CHAPTER 1

Cameron Steele remained rooted to the frost-covered earth of the Northlands, his gaze burning a hole into the distance where we had disappeared. He watched our retreating figures, his eyes fixed on the way my hand was tucked firmly into the grasp of another. Even from the shadows of the pines, I could sense the suffocating gloom radiating from him.

Once we were truly out of sight, he yanked at the heavy fur collar of his tactical coat, loosening the tension that seemed to be strangling his inner wolf. He turned his sharp, icy eyes toward Jonah Price. "Tell me, Jonah... do you think Sierra has truly lost her instincts? Her judgment is skewed. Out of all the strays in the Northlands, she chooses to run with the kin of a snake like Lexi Hart."

"I believe her spark still flickers for you, Alpha," Jonah replied, his voice a cautious whisper as he tested the frozen air between them. "Why not reclaim your mate, Mr. Steele? Bring her back to the pack house before the Vaughn bloodline claims her fully."

Cameron’s hand froze mid-motion, his features contorting into something jagged and unnatural. "Reclaim her? For what? Have you lost your mind to the moon-madness?"

His pride, wounded and raw, flared up as he straightened his posture, his expression stiffening like a winter gale. "I am merely concerned that Sierra is being preyed upon by scavengers. Naomi Brooks will grow restless with worry if the girl vanishes into the shadows. I am not acting out of some lingering sentiment for Sierra; I am protecting the interests of the Steele Pack."

Jonah remained silent, though his mind was racing. He had seen Cameron play this game before—the Alpha frequently snarled words he didn’t mean when it came to the females of the high-ranking lineages. Yet, ever since I had signed the pack dissolution papers and accepted the severing of our bond without so much as a whimper, Cameron had been acting like a wolf who had lost his scent.

I followed Aaron Vaughn out of the private healers' sanctuary, the air of the Vaughn Estates feeling much cleaner than the stifling atmosphere of the Steele Residence. As I climbed into the passenger seat of his rugged terrain vehicle, I stole a glance at his profile. He was a renowned surgeon of the shifter world, a man who could knit bone and soul back together.

"Aaron," I whispered, my voice steady despite the chaos in my heart. "Did the Council meeting go as planned?"

"It did," he replied, his hands gripping the wheel with the practiced ease of a warrior. "The extraction and mending are scheduled for three days from now."

The mention of the timeline made my breath hitch. My expression grew solemn, my mind drifting to the elder who had shown me more kindness than my own mate. "Aaron, that procedure must be flawless. Naomi Brooks is more than just a matriarch to me; she is the only soul in that pack who treated me as human."

"Do not fear, little sister," Aaron said, a flash of fierce determination igniting in his amber eyes. "I will exhaust every ounce of my gift. For you, and for the bond you share with her, I will ensure Naomi walks the forest paths again."

A small, relieved smile played on my lips. "With your word, my mind is finally at peace."

"Then come back to the Great-Pack territories with us, Sierra," he urged, his voice softening. "Start anew in the deep woods of the Northlands. Raise your pup where the Steele influence cannot reach. Stay far away from the shadows of Cameron and his cold-blooded kin."

"I want to," I admitted, looking out at the passing trees. "But the moon hasn't set on my time here yet."

Aaron’s brow furrowed in confusion. "What could possibly be tethering you to that graveyard of a marriage?"

I shook my head slowly. "I need to finish my final rites and studies at the Academy. Once Naomi has recovered her strength, I’ll find a way to explain things to Patricia Bloom. Perhaps in a few months, when my scent changes and my belly is too heavy to hide, I will seek sanctuary with the Vaughn Circle."

Aaron went quiet, his mind calculating the seasons. A few months was a manageable window. He could play the role of the patient guardian for that long.

When we arrived at the healers' wing of the Vaughn territory, I headed straight for the internal scanning chambers. I needed to know if the life growing inside me was strong enough to survive the coming storm.

During the deep-pulse scan, the healer paused, her eyes widening in surprise. "Praise the Ancestors! Sierra, listen... there isn't just one pulse. There are two distinct heartbeats echoing against yours. You are carrying twins—two wolves of the Vaughn line."

I stared at the crystalline monitor in pure disbelief, my hand trembling as I touched my stomach. "Truly? Two?"

"Two," she confirmed with a reverent nod.

I left the chamber glowing, the report clutched to my chest like a sacred scroll. Aaron was waiting in the hall, pacing like a caged predator. He stopped the moment he saw my face. "Well? What did the healer say?"

"Aaron... the healer heard two hearts. She’s sending me for a blood-vow checkup now." I couldn't stop the joy from bubbling over. "Aaron, I’m having two pups! Two!"

He took the report from me, his eyes scanning the technical runes. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, a rare show of emotion, but he quickly reigned it back in, his protective instincts taking over.

"It is a blessing of the moon that you carry twins," he said gravely, "but it means the toll on your body will be doubled. You are at higher risk now, Sierra. From the moment I sensed the life in you, I worried about the strain. My loyalty is to your life first."

I reached out, tugging at his sleeve, my eyes bright with a silent plea. "I will be careful, I swear it. Nothing will happen to them."

He let out a long, heavy sigh, the sound of a brother defeated by love. "And are you still intent on keeping this hidden from Landon and the rest of the Circle?"

"For now, please," I begged, my "omega" mask slipping into place just enough to soften his resolve. "Let’s keep this secret until I am safely within the Northland borders with you. I don't want the Vaughn brothers descending on the Steele Pack like a war party just yet."

Aaron bit his tongue, giving in to my wishes. "Fine. But only until the moon turns. Landon won't be pleased that he was kept in the dark about the next generation of our bloodline."

He could already envision the fallout. He could see himself standing before Landon Vaughn, the eldest and most formidable of us all, prepared to take the brunt of the Alpha’s fury for the sake of my peace.

At that exact moment, a blur of movement shattered the silence. A woman lunged forward, her claws snapping as she snatched the report from my hand before I could react.

"I knew the scent was off! You're carrying a litter, Sierra Vaughn! You’ve brought a blood-feud upon yourself this time!"

I stared at the woman. She was masked, her scent masked by pungent herbs, but the malice in her eyes was unmistakable. "Daphne Wright?" I guessed, my voice dropping to a low growl.

"The very same." The woman ripped the mask away, her face twisted in a sneer of triumph.

It was Daphne, the fallen socialite ally of the Steeles. This was the first time I had crossed her path since the Vaughn Circle had dismantled her family's holdings, and she looked like a wolf with nothing left to lose but her spite.