3

Ayla

I could feel rage building inside me as Dave visibly recoiled at my words. I kept my gaze fixed on him as he stared intently at the twins.

Memories of the day the rejection happened flooded my mind, but I maintained my composure. I didn’t flinch or cry. I couldn’t afford to let him see that he still had any effect on me.

Five years had passed, and a lot had changed between us. I stood tall beneath the weight of Ragnar’s coat, my gaze cold and empty as Dave took two steps forward, then paused.

Ragnar’s hand on my back seemed oddly comforting. For the first time in a long while, I felt like someone finally had my back, but I reminded myself that I couldn’t think too much about it.

The last time I felt like someone was on my side, he betrayed me. Since that moment, I had learned that the only person I could trust was myself.

“Ayla... the children... who... whose are they?” Dave’s voice broke as he spoke.

I could see his hands shaking, but I couldn’t tell if it was from rage or genuine concern. It didn’t matter. He had betrayed me and sent me away from the place I once knew as home. His words and emotions meant nothing to me.

“Strangers don’t get answers,” I replied, and the color drained from his face.

The ice beneath his feet solidified, and for a moment, he looked like he couldn’t breathe.

“Stranger?” he repeated, his voice hoarse, his eyes filled with rage and unmistakable desperation.

I chuckled and shrugged. “Yes, Dave. You are a stranger. No more, no less.”

He took another step forward, and Ragnar cleared his throat.

“I’d be careful about taking that next step if I were you,” Ragnar said.

Dave glared at him with barely restrained fury. “Stay out of this, Storm,” he growled.

Ragnar merely chuckled—a dark, dangerous sound. “Too late for that. She’s under my protection. You and your minions need to get out of our way.”

“Your protection means nothing,” Dave shot back before looking at me again. “Ayla, you have to tell me right now. These kids... whose are they?” He took another step forward.

“Didn’t you hear me the first time? I said strangers don’t get answers. Now move out of the way. I’d like to leave.”

Dave’s jaw clenched. “Seize them,” he ordered his guards.

A wave of fear coursed through me, but as his men stepped forward, the air exploded.

An invisible, suffocating pressure rolled across the path. The kids tightened their grip on my hands. I turned to look down at them and saw that their eyes were closed, their little lips whispering words I had never heard before.

An overwhelming aura of regal dominance burst from the twins, and the elite guards staggered before dropping to their knees.

They clutched their chests, gasping for air as the atmosphere became charged, their wolves forcing them to submit to a power greater than anything they had ever encountered.

The forest fell eerily silent. The leaves on the trees stood perfectly still. Even the wind seemed to stop.

“That pressure...” Dave whispered, his voice trembling as he stared at Snow and Leo in sheer horror. A flash of realization crossed his face, and he shook his head. “Impossible. What are they?”

I swallowed, about to speak, but Ragnar beat me to it.

“You have thirty seconds to clear the path, Nightclaw. When your time is up, I won’t be responsible for what happens next.” His voice was calm, but the threat beneath it was unmistakable.

Dave laughed bitterly.

“Are you threatening me, Storm?” he asked, wearing an amused yet wary expression.

“Your interpretation of my words doesn’t matter to me, Nightclaw,” Ragnar replied calmly. His hand slowly moved away from my back as he stepped in front of the twins and me. “The clock’s ticking.” He cracked his knuckles, the sound like pistol shots in the dead silence.

The guards, still clutching their chests, slowly got to their feet. They staggered backward, regaining their balance and staring at my children as though they had just witnessed a nightmare.

The tension in the air was palpable, and my blood ran cold at the thought of my babies witnessing what could become the beginning of a war between the two packs if Ragnar and Dave decided to fight.

I searched for a way to diffuse the situation, but nothing came to mind.

Snow and Leo’s grip loosened. I turned to look at them as the strange, shimmering fog surrounding them began to fade away. Their eyes were finally open again, holding a distant, fierce look, their lips still moving too quickly for me to make out the whispers.

It felt like they were locked in a deep trance, and I had no idea how to bring them back to reality.

“Get out of the way, Dave,” I blurted out. “You rejected me and banished me from the pack. We’ve spent years apart. What do you want from me now?”

He stared at me for a long, agonizing moment. His lips quivered as though he wanted to scream, to explain, but couldn’t find the words. Finally, he let out a heavy, defeated sigh.

“You have no idea what the last few years have been like for me, Ayla.”

“I don’t care,” I shot back, and he smiled sadly.

“I’ve had my fair share of suffering, and I handled it without becoming a burden to anyone. I suggest you do the same.”

“Mom.”

Snow’s voice suddenly rang out from behind me. My heart skipped a beat as Dave’s eyes widened in realization at the word.

“Who are these people?” Snow asked.

I turned to her, sighing in pure relief when I saw that her eyes had returned to their normal, icy-blue color. “They aren’t important enough for you to concern yourself with,” I replied softly, gently squeezing her hand before turning my focus to Leo.

His sharp golden eyes remained fixed on Dave, the silver mist surrounding his tiny frame growing thicker by the second.

“Baby,” I called softly, nudging him gently.

His body tensed before finally relaxing. He turned to look up at me and smiled as if nothing had happened.

“Time’s up,” Ragnar said.

Before the final word even left his lips, the air itself seemed to fracture beneath his dominance. His body twisted and expanded, bones snapping into place with terrifying speed as he surged into the enormous form of his midnight wolf.