Rosalee's Point of View As I wake the next morning, a sense of calm settles over me. I feel well rested, though still a little groggy. The events of yesterday linger in the back of my mind, but for the first time in a long while, I don’t wake up in fear. I sit up in bed, blinking the sleep from my eyes as I take in my surroundings again. The room is simple but comfortable, neutral colors, soft bedding, and just enough space to feel cozy without being cramped. A small window lets in the early morning light, casting a soft glow over everything. Deciding that a shower might help me shake off the last remnants of sleep, I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and stand, stretching slightly. I grab my toiletries bag from my duffel before making my way into the ensuite bathroom. Inside, the air is cool against my skin as I step onto the tiled floor. I turn on the shower, letting the water warm up before stepping under the stream. The sensation of hot water cascading down my back immedi
Rosalee's Point of View As I wait for Jensen to come back down, I decide to tidy up a little. I take the dishes from the island and place them in the basin, rinsing them quickly. Even if someone will come by later to clean, I feel better doing something with my hands. It’s a habit, one that’s hard to break. Just as I place the last dish in the sink, Jensen walks back into the kitchen. He’s dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a black button-up shirt, the sleeves rolled up slightly. He smiles when he sees what I’ve done, shaking his head slightly as if amused. I feel a small blush creep onto my cheeks as I return his smile. I’m so used to working, it feels strange to just sit back and do nothing. “Are you ready to go?” Jensen asks, his voice gentle. I nod my head, though my stomach tightens with nerves. I don’t know what to expect, but the possibility of getting answers about my past outweighs my fear. We leave the house and head towards the car. As we drive, I take in more of the
Jensen's Point of View The council chamber is dimly lit, the heavy wooden table at the center is surrounded by the pack’s highest ranking members. The air is thick with tension as we discuss what we saw at Silver Ridge, the destruction, the brutality, and the undeniable truth that Crimsonclaw was getting out of control. I lean forward, rubbing my temples as I listen to the murmurs of the council. A war is coming. And I need to prepare my people. “I’ve already called a pack meeting after this,” I announce, my voice steady despite the weight of responsibility pressing down on me. “I want everyone to know about Rosalee, and I need them to keep the truth about my title from her, at least until she’s ready.” A few of the elders nod their heads in agreement, though I can feel some hesitation in the room. My Beta, Ronan, meets my gaze but says nothing. He trusts my judgment, even if he doesn’t fully understand it. Just as the meeting is about to wrap up, a sudden pressure fills my mind.
Rosalee's Point of ViewThe silence in the car is suffocating.I sit stiffly in my seat, my arms crossed over my chest as I stare out the window, watching the trees blur past us. My mind is racing, but at the same time, I feel… empty. Numb.Jensen lied to me.He had so many chances to tell me who he was, but he didn’t. He let me walk into this blindly. Let me trust him, let me feel safe, when all along, he was keeping the biggest truth from me.The King of the Lycans.I clench my jaw and grip my arms tighter. I should have seen the signs. The way everyone deferred to him. The respect, the obedience. The way he gave orders so effortlessly. But I had been so distracted by everything else, the fear, the uncertainty, the unknowns about my past, that I never stopped to question it.Now I feel like a fool.Jensen hasn’t said a word since we got in the car, but I can feel his glances, brief, hesitant, filled with tension. He knows I’m angry.Good.I let the silence stretch, let him sit with
Jensen's Point of View I watch in silence as Rosalee walks away from me, her shoulders tense, her every step filled with unspoken anger. She doesn’t look back at me, not once. I want to follow her, reach out to her, say something to her, anything, that might make this right. But I know better. She needs space. So instead, I step onto the porch, leaning against the railing, my eyes locked on her as she disappears into the dense forest. The moment she’s out of sight, I release a slow breath and open a mind link to my patrolling pack members. "There will be a large black wolf running in the west side of the forest. Just leave her be, she is my mate." Almost instantly, I receive a response. "Of course, Alpha. We’ll keep our eyes on her but maintain our distance." "Thank you." With that, I cut the link. But the unease remains. I rake a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply. This is not how today was supposed to go. I had planned to gradually ease Rosalee into everything, to prot
Rosalee's Point of View I don’t know how long I’ve been running, but the dense forest is finally thinning, giving way to open patches of land. My legs are burning, and my breath comes in ragged gasps, but I push forward, determined to keep moving. To put as much space between us as possible. As I slow my pace, the sight of rooftops peeking through the trees tells me I’m approaching a town. Relief floods through me, but I know I’m not safe yet, I need to be careful. I shift back into my human form, staying hidden behind the cover of thick foliage. The cool air bites at my bare skin, a sharp contrast to the warmth of my wolf form. "I need clothes." I murmur to myself as I crouch low, scanning my surroundings. It takes a few minutes of careful wandering before I spot a small house on the outskirts of town, its backyard lined with a clothesline swaying gently in the breeze. Keeping low and silent, I creep closer, my heart pounding in my chest as I scan the area. No movement
Jensen's Point of View I push my legs harder, my muscles burning as I race toward the house. The moment it comes into view, I don’t slow down, I burst through the door, my heart pounding with urgency. My eyes lock onto the emergency bag near the entrance, the one I always keep packed with clothes for situations like this. Without hesitation, I snatch it up and turn back toward the forest, my grip tightening around the strap. Stepping past the treeline, I take a steadying breath, my pulse still racing. The moment the shadows of the forest close around me, I let the shift take over. A surge of energy erupts through my bones, my body stretching, reforming. The transformation is swift, a blur of power and instinct, until I stand in my Lycan form, towering and strong. I adjust the bag in my clawed grip, making sure not to tear it. Then, I inhale deeply through my nose. Her scent is faint but still there, laced with the dampness of the forest and the lingering trace of her distr
Rosalee's Point of View "Freya." I repeat her name slowly, almost disbelievingly, as if saying it aloud will confirm what my mind is struggling to process. She smiles, tucking a strand of her raven black hair behind her ear. “Yes, Freya. What about you? What’s your name?” I freeze for just a second long enough for her to notice. Freya. The name echoes in my head, loud and persistent. Marcus told me that was my mother’s name. Could it be? Is that why she seems so familiar? Why the moment we locked eyes, I felt something unspoken pass between us? I search her face, high cheekbones, piercing blue eyes that mirror my own. I feel her gaze on me, waiting, her curiosity just as intense as mine. I shake my head, forcing myself to return to the present. “Sorry about that,” I say quickly, my voice steadier than I feel. “My name is Rosalee.” Her expression doesn’t change much, but there’s something, a flicker of recognition? A softening in her features? Or maybe it’s just wishful
Jensen's Point of ViewThe 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 situation,” I begin.
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
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
Jensen's Point of View I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of their eyes on me, Ronan’s expectant and unreadable, Nyx’s sharp and already narrowing like she’s halfway to the truth. I look between them and then to Rosalee. She won’t meet their eyes. She sits with her shoulders drawn in, fingers still twisting in her lap. I can feel her fear radiating off her, and I hate that I’m the one who has to say it out loud. “I need to tell you both something,” I begin, voice low but steady. “And I need you to hear all of it before you react.” That gets Nyx’s full attention. Her arms cross, jaw tight. Ronan leans forward slightly, eyes flicking from me to Rosalee. I run a hand down my face, then continue. “Rosalee… has been leaking information. To Crimsonclaw.” Nyx’s face hardens instantly. Ronan’s jaw ticks. “But...” I raise a hand to stop them before they can speak, “she didn’t know it was Crimsonclaw.” Nyx scoffs under her breath, but I push through. “She met her mother th
Jensen's Point of View I watch as Rosalee reaches out to me, her hands trembling, her expression full of fear and regret. But I can’t bring myself to let her touch me. I step back, shaking my head, the words slipping from my mouth before I even think about them. "No... Just... No.. I can't do this." The moment those words leave my lips, I see the fear in her eyes, and for a split second, I feel a flicker of doubt. But the anger and the betrayal have clouded everything, and I can’t bring myself to care. Not now. She doesn’t understand the depth of what she’s done. I thought we were building something real. I thought we had a connection. But now, it feels like a sick joke, and I can’t stand the thought of it. The betrayal is one thing, but what really stings the most is that what Rosalee and I could have been... it’s gone. Just like that. She opens her mouth again, probably to lie, to make excuses, and I can’t take it. I shake my head, my anger rising again. "I have to go." I need
Rosalee's Point of View Jensen shakes his head slowly, his movements stiff and mechanical like he can’t quite believe what he’s hearing. Then he pushes up from his chair so abruptly that it scrapes loudly against the floor, the sound making me flinch. He stays behind his desk, putting a solid barrier between us, but his eyes, those familiar, steady eyes, are stormy now, clouded with disbelief and something that looks dangerously close to hurt. Tears blur my vision, and I lift my hands in surrender, my body trembling so hard I can barely stand still. I shake my head too, desperate to make him understand, to make him believe me. "It’s true," I choke out, my voice breaking completely now. "But I promise you, Jensen, I didn’t know I was giving information to Crimsonclaw." His jaw tightens, muscles ticking furiously under his skin. When he speaks, his voice is low, hard. "Rosalee, what did you do?" I wrap my arms around myself like I can somehow hold myself together,
Rosalee's Point of View Nyx’s words hit me like a slap across the face, each one cutting deeper than the last. She doesn't even blink as she stares me down, her voice sharp and accusing. "How could you, Rosalee? Jensen trusted you. We took you in as one of our own, and this is how you thank us? By giving inside information to our enemy." I feel the sting of tears before I even realize they're falling, blurring my vision, making it harder to keep looking at her. I shake my head desperately, my voice cracking as I say, "No, Nyx, it's not like that. I didn't know. I promise you, I didn’t know." But she just shakes her head right back at me, disbelief and disappointment carved into every hard line of her face. "Why would you share private information with anyone? No matter the circumstances." The shame weighs down my shoulders, makes me feel so small. I hang my head, barely able to get the words out. "I thought I was making a difference," I whisper, my voice thick with
Rosalee's Point of ViewThe moment the word "Freya" leaves Alpha Celine’s lips, it feels like my entire world tilts sideways.Panic slams into me, sudden and violent, and my heart starts hammering so loudly in my ears that I almost miss what comes next.No, it can’t be, I think desperately. It’s just a common name. It doesn’t have to mean anything.I fight to keep my breathing even, my expression blank, because out of the corner of my eye, I catch Nyx watching me. Watching too closely.I force myself to focus, pulling my face into a neutral mask even though my insides feel like they’re being shredded apart.Jensen's voice cuts through the pounding of my heart."That’s great. Can you describe her?"His tone is calm, steady, as if he has no idea that the ground beneath me is crumbling into dust.Alpha Celine nods her head, her voice steady as she starts,"She is about my height, maybe a few inches taller. She has long pitch black hair and striking blue eyes. I’ll never be able to forget