LOGINFive Years LaterAURORALaughter echoed through the packhouse before I even reached the doorway.I paused outside the nursery and smiled to myself because I already knew exactly what I was about to find.“Darius!”“I didn’t do anything!”“That’s a lie and you know it!”Another burst of childish giggling followed, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of tiny feet racing across the wooden floor.I pushed the door open.The room looked like a battlefield.Wooden swords lay scattered across the floor, blankets had somehow become makeshift forts, and cushions were piled into what appeared to be an ambitious attempt at building a castle.Standing triumphantly on top of that very unstable castle was my four-year-old son, Kael.He had inherited Draven’s silver eyes and calm expression.Unfortunately he had inherited Darius’s confidence.“I won!” he declared proudly.His younger sister Lyra—who had been named after the woman who insisted she deserved the honor—folded her tiny arms and glared
AURORAI woke to birdsong.For several long seconds, I simply lay there listening to the sound drifting through the open windows while warm sunlight spilled across the bed. There were no alarms echoing through the packhouse, no council meetings waiting to begin, and no urgent knocks announcing another disaster.It was the quietest morning I had experienced in a very long time.I smiled before I even opened my eyes.“This is suspicious.”A lazy chuckle came from somewhere beside me.“You think peace is suspicious?”“I think my life has taught me to be suspicious of peace.”Darius laughed softly, and I finally opened my eyes to find him lying on his side, watching me with an expression that was far too amused for someone who had only just woken up.“What?”He shook his head.“I still can’t believe you actually sleep.”I frowned.“What kind of statement is that?”“I don’t know,” he admitted with a grin. “You just always seemed like the sort of person who stayed awake all night planning h
AURORAThe celebrations continued long after the ceremony ended, but sometime after midnight I slipped away from the Great Hall.The fortress had finally grown quiet.The music had faded into the distance, replaced by the familiar sounds of the night. A cool breeze drifted through the gardens surrounding the packhouse, carrying the scent of pine and wildflowers.For the first time in months, I wasn’t running toward danger.I was simply walking.It felt… nice.“I had a feeling I’d find you here.”I turned to see Lucien approaching along the stone pathway with his hands tucked into the pockets of his trousers.He wasn’t wearing armor anymore.Neither was I.For once, neither of us looked like warriors.We looked like siblings who had spent far too many years as strangers.“You escaped too?” I asked with a smile.He nodded.“I’ve never enjoyed parties.”“I noticed.”A quiet laugh escaped him before he stopped beside me.For a few moments, we simply stood together, watching the moonlight
AURORAThree days passed before the elders declared the pack ready for the ceremony.The fortress had finally begun to settle into something that resembled normal life again. The damaged walls had already been repaired, patrols had returned to their usual routes, and the constant tension that had hung over the pack for months had slowly disappeared.For the first time since arriving here, I woke to birdsong instead of alarms.It still felt strange.I stood in front of the bedroom window while Lyra circled me for what felt like the hundredth time that morning.She tugged lightly on one of the silver ribbons woven into my hair before stepping back to admire her work.“There.”I looked at my reflection.The woman staring back at me hardly looked familiar.The simple clothes I’d worn for most of my life had been replaced with a flowing white gown embroidered with silver thread. My hair, which usually refused to cooperate, had been carefully braided and decorated with tiny white flowers ga
AURORAThe celebration lasted well into the evening.For the first time since I had arrived at the Northern Pack, the Great Hall wasn’t filled with arguments, accusations, or council meetings.Long wooden tables had been pushed together until they stretched from one end of the room to the other, covered with food, candles, and enough wine to keep the warriors entertained until sunrise.Laughter echoed through the hall so often that it almost sounded unfamiliar.It struck me then that I had never actually seen these people happy.Children darted between the tables while warriors who had nearly lost their lives only days ago competed to see who could tell the most exaggerated version of the battle.Every story somehow grew more impossible with each retelling until even the healers were laughing.I sat between Draven and Darius near the center of the hall, quietly watching everything unfold.“I know that look.”Darius leaned closer, lowering his voice so only the two of us could hear him
AURORAThe journey back to the Northern Pack felt completely different from the one that had brought me there months ago.When I first crossed these lands, I had been surrounded by strangers who looked at me with suspicion. Every step I took had been watched, every word I spoke had been questioned, and every mistake I made had been used as another reason to remind me that I didn’t belong.Now the same roads were lined with wolves waiting for us.Not because they feared me.Because they wanted to welcome us home.I still wasn’t sure how to feel about that.The gates came into view just before sunset.The massive stone walls looked exactly as I remembered them, yet somehow everything felt different. Maybe it wasn’t the fortress that had changed.Maybe it was me.A long horn sounded from the watchtower the moment the guards recognized us.Another answered from inside the pack.Then another.Within moments, the entire fortress seemed to come alive.The gates opened before we reached them,
ELIJAHThe house smelled of herbs. It clung to the walls, seeping into the cracks of the floorboard and settling into the fabric of the curtains that hadn't been replaced since the invasion. I gagged at the horrible smell of the herbs I had prepared, grateful I didn't need it. Since I couldn't aff
DARIUSSomething was wrong with the packhouse. I knew it before I even crossed the boundary line of Malrik’s territory.The moment my foot stepped past the wards, my wolf stirred uneasily beneath my ribs like he’d caught a scent that didn’t belong.The packhouse was never silent at night. Even in t
AURORAThe twig snapped again. It wasn't loud but it might as well have exploded inside my skull. Ever since I woke up I've been hearing everything a little too loud. I could even hear the wind threading through the trees, the faint rustle of leaves under distant feet, the scrape of leather agains
LUNA“Not like that.”The maid froze, fingers tightening around the silver clasp at my throat.“I said tighten it,” I repeated, slow and cold. “Do you think I enjoy things hanging crooked around my neck?”“I… I’m sorry, Luna,” she stammered, hands shaking as she tried again but the clasp pinched my







