4

Ayla

A gasp rippled through the small crowd as Ragnar’s terrifyingly powerful wolf towered over the clearing.

He let out a deafening howl; the sound vibrating so deeply that the earth shook and dark storm clouds gathered violently overhead, blotting out the remaining moonlight.

The hair on my arms stood on end. Dave’s elite men staggered backward, fear flashing across their faces.

They had clearly heard whispers of the brutal Alpha King of the North, but standing in his crushing presence was a nightmare they weren’t prepared for.

Dave’s eyes flared, his chest heaving as his own wolf clawed to get out.

For a fraction of a second, the phantom remnants of our broken fated bond snapped taut, sending a searing heat through me that made my knees tremble. He began to shift—his jaw elongating, fangs dropping—before he suddenly froze.

A harsh gasp tore from Dave’s throat. His body jerked as he violently forced his wolf back down, sweat immediately breaking out across his hollowed face.

“This isn’t over, Storm,” he said, taking a step backward. Then he turned to his bodyguards. “Let’s go.”

Ragnar shifted back into his human form and stretched his arms.

“That was rather boring. I was looking forward to a good fight,” he said with a smirk before stepping over to stand beside us.

Dave glared at him with contempt and shook his head.

“I know how to pick my battles,” he replied. His gaze shifted from Ragnar to me before finally settling on Leo and Snow.

“I’ll see you again.”

With that, a thick fog enveloped him as his figure disappeared into the darkness.

I let out a relieved sigh as the storm clouds dispersed and the temperature returned to normal.

“We need to go now,” Ragnar said as the mist slowly cleared.

I turned sharply when I heard a rustle behind me and caught a shadow disappearing from the corner of my eye.

I nodded and followed as he led the way.

When we arrived at the sanctuary, Ragnar looked around with a frown.

“You can’t stay here.”

I rolled my eyes.

Jasper hurried down the front steps to greet the kids, who squealed excitedly when they saw him. He spared Ragnar a brief glance but said nothing to me before playfully ushering Snow and Leo into the main building.

“This is the sanctuary,” I replied, stopping in my tracks. “It’s the most peaceful place in all the realms. We’re staying here.”

He turned to face me, folding his arms as he tried to conceal his annoyance.

“What about this place seems peaceful? It’s quiet, yes, but it’s not safe. Do you really think Dave wouldn’t cross those gates if he found out you were here?”

“He wouldn’t dare. This sanctuary is protected by—”

“Your peace treaties only work on people who care about them,” he interrupted.

“And you don’t?” I scoffed.

He shrugged.

“It’s not about me. But yes, I don’t. According to those laws, I’m not supposed to walk past those gates or even be in these woods because this isn’t my domain. Yet here I am anyway. Dave Nightclaw ignored that same rule today. He left the supernatural summit and came here looking for you.”

“That rogue wolf you killed did too,” I added.

“Exactly.”

He spread his hands.

“Anyone can decide to walk through those gates, and you have no means of defending yourself here. You’re surrounded by priests and healers who wouldn’t stand a chance in actual combat. You need to be somewhere people can fight.”

“I have to think about my children,” I said with a heavy sigh. “I can’t afford to uproot them from the life they’ve known for the past five years and take them to a strange realm. I... I don’t know.”

My voice cracked as I wiped away the lone tear threatening to slide down my cheek.

I hadn’t cried when Dave’s ambush caught me by surprise or when he made me question whether my years of preparation had been enough.

I wouldn’t cry now that we were finally out of immediate danger.

All I had to do was find a solution.

“If you don’t take them out of here, they’ll face a fate far worse than the one you’re trying to protect them from,” Ragnar replied.

His voice was surprisingly gentle, and the frown on his face had softened into genuine concern.

I ran my fingers through my hair and nodded.

As difficult as it was to admit, he was right.

The peace treaties had been created to protect the inhabitants of the sanctuary—those who lacked the strength to defend themselves—but Dave’s actions proved that times had changed.

Once word spread that he had ignored the law and trespassed into the sanctuary, others with darker intentions would realize they could do the same.

And there was no telling what horrors that could bring.

“I’ll go get the children,” I said quietly before walking away.

A few hours later, we neared the border of the Northern Werewolf Pack.

The woods were eerily quiet, but the air was thick with the scent of wolves that undoubtedly belonged to Ragnar’s sentries.

I couldn’t see them, but I could feel their eyes following every step I took.

What puzzled me most was how Ragnar seemed completely unfazed by it. When we reached the gates, they slowly swung open. Two enormous wolves emerged, padding silently down the cleared path.

I tightened my grip on Snow and Leo’s hands as they approached us. When they began circling us, I stopped walking altogether.

Ragnar had already gone several steps ahead before realizing we were no longer behind him.

He turned and let out a quiet chuckle.

“Emily. Stacy. Leave the newcomers alone.”

One of the wolves snarled, baring her teeth, before both shifted into their human forms.

Two women materialized before us. They had sparkling brown eyes, strawberry-blond hair, and robes as dark as Ragnar’s own attire. They studied us with open curiosity before turning their attention back to Ragnar.

“Welcome,” they said in perfect unison. “We’ve been waiting for you.”