Chapter 3

Dorothy's eyes widen slightly. Few people know her middle name, and fewer still would use her initials. She reaches for the envelope, her artistic fingers tracing the unfamiliar handwriting before carefully opening it.

"It's from the National Young Artists Competition," she breathes, her earlier heartbreak momentarily forgotten as excitement flickers across her features. "They've accepted my portfolio submission for the final round."

Ethan Sr.'s face breaks into a proud smile. "That's wonderful news, sweetheart."

Standing in the doorway, Lila bounces on her toes with suppressed excitement. "I knew they'd pick you! When's the final round? What do you need to submit?"

Dorothy scans the letter, her mind already racing with possibilities. "It's in three months. I need to create a new piece specifically for the theme they've chosen." Her voice falters slightly as she reads further. "The theme is 'Vulnerability'."

The irony isn't lost on her. Today of all days, being asked to create art about vulnerability feels like a cosmic joke.

Across the pack lands, Magnus has made his way to the edge of the territory, where the dense forest gives way to a rocky outcropping overlooking the valley below. This is his other thinking spot—a place where the expectations of being the Alpha's son feel less suffocating. He sits on a sun-warmed boulder, pulling out the pieces of Dorothy's Valentine and laying them carefully beside him.

He knows he should be focusing on his upcoming coming-of-age ceremony. In just three weeks, he'll undergo the ritual that will officially mark him as the future Alpha. There will be tests of strength, endurance, and leadership—all things he's been trained for since childhood. But right now, all he can think about is the hurt in Dorothy's eyes as she ran from him.

‘I should frame this,’ his hands still shaking over the pieces, ‘I should have looked, why did I not listen? Why didn’t I call after her?’

-You need to do more than frame it, you need to make it right,- Timber urges.

Magnus stares at the torn pieces, feeling the weight of his mistake grow heavier with each passing minute. The mountain air is crisp around him, but he barely notices it. His thoughts keep circling back to Dorothy's face as she fled from him, the hurt and shock that had transformed her usually composed features.

In the Beta's office, Dorothy clutches the competition letter tightly, her mind already filling with images despite her emotional turmoil. Vulnerability. The word seems to mock her after what happened at the lake. Yet somewhere beneath the hurt, her artist's mind is already working, seeing possibilities.

"This is exactly the opportunity you've been waiting for," her father says, leaning forward in his chair. "National recognition could open doors for you beyond the pack."

Dorothy nods, but her enthusiasm is tempered by the fresh wound in her heart. "I'll need to start sketching concepts right away."

"You'll crush this," Lila declares with unwavering confidence. "Maybe you could use one of those landscape pieces you've been working on?"

Dorothy shakes her head. "No, it needs to be something new. Something..." She trails off, unwilling to admit that the raw feelings Magnus has just awakened in her might actually fuel the perfect piece for this theme.

Meanwhile, Ethan finishes his training session, the persistent unease about his sister still nagging at him. He wipes sweat from his brow and decides to seek her out, following the faint trace of her scent toward the packhouse. As he walks, he spots Magnus sitting alone on the distant outcropping.

"Weird," he mutters to himself. Magnus usually joins him for afternoon training. His wolf stirs restlessly, sensing a connection between his friend's absence and his sister's distress that Ethan himself hasn't yet pieced together.

Back on the mountain, Magnus carefully gathers the torn Valentine pieces and places them in an inside pocket of his jacket, closer to his heart. He stands, his decision made.

"I need to talk to her," he says aloud, his voice firm despite the nervous flutter in his chest.

-And say what exactly?- Timber challenges. -Sorry, I destroyed your heart because I wasn't paying attention?-

'I'll figure it out when I see her.' Magnus begins making his way down the rocky path, unaware that his best friend is now actively searching for his sister, the sibling bond pulling Ethan toward the Beta's office.

In that office, Dorothy is just standing to leave, the competition letter safely tucked into her sketchbook, when the door swings open. Ethan fills the frame, his protective energy preceding him like a wave.

"What's wrong?" he demands without preamble, his eyes scanning his sister's face and immediately detecting the remnants of tears.

Dorothy stiffens, caught off guard by her brother's sudden appearance and perceptiveness. "Nothing's wrong. I got accepted into the National Young Artists Competition. One of my other competition pieces got torn; it was beyond saving. I fell over by the river. I just got upset after spending an hour on it, that’s all. That’s what I might try in the mountains next time, the morning light is better; however, that competition can wait, I have other work to do.”

Ethan's eyes narrow as he studies his sister's face. He can smell the lie, not in her words about the competition, but in the casual explanation of the torn artwork. His wolf growls within, sensing deeper hurt. Dorothy has always been a terrible liar, at least to him.

"Congratulations on the competition," he says carefully, his gaze flicking to their father for confirmation. "But you're not telling me everything."

"Ethan," their father warns, recognising the protective stance of his son. "This is Dorothy's moment. Let her celebrate without an interrogation."

Lila shifts uncomfortably beside Dorothy, torn between loyalty to her friend and her own desire to see justice for whatever truly happened. She opens her mouth, then closes it, respecting Dorothy's choice to keep the incident private.

Outside, Magnus approaches the packhouse with determined steps, the torn Valentine pieces safely tucked against his heart. He rehearses apologies in his mind, each one feeling inadequate compared to the hurt he's caused. The scent of Dorothy grows stronger as he nears the Beta's residence, mingled with the protective musk of her brother.