LOGINSage’s PovThe hospital was quieter than it had been hours ago, but it was not calm. The kind of silence that followed a battle was heavy, filled with exhaustion and unspoken fear. The warriors who could still stand lingered nearby, watching as the last stretchers were wheeled away.One of them cleared his throat and approached me carefully.“Doctor Sage,” he said. “The kitchen prepared dinner. We’d like you to stay.”Another nodded. “You shouldn’t leave on an empty stomach.”I smiled at them and shook my head. “Thank you, but I still have patients to check. I can eat later.”Before I could turn away, Beta stepped forward. His face was pale, and his arm was bound tightly against his chest.“There’s something you should know,” he said quietly. “Alpha Cassius was injured earlier. He was hurt while saving me.”I paused. “Where is he?”“He refused a bed,” Beta replied. “He said others needed it more.”I let out a slow breath. That sounded exactly like him.“Take me to him,” I said.Cassiu
Cassius’s PovThe smell of blood still clung to me hours after the battle ended. It followed me from the ruined perimeter to the pack hospital, sinking into my clothes and my skin. Even after I scrubbed my hands raw, it stayed there, stubborn and accusing, reminding me how close I had come to losing everything in one night.My mother was alive. That was the only reason I could still stand.Old Luna sat on the bed in the private ward, wrapped in thick blankets. Her face was pale, but her eyes were clear. She kept insisting she was fine, that I should stop hovering, but I had seen the moment the enemy wolves broke through the eastern line. I had seen their eyes lock onto her.They had come for her.If Tyler had not reacted as fast as he did, I would have been planning a funeral instead of standing here.“You should go,” my mother said quietly, her voice steady despite everything. “Your place is not beside an old woman right now.”I frowned. “You are not just an old woman. You are the re
Sage’s PovDinner had been loud in the way only my parents could manage. Plates clinked, my mother kept refilling bowls no one asked for, and my father pretended he was not listening while listening to everything. The air smelled of pepper soup and roasted meat, familiar and warm. For a brief moment, it felt like nothing outside this table could reach me.“I ran into Kyle last week,” I said, stirring my soup slowly. “He asked after Aleric.”My mother paused with the ladle midair. “Kyle,” she repeated. “That boy who used to run messages for the elders?”“The same one,” I replied. “He reminded me of something I had almost forgotten. He was the one who helped arrange my marriage to Aleric back then.”My father looked up sharply. “Helped arrange,” he echoed. “You never told us that.”“I didn’t think it mattered anymore,” I said. “It was all done quietly. Kyle handled the introductions and the timing. He thought he was helping me secure a future.”My mother set the ladle down with a soft c
Aleric'’s PovKyle watching me with a look that made my shoulders stiffen. It was not anger in his eyes. It was amusement, sharp and deliberate.“So,” he said at last, his voice calm, “you are telling me this is all about justice.”I met his gaze. “I’m telling you I’m protecting my family.”Kyle let out a soft laugh. It was not loud, but it cut through the room anyway. “Family,” he repeated. “Your friends, your sister, your mother. Everyone except the woman who stood beside you as your wife.”Thea shifted closer to me at once, her arm brushing mine. “Kyle, you’re being unfair,” she said. “Aleric has always been responsible. He carries the weight of the Pack on his shoulders.”Kyle turned his head slowly to look at her. “Did I ask you?”Her smile froze for half a second, then returned, a little tighter than before.I felt heat rise to my face. “This has nothing to do with Sage,” I said. “Don’t drag her into this.”Kyle raised an eyebrow. “You dragged her into it the moment you chose ev
Sage’s PovI had not slept well since the night my mother and Sophia were taken away. Every time I lay down, my mind replayed their faces over and over again. My mother tried to stay calm, but I saw the fear in her eyes. Sophia did not even try to hide her anger, shouting until her voice broke.By the third day, my patience was gone.I spent the morning calling lawyers. I spent the afternoon doing the same thing. By evening, my phone felt heavy in my hand, and my throat was dry from repeating the same words again and again.“I need representation,” I said for what felt like the hundredth time. “This is a misunderstanding. My family has served the Pack for decades.”The man on the other end sighed. “Alpha Aleric, I understand your position, but this case involves sensitive parties.”“You are a Wolf Pack law firm,” I snapped. “If you won’t take this case, who will?”There was a pause before he answered. “We cannot afford to offend the wrong people.”The line went dead.I stared at my ph
Sage’s Pov“They got a confession,” he said. “The man who attacked you. He broke this morning.”I stopped walking and turned to him. My heart skipped once, hard, before settling into a dull ache.“He confessed?” I asked. “To what, exactly?”Kyle nodded. His expression was serious, no trace of the careless grin he used to wear when we were younger. “He admitted Bonnie paid him. He also said Sophia knew about it and approved it. He claimed she gave the order through Bonnie.”My fingers curled slowly at my side. “Then Sophia was arrested?”Kyle hesitated, and that pause told me everything before he even spoke. “She was questioned. That’s all. There’s no direct evidence tying her to the payment. Bonnie covered her tracks well.”I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “So Bonnie takes the fall, and Sophia walks free.”“For now,” Kyle said quickly. “The elders are watching her closely.”I gave a short laugh that didn’t carry any humor. It was almost ironic, Aleric just couldn’t







