ログインELIASGrimmane’s territory is as imposing as I remember, its dense alpine lands giving way to guarded roads and stone structures as I approach the pack’s main settlement. The last time I came this close, Kamari was the only thing on my mind. Today, I have business with Alpha Achilles.The coronation is seven weeks away. There’s so much to be done, so much to set in place to eliminate distractions. Eliminate distractions. What a funny thing to say when Kamari’s face keeps crossing my mind. My grip tightens on the reins, picking up speed as I ride up to towering silver gates glistening in the morning sun.My shoulders hunch when a warrior steps forward with a raised eyebrow.“Who are you?” His voice is hostile, and I freeze for a moment before I remember.I lift my cloak over my head, watching recognition fill his eyes.“Alpha Elias.” He nods slowly, then turns to his men at the gates, “let him through.”My gut clenches as I pass through the gates into the cobblestone streets, and I
ACHILLESIt would have been easier if Kamari had slapped me, cursed me, or demanded that I leave her alone. I know what to do with anger. I have no idea what to do with the hurt I put there.I have never wanted to touch someone as badly as I wanted to touch her tonight, and I have never been more certain that I shouldn’t.Telling myself that I’m just reacting to the things I’ve heard is no longer enough, because every time I stand close to Kamari, my wolf won’t shut up, urging me to do things I can’t say out loud.Even now, he grows more agitated, fuelling the rage inside me.I know that meeting Vesper in this mood will worsen things, and quite frankly, I’m not sure I want to see her tonight.But I can only hope.I’m sitting at my table in the pack’s dining hall, shoving a forkful of meat in my mouth when I hear the scraping of a chair pulled back beside me.The smell of sage reaches my nose, and I remember when it used to calm me. Now it just makes me want to hurl my plate at a wall
KAMARII’ve scrubbed my palm raw, yet somehow, I can still feel Vesper’s finger pressing into it. I don’t know what she did to me, but if this is what Grimmane calls a friendly tour, I’d hate to see how they interrogate their enemies.It doesn’t help that the sun has set and Achilles still hasn’t returned. I keep telling myself I don’t want to see him, but I swear on the Goddess, I need answers today.Who is this Vesper, and why does she think she can touch me whenever she pleases?My stomach grumbles, but I ignore it. I’ve already eaten everything in the basket, and my only other option is dinner with the pack. The thought of running into Vesper again makes me lose my appetite.My head still feels as though someone has been digging around inside it. A shiver travels down my spine when a gust of wind slips through the room, and I hurry to close the curtains.What am I doing? I should sleep. So what if he doesn’t come back tonight? And so what if he does? It’s not like he told me b
ACHILLES Bloodmoon’s scent reaches me long before its gates do, and by the time I arrive, I have rehearsed exactly what I intend to say to Alpha Griffin. I have no intention of staying long enough to hear another lie.The moment I pass through the gates, the difference is immediate.Bloodmoon is louder than Grimmane.The scent of damp earth and pine gives way to warm bodies, fresh-cut wood, and the faint sweetness of flowers. Wolves pass close enough for their scents to mingle with the breeze, their footsteps crossing me without the rigid rhythm I’m accustomed to at home. Conversations drift from one direction to another, overlapping with the occasional burst of laughter. Somewhere nearby, children are playing, their shrieks rising above the steady hum of pack life.My grip stays steady on the reins, and I take it all in without slowing. This place has the restless energy of a pack that has never learned to sit quietly with itself.A warrior approaches my horse.I recognise the c
KAMARIGrimmane is a pack built on discipline, and its people seem determined to prove it.The warriors we pass walk with straight backs and measured steps. Even their conversations are subdued, as though someone might reprimand them for making too much noise. There’s a certain order to everything here, from the neat rows of buildings to the way everyone seems to know exactly where they’re supposed to be.I wonder if they teach that kind of control, or if you’re simply expected to arrive with it.Because if it’s the latter, I might have to reconsider my stay.Beside me, Vesper continues explaining something about the pack’s training traditions. I nod at what I hope are the appropriate moments, increasingly aware that her attention keeps returning to me.It’s beginning to feel less like a tour and more like an assessment.“Control is everything here,” Vesper tells me as we continue down the path. “An undisciplined wolf is a danger to everyone around them.”I glance at her, wondering
KAMARI This bed is so soft.That’s the first thing I notice when I wake up.For a moment I just lie there, warm under the thick covers, listening to the gentle rustle of wind outside my window.Everything feels warm, quiet and comfortable. So why does my entire body feel like I was buried under a ton of bricks?My eyes shut again, and I remember—the transformation that should have killed me, the blood, Achilles…I’m wide awake now, and when I get out of bed, I find myself wondering if I imagined the knock on my door last night.But it doesn’t feel like a dream.My gaze lingers on the door. Surely whoever it was must have left already.Then I look out the window and my heart drops to my stomach.The skies are a pale orange, the sun already climbing over the horizonI’m late for training. That must have been what the knocking was about. He must have sent someone to wake me, but I was too weak to open my eyes.But that was last night…or was it?I dash into the bathroom and step under







