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.
Aurelia's point of viewThe branding iron was hot, hotter than anything I could have imagined. Before it touched my skin, I felt the wave of heat roll over me like a cruel, merciless warning. My breath caught, but I refused to cry out.“Slave 579,” one of the handlers growled as he forced my arm down onto the scorching metal. The crowd around us watched silently, their eyes hungry for the show, as if I were nothing more than an animal on trial.I bit my lip until it bled, the sharp sting the only thing stopping my scream.When the iron was pulled away, my skin was a blistered, smoking mess. The brand was ugly — a blackened number marking me as property, as less than human. The agony was deep, raw, but rage burned hotter inside me.I wasn’t going to lie down and accept this.One of the slave handlers lunged forward to push me down. I twisted my body sharply and slammed my elbow into his ribs. I heard the sick crack, felt the breath leave his lungs.The crowd gasped.More hands grabbed
Aurelia's point of viewThe door clicked shut behind me.I backed away from Grayson, my breath caught somewhere between my lungs and my throat.“I told you no,” I hissed, voice shaking.He stalked forward, the gleam in his eyes no longer playful. The predator had dropped the mask. His footsteps echoed against the cold stone floor as he moved toward me again.“You think I care what you told me?” he murmured, gripping my wrist. “You’ve been teasing me for two years, little wolf. You owe me.”“I owe you nothing,” I spat.But he didn’t stop.His hands moved to the collar of my blouse, and I jerked away, but he shoved me roughly against the desk. My elbow hit the edge and pain lanced through my arm.“No one says no to me,” he growled in my ear.I struggled beneath him, panic flooding my chest. “Let me go! Someone will hear!”He chuckled. “That’s the idea.”The door burst open.The sharp clack of heels was followed by a gasp sharp enough to slice through the tension.“What the hell is going