Chapter Seventy-nineFaelen’s POVThe days after the victory seemed to blend together in a whirlwind of activity and emotion. It was as if the world had shifted, and everything I had known, everything I had feared, had been replaced by something entirely new… a future I had never dared imagine.I woke up next to Hunter every morning, and with each passing day, it felt more and more like a dream.I could hardly believe that I, Faelen… the girl who had once been a slave, a spy, a tool for manipulation… was now beside him.I hadn’t expected any of it. I thought, perhaps, that I would remain on the fringes of his world, a pawn in the game, but Hunter had changed that.He had proven his loyalty to me, time and again, and I had returned it with all my heart. We were one with each other, in a way that felt right.We were connected… living side by side, laughing together, even sharing those quiet moments that spoke a lot without a single word.Since the night of the celebration of victory, I
Chapter Seventy-eightHunter’s POV The battle was finally over. Belladonna had fallen, and as the dust settled, the tension that had gripped the air for so long began to lift.I watched as my men moved across the battlefield, taking stock of the damage, collecting the fallen, and securing the area.The victory was ours, but It was Faelen’s plan, her intelligence, that had truly turned the tide. Without her, we wouldn’t have been in the position to strike when we did.It didn’t take long for the survivors to come to us… the harmless members of the pack, who had also suffered from Zodd’s cruelty no doubt.Raid, Faelen’s friend was among them. I had promised Faelen the chance to reunite with her best friend earlier, and now I had.I knew it would be an emotional moment for both of them, I couldn’t help but watch closely, watching Faelen walk towards Raid, a soft smile on her face as they locked eyes.There was an exchange, too quiet for me to hear, but I didn’t need to know the words.
Chapter Seventy-sevenHunter’s POV Finally, the day had come.We were ready. Faelen and I stood at the head of the army as we prepared for the surprise attack on Belladonna.The air was thick with anticipation, but there was something more that made me feel confident in the plan we’d set in motion.Faelen had laid it out so carefully, and her insights had changed everything. For once, I felt sure that we would strike the right blow at the right time.I had always been a leader who trusted in my warriors, but there was something different about this attack.It wasn’t just my warriors who we depended on to make the difference. It was Faelen. Her knowledge of Zodd, his tactics, his weaknesses… it had made this possible.I trusted her more than anyone, and though we had never fully spoken of it, I could feel the bond between us growing stronger. Not just as leaders, but as something more.The moon hung low in the sky, the light spilling across the darkened trees. The forest was quiet, li
Chapter Seventy-sixHunter’s POV After the breakfast, we barely made it to the office when I sent a message for Caleb to join us soon.But now, as I watched Faelen move slowly around the room, her gaze resting on the framed photographs on the walls, my mind shifted completely from any strategy session.There was something about the way she stood there, her fingers grazing the edges of a picture, her expression lost in thought, that stirred something deep in me.If I’d known she’d come looking for me last night, I’d have returned the second I finished at the stables.The thought of her waiting, wondering where I was, brought a flash of desire that caught me off guard.My chest tightened, and before I knew it, I was crossing the room, unable to resist the pull any longer.Sliding my arms around her waist, I pulled her to me, and she spun in my hold, her wide eyes meeting mine.Before she could say a word, I pressed my lips to hers, pouring everything I felt into the kiss. She stiffene
Chapter Seventy-fiveFaelen’s POV The morning sun streamed through my window, pulling me from the light, restless sleep I’d managed to catch after a night filled with endless thoughts.My mind picked up exactly where it had left off, circling around Hunter’s absence, the plan I wanted to share, and, undeniably, the burning question of where he’d been.I knew he was more than capable of taking care of himself, but a strange feeling had clawed at me through the night.And worse… some jealous part of my mind whispered that maybe he’d spent the night with someone else.Hunter was, after all, a powerful and desirable Alpha. Every woman in the pack seemed to orbit around him, from the noble daughters of allied families to the giggling servants.As much as I tried to shrug it off, the thought stuck. I wasn’t exactly one of his official “consorts,” and though we shared something far deeper than just passion, there had never been talk of loyalty or commitment.But the idea of him with someone
Chapter Seventy-fourFaelen’s POV That night, I lay in bed, turning over every possibility in my mind, knowing Alpha Zodd wouldn’t let his recent defeat here go unanswered.I couldn’t shake the thought that he’d already heard of my defection. Someone must have informed him by now, and I knew the rage he’d feel.I could even almost picture it… Zodd’s eyes blazing, his infamous rage twisting his face as he unleashed his anger on anyone nearby.I used to stay far from his wrath, feeling an instinctive survival need to avoid setting him off, yet now, the very idea of him made me feel only disgust.I wondered how I had spent so much of my life under him, convincing myself I could tolerate it, or that it was simply the way things were.And now, lying in the safety of the Howle Wulf pack, I felt something I’d barely dared to hope for back in Belladonna… a fierce gladness that I’d escaped.I knew I might have stayed in Zodd’s shadow forever, accepting his cruelty, believing I had no choice.