LOGINFREYATrusting Brian felt about as natural as trusting a snake to babysit, but I'd learned the hard way that pride didn’t win wars. We needed every advantage we could get, and Brian knew Lena's patterns better than anyone in this pack."She likes to keep an escape route open," he said, pointing at the map. "Always has, even back when we were together. There's a back tunnel here, cut into the hillside. If we don't block it first, she'll slip out before we even get close."Ethan studied him for a long moment, his jaw still tight. "Why should we believe a word out of your mouth?""Because I've got nothing left to gain by lying," Brian said. "Like I said earlier, she took everything from me too. My pride, my pack's respect, even half my allies. I want her to pay for it just as much as you do."I watched the two of them stare each other down like wolves sizing up, and for once I didn't feel the need to step between them. Let them hate each other. As long as they both wanted Lena gone, that
FREYAI couldn't sleep. I couldn't even lie still. Every time I closed my eyes I saw Lena's face on that video, smiling like she was about to do something she'd enjoy way too much.Ethan was talking with Fen by the door, both of them looking at the iPad like it had personally insulted them. I slipped out of bed while his back was turned and grabbed the first jacket I found."Where do you think you're going?" His voice stopped me before I even reached the hallway. Of course, he heard me. The man always heard everything."I just need air," I lied."You're a terrible liar.""I'm a great liar. You're just good at catching me." I smiled.He didn't smile back. "Freya.""I can't just sit here and wait for her to burn down something that matters to your mom," I said. "I need to do something."He grabbed his jacket too. "Then we’ll go together. You're not doing anything alone anymore, not in your condition."I wanted to argue, but honestly, I was relieved. I didn't want to do this alone either
FREYAI felt the baby kick for the first time in the middle of a strategy meeting, and I almost knocked over my cup of water.We were gathered around the big table in the war room with maps of the mining company spread out, little markers showing where Lena’s forces and the Crestwood wolves were last spotted. Ethan was talking through the plan with Fen and two other men when a tiny flutter happened deep in my stomach.It stopped me cold for a second. Ethan caught the look on my face right away.“What is it?” he said, already halfway out of his chair.“Nothing’s wrong,” I said, putting my hand on the spot. “The baby. I just felt the baby move.”His whole face changed, going soft for just a second before he caught himself and retreated back into Alpha mode, but I saw it. That tiny flutter did something to me too, steadying me in a way I didn’t expect. This wasn’t just about Lena anymore, or revenge or even the mines. There was a person growing inside me who needed all of this to be ove
FREYAI shoved the test into the back of the bathroom cabinet and ran.There was no time to think about what I’d just seen. The alarms meant one thing: an attack, and from the noise outside it was already in full swing. I grabbed clothes, threw them on, and met Ethan in the hallway already half-dressed and barking orders into his phone.“It’s Lena,” he said, seeing my face. “She’s got human allies with her this time. There are a lot of them, and they have guns.”My stomach dropped, and not just from fear for the pack. There was a baby in there now, my baby, our baby, and I had absolutely no plan for keeping that secret while also fighting off an armed assault.I decided right then that I wasn’t telling him yet. Not with everything that was already happening. Ethan needed his head clear, not split between leading a defense and worrying about me being pregnant in the middle of a war zone.“Stay close to Fen,” Ethan said, gripping my shoulders. “Promise me.”“I promise.”I didn’t promis
FREYAWe spent the next two days going through every name in that folder.Ethan pulled in three of his senior men who’d been in the pack back when my brother died, and we sat with them one at a time in the l meeting room off the main hall. Fen asked most of the questions. I watched from the corner with my arm still in a sling, taking notes, trying to keep my face calm even though my stomach was in knots every single time.The first two had nothing. They were just old men with clean records and confused faces when we asked about a cover up from years back.The third one, a man named Pace who handled border patrols, got very quiet immediately.“I don’t know anything,” he said, but his eyes wouldn’t stay still.“Pace.” Ethan’s voice sounded so low that it made the air in the room feel heavier. “I’m not going to ask twice.”Pace finally talked. He said he’d been paid to delay a patrol route the night my brother died, by someone he never saw clearly. Just a distorted voice on a burner phon
FREYAMy shoulder felt like it was on fire, but I didn’t care about that right now. I cared about the laptop Orin had set up on the kitchen table and the clock ticking down in the corner of the screen.“Transfer complete” didn’t always mean done. There was still a little time left, and if we moved fast enough, we could freeze it before the human group took full ownership.“Call your lawyer,” Ethan said, standing behind me with his hand on my good shoulder. “The one who handled your father’s estate.”“He’s retired.”“Then call whoever took over his firm. Freya, look at me.” I turned my head and he crouched down so we were eye to eye. “We’re not losing this tonight. Not after everything.”I nodded, even though my hands were shaking so bad I almost dropped my phone twice trying to dial.The lawyer’s name was Mr. Castillo, and he picked up on the second ring even though it was almost midnight. Orin must have called ahead and warned him this was coming. I explained what happened as fast as







