C5

“It’s a pity High Alpha Magnus mapped out the pack’s bloodlines decades ago,” I thought, the bitterness thick in my throat.

Victor was the safe choice for territory management, the steady wolf who followed the scent of tradition. But Peter was the predator. He was the reason the Draven name carried weight across the frozen northern borders. Five years ago, when Magnus stepped back from the front lines of the Moon Council, he’d handed the mantle of power to Peter.

But Peter didn't care for the political posturing of the Cheshire Lands. He’d moved to the northern wastes, dominating the professional hockey leagues and expansion territories while the rest of the family stayed comfortable.

“Are you shaking, Ethan?” Magnus chuckled, his voice a low vibration. “Scared Peter will put you through the boards now that he’s back?”

Peter was only thirty-three, but he carried himself with an ancient, terrifying authority. Back at Northbridge Academy, when Ethan was seventeen, he’d tried to lead a rogue hunt through forbidden lands with Lila. Peter had caught them, and the disciplinary shift he’d forced them into had left Ethan terrified of his uncle for life.

“I’m not scared of anyone,” Ethan lied, his scent spiking with nerves.

He tried to laugh, but when he caught me looking at him with pure disdain, his pupils flared. He leaned into my ear, his voice a harsh growl. “What’s so damn funny, Aria?”

I tore a piece of roasted meat with my teeth, a jagged smirk on my face. “Nothing. I just find your posturing quite amusing.”

“What’s the joke?” a deep, magnetic voice cut through the room. “Is it worth sharing with the rest of the pack?”

My heart didn't just skip a beat; it slammed against my ribs.

A shadow fell over the table. A tall, imposing figure in a charcoal suit stepped into the light, his black shirt buttoned to the throat. His eyes were like silver shards, his brow heavy with a silent command.

“High Alpha, apologies for the late arrival.” It was Peter Draven.

I felt the air leave my lungs. I’d been mocking Ethan a second ago, but now the words were gone. It wasn’t just Ethan who feared Peter; I wanted to be anywhere but in his line of sight.

When I was sixteen, I’d spent weeks rehearsing a confession for Ethan. I’d gathered my courage and crept to the Alpha’s wing of the estate. I knocked on the heavy oak door, my palms slick with sweat, staring at my boots.

“Ethan, I... my wolf chose you. I like you,” I whispered to the floor.

“Aria,” a voice had replied, laced with a terrifying amusement. “Ethan’s room is on the lower floor.”

I’d looked up to find Peter standing there, nothing but a towel around his waist, steam rising from his skin. The scent of cedar and ozone had nearly knocked me over. I’d bolted down the stairs so fast I’d nearly shifted in the hallway. I hadn’t stepped foot back in the main estate for months.

“Hey. Snap out of it.” Ethan nudged me, snapping me back to the gala.

I lowered my eyes instantly. “Greetings, Alpha Peter.”

Ethan smirked, his scent turning smug. “Look at that. She’s all teeth with me, but the second Uncle Peter walks in, she’s a submissive little pup.”

“Uncle Peter, you’ve been in the north too long,” Ethan added, his voice oily. “The pack has missed your lead.”

Peter pulled out a chair next to Magnus, rolling up his sleeves. “Is that so? I seem to remember you howling with joy the day I headed for the border, Ethan.”

Ethan’s face went pale. “That was a long time ago. Let’s leave the past in the woods.”

“High Alpha, a toast to your long reign,” Peter announced, his eyes glimmering with a dark mischief.

Magnus laughed, the pride in his eyes undeniable. “No spirits for you, Peter. You just crossed the mountain pass. You need your wits.”

Peter just grinned—a flash of white teeth—and downed the moon-liquor in one go. His silver eyes swept the room before locking onto Ethan. “So, Ethan, have you and Lila registered that bond yet? I came back specifically for a mating ceremony.”

Lila’s wine glass shattered against the stone floor, the sound echoing like a gunshot.

“Oh Goddess! I’m so sorry! My grip slipped,” she cried out, dropping to her knees.

She reached for the shards, then let out a sharp, high-pitched gasp as red blossomed on her finger.

“Careful!” Ethan shouted, his protective instincts hitting the ceiling.

He was at her side in an instant, cradling her hand. “Why are you so clumsy? You’re going to get yourself killed.”

“High Alpha, I’m taking Lila to the healer’s wing to have this bandaged,” Ethan announced, his tone frantic.

He wrapped an arm around her trembling shoulders, ignoring the icy silence from the Elders, and led her out of the hall.

I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt. He better run. If he doesn't hurry, that microscopic scratch will be healed by the time he finds a bandage.

Magnus and his sons shared a look of pure disgust. They weren't buying the ‘clumsy omega’ act.

Sabrina patted my hand, her smile strained. “Aria, you know she’s delicate. Ethan has always been her protector. It’s just pack instinct.”

Peter turned the platter of fish toward me, an unreadable smile on his face. “Have some, Aria. I remember you were always the first to the kill when you were a pup.”

I hated that he remembered anything about me. “Thank you, Alpha Peter,” I mumbled.

When dinner ended, the seats beside me were still empty. Ethan and Lila hadn't returned from the ‘emergency.’

I stood up, my voice professional and cold. “High Alpha, it’s late. I have a hearing at the Stone Legal Chambers in the morning. I must take my leave.”

Magnus growled low in his throat—a curse for Ethan. “Work comes first. But you didn't bring your own transport, did you? Peter, take her home.”

I shook my head immediately. “No, thank you, High Alpha. Alpha Peter has been drinking.”

The idea of being trapped in a car with him made my wolf pace nervously.

Peter let out a short, dry laugh. “I have a global hockey summit call tonight; I’m leaving anyway. The driver can drop you on the way.”

Before I could protest, I was being led to the Alpha Vehicle—a black Range Rover that smelled of cold air and power. I tried to go for the passenger seat, but the driver locked it from the inside, forcing me into the back with Peter.

“Thank you, Alpha Peter,” I said, sitting as far as possible from him.

Peter smirked. “Don't mention it.”

“Where to? The estate you share with Ethan?” he asked, his voice low and vibrating, the scent of the moon-liquor still clinging to his breath.

I almost snapped a ‘no,’ but I remembered the pack didn't know I’d walked away yet. “Skyline Garden,” I said, nodding.

Peter’s eyes sharpened. “Skyline Garden. Go.”

I pressed my shoulder against the window, staring out at the dark forest, feeling the space between us shrink until the tension in the car was absolutely suffocating.