LOGIN"Wait, what?" Lucien stood from his place on the couch, walking towards the desk to get a look at the file."Whoever it is had to have known how the district trading system worked. And considering how recent the attack was, I have reason to believe Kai was involved."He had just accused his former son-in-law of treason, yet his face remained calm and expressionless."What?" Lucien’s eyes widened."Father, you can't be serious." His stare nearly shut me up, but Kai wasn't here to defend his dignity. Someone had to do so in his place. "He has been nothing but loyal the whole time he was here. There's no logical reason to suspect him.""It's been over a day and he hasn't come back. Neighbouring packs have heard nothing about a stray omega. The timing between his departure and the first attack is too coincidental.""You had other packs look out for him?" Lucien sounded more irritated than relieved."Of course." Father looked up, his expression still calm, but something in it was daring us
Julian stood at the gates in his ridiculously baggy black pants and white dress shirt, leaning against the frame with an eyebrow raised."Where the hell have you been? The gates should have been shut almost an hour ago." He had some clothes in his hands, the same ones I'd discarded beneath a nearby tree before going back to the cabin.My bones bent back into my human form, grey fur changing into skin. I snatched my clothes from his grip, ignoring his cocky smile."I don't believe your role as my future Beta involves stalking and tracking my every move." Julian had been my best friend long before my father chose me as Alpha.He had always preferred my quiet, sarcastic company to Lucien’s pride-filled cruelty and entitlement."That's literally what being a beta means." He scoffed, tapping his feet impatiently while watching me pull the clothes on."It also means listening to your Alpha, and I told you to stop this. Besides, you're not my beta yet. Our fathers are still very much alive."
"I'll take my chances with another pack." His eyes glistened with tears he was too stubborn to shed. "I want nothing to do with you or anyone else from Lakemoon."By now, his resolve to leave should have broken. He had nearly died after spending a few hours alone in the forest, yet here he was."Kai, don't do this. The things Lucien did to you were inhumane and unforgivable. Don't let him continue to dictate your choices even when he's not here. You deserve to be free."His eyes hardened, lips still quivering. The sky rumbled, not a storm like last night, but it would rain. The last thing I wanted was to get caught in it on the run back."Free? You think I can be free by staying here? After everything this fucked up pack has done to me? You promised to take me if I wanted to leave." He stomped his foot on the ground like a child.Considering the size difference between us, it was an easy mistake."I don't want you to make a choice you might end up regretting later so impulsively. Thin
My head pounded, dragging me back to consciousness. My body snuggled deeper into the bed, softer than the one in the cabin. I didn't remember falling asleep on anything this soft, my last memory was the floor.The bed shifted beneath me, and my eyes snapped open. What the fuck?My gaze landed on the soft fur my fingers had wrapped into, and the sleeping wolf it belonged to.For a second, I thought it was just the hangover messing with me, until Damien opened his eyes and those grey ones bored into mine."When did you get here?" My breath smelled awful, even to me. The whiskey felt choking.I rolled off him, landing in a heap on the floor and then heading to the bathroom. He shifted back to his human form, bones crunching and shrinking."Where are you going?" His rough, husky voice filled my ears like honey."To brush my teeth, and maybe flush my head down a toilet." My headache was elevating quickly into a migraine."Let me put something on. You must be starving. There should be pills
A small cabin came into view after the wolf ran for a while. It took me almost a full minute to realise it was Damien. He was just so big compared to the last time I'd seen him shift.My white shirt was soaked, turning transparent, and my black dress pants weren't much better.I'd run for almost twenty minutes before it dawned on me that my snow globe was still back there. It felt stupid, risking my safety for something so small. But that was the one reminder from my old pack left.We arrived at the cabin, its wooden walls glossy from the rain. The wolf set me down, pushing me inside before shutting the door with its nose.Damien couldn't fucking leave me here. Without the rain and the external cold, my body felt frozen. My arms snaked around my torso as I took in the single-bedroom cabin, looking for something to warm up with.It was pretty spacious, and whoever owned it likely came here often. There was a stove and counter in one corner, right in front of a shut window. Then a grey
Lucien stormed off, irritated at me defending his former omega. I followed Kai’s scent toward the pack gates, spotting three Alphas gathered around something."Have any of you seen Kai?" He'd always related well with pack members, visiting them constantly despite his position.They turned upon hearing my voice, trying to hide whatever had held their attention behind their bodies.They all had the same dark hair and darker eyes, likely brothers."Alpha Damien, good day," one said, his black eyes glancing behind him nervously."Alpha, has that omega caused trouble before leaving? If he has, we'll make sure to catch him and bring him back to you," another one said. He seemed unusually eager at the thought of attacking Kai."Have you seen him or not?"They cowered at the harshness of my tone, which had slipped into an alpha-like voice.The one on the edge shifted, giving me enough room to spot the item behind them. The familiar tiger print caught my eyes. They stepped aside when a growl s







