Phoebe's POV I stood outside Alpha Darius’s office, my hands by my sides. The hallway was quiet, but my thoughts were not. Someone had come to find me a few minutes earlier, saying the old Alpha wanted to see me. No explanation, no message, just a request to come now. After everything that happened during the attack, I wasn’t sure what this meeting would be about.I knocked once, firm and clear.“Come in,” came his voice from inside, steady as always.I pushed the door open and stepped in.Alpha Darius was standing behind his desk. His face, strong with age but still sharp, looked directly at me. His hair had more grey in it than before, but nothing about him had softened. He didn’t sit down. He stood tall, his arms resting on the desk, like he had been waiting.“Phoebe,” he said, his tone calm.I gave a short nod. “Alpha Darius.”He gestured for me to come closer. “You did well.”I blinked. “Sir?”“During the attack,” he said, folding his arms, “you kept things steady. You helped th
Phoebe’s POVKara and I had another walk when she talked and I listened.As I followed, Kara glanced back at me, then looked forward again. She didn’t smile or frown. Her face was still. We moved toward the trees at the edge of the camp. A few steps more, and we were out of sight from everyone. No guards, no other pack members. Just us.“Is this far enough?” she asked, stopping near a small patch of grass. A few flat stones were nearby.I looked around, then gave a short nod. “Yeah. This is fine.”She sat down first, brushing leaves away from the rock before resting on it. I stayed standing for a moment longer, unsure. I didn’t feel that tightness in my chest like I usually did when she was near. My hands weren’t curled into fists. My thoughts weren’t racing. I slowly sat down on a rock across from her. It was cool and smooth under me.“I didn’t think you’d agree to this,” she said after a long pause. Her voice was low and even.“I almost didn’t,” I replied. “But I guess I’m tired of
Phoebe’s POVWhen I got back to my room, the door creaked a little as I pushed it open. I stepped inside and closed it behind me, turning the lock without thinking. The room was quiet. I could hear a soft hum coming from outside, maybe the wind or some insects still moving around.I stood still for a few seconds, looking around. Everything was just the way I had left it—my bed neatly made, the blankets smooth, the pillow resting where it always did. My boots were near the wall. A glass of water sat untouched on the table beside the bed.I walked over to the bed and sat down slowly. My hands rested on my knees. I looked down at the floor, at the way the wood had little lines and marks from years of use. I had been hoping to rest, maybe even sleep for a bit, but my body didn’t feel tired. My eyes were open wide, and my mind wouldn’t stop moving.The words Kara had said kept playing in my head like they were on a loop. Duncan wasn’t the same. He was getting worse. People were afraid of h
Nathaniel’s POVThe night was quiet, but I was not resting. I sat near the fire, watching the flames move. They made soft popping sounds as the wood burned. My men were nearby. Some were sitting like me, others were checking supplies. No one was speaking much. We were waiting.Then I heard footsteps. One of my scouts walked toward me. He looked serious, not rushed, but I could tell he had something important to say. He stopped a few steps away from me and gave a small nod.“We got something,” he said. His voice was low. He looked around once before speaking again. “It’s from our contact. The one in the west neutral zone.”I stood up slowly. “What did they say?”He pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me. I took it and opened it with both hands. The words were written in short lines. I read each one carefully, not skipping anything.“Alexander was seen. Not far from the southern ridge. Traveling through the neutral zone. He has a woman and a man with him.”I
Nathaniel’s POVThe wheels of our vehicles crunched against the uneven ground as we pushed deeper into the neutral territories. The air felt heavier with each passing mile, thick with tension. I had hoped we’d be able to find Alexander by now, but the farther we traveled, the more uncertain the trail became. Every stop we made, we questioned locals and travelers, but the answers we got were always mixed, sometimes contradictory.“Did you see anyone who fits this description?” I asked a man who was sitting near the side of the road, sharpening a blade.He glanced at the sketch in my hand and shook his head. “Can’t say I’ve seen anyone like that. But there’s a lot of strangers passing through these parts.”I thanked him and turned to the others. “Let’s keep moving. We’re not getting any closer here.”We continued on, the air growing drier and the landscape more barren as we ventured into the heart of these lawless lands. I could feel the weight of the mission pressing on me. This wasn’t
Duncan's POVThe day had stretched long, and the news that came from my warriors only made the time feel heavier. No sign of Antonio. No word of Stephanie. I had expected a different report, maybe even a break in the hunt, but what I got was frustration. Over and over, I heard the same thing: “Nothing yet, Alpha.” It was enough to make my blood boil, but I couldn’t show it. Not yet. I had to keep my calm, had to pretend that it was all still under control.I paced the length of my chambers, my mind working through each possibility, each route they could have taken. Had they gone east? South? Were they hiding under my nose? Nothing made sense, and with every moment that passed, the anger inside me grew.One of my warriors dared to speak up. His voice had a tremor in it, like he knew he was treading on dangerous ground. “Alpha,” he began cautiously. “Perhaps we need better informants. Someone who knows Antonio's habits, his movements. Someone who might know where he’s hiding.”I didn’t
Duncan's POVThe light filtering through the curtains barely reached my bed, and the faint, cold touch of morning was already creeping across my skin. My head felt like it was being crushed between two stone walls, the weight of the previous night pressing on me. I groaned, feeling the ache in my skull, the headache so sharp I could barely open my eyes. Slowly, I dragged myself into a sitting position, trying to fight the dizziness that swept over me.The events of last night were still a blur, a combination of frustration, too much alcohol, and anger that I couldn’t seem to shake. Antonio and Stephanie were still nowhere to be found, and the pressure of not knowing where they were or what they were doing felt like a constant weight in my chest.A soft sound caught my attention. I glanced to the side, my eyes finally opening to see the servant girl standing by the door, a tray in her hands. She didn’t say anything, just silently approached me, setting the tray down on the small table
Phoebe's POVI made my way out of the pack house, the cool morning air brushing against my face as I walked toward the training grounds. My thoughts were a tangled mess, but there was one thing I needed to do. I had to talk to Kara. She was still an enigma to me, and there was so much I didn’t understand about her. What I did know was that something wasn’t adding up. She had access to information about Nathaniel’s movements, and that, to me, was far too suspicious to ignore any longer.I had to ask her. I had to know what she was hiding.When I reached the training grounds, Kara was there, practicing with a few of the warriors. Her movements were sharp and precise, every strike a calculated one. I watched her for a moment, not saying anything. She hadn’t noticed me yet, and part of me wasn’t sure if I wanted to interrupt her. There was something about the way she moved, like she wasn’t fully part of the pack, but more like she was doing this because she had to.The sounds of blades hi
Phoebe's POVI made my way out of the pack house, the cool morning air brushing against my face as I walked toward the training grounds. My thoughts were a tangled mess, but there was one thing I needed to do. I had to talk to Kara. She was still an enigma to me, and there was so much I didn’t understand about her. What I did know was that something wasn’t adding up. She had access to information about Nathaniel’s movements, and that, to me, was far too suspicious to ignore any longer.I had to ask her. I had to know what she was hiding.When I reached the training grounds, Kara was there, practicing with a few of the warriors. Her movements were sharp and precise, every strike a calculated one. I watched her for a moment, not saying anything. She hadn’t noticed me yet, and part of me wasn’t sure if I wanted to interrupt her. There was something about the way she moved, like she wasn’t fully part of the pack, but more like she was doing this because she had to.The sounds of blades hi
Phoebe's POVI made my way out of the pack house, the cool morning air brushing against my face as I walked toward the training grounds. My thoughts were a tangled mess, but there was one thing I needed to do. I had to talk to Kara. She was still an enigma to me, and there was so much I didn’t understand about her. What I did know was that something wasn’t adding up. She had access to information about Nathaniel’s movements, and that, to me, was far too suspicious to ignore any longer.I had to ask her. I had to know what she was hiding.When I reached the training grounds, Kara was there, practicing with a few of the warriors. Her movements were sharp and precise, every strike a calculated one. I watched her for a moment, not saying anything. She hadn’t noticed me yet, and part of me wasn’t sure if I wanted to interrupt her. There was something about the way she moved, like she wasn’t fully part of the pack, but more like she was doing this because she had to.The sounds of blades hi
Duncan's POVThe light filtering through the curtains barely reached my bed, and the faint, cold touch of morning was already creeping across my skin. My head felt like it was being crushed between two stone walls, the weight of the previous night pressing on me. I groaned, feeling the ache in my skull, the headache so sharp I could barely open my eyes. Slowly, I dragged myself into a sitting position, trying to fight the dizziness that swept over me.The events of last night were still a blur, a combination of frustration, too much alcohol, and anger that I couldn’t seem to shake. Antonio and Stephanie were still nowhere to be found, and the pressure of not knowing where they were or what they were doing felt like a constant weight in my chest.A soft sound caught my attention. I glanced to the side, my eyes finally opening to see the servant girl standing by the door, a tray in her hands. She didn’t say anything, just silently approached me, setting the tray down on the small table
Duncan's POVThe day had stretched long, and the news that came from my warriors only made the time feel heavier. No sign of Antonio. No word of Stephanie. I had expected a different report, maybe even a break in the hunt, but what I got was frustration. Over and over, I heard the same thing: “Nothing yet, Alpha.” It was enough to make my blood boil, but I couldn’t show it. Not yet. I had to keep my calm, had to pretend that it was all still under control.I paced the length of my chambers, my mind working through each possibility, each route they could have taken. Had they gone east? South? Were they hiding under my nose? Nothing made sense, and with every moment that passed, the anger inside me grew.One of my warriors dared to speak up. His voice had a tremor in it, like he knew he was treading on dangerous ground. “Alpha,” he began cautiously. “Perhaps we need better informants. Someone who knows Antonio's habits, his movements. Someone who might know where he’s hiding.”I didn’t
Nathaniel’s POVThe wheels of our vehicles crunched against the uneven ground as we pushed deeper into the neutral territories. The air felt heavier with each passing mile, thick with tension. I had hoped we’d be able to find Alexander by now, but the farther we traveled, the more uncertain the trail became. Every stop we made, we questioned locals and travelers, but the answers we got were always mixed, sometimes contradictory.“Did you see anyone who fits this description?” I asked a man who was sitting near the side of the road, sharpening a blade.He glanced at the sketch in my hand and shook his head. “Can’t say I’ve seen anyone like that. But there’s a lot of strangers passing through these parts.”I thanked him and turned to the others. “Let’s keep moving. We’re not getting any closer here.”We continued on, the air growing drier and the landscape more barren as we ventured into the heart of these lawless lands. I could feel the weight of the mission pressing on me. This wasn’t
Nathaniel’s POVThe night was quiet, but I was not resting. I sat near the fire, watching the flames move. They made soft popping sounds as the wood burned. My men were nearby. Some were sitting like me, others were checking supplies. No one was speaking much. We were waiting.Then I heard footsteps. One of my scouts walked toward me. He looked serious, not rushed, but I could tell he had something important to say. He stopped a few steps away from me and gave a small nod.“We got something,” he said. His voice was low. He looked around once before speaking again. “It’s from our contact. The one in the west neutral zone.”I stood up slowly. “What did they say?”He pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me. I took it and opened it with both hands. The words were written in short lines. I read each one carefully, not skipping anything.“Alexander was seen. Not far from the southern ridge. Traveling through the neutral zone. He has a woman and a man with him.”I
Phoebe’s POVWhen I got back to my room, the door creaked a little as I pushed it open. I stepped inside and closed it behind me, turning the lock without thinking. The room was quiet. I could hear a soft hum coming from outside, maybe the wind or some insects still moving around.I stood still for a few seconds, looking around. Everything was just the way I had left it—my bed neatly made, the blankets smooth, the pillow resting where it always did. My boots were near the wall. A glass of water sat untouched on the table beside the bed.I walked over to the bed and sat down slowly. My hands rested on my knees. I looked down at the floor, at the way the wood had little lines and marks from years of use. I had been hoping to rest, maybe even sleep for a bit, but my body didn’t feel tired. My eyes were open wide, and my mind wouldn’t stop moving.The words Kara had said kept playing in my head like they were on a loop. Duncan wasn’t the same. He was getting worse. People were afraid of h
Phoebe’s POVKara and I had another walk when she talked and I listened.As I followed, Kara glanced back at me, then looked forward again. She didn’t smile or frown. Her face was still. We moved toward the trees at the edge of the camp. A few steps more, and we were out of sight from everyone. No guards, no other pack members. Just us.“Is this far enough?” she asked, stopping near a small patch of grass. A few flat stones were nearby.I looked around, then gave a short nod. “Yeah. This is fine.”She sat down first, brushing leaves away from the rock before resting on it. I stayed standing for a moment longer, unsure. I didn’t feel that tightness in my chest like I usually did when she was near. My hands weren’t curled into fists. My thoughts weren’t racing. I slowly sat down on a rock across from her. It was cool and smooth under me.“I didn’t think you’d agree to this,” she said after a long pause. Her voice was low and even.“I almost didn’t,” I replied. “But I guess I’m tired of
Phoebe's POV I stood outside Alpha Darius’s office, my hands by my sides. The hallway was quiet, but my thoughts were not. Someone had come to find me a few minutes earlier, saying the old Alpha wanted to see me. No explanation, no message, just a request to come now. After everything that happened during the attack, I wasn’t sure what this meeting would be about.I knocked once, firm and clear.“Come in,” came his voice from inside, steady as always.I pushed the door open and stepped in.Alpha Darius was standing behind his desk. His face, strong with age but still sharp, looked directly at me. His hair had more grey in it than before, but nothing about him had softened. He didn’t sit down. He stood tall, his arms resting on the desk, like he had been waiting.“Phoebe,” he said, his tone calm.I gave a short nod. “Alpha Darius.”He gestured for me to come closer. “You did well.”I blinked. “Sir?”“During the attack,” he said, folding his arms, “you kept things steady. You helped th