LOGINJacob *This changed everything. Not just for me, but for Laurel. For the pack. For the future I had spent years trying to force into existence after destroying the one fate had given me.Krista looked horrified now. She pushed herself to her feet abruptly and took several steps away from Lenore, dragging a hand through her hair.“This is insane,” she whispered. But I could hear it in her voice that she believed the Elder, or at least feared she might be right.I became dimly aware that my own breathing had gone shallow. My mind kept circling back to the same realization over and over again. The bond had never truly ended.In the back of my mind, my wolf spoke at last, his voice grim. That means we have a problem. I swallowed hard. Because Krista cannot even feel her wolf anymore.Almost immediately, Krista voiced the exact same fear aloud. “But I can’t even sense her,” she said, turning back toward Lenore. “I haven’t been able to shift properly since that night. My senses are dulled
Jacob *Krista shrugged, but it was a brittle motion. “I was hurt,” she said simply at first. Then, after a pause, “Like any mate would feel if they were suddenly…discarded.”My jaw tightened at that word.She exhaled through her nose, a short, controlled breath. “And angry. More than a little angry.”Her eyes flicked up briefly, not quite meeting mine, then away again. “I already know why he did it,” she added quickly, almost as if she didn’t want silence to stretch and swallow the room. “Jacob explained his predicament when we met in Eldeg. And I told him then what I’ll tell you now, Elder Lenore – I’ve forgiven him. Truly.”The words were firm, like something she had repeated enough times that it should have become truth by now. My wolf stirred at that. Krista’s hands tightened slightly in her lap. “Life after leaving the Red Moon pack wasn’t easy,” she continued, voice lowering. “I was a lone wolf, which made me easy prey for rogues, opportunists… people who can smell weakness t
Jacob*As I approached the grove, I spotted Krista immediately.She stood just outside the entrance under the shade of the trees, pacing slowly with her hands folded together. She wore a simple dress that hugged her waist before falling softly to her ankles, practical enough for movement but still undeniably feminine. Her hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, though several loose strands framed her face and stirred gently in the breeze.She looked uneasy. Not frightened exactly, but restless in a way I recognized from years ago. Krista could never stay still when her thoughts became too loud for her to sit through. The sight of her waiting there stirred something warm and dangerous inside my chest.At the sound of my footsteps, she looked up and our gazes met briefly. Then, almost immediately, she looked away again. A faint flush colored her cheeks. My mouth nearly curved into a smile. She was thinking about the kiss, and the realization pleased me far more than it should have.
Jacob*Why did every instinct in me resist revealing what Sophia had shared? I thought again of the Rogue King, of his spies hidden in plain sight. Of Sophia’s warning to trust no one unless I was absolutely certain of their loyalty. Laurel is not no one, I told myself.And yet hesitation still coiled stubbornly inside me. I opened my mouth before I could think myself into further silence. “The Nightwalker pack was attacked during a celebration,” I said at last.Laurel froze. I watched shock spread visibly across her face. “What?”“The rogues attacked during a mating celebration,” I continued grimly. “Several wolves were injured. Alpha Magnus was severely wounded.”Her hand flew immediately to her mouth. “Alpha Magnus?” she repeated in disbelief. I nodded once. For a moment, Laurel simply stared at me. Genuine horror filled her expression now, wiping away the earlier tension between us. The reaction eased something faintly in my chest, though not entirely.“Oh, Goddess,” she whispere
Jacob*I stood by the window of my study, my hands clasped loosely behind my back as I stared out across the pack lands stretching beyond the manor. From here, I could see the training grounds in the distance, several warriors moving through drills under the sharp eye of their commander. Beyond that lay the forests that bordered our territory, dense and deceptively calm beneath the afternoon light.Ordinarily, the sight steadied me. Today, it did not.Ever since Sophia’s visit, a sense of unease had lodged itself under my skin and refused to leave. Every time I looked at my lands now, I could only think about how somewhere within all of it was a traitor. The thought soured my mood all over again.I had just finished a meeting with the head of my patrol teams, revising border rotations and tightening security around the manor. Later tonight, I would meet with the Elders to discuss increasing surveillance within the territory without causing panic among the pack.The challenge was that
Jacob*“Let me go,” she snapped immediately, her voice sharp with fury as she twisted against my hold.I tightened my grip instinctively, not enough to hurt her, but enough to keep her from breaking free.“Calm down,” I said but the words sounded almost useless against the storm she had brought into the room.She jerked against me, trying to wrench her hands free, but I held firm. For a brief moment, I thought I had contained her outburst. I was wrong. She dove forward without warning. Before I could anticipate it, her mouth found my neck, right where it met my shoulder, and she bit down hard.A sharp hiss tore from my throat at the sudden pain, my grip loosening on instinct. The sensation was immediate and intense, her teeth sinking into skin. “Damn it.”The moment my hold faltered, she took advantage of it. Her arm came up again, aiming for another strike, but this time I was ready. I shifted quickly, my hand sliding from her wrist to her waist as I used the momentum of her movemen
Jacob*When I stepped into my study, my audience was already there. The three messengers from the Nightwalker pack stood near the center, flanked by two of my men who had been stationed there to watch them. As soon as they noticed me, all five wolves straightened before bowing in greeting.My men
Krista *“These fainting spells have been happening for a long time,” he said, his tone gentle but firm. “And all this time, we’ve only had access to human healers who couldn’t do much for you. Now we’re in a place where there’s an actual werewolf healer who might be able to help, and you’re refus
Krista*Leah’s reaction was immediate and loud. “Oh my Goddess!”She practically leapt off Kenan as if he had burned her, scrambling back with a speed that would have been impressive under any other circumstance. I reacted just as quickly, clapping both hands over my eyes and turning sharply away
Krista*Her gaze flicked over me. “You wore his coat on purpose. You knew he would notice. You knew it would remind him of what the two of you used to be.” Her tone sharpened. “You’re trying to use his possessiveness against him.”I stared at her for a moment, then let out a short, incredulous sco







