Se connecterThe first day was the hardest. I moved through the cabin like a ghost. Touching things he had touched. Breathing in the air that still held his scent. The fire crackled and popped but it did not bring me any comfort. Every shadow felt like a threat. Every sound made me jump.I tried to keep busy. I organized the supplies. I stacked wood by the door. I swept the floor even though it was already clean. I did anything to keep my hands moving and my mind occupied. But nothing worked. The silence was too heavy. The emptiness was too vast.I sat by the window and watched the path. The sun moved across the sky in a slow arc. The shadows lengthened and shortened. I watched it all with a hollow feeling in my chest. He was out there somewhere. Facing who knows what. And I was here. Helpless and waiting.I ate a small meal at midday. The food tasted like nothing. I forced it down because I knew I needed to keep my strength up. But my stomach was in knots. Every bite felt like swallowing stones.
I woke to find him already awake and watching me. His eyes were soft in the dim light of the cabin. The fire had burned down to embers but there was still enough warmth to keep the chill away. I blinked at him and smiled. "How long have you been watching me?" I asked. "Long enough," he said. "You are beautiful when you sleep." I reached out and touched his face. His skin was warm beneath my fingers. "You are beautiful all the time." He turned his head and pressed a kiss to my palm. "We need to talk about something." The way he said it made my stomach tighten. I sat up slowly and pulled the blanket around me. "What is it?" He sat up too. His face was serious. I could see him choosing his words carefully. That was never a good sign. "I have to leave," he said. "Just for a few days. There is something I need to handle." My heart dropped. "Leave? Where are you going?" "Someone I trust sent word," he said. "There is a situation. Something I need to deal with in person. I would no
I woke to the smell of smoke and something cooking. My eyes opened slowly and I found myself alone in the pile of furs. The fire was still burning low in the hearth and the cabin was warm. I sat up and looked around. He was not there. I felt a small moment of panic before I heard movement outside. Then his voice came through the door."Are you awake?"I relaxed and smiled. "Yes. Come in."He pushed the door open and stepped inside. He was carrying a pot of something that smelled incredible. His face was flushed from the cold and his hair was slightly damp."I found some berries," he said. "And I caught a fish. I made us breakfast."I stared at him. "You caught a fish. In the mountains. In the winter."He shrugged. "There is a stream not far from here. The water is cold but the fish are there. I learned how to catch them years ago."I got up and walked over to him. The pot was filled with a stew of some kind. It smelled wonderful. My stomach growled loudly and he laughed."Sit down," h
We walked for hours through the forest. The ground was still wet from the rain but the sun had come out fully now. Beams of light cut through the canopy and lit up the moss and ferns in patches of brilliant green. I felt like we were walking through a dream. Everything was so vivid and alive. The air smelled like earth and leaves and something sweet I could not identify.He led the way with a confidence that came from knowing this place well. I followed close behind him. Watching the way he moved through the trees. The way his feet found the surest path without hesitation. There was something beautiful about watching him like this. So sure of himself. So completely in his element."How much further?" I asked after we had been walking for a while.He glanced back at me. "Another few hours. We will stop for a break soon. There is a spot up ahead I want to show you."I nodded and kept walking. My legs were starting to ache but I did not complain. I wanted to see what he wanted to show me
The morning came with rain. Not the gentle kind that pattered softly on leaves. This was the kind that came down in sheets, heavy and insistent, turning the ground to mud and the sky to grey. I woke to the sound of it drumming on whatever shelter we had managed to find the night before. I blinked and looked around, disoriented for just a moment before I remembered where I was.He was already awake. Sitting up with his back against a tree, watching the rain fall. He had a look on his face that I had not seen before. Distant and thoughtful. Like his mind was somewhere else entirely. I reached out and touched his arm."Good morning," I said.He turned to look at me and the distance in his eyes faded. A smile spread across his face. It was not as bright as usual but it was real."Good morning," he said. "I did not want to wake you. You looked peaceful."I sat up and moved closer to him. The rain was coming down hard but our spot was mostly sheltered. A large overhang of rock kept us dry.
I woke before him again. The light was different this time. Grey and soft like the sky could not decide what it wanted to do. I lay still and watched him sleep. His face was turned toward me and his hand rested on my hip like he had reached for me in the night and stayed there. I did not move. I did not want to break the spell of the moment.His eyes opened slowly. He blinked once twice and then focused on me. A slow smile spread across his face. It was the kind of smile that made me feel like I was the most important person in the world. He did not say anything. He just looked at me and let his hand tighten on my hip."Good morning," I finally said."Good morning," he answered. His voice was rough and warm. "Did you sleep?""Yes. Did you?""Some," he said. "I woke up a few times. I kept checking to make sure you were still here."I reached out and touched his face. "I am still here. I will always be here."He turned his head and pressed a kiss to my palm. "I know. I am starting to be
Three years had passed since Ronan and I first spoke openly of starting our own family. The pack of Stormridge Shadow had grown into a true power across the mountain territories. Villages that once stood divided now blended seamlessly. New homes built with stone and timber rose beside ancient trees
The bond that should have stayed dead was about to drag us both under in the worst way possible.A loud bang on the cell bars jerked me awake. My side still throbbed but the bleeding had slowed. A Shadowfang guard stood there scowling.“Alpha wants you upstairs. Now. Move.”I got up slow, chains ra
The second Ronan slammed the cell door, I knew the real fight was just starting between us.Cold stone pressed against my back as I slumped on the floor of the reinforced cell deep under Shadowfang’s main hall. My side burned from the fresh wound, blood still seeping slow through the rough bandage.
The snow turned red the second our packs slammed together, and the man I killed was there to watch me bleed.Fresh flakes fell heavy as we hit the river clearing. My wolves spread out fast, growls mixing with the rush of water. I gripped my blade tight, already tasting the fight.“Stay tight!” I sh







