LOGINRachael POVI was still tied to the chair when I came back to myself fully.My wrists throbbed where the rope dug into my skin, numb and burning at the same time. My ankles were worse. Every small movement sent a sharp sting up my legs. My mouth was free now, the rag gone, but my throat felt raw, like I had screamed too much already.The door opened.The man came in carrying a tray. A plate of food. Bread. Something that smelled like stew. My stomach twisted on instinct, then tightened with anger. He kicked a small wooden stool toward me and sat down, setting the tray on his knees like we were just having a conversation.“Eat,” he said.I didn’t look at the food. I turned my head to the side instead, fixing my eyes on a crack in the bare wall. I could hear his steady breathing.“I said eat,” he repeated, firmer this time. He tore off a piece of the bread. It made a soft, crusty sound.I stayed still. My pulse was a steady drum in my ears.He sighed, irritated, and held the bread close
Eran POVI stayed in the corner of Eryx’s office, quiet, still, my back pressed to the wall as if I were just another shadow in the room.He moved with purpose, strapping on weapons, giving short orders to the men who crowded the space. No wasted words and No hesitation. His jaw was set so tight the muscle jumped every time he spoke. They listened to him the way wolves listen to an alpha who has never failed them.I watched it all through half lidded eyes.Lincoln stood close to Eryx, his arm already healed enough to move freely. He kept stepping forward, then stopping himself, like a leash was pulling him back.“I’m coming with you,” Lincoln said, voice firm. “You’ll need me.”Eryx didn’t even look at him at first. He slid a knife into place, checked the lock on his gun.“No,” he said.Lincoln stiffened. “Eryx—”“You’re staying,” Eryx cut in, finally turning. His eyes were hard. “You watch the pack. You watch the females. That’s your job.”Lincoln opened his mouth again, then closed
Rachael POVI woke up slowly, my head heavy and my mouth dry as if I’d been swallowing dust for hours. For a moment, the fog in my mind convinced me I was still in the hospital. I waited for the familiar hum of the monitors, I tried to move my legs, expecting the dull, aching pain from the treatment to flare up in my joints.Instead, the chair jerked under me.Reality hit me like a quickly. The seat was hard, splintering wood, and it rattled against a floor that felt like cold surface. When I tried to pull my arms forward, rough hemp rope bit deep into my wrists, the friction searing my skin. I gasped, a sharp, panicked sound that died in my throat. My arms wouldn’t budge an inch. I looked down or tried to, and realized my ankles were lashed to the legs of the chair so tightly that my feet had gone numb, vibrating with a dull, pins and needles tingle.“No—” I tried to say.The word was smothered. Nothing came out but a wet, muffled grunt.Panic slammed into my chest, making my ribs fe
Eryx POVI sit behind my desk, elbows resting on the wood, flipping through paper after paper. Territory disputes. Supply counts. Guard rotations. Names I recognize. Names I don’t. I sign where I need to, make short notes in the margins, push finished files to the side. The room is quiet except for the soft rustle of paper and the ticking clock on the wall.I check the time. My jaw tightens.I was beginning to miss Rachael. I flip another page. Close it then Open a new file. Read the first line and shove it aside without finishing. My fingers tap once on the desk before I stop myself. I had told her I would stay but she told me to go attend to pack matters. The door opens without a knock.I look up.Lincoln steps inside. His shirt is torn at the shoulder. There’s dried blood near his collar. His face is tight, eyes sharp.I’m on my feet before he closes the door.“What happened?”He swallows. “I was attacked. Just outside the pack hospital.”The room goes still.“Who?” I ask.“I did
Rachael POVThey rushed me through the pack hospital doors so fast my head spun.White lights passed over me. Voices came and went. Hands lifted me, settled me and pressed things against my skin. I tried to focus, but everything felt distant, like I was underwater. The smell of disinfectant filled my nose. Somewhere close, I heard Eryx’s voice.“I’m here,” he said. “I’m not leaving.”I turned my head slightly. He stood beside the bed, shoulders tight, jaw set. His eyes never left my face. Someone told him he needed to step back. He didn’t move.They treated me quietly. No rush in their movements, but no wasted time either. I felt fingers on my wrist, something wrapped around my arm, a cool cloth pressed to my forehead. My stomach still felt wrong, unsettled, but the dizziness slowly eased.“I’m fine,” I told him when he leaned closer. My voice came out softer than I expected. “You should go attend to the pack.”His eyes flicked to the doctor, then back to me. “I’m not going anywhere R
Eryx POVI unlock the cell just after sunrise.The lock clicks loud in the quiet hall. Eran is already on his feet, leaning against the bars like he knew I was coming. His face is calm. Too calm. That same smug look sits on his mouth, like he’s been entertained all night.“Get out,” I say.He steps forward, slow, chains dragging behind him. I undo them one by one. He watches my hands and not my face.“You’re free,” I tell him. “For now. You behave, or you’re right back here.”His lips twitch. A smirk. Of course.“And stay away from the females,” I add. My voice stays flat. “All of them.”That smirk widens like I’ve amused him. He straightens, rolls his shoulders once, then walks past me.He doesn’t say a word.I watch his back disappear down the corridor, my jaw tight. Lincoln is waiting outside the cell block. He takes one look at my face and doesn’t ask questions.The pack is already gathering in the yard when we step out. Wolves, shifters, all of them forming loose lines. The air f







