Se connecterNorthI opened my eyes to find that I had somehow fallen asleep right beside Tamara, her soft breathing was steady and comforting against my chest. Carefully, so as not to wake her, I pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head and pulled the heavy blanket up higher to tuck her in more securely.Quietly slipping out of bed, I realized how late it was. The pack house was completely dark and silent, except for the rhythmic footsteps of the patrol wolves outside. As I walked the grounds, the guards bowed their heads in respect as I passed.I eventually made my way toward the training grounds to check the perimeter, finding everything secure and in order before I turned to head back. But just as I was about to leave, a familiar, small silhouette caught my eye near the edge of the Forest. Not many members of the Nightsword pack were that small or had that distinct, fragile frame.What was she doing out here at this hour? Where on earth was she going?Suspicion gnawing at my gut, I decide
TamaraI honestly thought I was losing my mind when North walked across the dining hall and sat down right next to me.What on earth was he doing here? He had never once left the Alpha's seat in all the time I had known him. Next to me, Raven nearly choked on a piece of roasted meat, coughing wildly as his eyes bulged out in shock.I dropped my head down toward my plate, my face burning with heat, and hissed under my breath to North, "What are you doing?"North didn't look at me or anyone else. He just picked up his fork and said calmly, "I'm eating."I wanted to snap back at him, to tell him how crazy this was, but I bit my tongue and decided against it. The rest of dinner passed in a haze of whispers and staring eyes.After dinner ended and everyone began clearing away the plates, the entire pack house was buzzing with excitement and shock. It was practically impossible for anyone to wrap their heads around the Alpha leaving his seat to eat where the lower-ranked wolves sat.Rave
North The evening lights were already stretching across the grounds when I finally found my way to Elder Miko’s secluded cottage. The air was cold, but I barely felt it beneath the numbing weight crushing my chest.When Miko opened her door and saw me standing outside in the dark, she didn't ask questions. She simply stood out, studying my face, and asked quietly what brought me here at this hour.“North, What brings you here?”I didn't say a single word. I couldn't. My throat was too tight, choked by a suffocating mixture of shame and grief. I just walked over to her porch and sank down onto the wooden step, staring blindly down at my hands.Elder Miko must have noticed that I was physically unable to speak. Without asking again, she stepped outside and sat down right next to me on the cold boards.I didn't know exactly when the first drop of moisture left my eyes. When was the last time I had cried? Years ago?Maybe when my mother died. I couldn't even remember. But this time, I d
North I stood motionless watching Tamara walk away after laying bare every bitter, painful truth I had been too blind to see.When had it all gone so wrong?It wasn't meant to be like this. This suffocating anger, this boiling rage that controlled my every action, it wasn't who I wanted to be. My father had always been hard on me, and losing my mother had created a hole in my chest that I had never managed to patch up. But they were still my parents, and losing her had broken something in me, leaving me trapped in a cycle of grief and bitterness.Why was I constantly chasing everyone away? Why was I destroying the very people who stood by my side?Tamara was entirely right. What have I actually done for my pack lately? What kind of leader was I becoming? Everything felt horribly wrong.Before my thoughts could spiral any further, I received a frantic mindlink. “Alpha, two dead bodies had just been found at the northern border.”An angry growl ripped from my throat, and my bones s
Tamara Without waiting another second, I reached out, grabbed North's hands, and forcefully dragged him away from the wreckage of the kitchen, pulling him out past Lucia and Kain and all the way outside away from prying eyes.I whipped around to face him with fury burning in my chest as I demanded, "What the hell have you done for this pack since I came back?"He blinked, taken aback, and didn't answer."I asked you a question," I snapped, stepping closer. "What have you actually done that proves you're a good Alpha right now? Are you seriously doing this? After everything we've been through, you still want to tear apart Kain and Lucia's bond just to feed your own anger?""Do you know what her father..." North started, his voice rising defensively."Her father, North! Not her!" I shouted, cutting him off completely. "Why on earth do you want to punish her for something her father did? She finally found a safe home and a true mate who loves her, and you want to rip that away from her.
TamaraWe all stood crowded around the large wooden table inside the war room, where the air felt so thick and suffocating that every breath came harder than the last, while sweat clung to our skin as we silently prepared ourselves for whatever we would receive from North. I stood beside Kain, and although he was naturally a strong, imposing man who rarely looked shaken, I could almost feel the crushing fear gripping his heart as he stood unnaturally still.My eyes drifted toward Serena. She looked completely devastated.Her shoulders had fallen, her face had lost every trace of its usual confidence, and her eyes seemed fixed on something none of us could see.Deep down, I already knew. Alpha Nolan's cold, blank-faced son was her mate. The thought twisted painfully inside my chest because I couldn't imagine a crueler bond than one tied to the enemy's son, and if he was anything like the monster who had raised him, there was almost nothing waiting for her except heartbreak.Then anot







