Chapter 4 -The pack's verdict

Racheal walked through the forest in silence, her heart a battlefield of conflicting emotions. Each step pulled her farther from the bond-sick heat of Jaxon Vale—and closer to the cold fury she knew awaited her in the Moonwatcher Pack.

She’d left Kade without a word. He hadn’t stopped her. Maybe he couldn’t. Maybe the second bond had shaken him more than he’d shown.

The trees thinned, and soon the great timber gates of the Moonwatcher Pack came into view. Two guards snapped to attention at the sight of her, scenting the tangled mess of energy still clinging to her skin—two alpha bonds, like smoke and fire wrapped around her body.

Their eyes widened, but they said nothing.

As she stepped through the gates, wolves paused mid-conversation. The training grounds fell silent. She could feel the weight of every stare.

She wasn’t just Racheal Black anymore.

She was a problem.

She marched toward the packhouse, her boots thudding against the gravel path. She could hear her Beta title echoing in hushed tones.

“She’s mated twice—”

“To Alpha Kade… and a rogue—”

“What does this mean for the treaty?”

Inside the packhouse, her mother—Elder Lyria—was already waiting. The aging she-wolf stood at the center of the war room like she’d seen a vision and didn’t like what it showed.

“You should’ve come straight to me,” Lyria said, her voice tight with control.

“I needed space to think,” Racheal answered. She tried to sound strong. She didn’t feel it.

“You’ve bonded with two alphas,” her mother said. “Do you understand what that means?”

“I didn’t choose it.”

“No,” Lyria said. “But the bond has been acknowledged. And now, the council demands answers.”

Racheal’s stomach turned. “I don’t owe them anything. This isn’t some power play. I didn’t go looking for Jaxon—”

“Jaxon?” her mother hissed. “You know his name already?”

Racheal flinched. She hadn’t meant to say it like that. But the name had already branded itself across her soul. She didn’t need time to know him. Her wolf already did.

Lyria stepped closer. “Alpha Kade has reached out. He’s demanding a meeting. He’s... disturbed.”

“He has a right to be.”

Her mother paused, softening for the first time. “Do you care for him?”

“I don’t know,” Racheal admitted. “I thought I could. But then…”

“Then the rogue appeared.”

Racheal nodded, silent.

Lyria’s voice lowered. “You are Beta to this pack. A symbol of strength and control. If the council believes your emotions are... compromised, they could remove you. Or worse.”

“They’ll exile me.”

Her mother didn’t answer.

Racheal turned away, fists clenched. She wasn’t just fighting her heart now—she was fighting her whole future.

“I didn’t ask for this,” she whispered. “I never wanted two mates.”

“But you have them,” Lyria said. “And whether you like it or not, the entire werewolf order will be watching what you do next.”

There was a soft knock on the door. A junior omega peeked in, eyes wide.

“Beta Racheal… Alpha Kade is here. He wants to see you. Alone.”

Her wolf surged. Not in joy. Not in fear. In preparation.

The first bond was demanding her attention again.

She took a deep breath, steeling herself.

“Tell him I’ll be right there.”