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Alaric "The healing pack abilities are a threat to pack stability," Lord Marcus declares. "History shows us the dangers of unchecked power. Already she gains followers, already she challenges our traditional ways—""By healing our wounded?" I counter, barely containing my beast's rage. "By saving lives when our usual methods fail? If that’s the trade off then I don’t give a fuck what history shows!""It's not just about healing," Victoria's father interjects. "These abilities... they're unnatural. The old texts speak of powers that could control wolves' very natures. What's to stop her from—"The howls that cut him off carry notes I haven't heard in years - pure terror mixed with desperate warning. My beast recognizes the threat before my human mind can process it. These aren't normal patrol signals. These are primal, urgent. A warrior bursts through the council doors, bleeding from multiple wounds. "Mutant wolves... breached the borders... attacking the gardens..." He manages the s
Sage Power courses through me like liquid moonlight as I stand over Alaric's fallen form. Everything feels different - sharper, clearer, more alive. I am different. Where once there was emptiness, now my wolf fills me completely, as if she was merely sleeping all this time, waiting for this moment.My pure white fur gleams in the moonlight, and some deep instinct tells me my name - Aura. But I can't focus on the wonder of finally finding my wolf, not with Alaric still bleeding before me.The mutant wolves retreat, but their corrupted scent lingers, reminding me how close we came to losing everything. How close I came to losing him. The memory of his blood mixing with mine, of power exploding through me when I thought I'd lose him forever, still burns in my veins.“We need to shift back,” I think frantically, trying to figure out how to access my human form.“Breathe,” a voice inside me soothes - my wolf, Aura. “Feel the change in your bones. Let it flow naturally.”Her presence in my
Alaric Memories torment me as I try to rest - every time she asked what she meant to me, every opportunity I had to tell her the truth. The night in the training room when she gave herself to me so trustingly. The mornings after when she looked at me like I hung the moon.All while I kept this secret from her.“She is OURS,” my beast rages. “Has always been ours. Why did we hide it?”"Because I'm a fool," I tell the empty room."Yes, you are." Garrett appears with reports about the attack. "But a fool who can still fix this.""How?" The word comes out more desperate than I intend. "You didn't see her face, Garrett. Didn't feel her pain through the bond.""No, but I saw her face every time you pulled away in public. Every time you maintained 'proper distance' while knowing exactly what she was to you."His words cut deep because they're true. I thought I was being noble, giving her freedom to choose. Instead, I made her feel unwanted. Unworthy.Just like Cassius did.Pain from my woun
Sage "Again," Iris instructs as I shift back to human form. "You're getting faster, but you need to be able to change instantly if threatened."My bones and muscles protest, but I welcome the physical discomfort. It's easier than the constant ache of the mate bond, the awareness of Alaric that I can't shut off no matter how hard I try.“He suffers too,” Aura reminds me. “I can feel it through the bond.”“Then he should have thought of that before lying to me,” I snap back, shifting again into my white wolf form.The sun rises fully as we practice, other wolves gathering to watch. My transformation has changed how they see me - some with awe, others with lingering suspicion. But at least they're open about it now, unlike some people."The Alpha's in another emergency meeting," I overhear one guard tell another. "More attacks reported from the eastern territories."Of course he is. There's always another meeting, another crisis, another reason to be anywhere but here.“He's doing his du
Alaric The message from Pine Valley Pack arrives before dawn - multiple wolves injured in a coordinated attack, wounds that won't heal properly. They beg for help, but what catches my attention is the opportunity their request presents.Away from politics. Away from noble wolves' schemes. Away from everything keeping me from having a proper conversation with my mate."You can't be serious," Lord Marcus protests when I announce my intentions. "Both you and the healer leaving? Now?""They're a small pack under my protection," I remind him. "And these attacks grow worse. We need to understand what we're facing.""Send guards then," Victoria's father suggests. "Surely the Lycan King doesn't need to go himself.""They’re a small pack without the means we enjoy here in Silver Crown. They need someone to assess their defenses and understand how their king can help them." I let power color my tone. "They need both leadership and healing. They'll have both."More protests follow, but I silenc
Sage The room feels impossibly small as the Beta leaves us with an awkward bow. One bed, two chairs, a small window letting in moonlight. No escape from this conversation we've been avoiding.As soon as the door closes, I turn to Alaric. "Earlier, when their Alpha was describing the attacks - you had a theory. I could see it in your eyes. What aren't you telling everyone?"He moves closer, power rolling off him in waves. "No.""No?" I back up, bumping into the door. "What do you mean, no?""I mean," he crowds me against the wood, hands planting on either side of my head, "that we're not discussing pack business right now. We're going to talk about us."My heart thunders traitorously at his proximity. Even angry, my body remembers his touch, craves it."There is no us," I try to sound firm despite my racing pulse. "You made that clear when you kept the mate bond secret.""Is that what you think?" His voice drops lower, dangerous. "That I don't want you? That I've ever not wanted you?"
AlaricDawn hasn't quite broken when I wake with Sage curled against my chest, silver-blonde hair spilling across my arm. The mate bond hums with contentment despite the residual tension between us. Last night, after our confrontation, after tears and explanations and careful steps toward reconciliation, she let me hold her. Let me press kisses to her face, her throat, anywhere I could reach, and I have a very long reach, while whispering all the things I should have told her months ago."You're staring," she murmurs without opening her eyes."Can't help it." I trace her cheek with my thumb. "You're beautiful in the morning light. I’ve never seen anything more stunning."She tries to maintain her stern expression but the bond betrays her pleasure at my words. "Sweet talking won't get you completely forgiven.""No?" I nuzzle her neck where my mark should be, will be someday. "What about this?"Her breath catches. "Still angry with you.""I know." I press a kiss to her pulse point. "You
Sage Silver Crown's gates loom before us, and I feel my spine stiffening automatically. After the relative freedom of Pine Valley, returning to royal pack politics feels suffocating.Alaric reins his horse closer to mine. "Wait," he says quietly. "Before we enter..."The others ride ahead slightly, giving us privacy."We need to talk about how things will be here," he continues. "I know we're working through things, and I don't want any more misunderstandings."My heart clenches, but the mate bond carries his sincerity. "You mean you’ll be keeping your distance again.""Yes." His eyes hold mine. "Not because I'm ashamed or uncertain, but because the gathering will bring every political schemer in the territories here. While most of the kingdom would be overjoyed to see their king in love, these wolves will look for any weakness to exploit, any way to undermine us, if they think it will gain them power.""And I'm a weakness?" I can't quite keep the hurt from my voice."No, sweetling."
KieranRather than engaging with the royal physician’s attitude, I turn my attention to Elise. "May I?" I ask, gesturing toward her rounded belly.She nods, and I kneel before her, placing my hands gently on her abdomen.Closing my eyes, I extend my senses to assess the baby's position and Elise's overall condition. The child is indeed awkwardly turned, pressing against her spine in a way that causes significant discomfort without presenting any real danger."The baby's healthy," I assure her, opening my eyes. "Just a bit stubborn about positioning, like its mother."This earns a small laugh from Elise, some tension leaving her shoulders. "Can you help?""A specific stretching routine twice daily and some herbal tea to relax the muscles should encourage proper positioning," I explain. "Plus a firmer sleeping surface—this bed is like trying to rest on a cloud."The palace physician clears his throat. "I recommended complete bed rest to avoid complications.""Which would actually increas
Kieran"Hold still or I'll accidentally stab you with this pin."I glance down at the tailor kneeling by my legs, his mouth full of pins as he adjusts the formal tunic that supposedly makes me look like a respectable court representative instead of a forest healer way out of his depth."How much longer is this torture going to last?" I ask, resisting the urge to scratch where the stiff fabric chafes against my neck."Beauty requires suffering," the tailor mumbles around his pins."I'm aiming for 'not embarrassing' rather than beauty," I correct him, which earns me a dismissive snort."The prince was most specific about the quality of your attire," he replies, expertly pinning a seam. "Royal blue with silver accents to complement Lady Lyra's ensemble while marking you as an official representative of the healing community."The thought of Alexander personally selecting my outfit for tonight's dinner is equal parts amusing and unsettling. Twenty-four hours ago, I'd have bet good money th
Alexander A knock at the door interrupts my thoughts. "Enter," I call, expecting another messenger or council member.Instead, Kieran stands in the doorway, hesitating at the threshold as if unsure of his welcome. "Your Highness," he greets formally. "I was told you wanted to see me?"I blink in surprise. "I hadn't sent for you yet, but your timing is perfect. Please, come in."He enters cautiously, his posture suggesting he's bracing for confrontation. I realize with sudden clarity how rarely we've interacted without Lyra present, how much tension still exists beneath our carefully maintained civility."The moonflower essence is secure in the reliquary," he says, clearly assuming this is about the ritual. "Queen Sage confirmed the potency exceeds expectations.""Good," I nod, "but that's not why I wanted to speak with you." I gesture to the chair Dominic recently vacated. "I have a proposition that requires your particular expertise."Curiosity overcomes wariness as he takes the offe
Alexander"They found her, but she's not exactly rolling out the welcome mat."Dominic drops a report on my desk, interrupting my third attempt to write a diplomatic response to the Northern territories. I've been staring at the same paragraph for twenty minutes, my mind constantly drifting back to last night with Lyra."Vega's niece?" I ask, pushing aside the draft to read the new report."Karina," he confirms, dropping into the chair across from me. "Lives in a tiny settlement called Blackstone Ridge at the edge of the Northern territories. Our messengers found her, but she told them—and I'm quoting directly here—'to go fuck themselves and the royal horses they rode in on.'"I can't help but laugh. "Sounds like she inherited her aunt's charming personality, if not her politics.""She's a healer," Dominic continues, "which makes her refusal more complicated. She's not just rejecting royal authority; she's rejecting what she sees as interference in healer business."I lean back in my c
Lyra "I'm glad," I tell Kieran, meaning it despite the complex emotions churning beneath. "That you have someone to talk to."He looks surprised, then grateful for my response. "It helps," he admits. "Figuring out my place here, now that everything's..." he gestures vaguely, "different."The word encompasses so much—our relationship, our community's situation, our very identities shifting in this new context. I reach across the table to touch his hand briefly."Some things aren't different," I tell him. "You're still important to me, Kieran. That hasn't changed."His eyes meet mine, conflict evident in their green depths. "Just important in a different way now."I can't deny the truth of this observation. Before I can respond, a palace page appears in the doorway, bowing slightly when he spots me."Healer Lyra, Prince Alexander requests your presence in the royal study. He says it's regarding tonight's ritual."Kieran withdraws his hand from beneath mine, the moment broken. "You shoul
Lyra The royal sanctuary glows with morning light filtering through its glass walls, illuminating Queen Sage as she tends to rare plants with her own hands rather than delegating the task to servants. She looks up as I enter, a knowing smile touching her lips."Lyra," she greets warmly. "You look well this morning."Something in her tone tells me she's perfectly aware of why I might look "well," and I feel heat rise to my cheeks again. "Thank you for inviting me, Your Majesty.""Sage, please," she corrects, setting aside her gardening tools. "At least when we're alone. We're family now, after all."The casual acknowledgment of my place in her son's life—in the royal family—leaves me momentarily speechless. I've been so focused on the complications of court politics that I hadn't fully considered the simpler truth: I've gained not just a mate but a family connection.I kneel beside the spiral pattern of silver-blue blooms she’s tending, assessing their condition with a healer's eye. "T
Lyra Sunlight streams through the curtains, painting warm patterns across the tangled sheets. I wake slowly, momentarily disoriented by unfamiliar surroundings before memories of the night flood back. The weight of Alexander's arm draped across my waist anchors me to both the present moment and the significance of what passed between us.I study his sleeping face, softer in repose than his usual royal mask allows. Dark lashes rest against cheeks still bearing faint marks where power surges manifested during our separation. The bond between us pulses with contented warmth, stronger and more stable than it's been since the temporary healing at the Cave of Whispers."You're staring," he murmurs without opening his eyes, a smile curving his lips."Just making sure you're real," I reply, surprised by the vulnerability in my own voice.His eyes open then, violet depths focusing on me with an intensity that makes my breath catch. "Very real," he assures me, pulling me closer. "And not going
KieranMira and I sit in silence for a while, watching stars appear one by one in the darkening sky. The distant sounds of palace life—guards changing shifts, servants carrying out evening duties—remind me how far we are from the simplicity of our forest home."I slept with someone else," I admit suddenly. "After Lyra left with Alexander that first time. One of the refugees from the northern settlement."Mira raises an eyebrow but doesn't interrupt."I thought it would help," I continue. "Thought maybe if I could just be with someone else, these feelings would fade or change or..." I shake my head. "It didn't work. Just made me feel worse, actually.""Because you were using them to try to forget Lyra," Mira points out. "That never works.""I know that now." I run a hand through my hair in frustration. "Gods, I'm a mess.""Yes, you are," she agrees with characteristic bluntness. "But that doesn't mean you can't figure your shit out."A sudden flush of anger rises in me. "Easy for you to
KieranThe palace gardens are annoyingly perfect—every shrub precisely trimmed, every flower arranged in meticulous patterns, like nature couldn't be trusted to look good without human interference. I find a secluded bench beneath a weeping willow, as far from the manicured beds as possible, and drop onto it with a heavy sigh.It's been two hours since I quietly slipped out of my chambers, unable to stay there any longer. The thin walls did little to muffle the sounds from Lyra's room, each soft gasp and whispered endearment like a knife twisting in my chest. I knew this was coming—hell, I practically pushed her toward the prince—but knowing something will hurt doesn't actually make it hurt less when it happens.I lean back, staring up through willow branches at the darkening sky. At least the stars look the same here as they do back home. Small comfort, but I'll take what I can get."Thought I might find you out here sulking."I don't need to look to recognize Mira's voice. She's been