a promise. I whisper against her mouth, "Irene... please. Wake up, sweetheart. Co
IreneMy eyes are closed, but I can feel it, like my body’s moving, drifting somewhere I can’t control. I don’t know if I’m floating or falling. There’s no pain. Not even a hint of it. Just… nothing. For a second, I think maybe I’ve stopped existing altogether, but then it all fades into black again.When my eyes open, my fingers stretch on their own and I feel damp grass under my palms, soft and cool. I just lie there, breathing in the fresh scent, staring at the sky. But it’s not the sky I know. Its color isn’t blue at all, it’s yellow, almost glowing. The same way I used to picture it when I was a pup, when I’d close my eyes and imagine the world painted brighter, stranger, magical.A smile tugs at my lips. It doesn’t matter that it isn’t right. It feels like it belongs here, like it belongs to me. Wherever “here” is, it feels safe. No fear pressing on my chest, no ache in my body, no voices whispering in my head. Just… quiet. For once, I let myself breathe it in and sigh, melting i