LOGIN“There,” Giga pointed ahead. “I see it.”The refuge.Stone walls built into the side of a rocky outcrop, just as I remembered. Light glowed from within—warm, real light that cut through the Black Realm’s constant gloom.I did not wait for the others.I urged my horse faster, ignoring Kael’s shout to slow down.The curse pulled harder, sensing my desperation, but I did not care.Could not care about anything except reaching that light.Reaching Alaric.I dismounted before my horse fully stopped, stumbling on legs that had gone half-numb from the curse’s touch. The refuge door stood open—just a crack, as if someone had left rushing.“Alaric?” I called, pushing through the door. “Alaric, it is Mom! I am her
Week three started with something that felt almost like hope.Not the bright, burning hope I had before the war wore us all down.This was quieter. More fragile.It came from watching four hundred and thirty-seven wolves choose to stay when they could have run.From seeing them train together, eat together, and live together, without that tired drag at every step, like they were hauling the weight of their doubts.They were trying.That had to mean something.At dawn, I stood at the training field, watching Thorne run the defensive drills.The air still carried winter’s bite, cold enough to see your breath.My fingers, gripping the wooden rail, were numb. But I did not move.Every minute I stood here, watching the pack get ready for a fight that might kill them all, was a minute I was not thinking about the other timeline.The one where, in seven days, I would see my son again.“You are going to freeze out here.
“I’m sure.”My voice stayed steady. Controlled.“I need some time alone.”“Alright. But Sophia, if you need to talk, I’m here.”“I know. Thank you.”Her footsteps faded down the hall.I waited until the sound disappeared completely, then let my head fall into my hands.Four more weeks.I could do this. I had to. For Alaric. For the kingdom. For every wolf who had chosen to stay and fight.I just was not sure what it would cost me.That night I lay beside Kael and stared at the ceiling.“You are not sleeping,” he said quietly.“Neither are you.”“I am worried about you.” He rolled onto his side
Three days later, Black River was still recovering when Aldric appeared.“You did well,” he said, materializing in my temporary office. Our old command center had burned in the fire.“We survived,” I said tiredly. “I’m not sure if that counts as doing well.”“You did more than survive. You showed Seraphine something she had not seen in decades—real unified resistance. Not forced by magic or oaths, but chosen freely by hundreds of wolves.”He looked at me seriously.“That terrifies her more than any army could.”“She did not look terrified,” I said. “She looked angry.”“Anger is just fear with teeth,” Aldric replied. “She is afraid of what you are building. Afraid it might actually work. Afraid she might ha
“I want to be,” I admitted. “But I’m not sure if I remember how. Everything has been in survival mode for so long that I’ve forgotten what it feels like to just… be with you. Not plotting, not planning, not preparing for the next fight. Just being.”Kael moved over and sat beside me.“I miss that too,” he said. “I miss the simple days before crowns and heavy responsibilities and impossible choices.”“May we get it back?” I asked. “Or is it gone for good?”“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “But I’d like to try. After we bring Alaric home. After we deal with Seraphine. After the immediate crisis calms down, I'd like to find our way back to each other.”“And if we can’t?”“Then we build som
“Three weeks,” Kael said. “Maybe less. My contact reports that Crimson Moon has stepped up their search. They found something. He is not sure what, but they are getting close to the entrance.”“Then we go sooner,” Martin replied. He was up and moving now, though he still favored his injured side. “Two weeks. Hit them before they can get organized.”“We are not ready,” Helena protested. “Half our fighters are still healing from the node missions. You are still hurt. The king and Luna's connection to their wolves is damaged—”“We will never be fully ready,” I cut in. “But Martin is right. We cannot wait for perfect conditions. If we wait too long, Crimson Moon will find Alaric before we do.”“Then we need a solid plan,” Theron said, stepping up to the map. “The Black
The morning after my talk with Erica dawned cold and brittle. While Helena and I were elbow-deep in medical supply inventories, trying to stretch our reserves to cover the influx of Silverpine wolves and the impending raid casualties, a young scout burst into the tent, her chest heaving.&ld
I stood in the chaotic heart of camp, surrounded by problems with no easy solutions. The weight of command felt like a physical yoke. “One thing at a time,” I muttered to myself, then raised my voice. “Helena, coordinate with Silverpine’s h
The camp stretched out below us—thousands of wolves sleeping in tents and under makeshift shelters. They trusted us to keep them safe. They believed in the peace we’d promised.And somewhere among them, more traitors waited.“Three days,” I said, the memory sharp in my mind. “Derek said three days
The council tent was packed. Twelve Alphas, their Betas, and key advisors—all crammed into a space meant for half. The air was thick with tension and the scent of wolves forced into close quarters.I took my seat at the head of the table, Kael beside me. Some Alphas didn’t bother hiding their displ







