LOGIN“I only detected five scents in the pack centre,” Bastian says. “The sixth entered here.”He points to a patch of flattened fern that none of us had even looked at.“They were already travelling together.”“That’s what we thought,” Leo says.Bastian doesn’t answer. He simply keeps moving, following
** Jake’s POV **Every instinct I have is telling me to turn around. To go back to Poppy. But Bastian is right. She’s safe. My wolf knows it, and my soul knows it. And maybe this is exactly what she needs. Time with Alaric without the rest of us hovering. A chance to learn the man beneath the disast
** Bastian’s POV **Silence returns to the cabin. Good. Most people think silence is empty; it isn’t. Silence is the best time to gather information. The coffee machine clicks as it cools. Someone walks by the cabin with a slight limp, their steps uneven. Poppy takes another sip of her coffee. There
Her brows knit together in the most adorable way.“I’ve seen him walk into burning buildings because someone was trapped inside. Stand between children and rogues without blinking. Track a wounded wolf through a blizzard with nothing but a drop of blood and instinct.”“He doesn’t hesitate?”“Never.
** Alaric’s POV **Maybe we are monsters. Just not in the way humans tell stories about. We’re wolves, alphas, predators by nature, protectors by choice, but no matter which way you look at it, we are dangerous.“I’m sorry,” I say.Her laughter fades. “For what?”“The coffee shop. The bus station. F
** Alaric's POV ** Poppy’s smile fades as her gaze suddenly loses focus. For a heartbeat, she doesn’t seem to be looking at either of us at all. “Are you okay?” I ask. She blinks and rubs lightly at her temple. “I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to that.” “The mind-link?” I ask. She nods
The thought should scare me; it doesn’t.“Is everyone safe?” I ask finally. “The pack?”There’s a pause before Callen answers. “Most of them. We lost nine. The rest made it to Midnight.”Nine. I swallow the grief that swells in my throat. Every death weighs on us, but tonight… tonight they were mine
Josh studies us both again. I can tell he’s weighing the risks. Midnight’s always been independent, but Paige swayed him last time, and now he just needs a reminder of why he chose to support us with enforcers and offer sanctuary.“This is not a war between my pack and the hunters; it’s our kind ver
** Remy’s POV **Something about returning home makes the silence worse.The forest was bad enough… too still, too knowing, but stepping into the clearing around the first of the Phoenix cabins feels even worse.Ryder raises a hand, and we slow, fanning out across the open space.The cabins look exa
Remy responds, voice taut. “This is her, isn’t it?”“It’s her,” I confirm.Ryder doesn’t reply for a moment. When he does, his tone is sharp with underlying emotion. “Stay calm. No one can find out what she is yet.”Another pulse rolls through me, through all three of us, stronger than before.Remy







