CHAPTER THREE

ASHER

My name is Asher Rowan, heir to the Fireclaw Pack, the strongest pack in the North.

From the day I was old enough to understand the weight of my title, I was taught that a weak Alpha doomed his people, and a hesitant one buried them in forgotten graves. 

I never questioned my duty, nor did I flinch from the bloody realities of our borders. That was simply the way of our world... until my father decided I would marry the daughter of our greatest enemy.

My gaze settled on the young woman standing at the edge of the courtyard.

So... this was Isabel, daughter of Alpha Darius and Luna Jade.

She stood quietly in a simple, unadorned blue dress, her fingers tightly clasped in front of her as though she wished she could disappear from everyone's sight. She was beautiful; there was no denying that. The rumors of Rivercrest women had spread far beyond their borders for generations, tales of beauty blessed by the Moon Goddess herself, and looking at Isabel now, I understood why those stories endured.

But beauty meant nothing to me. Beauty couldn't defend a border, and it certainly couldn't end a war. She was still Rivercrest, and I was Fireclaw. This marriage wasn't born from affection; it was forged in ink and iron to end generations of bloodshed.

The morning before we crossed into Rivercrest territory, I found my father standing alone on the high eastern cliffs overlooking our ancestral lands as he watched our Beta, Kael, prepare for the long march to Rivercrest.

"There were other ways," I said again, stopping a few paces behind him. I had argued with him for most of the morning, hoping he would reconsider. Every suggestion I made had been dismissed without a second thought. He was convinced that a marriage with Rivercrest was the only way to secure the peace treaty.

"There always are," Father replied without turning around.

"Then why choose a marriage?"

He remained silent for a long moment, watching Beta Kael fasten his horse's saddle.

"Because peace bought with fear never lasts, Asher."

"And peace bought with an enemy?"

He finally turned, his dark eyes meeting mine.

"Sometimes... it lasts the longest."

My jaw tightened.

"She's the daughter of Darius. The blood of the man who ordered the ambush a few years ago."

"I know exactly whose daughter she is."

"Then why bind Fireclaw's future to Rivercrest? Why make marriage the price of peace after decades of war?" I asked, my face tight with frustration.

Father looked toward the deep forests stretching far beyond our borders.

"What do you know about Rivercrest?"

"They command water," I answered. "They're gifted healers, and they possess one of the oldest bloodlines among the northern packs."

He nodded slowly.

"Good. Then you also know their abilities have preserved their pack for centuries. Their wolves can summon water where none exists, drawing hidden springs from the dry earth. They can extinguish fires capable of reducing entire forests to ash, and they can shape roaring rivers into barriers strong enough to hold back an army. If Fireclaw is ever threatened by flame or flood, a Luna carrying Rivercrest's blood could become our greatest shield... and our greatest asset," he replied, his voice filled with certainty.

I frowned, the logic failing to fully settle in my mind.

"You believe one woman can change the fate of an entire pack?"

Father's expression remained unreadable, carved by years of war.

"I believe the Moon Goddess rarely places power where others expect to find it."

His answer raised far more questions than it settled.

I watched Isabel standing quietly before me in the courtyard, her head lowered beneath the whispers of her own people.

As my father revealed the true terms of the treaty, I glanced around the courtyard.

The surprise on every face told me all I needed to know.

Rivercrest hadn't known the peace treaty included a marriage alliance.

The memory faded, returning me to the present.

The main reception hall of Rivercrest was quiet except for the clatter of silver. Servants moved quickly between the long wooden tables, carefully placing elaborate platters of warm bread, fresh fruit, and heavy silver goblets before our delegation. The rich aroma filled the air.

No one in our party touched a single thing.

From across the long table, Beta Kael offered my father a subtle glance. Father responded with the slightest shake of his head. That was all the answer any of us needed.

Fireclaw warriors never ate or drank inside enemy territory—not until every member of our delegation had safely crossed back over our own borders. Peace had been declared on paper, but trust had not.

That was our custom.

Even the youngest warriors remained perfectly still, refusing to break one of Fireclaw's oldest traditions.

The Rivercrest servants exchanged uneasy glances before respectfully stepping back into the shadows, leaving the untouched feast steaming in the middle of the room.

A few moments later, soft, hesitant footsteps echoed down the stone corridor outside.

The heavy double doors creaked open. Isabel stepped quietly into the hall.

She still wore the same plain blue dress she had worn in the courtyard. A faint red mark was visible on her cheek. It looked fresh, almost as though someone had struck her only moments ago.

In her right hand, she carried a small, worn brown leather bag.

That was all.

I had seen daughters of Alphas leave their packs before. They were usually surrounded by attendants carrying trunks filled with silk gowns, jewelry, ceremonial gifts, and keepsakes from their families. Their departures were celebrated with pride, as though they carried the honor of their packs wherever they went.

Isabel had none of it.

My eyes lingered on the worn leather bag longer than they should have.

She was the daughter of an Alpha from one of the oldest and most respected packs in the Northern Territories.

Yet everything she owned in this world fit inside a single, battered leather bag.

How could the daughter of an Alpha leave her home... with so little?