Chapter four

Jake’s grey eyes lingered on the letter spread across his desk, the elegant handwriting spelling out what he already knew: Alpha Draven requests your presence for a meeting between packs.

He hated the idea.

Draven’s name had long been tangled with rumors—of cruelty toward his people, of shady alliances, of wolves who mysteriously never returned after entering his borders. Jake had no interest in playing politics with a man whose reputation reeked of blood and dishonor.

“I don’t like this,” he muttered, folding the letter with a sharp flick of his wrist.

Josh, leaning lazily against the office doorframe, raised a brow. “You don’t like most things that involve sitting at a table instead of a training mat.”

“This is different,” Jake snapped, his voice low but edged. “Draven’s pack is rotten. Everyone knows it. And I’m supposed to sit across from him, pretend we’re equals?”

Josh’s easy smile faltered. “You know we can’t ignore the summons. Refusing would be seen as a challenge. We can’t afford unnecessary war.”

Jake pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew his beta was right, but the thought of stepping foot in Draven’s territory gnawed at him like a thorn. His wolf paced restlessly inside him, growling in protest.

“Fine,” he said at last, his tone clipped. “We’ll go. But only because I won’t risk my pack safety over that man’s ego.”

Two days later, Jake rode at the front of a small escort, Josh at his side and a group of guards trailing behind. The journey was quiet, the forest path narrowing as Maxwell’s borders loomed ahead.

The change was immediate.

Where Jake’s Midnight Summer Pack was lush with life—trees tall and proud, the air fresh and light—Maxwell’s land felt choked. The trees stood crooked, their branches like twisted claws. Moss clung to bark in damp patches, and the very air carried a heaviness, thick with the stench of earth and something darker, something that made Jake’s wolf bristle.

“Charming,” Josh muttered under his breath as they approached the gates.

The guards stationed there were broad and scarred, their eyes sharp with suspicion. They opened the gates only after a tense exchange, lingering glances following Jake and his party as they passed through. Every step felt like walking into a cage built for intimidation.

Inside, the pack house rose like a fortress, tall and imposing but devoid of warmth. The stone walls were stark, the windows narrow slits that gave no welcome. Jake’s jaw clenched. To him, a pack house was supposed to be a home, a heart for the wolves who lived within. This place looked more like a prison.

The hallway to the meeting hall was long, lined with torches that flickered against the cold stone. Shadows danced across the walls as guards and council members took positions, watching their every move. Jake noted the tense postures, the subtle hierarchy in how each warrior stood. Even the air seemed to hum with silent warnings.

The Bloodfang Pack’s hall reeked of smoke and ale. Torches lined the stone walls, their flames casting shadows that danced like restless spirits. Alpha Draven, a tall brute with scars across his jaw, leaned lazily in his chair at the head of the long table. His eyes gleamed like a predator sizing up prey.

Alpha Jake sat across from him, calm and composed, though his wolf paced restlessly beneath his skin. Josh, his Beta, sat at his side, hands folded neatly but eyes sharp, watching every move.

“We appreciate you hosting this meeting,” Jake said evenly. His deep voice carried the quiet authority of an Alpha who didn’t need to shout to command a room. “But if we’re to discuss rogue activity on the border, let’s focus on solutions, not small talk.”

Draven smirked. “Straight to business. I like that. But peace doesn’t come cheap, Alpha Jake. Nothing does.”

Jake’s jaw tightened, though his face gave nothing away. “Peace isn’t something you buy. It’s something you maintain through strength and discipline.”

Draven chuckled, sipping from his goblet. “Strength, eh? We’ll see.”

Jake ignored the provocation. He’d dealt with men like Draven before—power-hungry Alphas who loved to test boundaries. Normally, he would have matched word with word, dominance with dominance. But today, his wolf wasn’t focused on Draven.

It was… unsettled.

Jake shifted slightly, his grey eyes narrowing as a strange sensation rippled through him. His wolf froze, ears pricking, hackles rising. Then, all at once—he smelled it.

Sweet. Warm. Wild. A scent that wrapped around his senses, pulling at his very soul.

Mate.

The word thundered in his mind like a war drum. His chest constricted, his heartbeat pounding so hard it echoed in his ears. Sparks ignited under his skin, racing through his veins with a force that nearly knocked him breathless.

He pushed back his chair abruptly, earning startled looks from the Bloodfang warriors. Josh leaned closer, whispering, “Jake? What is it?”

But Jake was already moving. He didn’t answer, didn’t think—he couldn’t. His wolf pulled him like a leash, dragging him toward a side corridor that reeked of damp stone and iron.

The scent grew stronger with every step. His pulse raced. His wolf growled low in his chest, hungry, desperate. She’s here.

And then he saw her.

We found her, his wolf, Zach growled, fierce and exultant.

Behind iron bars, slumped on the cold floor, was a girl. Her wrists were raw from ropes, her lip split, her clothes torn. But even battered and bruised, she was the most breathtaking thing he had ever seen.

Emily.

Her wide eyes lifted at the sound of footsteps. The moment their gazes met, the bond struck like lightning. Sparks leapt across the air, searing them both. Emily’s breath hitched, her heart slamming against her ribs.

Mate.

Her wolf whimpered in recognition, trembling with a mix of longing and disbelief.

Emily's chest tightened. Somewhere deep in her mind, her mother's voice whispered, “your mate is your other half, the one choose to love and protect you.”

But the memory cut like a blade. Maxwell had once been her mate, and he had broken her. Why should this Alpha be any different?

Jake gripped the bars so hard the metal groaned under his strength. His wolf surged forward, demanding he break them down and pull her into his arms. His jaw clenched, his voice a growl when he finally spoke.

“Mine.”

Emily flinched at the word, confusion flickering in her tear-filled eyes. She couldn’t believe it. After everything—after rejection, humiliation, and pain—the Moon Goddess had given her another mate? An Alpha? Her heart yearned for him, but fear clenched its claws deep.

“Alpha Jake,” Draven’s voice boomed behind him.

Jake turned slowly, his eyes blazing. “Why is she here?”

Draven smirked, as if he’d been waiting for this. “A runaway omega from Silverfang. My men found her wandering in the forest. She’s pack property, and until Silverfang claims her, she’s mine.”

Jake’s growl shook the corridor. “She’s not property. She’s my mate.”

Gasps rippled through the nearby guards. Josh stiffened at Jake’s side, bracing for the storm he knew was coming.

Draven leaned casually against the doorway, his smirk widening. “Ah… so the great Alpha Jake finally finds his Luna. Interesting. But you see, things don’t just belong to you because you say so. She’s in my territory. And here, everything has a price.”

Jake’s wolf roared inside him, urging him to tear Draven apart. His hands twitched against the bars, every muscle begging to break them down and carry Emily away. But Jake’s mind held steady, calculating. A reckless move could spark war between their packs.

Still, his voice was a blade. “Name your price.”

Draven’s grin was slow and cruel. “Oh, don’t worry. We’ll discuss it. But for now, she stays.”

Emily’s throat tightened as she looked between the two Alphas. Part of her wanted to collapse into Jake’s arms, to believe in the bond blazing between them. But another part—the broken, wounded part—whispered that mates could betray, abandon, and destroy.

She shrank back into the shadows of her cell, her heart caught between hope and fear.

Jake’s grey eyes never left hers. His wolf howled, furious at the distance, at her pain, at the chains that bound her.

I’ll get you out, he promised silently, his gaze fierce. No one will hurt you again. You’re mine bambi.

And for the first time in years, Emily didn’t feel completely alone.