LOGINDawn hit like a hammer.The pack council hall was packed when Kai led Elara inside, his hand firm on her lower back. The mate bond thrummed between them protective, possessive, and edged with raw tension. Every wolf watched them like predators circling fresh meat.Garrick sat at the head, face carved from stone. Serena and Lila flanked him like queens in waiting. The rogue… Lila’s mate stood chained at the side, eyes down.“Bring the girl forward,” Garrick ordered.Kai didn’t move. “She stays with me.”The bond surged at his words. Elara felt his wolf ready to tear apart anyone who tried to separate them but doubt still lingered in too many eyes.Serena stepped forward, voice dripping sweetness. “The pack has spoken… Until the rogue’s story is confirmed, she should be held separately for everyone’s safety.”Murmurs of agreement rippled through the hall. A few wolves growled low.Elara lifted her chin. “I’m not hiding… Ask your questions.”The rogue shifted uncomfortably. Serena shot h
The angry voices outside the suite grew louder. Kai stood between Elara and the door like a wall of muscle and fury, the mate bond crackling between them like live electricity.“They’re not taking you anywhere,” he growled.Elara’s heart slammed against her ribs. The bond pulled her toward him even as fear spiked through her veins. “If the pack demands confinement, your father might force it… You know how this works.”Kai’s eyes flashed. “Not while I’m alpha heir.”A heavy fist pounded on the door. “Open up! Alpha Garrick’s orders!”Kai yanked the door open. Three enforcers stood there, eyes hard. Behind them, Serena watched with a satisfied smirk, Lila at her side.“Elara Voss is to be held in the guest quarters until the rogue’s statement is verified,” the lead enforcer said. “Pack safety.”Kai’s alpha aura rolled out in a crushing wave. “She stays with me… My mate is my responsibility.”The enforcers hesitated. The bond surged, feeding Elara Kai’s protective rage and the deep, unwa
Kai slammed the suite door so hard the walls shook. His eyes were blazing when they locked on Elara.“You should have told me about the video,” he growled, voice low and dangerous. “The edited one from the rogue attack it's everywhere now... Half the pack thinks you planned your own victim story.”Elara stood slowly from the couch, heart hammering. The mate bond surged at his nearness hot, furious, desperate. “I deleted it the second it came… Would you have believed me if I showed you?”Kai crossed the room in three strides, crowding her against the back of the couch. “I’m trying to protect you and you’re still hiding things?”“I’m not hiding; I'm surviving.” She tilted her chin up, refusing to shrink. “Every time I give you a piece of the truth you look at me like I’m the liar. So forgive me for not running to you with Serena’s latest knife.”The bond flared between them like lightning. She felt his wolf pushing forward, possessive and conflicted. His hands gripped the couch on eithe
Elara deleted the photo threat before Kai came out of the shower. She wouldn’t give Serena the satisfaction of seeing her rattled. Not yet...When Kai emerged, hair damp and wearing a fresh black shirt, the mate bond immediately tightened. He smelled like soap and raw power. His eyes flicked over her, lingering a second too long on her lips, before he shut it down.“We have family dinner tonight,” he said. “Father’s orders the whole inner circle... No excuses.”Elara’s stomach twisted. “Great... More time with Serena and Lila playing victims.”Kai grabbed his keys. “Stay close to me, say as little as possible.”The walk to the alpha residence was quiet but charged. Every step synced their breathing through the bond. When his hand brushed hers, sparks shot up her arm, she pulled away. He noticed but didn’t comment.The dining hall was already full when they arrived. Alpha Garrick sat at the head like a king holding court. Elders lined one side. Serena and Lila sat on the other, looking
Elara stared at the deleted message until the screen went black. Serena’s threat sat like ice in her stomach. Leave before the next photos drop. The same old game… fear, isolation, control.She paced the suite, the mate bond tugging at her ribs like a leash. Every second Kai was gone made it worse. Her wolf wanted to track him down, demand he see the truth. Her human side wanted to pack a bag and run again.A sharp knock made her freeze.“It’s me,” Kai’s voice came through the door, rough and tired. “Open up.”She unlocked it. He stepped inside, shirt rumpled, a fresh cut on his cheekbone. The scent of blood and forest clung to him… The bond surged so hard her breath caught.“What happened?” she asked.“Pack idiots testing me.” He closed the door and leaned against it, eyes locked on her. “Two challengers in the training ring… They think bonding with you makes me weak. Serena was watching.”Of course she was.Elara crossed her arms, trying to ignore how the bond wanted her to close th
The accusation still burned in the air like smoke.Elara stared at Kai across the breakfast table, fury and the mate bond twisting together until she couldn’t tell which was worse. “You really think I leaked those photos? After everything they did to me?”Kai’s phone kept buzzing, message after message from pack members. His knuckles turned white around it. “I don’t know what to think. The bond is messing with my head, making me want to believe you but the timing… right after you come back? The whole pack is losing it.”Serena’s voice cut in from the doorway, she hadn’t actually left. “See? She’s playing you, Kai. Just like old times.”Elara whipped around. “Get out.”Serena smiled, sharp and ugly. “This is my pack too and right now everyone’s saying the new alpha mate is the same girl who tried to ruin us. Those photos are everywhere... People are calling for Garrick to reconsider the marriage.”Kai stood so fast the chair scraped loud against the floor. The bond flared between him a







