Silas's point of view
The great hall of Grayson’s packhouse was already filled when I arrived. Wolves packed the stone floor shoulder to shoulder, their voices a low murmur of curiosity and gossip. The air buzzed with tension—part political, part territorial. I ignored it all.
My eyes were on the entrance.
Aurelia would be brought in any moment, and I wasn’t sure what I feared more—seeing her again in this hostile place, or watching her be paraded like a prisoner in front of the very wolves who had tormented her.
Dalton stood beside me, arms crossed, brows drawn low in quiet wariness. “You sure this won’t blow back?”
“It already has,” I murmured.
And then I saw her.
Two guards escorted her inside, though it felt m
Aurelia's point of viewThe silence in the room was too loud.I lay stiffly on the narrow bed, eyes locked on the cracks in the ceiling. A breeze slipped through the open window, but the cool air didn’t ease the fire still simmering beneath my skin. My side ached beneath layers of gauze, and though the healers said the wound was no longer bleeding, it felt like it had only just been branded, fresh and pulsing, the memory of the pain lingering longer than the burn itself.The door creaked open.An omega she-wolf stepped inside without knocking. Her movements were sharp, mechanical, as if trained not to feel. She kept her eyes averted.“You have been summoned to the packhouse,” she said plainly.I stared at her, unmoving. “Summo
Aurelia's point of viewI had sworn never to see him again.Never to breathe the same air, never to speak his name, never to allow the ghost of Silas Blackthorn to crawl beneath my skin again.And yet here I was, sitting in a sterile guest room in Grayson's pack, clutching a blanket too thin to warm the cold that had settled into my bones. Silas was outside, likely speaking to his Beta or preparing to leave this place. I didn’t want to go with him. I didn’t want to be near him. But I had no choice.My son needed help, and Silas was the only one who could provide it now.I hadn’t come willingly. I was being dragged by necessity and the aching, gnawing desperation that only a mother could understand. My boy needed care beyond what this decaying pack could offer. The disease
Silas's point of viewThe great hall of Grayson’s packhouse was already filled when I arrived. Wolves packed the stone floor shoulder to shoulder, their voices a low murmur of curiosity and gossip. The air buzzed with tension—part political, part territorial. I ignored it all.My eyes were on the entrance.Aurelia would be brought in any moment, and I wasn’t sure what I feared more—seeing her again in this hostile place, or watching her be paraded like a prisoner in front of the very wolves who had tormented her.Dalton stood beside me, arms crossed, brows drawn low in quiet wariness. “You sure this won’t blow back?”“It already has,” I murmured.And then I saw her.Two guards escorted her inside, though it felt m
Silas's point of viewI stood by the hospital window, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the distant tree line of Grayson’s territory. The morning sun glared through the panes, but all I could see was the image of her—Aurelia, pale and broken, lying in that hospital bed with our children huddled beside her. The brand on her arm was still seared into my memory. 579. A number. That’s what they had reduced her to.Dalton, my beta, hovered behind me. His silence had stretched long, but I knew he wouldn’t hold his tongue forever.“We’re ready to leave, Alpha,” he said finally, his voice careful. “Just give the word.”I didn’t turn around. “Not yet.”A beat of silence. “We’ve overstayed our welcome. Grayson’s pack isn’t exactly thrilled with our presence. We’re deep in foreign territory, and if anything happens to you—”“I said not yet.” My voice came out sharper than intended.Dalton didn’t flinch. “Then tell me what the hell you’re planning.”I turned to face him, jaw clenched. “A lesson. One th
Silas's point of viewThe scent of antiseptic and faint blood clung to the sterile air of the pack hospital, but underneath it lingered something familiar. Something haunting. Her scent.Aurelia.The name stirred a storm inside me, no less potent than the first time I whispered it. When I stepped into Grayson’s territory yesterday, I never imagined I’d find her again. Defenseless, branded, and seconds away from losing her children. I didn’t intend to intervene. This wasn’t my pack. But fate, it seemed, had a cruel sense of humor.I hadn’t seen her in years, and yet when I caught her scent on the trial grounds, it rooted me in place. Then I saw her. Limp, shaking, holding her pups like a final shield against the world. Her eyes held pain I could feel in my bones.And then... that boy.The little pup with the same frost-gray eyes as mine.No. It couldn’t be.I paced the length of the hospital corridor, clenching and unclenching my fists. The imprint of her pain hadn’t left me since I ca
Aurelia's point of viewThe harsh white light of the pack hospital felt like it was burning my eyes as I slowly blinked awake. My head throbbed, every breath a reminder of the pain that lingered deep inside me. For a moment, the sterile smell and humming quietness confused me, where was I? The fear, the trial, the branding. They all danced at the edges of my memory, sharp and cruel.A soft voice cut through the haze. “Ms. Aurelia, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”I turned my head slowly, every movement sending a sharp pang through my ribs. A woman in a healer’s robe stood by my bedside, eyes gentle but lined with concern.“Kael and Sera… are they safe?” I whispered, my throat raw and brittle.“They’re fine,” she replied with a faint smile. “And Lilian is safe too. She’s been helping us look after the little ones.”Relief rushed through me like a crashing tide, stealing my breath and replacing it with tears I hadn’t expected. My fingers twitched, desperate to reach for my children.