"Please," I whisper as his teeth graze my neck, my body betraying every promise I made to keep him at a distance. "We can't—" "Can't?" His laugh is dark, dangerous. "Your wolf is screaming for me, Fin. I can smell how much you want this." His hands pin my wrists above my head, his body pressing mine against the wall. "Tell me to stop. Tell me you don't dream about my hands on your skin, my mark on your throat." His lips brush my ear, voice rough with need. "Tell me, and I'll walk away. But we both know you're tired of denying what's between us." Finley Bennett never expected to be Alpha of Forest Trails pack. But when her brother refuses the role, she's determined to prove a female can lead - even if it means burying her broken heart. Because the one wolf who was supposed to be her perfect match chose another, leaving her with nothing but duty to cling to. When Mountain Ridge's powerful Alpha arrives to discuss border threats, his sudden marking of her as his mate offers a second chance at happiness. But fate isn't finished testing her yet. Another cruel rejection leaves her wondering if she's destined to lead alone. As mysterious attacks threaten pack lands and ancient magic stirs, Finley must navigate pack politics, unseen enemies, and the return of her first mate. But something darker lurks beneath the surface - a hidden enemy whose manipulation could cost her everything she's fought to protect. With her territory under siege and her heart torn between two wolves who rejected her, Finley must decide: can she trust fate's choice a third time? Or will opening her heart again destroy everything she's built?
View MoreFinley
I stare out the car window as we pass the "Welcome to Glass Lake" sign, my stomach doing that weird flippy thing it always does when I know I'll be seeing Liam soon. You'd think after eighteen years of friendship, I'd be over this schoolgirl crush. But apparently my wolf, Nova, hasn't gotten the memo.
Just friends, I remind myself for the thousandth time. That's all we'll ever be.
"Cheer up, birthday girl," my brother Rhett says, nudging my shoulder from the backseat. "You look like you're heading to a funeral instead of your own party."
I force a smile, though it probably looks more like a grimace. "I just don't see why we had to celebrate here. All my friends are back home."
"The Stones, Crosses, and Kanes have been coming to our place for your birthday every year since you were born," Mom chimes in from the front seat, her tone gentle but leaving no room for argument. "It's our turn to visit them, sweetheart. These summer gatherings are tradition."
She's right, of course. Our families have been gathering like this for as long as I can remember – the Stones with their Alpha bloodline, the Crosses whose daughter is the new Luna of Glass Lake, the Kanes who've been their trusted Gammas for generations, and us Bennetts. Pack rank never seemed to matter during these visits. We were just family.
"Besides," Dad adds, his eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror, "Liam specifically asked if you could celebrate here this year."
My heart does that stupid little stutter it always does at the mention of his name. Liam Stone – youngest son of the former Alpha, notorious troublemaker, and the boy I've been half in love with since I was old enough to know what love was.
Nova stirs restlessly under my skin. “Calm down,” I tell her. “It's just Liam.”
But even as I think it, I know something feels different this time. Maybe it's because I'm finally eighteen, officially of age in pack terms. Maybe it's the way Nova keeps pacing in my mind, more agitated than usual. Or maybe it's the strange tension that's been building in my chest for the past few days, like the air before a storm.
"Did he say why?" I try to keep my voice casual, but Rhett's knowing smirk tells me I've failed miserably.
"Nope." He pops the 'p' with annoying emphasis. "But Ryleigh's been helping with the planning."
And just like that, my momentary flutter of hope crashes. Right. Ryleigh Kane. Former gamma's daughter, sweet as honey, and Liam's unofficial girlfriend for the past year. I've seen the way he looks at her – like she hung the moon and stars.
Nova whines, and I push down the familiar ache in my chest. I'm being ridiculous. Liam is my friend, one of my best friends. I should be happy he's found someone who makes him smile like that, who helps quiet the insecurities he tries so hard to hide behind his jokes.
"We're here," Dad announces as we pull up to the imposing Stone mansion.
The sight of it still takes my breath away, even after all these years. Three stories of gray stone and gleaming windows rise before us, perfectly framed by ancient oaks that have guarded the property for generations. White columns line the wraparound porch where we spent countless summer evenings as kids, telling ghost stories and planning adventures.
I catch glimpses of silver and white decorations through the windows, and my stomach twists. I've never been one for big celebrations, preferring small gatherings with close friends. But I know this party is as much about pack tradition as it is about my birthday. Eighteen is when we're considered adults in wolf terms, old enough to accept a mate bond if fate decides to present one.
Nova perks up at that thought, and I quickly shut it down. The last thing I need is to get my hopes up about mate bonds, especially with Liam so clearly spoken for.
I take a deep breath, straightening my shoulders as we get out of the car. The late afternoon sun catches the lake beyond the house, turning it into a sheet of molten gold. The air is thick with the scents of pine and wild roses, and underneath it all, the familiar markers of Glass Lake pack – earth and water and ancient magic.
And then another scent hits me, one I would know anywhere. Rainwater and cedar and something wild that always makes Nova want to run straight toward it.
"Finally!" Liam's voice booms across the driveway. "I thought you guys were going to miss all the fun."
I turn, and there he is, jogging down the front steps with that crooked grin that never fails to make my heart skip. His blonde hair catches the sunlight like spun gold, a gift from his mother's side, and those bright blue eyes dance with their usual mischief. But there's something else there too, something that makes Nova suddenly go very still.
He reaches for me, and the moment his arms wrap around me in our usual hug, everything changes.
The world tilts on its axis. My skin buzzes where we touch, and Nova surges forward with a force that nearly brings me to my knees. Liam goes rigid against me, his arms tightening almost painfully as a low growl rumbles through his chest.
Mate.
The word echoes through my mind, through my soul, with the force of a thunderclap. Every cell in my body sings with recognition, with rightness, with Mine.
And then Liam jerks away like I've burned him, his eyes wide and panicked. The sudden loss of contact feels like being doused in ice water.
"I... I need to..." He stumbles backward, his usual smooth confidence nowhere to be seen. "Ryleigh's waiting. For the... the decorations."
He turns and practically runs back into the house, leaving me standing there with my world simultaneously exploding into perfect clarity and shattering into pieces.
Because in that moment, I know two things with absolute certainty: Liam Stone is my fated mate.
And by the look in his eyes, he is going to reject me.
LiamOne second she's there—our triangle pulsing with shared power, the boundary sealing complete—and the next she's gone, reality folding around her like paper crumpling in an invisible hand."FINLEY!" My voice tears from my throat, raw and desperate as I lunge toward the space where she stood just moments ago. Only emptiness meets my grasping hands, a cold void where her warmth should be.No. No no no. Not again. Not when we've finally—Storm howls inside me, the sound reverberating through my chest though it never reaches my lips. The primal grief of a wolf separated from his mate. The same howl I swallowed two years ago when I walked away from her, only a thousand times worse because this time I want her, this time I'm choosing her, and she's still gone."What happened?" Dane demands, on his knees at the edge of where our triangle stood, his hands passing through empty air as if he might somehow catch some trace of her. "Where is she?"The ritual site erupts into chaos around us—w
FinleyThrough our extended awareness, I recognize the entity immediately—not a single Skinwalker but a combined form like the one we faced days ago, multiple entities merged into a more powerful collective. Ms. Valen moves alongside it, her hands tracing patterns in the air that seem to disrupt Celina's protective wards."Focus on the ritual," I command as both Dane and Liam register the immediate threat, their instincts pulling toward defense. "We can't stop now. The boundary reinforcement is almost complete."The stars align overhead, seven celestial bodies finding perfect geometric formation for the first time in seven centuries. Power surges through our triangle, the energy circuit between us intensifying beyond anything we experienced during practice sessions. The boundary between worlds reaches maximum permeability—both weakest against intrusion and most receptive to reinforcement."Now!" Celina calls from somewhere beyond my direct perception. "Complete the sealing before the
FinleyThe moon rises over the ritual site, bathing the ancient stones in silvery light that seems to pulse with its own rhythm. Above us, the stars have begun their final alignment, seven celestial bodies gradually shifting into perfect geometric formation for the first time in seven hundred years."It's starting," Celina murmurs, her voice barely audible over the strange humming emanating from the standing stones around us. "Can you feel it?"I can. We all can. The boundary between worlds growing thinner with each passing minute, the pressure against reality's fabric increasing as whatever waits on the other side pushes harder against our world's defenses.Dane, Liam, and I stand in our triangular formation, positioned precisely according to the ancient pattern Celina identified during our practice sessions. The connection between us has been growing steadily stronger all day, and now it pulses with near-physical intensity. Through it, I can feel both men with startling clarity—thei
Finley I find Dad in his office, maps spread across his desk and a communications link open to what appears to be Mountain Ridge territory. Alpha Parker's voice comes through with crystal clarity, his tone clipped and commanding as always."The delegation refuses silver verification for the third time," he's saying as I enter. "Claiming diplomatic immunity and threatening inter-pack retaliation if forced to comply.""Which confirms our suspicions," Dad replies, nodding to acknowledge my arrival. "No genuine wolf would refuse silver verification three times without valid explanation.""Agreed," Alpha Parker says. "The containment team reports unusual movement patterns within their quarters as well. Guards describe it as 'flowing' rather than walking."Skinwalkers. It has to be. Ms. Valen might be a genuine wolf—silver verification confirmed that much—but her "companions" are clearly something else entirely."Where are they now?" I ask, stepping fully into the conversation."Still cont
FinleyI wake to unfamiliar warmth, my body registering the comfort before my brain catches up to why. Dane's arm is draped around my waist, his steady breathing against the back of my neck sending little shivers down my spine despite the seriousness of today's looming ritual.The Night of Seven Stars. It's finally here.For a moment, I allow myself to linger in this bubble of peace—Dane's solid presence behind me, his scent wrapped around me like a security blanket, the mate bond humming contentedly between us. Nova stirs beneath my skin, pleased to have one of our mates so close after weeks of distance.One of our mates. The thought no longer jars me the way it once did. Through our strengthened triad bond, I can sense Liam too—not physically present but connected nonetheless, his consciousness just beginning to stir from sleep somewhere in the guest quarters. The awareness of both of them, the steady certainty of their presence, feels increasingly right despite everything tradition
Dane Finley's door is unlocked when I arrive, as if she's been expecting me despite our lack of specific arrangements. I find her standing by the window, still fully dressed, staring out at the night sky where the stars are gradually shifting into the alignment that will reach completion tomorrow."You're supposed to be resting," I say softly, closing the door behind me."I tried," she replies, not turning from the window. "Too many thoughts."Through our connection, I can feel the tumult of emotions beneath her outwardly calm demeanor—worry about tomorrow's ritual, confusion about our complicated relationship, lingering doubts about her leadership abilities in the face of unprecedented threats."You should have asked me to stay," I observe, moving to stand beside her. The stars outside seem unusually bright, as if already responding to the approaching alignment."I wasn't sure if you'd want to," she admits quietly. "After everything at dinner. Ms. Valen's interruption. The conversat
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