Mag-log inI made it halfway down the hall of the main pack house before I seriously considered turning around.Not in a dramatic way.Not even in a rational way.Just... instinct.A quiet, persistent voice in the back of my head telling me this was a mistake. That stepping into a room full of wolves—him included—after what I'd just done was a level of humiliation I wasn't equipped to survive.My hand hovered briefly near the wall as I slowed."You're being ridiculous," I muttered under my breath.Unfortunately, that didn't make it less true.My face still felt hot. My skin still felt too tight, too aware—like everything I did was somehow louder now, more obvious. Like anyone who looked at me too long would just know.Know what I'd been thinking.Know who I'd been thinking about.My stomach twisted.Aaron.Nope.Absolutely not.We were not doing that again.I straightened slightly as I continued down the corridor, forcing my steps into something steadier, something that resembled confidence inst
The thoughts didn't just float around me anymore; they pulled me under. I saw Aaron's jaw tight with restraint, the vein in his neck throbbing where I wanted to bite. I saw those massive, calloused hands of his hovering over me, afraid to touch, afraid to break me, but aching to do exactly that.Control. He has so much control.And that was the worst part. That was what made the heat pool in my stomach until it was a heavy, aching weight I couldn't ignore.My hand slipped beneath the water, not shaking this time, but guided by a desperate, traitorous instinct. I wrapped my fingers around my cock, the water slick and warm, contrasting sharply with the sudden, sharp fire of my own touch.I was so soft there. So small in contrast to him. Or at least to what I imagined from the brief moments I've been blessed with the feeling of his bulge briefly pressed against me during sparrings. My imagination betrayed me, filling in the gaps with vivid, impossible clarity. I imagined him standing ov
The conversation with Fiorella didn't leave me as I got myself ready for the pack dinner that night.It lingered.Not loud. Not sharp. Just... there. Sitting somewhere in the back of my mind like a splinter I couldn't quite dig out.Old scent. Fading.That's what she'd said.It should've been reassuring. It was reassuring, logically. If it had been fresh, if they'd been close, the pack would've reacted differently. Faster. Louder.Violently.And yet—I leaned forward slightly, bracing my forearms against the edge of the bath, staring at the rippling surface of the water like it might offer answers it had no business holding.The heat should've been enough to relax me. Steam curled lazily through the small room, fogging the mirror, softening the edges of everything until the world felt distant and muted.But my chest still felt tight.Like something was waiting.Like something knew.I dragged a hand through my damp hair, pushing it back from my face as I exhaled slowly. The water lappe
The knock came just as I was dragging my jacket off the floor, the one I'd thrown there after the patrol ended."Who...?" I muttered, glancing toward the door.Before I could finish, the door swung open, and there she was. Fiorella, grinning like she owned the place, a small woven basket clutched in her hands."I came to make sure you're not dead yet," she said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. "Can't have the pack's new wolf keeling over before dinner."I froze for a moment, caught between irritation and amusement. "Lucky me," I muttered. "You're my only fan.""Fan?" She rolled her eyes, dumping the basket onto the counter. "More like the only one willing to check on you. Aaron's too busy glaring at the forest to care."I frowned at that, but a smirk tugged at my lips. Typical Fiorella. Always a mix of blunt honesty and teasing. She had this way of saying things that made you either laugh or groan... sometimes both at the same time.She wandered further inside, insp
For a moment the forest was completely quiet.Just wind through the pines. Just my fingers buried in the thick fur of Aaron's neck. Just the low, steady rumble in his chest beneath my palm.I scratched lightly behind his ear again, testing.Aaron's wolf huffed softly in response. Then—unexpectedly—his massive head leaned forward, pressing into my hand with a weight that made me laugh under my breath."Oh, you definitely enjoy that."The wolf gave me a look that somehow managed to be both annoyed and deeply unimpressed.Which only encouraged me."Don't pretend you're above it," I murmured. "Every dog likes ear scratches."His tail flicked sharply behind him."Hey," I said with a grin. "If the Alpha of Nightshade pack wants to pretend he's dignified, that's not my problem."I dragged my fingers slowly down the side of his neck, feeling the thick muscle shift beneath the dense coat. His fur was warmer there too, softer than I expected for an animal so powerful.My wolf stirred again. Str
The path continued to narrow until it was barely more than a break in the underbrush.I pushed through a cluster of low branches, ignoring the way my ribs protested, and stepped into a small clearing tucked between towering pines. Moss carpeted the ground, thick and soft, and a fallen log cut across the space like nature had built a bench just for us.The rest of the patrol was gone.Just forest and myself.And Aaron.I leaned back against the fallen log, catching my breath as I awaited his prompt arrival. It wasn't like I had gotten miles ahead in my current state, only about a moment or two so I knew he'd be appearing at any second.Like clockwork, Aaron emerged through the brush a moment later, dark hair slightly disheveled from the branches. His gaze immediately dropped to my side."You're slowing down." He observed. "I'm admiring the scenery," I shot back.His eyes narrowed."Your ribs reopened just a few days ago, Xavier.""They're fine." I couldn't help the eye roll. Aaron st
Ronan moves first.Fast.Cleaner than I expected.He doesn't circle — he lunges.I barely pivot in time, his shoulder slamming into mine instead of my chest—the impact jars through my bones. The pack noise rises instantly — not cheering, not yet — but alert.Testing.Ronan recovers smoothly."Too s
I wake up gasping.The cabin is dark.Cold.Silent.But my skin is burning. My heart is pounding as if I've run for miles. And my body— My body is painfully aware of itself. Heat pools low in my stomach, tight and insistent. My hand drifts to my chest, where it hurt in the dream. It still feels ten
I'm standing in the forest.But it isn't our forest.The trees are taller. Thicker. Their branches stretch overhead like cathedral arches, and silver light spills through them as if the moon has multiplied into a thousand fractured pieces.The air smells different.Stronger.Warmer.I inhale.Pine.
The frost hasn't melted yet when we leave the clearing.It crunches under my boots — sharp, brittle, too loud in the quiet morning air. The forest feels different this early. Less alive. Like it's holding its breath.Aaron walks ahead at first.Not far.Never far.But ahead enough that it feels del







