LOGINThe journey back to the estate felt longer than it should have.Ava walked beside Desmond in silence, her thoughts in chaos, her emotions tangled between fear, confusion, and disbelief. She kept glancing at him, hoping he would say something to explain but Desmond walked ahead like nothing had happened.Finally, Ava couldn’t hold it in anymore.“Alpha…” she said, her voice careful but strained.Desmond didn’t slow.“What is it now?” he replied, irritation clear in his tone.Ava took a breath.“That proposal… with Alpha Leonard…”Desmond remained silent while Ava clenched her hands slightly.“You can’t be serious.”That made him stop. He turned his head just enough to glance at her, his expression unreadable.“I don’t make jokes about power,” he said.Ava swallowed.“I’m not saying it’s a joke,” she said quickly. “I’m saying it’s—”“Necessary.”The word cut her off and Ava blinked.“Necessary?” she echoed. “You offered him half the territory!”Desmond’s gaze sharpened.“And?”Ava shoo
Jack walked beside Mira in silence, his mind still replaying everything that had just happened.They turned down a quieter hallway, far from the main activity of the estate. The walls here were lined with tall windows that let in the soft glow of the late afternoon sun, casting long shadows across the polished floors.Mira slowed her pace then stopped.“There,” she said gently, gesturing toward a small alcove tucked between two pillars.A simple wooden bench sat there, partially hidden from view.Jack followed her without question and they both sat down.Mira exhaled slowly, leaning back slightly as she tilted her head toward him.“You really did it,” she said softly.Jack let out a small breath.“I guess I did.”Mira smiled faintly.“No, not ‘I guess.’ You actually did it” she corrected.Jack glanced at her.“I’ve been thinking about it for a long time,” he admitted.Mira’s smile softened.“I could tell.”Jack leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared ahea
The camp fell into a stunned silence after Desmond’s words.It echoed in Ava’s head like a thunderclap, loud and disorienting, refusing to settle. Her breath came out uneven as she stared at him, her eyes wide with disbelief.What is he doing?She took a step forward instinctively, her voice rising before she could stop herself.“My Alpha, this—”“Silence.”Desmond didn’t even look at her but the command was sharp.Ava’s lips parted, the rest of her words dying in her throat as his aura pressed down, not violently, but firmly enough to remind her of her place.Across from them, Skye stepped forward, her shock turning quickly into anger.“You’ve lost your mind. You think you can just walk into our camp and suggest something like that?” she said, her voice sharp with disbelief.Desmond’s expression didn’t change, he didn’t even spare her a glance.“I didn’t come here to speak with you,” he said flatly.Skye’s eyes flashed.“I don’t care who you came to speak with,” she snapped. “This af
Ava could feel the suffocating sense of being watched pressing in on her as she walked with Desmond and their captors.“Move.”The command came from one of the guards behind her, sharp and impatient. Ava flinched slightly and quickened her steps but Desmond, however did not.He walked at his own pace, as though he were not surrounded by enemies.“Keep up,” another guard snapped at him.Desmond didn’t even glance in his direction.“If I wanted to be rushed, I would have come here running” he said calmly.The guard stepped forward, his grip tightening on his weapon.“Watch your tone.”That made Desmond stop. He turned his head just enough for his gaze to meet the guard’s.“You’re speaking to an Alpha King,” Desmond said.The words were quiet but they carried weight.The guard hesitated as Desmond’s aura flared. It rolled off him like an invisible wave, pressing against everyone within range.Desmond let the silence stretch just long enough then turned away.“Lead the way,” he said, as i
The healer’s chamber had grown quiet again but it was no longer the same.Jack stood before Eugene, his chest rising and falling steadily after the boldness of what he had just done. The echo of his oath still lingered in the air, wrapping itself around everyone present like an invisible thread pulling them all into something bigger.Eugene hadn’t moved far from him. His sharp gaze remained fixed on Jack, studying him, not just his words, but the intent behind them.True loyalty was not something he took lightly.“You meant what you said,” Eugene finally spoke, his voice calm but firm.Jack nodded immediately.“I did.”There was no hesitation.Eugene’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if weighing that answer against everything he knew about Jack, about his past and about where he came from.“You understand what you’re asking for. This isn’t just about standing beside me” Eugene continued. Jack swallowed, but he didn’t look away.“I know.”“Then say it clearly, what are you asking?” Eugene
The forest was unforgiving. Dark branches stretched overhead like skeletal fingers, weaving together to block out most of the fading daylight. The deeper Desmond and Ava ventured, the quieter it became, just the faint crunch of leaves beneath their feet and the distant whisper of wind threading through the trees.Ava pulled her cloak tighter around herself as she followed closely behind Desmond, every instinct in her body screamed that this was a mistake, a dangerous one.“My Alpha…” she began cautiously, her voice low as if afraid the forest itself might hear her.Desmond didn’t slow down.“What?” he replied curtly.Ava hesitated for a second, then forced herself to continue.“We’ve been walking for a while now,” she said. “Are you certain this is the right direction?”Desmond’s pace remained steady.“If you were more useful, we wouldn’t have to rely on certainty,” he replied coldly.Ava flinched slightly at the insult.“I told you, I only got close to their camp. I didn’t see the e
The weight of being watched never left Eugene’s shoulders.Even as he and Max moved through pack town with measured steps, their baskets filling with supplies which comprised of dried meat, medicinal herbs wrapped in cloth, bandages, and rope, the sensation crawled along his spine like a second ski
The door had shut with a sharp, echoing thud and silence rushed in immediately enveloping the space.Becca stood rigid in the center of the bedchambers, her shoulders squared, her chin lifted in defiance that she refused to let crack. She could feel the weight of the room pressing on her with its
The night held its breath.Torches burned along the stone walls of the hideout, their flames flickering violently as if even fire could sense the fury brewing between the Alphas standing face to face. The cold air was thick with tension, so thick it felt like it could be cut with a blade.Eugene s
Eugene snapped, not the slow, simmering fury that had been burning in his chest since Desmond’s laughter echoed across the resistance hideout, but a violent, instinctive break, the kind that came from a wolf pushed beyond restraint.The soldiers holding him barely had time to react.One moment, the







