Chapter 11

ORION

 I stayed with her like that until the faint light of dawn began creeping across the sky, quietly announcing the start of a new day.

 My wolf, Ray, was finally calmer — no longer raging as he had the night before, but still deeply aware of her presence, unwilling to move too far from her side.

 Reluctantly, I shifted away from the bed.

 I did not want her to wake and find me there. The bond between us was already powerful; if she were to see me in her room without understanding it, fear might replace the fragile peace she was beginning to feel here.

 Still, it took everything in me to step back.

 How I wished she had her wolf already. If she did, she would feel this pull as strongly as I did. She would understand why my heart beat faster when I was near her, why my instincts screamed that she belonged with me. The mate bond would guide her to me just as it guided me to her.

 Before leaving, I leaned down and pressed one last gentle kiss against her lips.

 Then another.

 And another.

 I could not seem to stop myself. Her lips were my favorite part of her face — soft, warm, comforting in a way nothing else had ever been. Finally, with great effort, I pulled away and left her room just as the sun began to rise.

 HAZEL

 This was the best night I had experienced since my parents were exiled.

 I woke with a strange sense of comfort wrapped around me. It felt as though someone had been with me through the night, protecting me, watching over me. The space beside me on the bed was warm, and the scent lingering on the pillow was unmistakable — that same musky presence that had followed me since I arrived at the palace.

 I still could not understand where it came from.

 Rising from the bed, I walked into the bathroom and prepared a warm bath. The room itself was breathtaking — white and gold everywhere, the tub standing in the center like a piece of art, polished and inviting. I slipped into the water and sighed softly, letting the warmth soothe my aching body. This kind of comfort had been impossible during my years of servitude.

 A knock interrupted my thoughts.

 I wrapped a towel around myself and opened the door.

 “Good morning, my lady,” Mira said cheerfully, taking my hand. “You look so lovely this morning.”

 “I was bathing before you knocked,” I replied with a small smile.

 Bella stepped inside, already straightening the bed.

 “What would you like for breakfast, my lady?”

 “Anything is fine.”

 Mira pouted playfully. “You do not need to prepare your own bath, my lady. That is why we are here.”

 Her expression made me chuckle. I returned to the tub while she cleaned the room and Bella went to prepare my meal.

 Life in the Dark Silver Pack had been peaceful so far — calm, organized, and filled with quiet warmth. Servants were treated kindly, children received proper education, and bullying was almost nonexistent. It was nothing like the Red Scarred Pack, where fear and harshness ruled so many lives.

 The stories told about this place were unfair.

 My heart ached as thoughts of my mother and father returned. My mother had always protected the servants, making sure no one was mistreated, always seeking justice whenever something was wrong. That was why the servants loved her so deeply.

 Tears slipped down my cheeks as I remembered my parents.

 The desert is a cruel place — endless heat, no shelter, little food or water. The sun burns without mercy, the sand cuts into the skin, the winds blind those who are unprepared. Many who are sent there never return the same, and some do not return at all.

 My first purpose here is clear: I must save my parents.

 No matter what it takes, no matter how long it takes — I will bring them back.