Jensen's Point of View The room is thick with tension, but also focus, the kind of focus that comes when people know the stakes and are finally starting to see a path forward. We all stand around the large table in my office, the maps of the region spread out before us like a battlefield waiting to be claimed. Red markers, black ink trails, highlighters, it’s all a controlled chaos, and every set of eyes is locked on it. Rosalee leans forward, her finger hovering over one of the bolded lines as she speaks. “We can’t use main roads. Freya would never believe we’d move someone as importnant as Alpha Celine along one of them, they’re too exposed.” She’s right, and the room murmurs in agreement. Victor steps up next, tapping his knuckle on the area between two ridgelines. “That leaves us with these two back roads. The eastern ridge road will be easier, wider, more manageable for the convoy. But the river road?” He pauses, meeting my eyes. “That one’s perfect for an ambush.” I no
Rosalee's Point of ViewAs the line goes dead in my ear, a strange mixture of relief and dread settles in my chest. I slowly lower the receiver, my fingers lingering on it for just a moment longer before I pull back and take a deep breath. My heart is still racing, but I force myself to steady it. That was probably the most important call I have ever made in my life, and possibly the most dangerous lie I have ever told.I turn to Jensen, his steady gaze meeting mine. “I think she bought it,” I say softly. “She tried to act like she wasn’t bothered, but I could hear it… the frustration in her voice.”Jensen nods his head slowly, his expression unreadable. “Let’s hope so.”I open my mouth to say something more, maybe to ask him what he thinks the next step is, or what happens if the plan fails, but he beats me to it.“I have arranged for us to have breakfast with the werewolf Alphas,” he says, already rising from his chair. “Alpha Marcel and Piper will be joining us, too. We should go.
Freya's Point of ViewThe bitter scent of Ravena’s tea blends with the rich aroma of my coffee, curling through the air of the dimly lit cabin. Maps, scouting reports, and coded messages are scattered across the table between us, plans for Crimsonclaw’s next move. I trace my finger over the edge of a marked forest path, only half listening to Ravena’s updates, when my phone starts vibrating against the wood of the table.The sound cuts through the quiet like a blade. I glance down at the screen, fully expecting to see Rosalee’s name again. She’s been calling non stop, but I’ve ignored every single one. She made her choice, she chose them over me. Over her blood.But this time, it isn’t her name.It’s an unknown number.My eyes narrow. Something about it sends a ripple of caution through me. Ravena looks up, brows arching slightly. I raise a hand to silence her and answer the call, lifting the phone to my ear, but I don’t speak. I refuse to give anything away first, not even my breath.
Jensen's Point of View As Rosalee disappears behind her bedroom door, the soft click of it shutting feels like the end of a chapter, one written in ink that still hasn’t quite dried. I let out a long sigh, dragging a hand down my face as the weight of everything we’ve planned settles fully on my shoulders. I turn away from the quiet hallway and head towards the small office tucked into the far side of the house. I rarely use it, always preferring the command center or the Alpha’s office at the pack house. But tonight, it feels like the right space. As I open the door and step inside, a familiar scent hits me immediately. Rosalee. Light and warm, like soft wood smoke and something floral I’ve never been able to place. I pause in the doorway, caught off guard by the subtle comfort it brings. A small smile tugs at the corners of my lips. Of course she’s been using this space. I never noticed before. The desk is covered in papers, neatly but thoroughly, sketches and design notes sca
Rosalee's Point of ViewThe room falls into a natural hush as the alphas finish volleying ideas back and forth, and I feel the weight of the moment pressing on my chest. Everyone’s trying hard, too hard, to outthink Freya. But I know her better than anyone in this room. I know how she twists information, how she always assumes the lie is behind the truth. She’s careful. Paranoid. And above all, she’s cunning.I clear my throat, drawing their attention. “Freya is sharp,” I say. “She’ll sense a lie before we even finish telling it. If we feed her false information, she’ll probably assume it’s a setup and do the opposite.”They all look at me now, some skeptical, others thoughtful. “So instead of trying to trick her into doing what we want… what if we predict what she’ll do when she thinks she’s avoiding a trap?”There’s a pause before I add, “Freya doesn’t know Alpha Celine is still alive. She thinks she died in that last attack on Shadow Vale. Maybe we can use that.”Victor leans back
Jensen's Point of View The early morning light spills through the office windows in soft gold streaks, casting long shadows across my desk. The house is quiet, save for the ticking of the clock on the wall and the subtle creak of old wood beneath the walls. I take a deep breath, rubbing my hands together before opening a mind link. “Nyx, Ronan, please meet me in my office.” Their responses are almost immediate, overlapping with precision. “On my way.” I close the link and sit back in my chair, fingers laced in front of me as I gather my thoughts. This plan could change everything, or backfire spectacularly. One wrong move, and we risk everything we’ve built, everyone we’ve sworn to protect. A sharp knock pulls me from the spiral. “Come in,” I call. The door opens and Ronan steps in first, Nyx right behind him. They both move with purpose, slipping into the chairs across from me without a word. Their expressions are focused, waiting. I don't waste time. “We’ve got a
Rosalee's Point of View The walls feel like they’re closing in on me as I pace the living room again. I’ve already circled the coffee table at least a dozen times, my fingers fidgeting with the hem of my sweater as my thoughts race. I can't sit still. I tried. The silence is too loud, too accusing. Every second that ticks by just feeds the knot in my stomach. Jensen is at that alliance meeting right now, and I have no idea how it’s going. What if they turn on him because of me? What if I’ve ruined everything? I glance out the window, Nyx and Josh are still there, casually keeping watch like I’m a prisoner in my own home. I know they’re just doing their job. Jensen asked them to. But it still stings. That after everything, I still need to be watched. Suddenly, a sharp knock at the front door freezes me in place. My heart leaps into my throat. For a second, my breath catches, did something go wrong? Did Jensen send someone back? My feet move before my thoughts can catch up, and I o
Jensen's Point of View I brace myself for the sting of Celine’s words, expecting anger, blame, maybe even a demand that we disband the alliance entirely. But what she says takes me completely by surprise. “I have seen firsthand what Crimsonclaw is capable of,” she says, her voice steady despite the residual weakness in her frame. “So I will do anything to stop them. If that means overlooking what Rosalee did, then Shadow Vale will join the alliance too.” For a moment, I can’t speak. Relief washes over me in a heavy wave, loosening the tension in my shoulders. I incline my head towards her, grateful beyond words. “Thank you, Alpha Celine.” Her nod is small but resolute, and it carries more weight than anything said in this room so far. I glance towards Dorian and Elias, hoping, maybe foolishly, that Celine’s words might sway them. But Elias explodes. He shoves back from the table so violently his chair screeches across the floor. “You’re all idiots,” he spits, eyes flashi
Jensen's Point of View It’s 08:45 when Ronan and I pull up in front of Shadow Vale. The morning air is sharp, still laced with the earthy scent of damp soil and pine, but there’s a tension coiled in my chest that has nothing to do with the cold. As I scan the area, I spot several vehicles already parked, members of the alliance packs arriving early, likely just as anxious as we are. I let my gaze linger on the structure of Shadow Vale’s pack house. They are stil rebuilding after Crimsonclaws last attack. It’s quiet now, but I know inside there will be questions, possibly accusations, and it all starts with me. With what I have to say. I turn to Ronan in the passenger seat, watching him as he takes in the scene. He’s calm on the surface, but I can sense the same unease rippling through him. I ask, “How do you think they’re going to take it?” Ronan exhales through his nose, eyes flicking towards the windshield before meeting mine. “I really don’t know,” he admits. “Getting them