Mag-log in“Get me out! Please! I can’t”
I bolted upright, screaming.
My hands clawed at my throat. Dirt. Darkness. Buried. Can’t breathe.
“Christina, stop!”
Kyros’ voice snapped me back. I gasped, lungs burning. The room came into focus. Bed. Window. Moonlight.
Not underground.
Not dead.
“Just a dream,” I choked out.
“A memory,” Kyros corrected. “And we have a problem.”
My chest burned. The mate bond pulsed hot beneath my ribs.
“He felt you last night,” Kyros said. “He knows you’re alive.”
“Shit.”
“He’s coming.”
I threw off the blanket. “How long?”
“Days. Maybe less. We need to move fast.”
Breakfast was a nightmare.
The dining hall buzzed with conversation until I walked in. Then silence. Stares. Whispers.
“That’s the wolfless girl.”
“Why is she even here?”
I kept my head down and moved toward the food line.
A tall red-haired girl stepped in front of me. Sharp green eyes. Dominant wolf energy.
“You’re in my spot,” she said.
I dropped my gaze. “Sorry.”
“Of course you are. You’re nothing.” She grabbed a coffee cup. “Oops.”
She dumped it on my chest.
Scalding liquid soaked through my shirt. I gasped and stumbled back.
Laughter erupted around us.
Kyros snarled. *Let me rip her apart.*
*No. We can’t.*
“Clumsy me,” the girl said sweetly.
“What’s going on?”
The room went dead silent.
A man stood in the doorway. Late fifties. Silver hair. Cold gray eyes. Expensive suit.
Beta Vax.
Every wolf straightened immediately.
His gaze landed on me. Studied me like prey.
“Who is this?”
Caleb appeared beside him. “Christina Black. Rogue survivor. I gave her asylum.”
Vax raised an eyebrow. “Did you.”
“Yes.”
Vax’s eyes never left me. “What does a wolfless stray offer my pack?”
Caleb’s jaw tightened. “That’s not your concern.”
“Everything here is my concern.” Vax stepped closer. “Can you fight?”
“No.”
“Hunt?”
“No.”
“Shift?”
My throat tightened. “No.”
He smiled. It was cold. “Then what can you do?”
“Work. Whatever you need.”
“How useful.” He turned away. “Kitchen duty. Let’s see if you earn your keep.”
He left without waiting for an answer.
I looked down at my soaked shirt, hands shaking.
*That’s him,* Kyros growled. *That’s the man who murdered my host.*
*I know. Soon.*
Hours in the kitchen. Scrubbing. Hauling. Ignored.
By nightfall, my hands were raw.
A knock on my door.
“Me,” Caleb said quietly.
I let him in. He checked the hall before closing the door.
“Vax is leading the border patrol tonight. Three hours. We are searching his office now.”
I stood. “What are we looking for?”
“Proof he killed my father.”
“Let’s go.”
The packhouse was silent.
We moved fast. Kyros tracked footsteps before they got close. Twice we hid from guards.
Caleb picked Vax’s office lock in seconds.
Inside, everything was perfect. Too clean. Too organized.
“Desk,” Caleb whispered.
I opened drawers. Files. Reports. Nothing.
Then a locked drawer.
“Here.”
Caleb forced it open.
Financial records. Coded transactions. Money disappearing offshore.
“He’s stealing,” Caleb said.
I found letters. All coded. All dated three months ago.
My fingers touched metal.
I pulled out a dagger.
Kyros roared. *That blade. I smell blood. My host’s blood.*
Silver handle. Runes carved in. Dark stains on the metal.
“This is what killed him,” I whispered.
Caleb took it, trembling. “We’ve got him.”
Footsteps outside.
We froze.
The steps stopped at the door.
Too late.
Vax walked in.
His cold eyes found us instantly.
He smiled.
“Unfortunate,” he said calmly.
Caleb stepped in front of me, gripping the dagger. “It’s over. We know what you did.”
“Do you?” Vax closed the door behind him. “Prove it.”
“You murdered my father.”
“With that?” Vax nodded at the dagger. “Covered in rogue blood from three months ago?” He pulled out his phone. “Or should I call the guards? Tell them I caught the young alpha breaking into my office? Planting evidence?”
“No one will believe you,” Caleb said.
“Won’t they? Desperate son. Dead father. Loyal beta.” Vax’s smile widened. “Who sounds more believable?”
My pulse was hammered.
Vax looked at me. Really looked.
“You’re interesting,” he said softly. “Not wolfless at all, are you?”
Ice shot through my veins.
“Something special about you,” Vax continued. “Something hidden.”
Kyros stirred. *He suspects.*
Vax pulled a knife. “Let’s find out.”
He lunged.
Caleb shoved me aside and caught his wrist. They slammed into the desk.
“Run!” Caleb shouted.
I tried to move.
Pain exploded in my chest.
The mate bond. Burning. Pulling so hard I collapsed.
“No,” I gasped. “Not now.”
*He’s here,* Kyros said urgently. *At the border.*
“Who?” Vax demanded, wrestling with Caleb.
The bond ripped through me again.
Alarms shrieked.
A voice boomed over speakers: “Alpha Rhodes to the border immediately. The Alpha of Riverstone requests entry.”
Everything stopped.
Caleb stared at me. “What?”
I clutched my chest. “Kael. He found me.”
Vax’s eyes lit up with understanding.
“Well,” he said slowly. “This changes everything.“
Christina’s POV“Get me out! Please! I can’t”I bolted upright, screaming.My hands clawed at my throat. Dirt. Darkness. Buried. Can’t breathe.“Christina, stop!”Kyros’ voice snapped me back. I gasped, lungs burning. The room came into focus. Bed. Window. Moonlight.Not underground.Not dead.“Just a dream,” I choked out.“A memory,” Kyros corrected. “And we have a problem.”My chest burned. The mate bond pulsed hot beneath my ribs.“He felt you last night,” Kyros said. “He knows you’re alive.”“Shit.”“He’s coming.”I threw off the blanket. “How long?”“Days. Maybe less. We need to move fast.”Breakfast was a nightmare.The dining hall buzzed with conversation until I walked in. Then silence. Stares. Whispers.“That’s the wolfless girl.”“Why is she even here?”I kept my head down and moved toward the food line.A tall red-haired girl stepped in front of me. Sharp green eyes. Dominant wolf energy.“You’re in my spot,” she said.I dropped my gaze. “Sorry.”“Of course you are. You’re
Kael’s POVI couldn’t sleep.For three months, I hadn’t been able to sleep. Not since the night Christina died.I sat at my desk, staring at reports I couldn’t focus on. Numbers blurred together. Words meant nothing. All I I could feel was the hollow ache in my chest that never went away.The mate bond should have severed when she died. That’s what every wolf knew. When your mate dies, the bond breaks. It tears you apart, drives you half-insane with grief, but eventually it fades.Mine hadn’t faded.It had only gotten worse.“Alpha?”I looked up to find Marcus, my gamma, standing in the doorway. He looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes.“What is it?” I asked.“Another incident at the northern border. Three more wolves can’t shift. That makes fifteen this week.”I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. The sickness was spreading faster now. First it was just a A few wolves here and there. Now it is happening daily.“Have the healers found anything?”“No, Alpha. They
Christina’s POVThe wolf pinning me down was massive, with silver-gray fur and eyes that burned with fury. His claws dug into my shoulders, drawing blood.“I asked you a question,” he snarled. “How did a rogue cross our border?”Before I could answer, another voice cut through the air.“Alpha, wait!”The pressure on my shoulders eased slightly as footsteps approached. A younger wolf emerged from the trees, shifting quickly into a tall man with concerned eyes.“She’s bleeding out,” he said. “At least let her speak before you kill her.”The wolf above me growled low but stepped back. The The transformation was smooth, controlled. Within seconds, a tall man stood before me, maybe thirty, with sharp features and an air of command that made my instincts scream *alpha*.Caleb Rhodes.“You have one minute,” he said coldly. “Explain how you crossed our barrier.”I pushed myself up slowly, painfully aware that I was naked and bleeding. My body trembled from exhaustion, but I for
Christina's Pov“He can feel you,” Kyros said.“What do you mean he can feel me?” I gasped, falling back against the dirt as another wave of pain tore through my chest. My body felt ruined, pushed far past its limits, every breath a struggle.“The mate bond,” Kyros replied. “He can feel that you are still alive.”I squeezed my eyes shut, my fingers digging into the earth. “But I’ve never felt the bond like this. Not even close.”“You didn’t have a wolf,” Kyros said. “And now you carry one as old as I am. Everything you feel will be stronger. Sharper. Louder.”I let out a broken laugh that turned into a cough. “I didn’t sign up for this.”“No,” he said calmly. “But it is still better than the hand you were dealt.”Another sharp pulse rolled through me and I cried out. “How am I supposed to get to Ebonridge like this? I can barely move.”“You can’t,” Kyros answered. “Not like this.”“Then what am I supposed to do?” I asked, my voice shaking. “If he can feel me, he’ll find me. He’ll”“Yo
Kael's PovI smirked as I dodged another hit from my sparring partner, twisting just enough for his fist to slice through empty air. Training was the only thing that kept my mind quiet. The only thing that stopped it from dragging me back to two nights ago.Her screams.Her pleas.The sound of dirt hitting the grave as they covered it.I blinked hard, forcing the memory away.That moment of distraction was all John needed.He lunged, aiming a heavy blow at my ribs. I reacted on instinct, spinning around him and using his momentum against him. I grabbed his arm, twisted, and slammed him into the ground hard enough to knock the breath from his lungs.“Trying to hit a man while he’s distracted is low,” I said, looking down at him. “Don’t you think, John?”He grunted, pushing himself up from the dirt, his jaw clenched. Instead of answering, he rushed me again, throwing wild, careless punches that had no real aim behind them.I sighed. “Concentrate,” I told him evenly. “Pick your shots.”H
Christina's PovBreatheI gasped as I choked on air, the air burning my deprived lungs. I coughed and gagged, clawing at the ground as spots danced in my vision.The world came back in fragments.Light filtering through trees. Rough earth beneath my palms. The scent of pine and damp soil, sharp and overwhelming. Every sound crashed into me all at once. Birds chirping too loudly, wings fluttering overhead, leaves rustling somewhere nearby. Far off, a long, distant howl rose and faded, sending a shiver down my spine.I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to steady myself, but my heart wouldn’t slow. It pounded hard enough that I could feel it in my throat.“Calm down,” a voice said.I went still.The words weren’t spoken aloud, yet they were clear, firm, and impossibly close. Not carried on the wind. Not echoing through the trees.Inside me.My breath stuttered. “Who… who is that?” I tried to shout, panic clawing up my chest, but my throat felt like it had been scraped raw with gravel. The so







