LOGIN* Regina *We went inside the place covered with mist. It was thick and heavy and cold like the fear of the wolves who doesn't know anything behind it, coiling around my ankles as though it wanted to pull me under. The moment the iron gates shut behind us, the sound echoed like thunder through the canyon, and the world beyond was gone. Only this gray maze of whispers and shadows remained. We were in a different place at a different time.I couldn't see more than a few feet ahead because of the mist. Even Alpha Archer's tall figure blurred and wavered, his shoulders dissolving into fog each time I blinked. I reached out instinctively, my fingers brushing the edge of his cloak. His head turned slightly at the contact, but he said nothing.He hadn't looked at me once since the Alpha King called my name. I wonder why that is?The silence between us was colder than the mist. But I did not say a word to break that either.Even if I wanted to speak, to tell him that I didn't mean to cause h
* Alpha Archer *The night continued after she left my tent, but sleep never came to me afterwards. I shouldn't be affected by a mere kiss, however, it did make me hard, and my wolf stirred. Now I realize that I haven't slept with anyone ever since my birthday. To get a she wolf that could remedy that is easy but I haven't really thought about it until I kissed Regina last night.As the forest outside was getting quiet, save for the distant howls of wolves marking their territories under the cold light of the moon. Inside, the silence was almost unbearable. My hands still trembled faintly, not from fear or exhaustion, but from the ghost of her touch, the taste of her lips that I had no right to claim. And the feel of her body against mine. If I hadn't stopped myself I would have taken her right at that moment.I had only kissed her as a reward. Regina, the young and beautiful omega has this effect on me that I cannot name. She's a woman from my pack, one of my subordinate and she is n
* Regina *I waited for the evening as it came slower than usual, heavy with the aftertaste of fire in the Alpha King's challenge and the triumph of our pack. The camp was quieter now, though the scent of smoke left from the fire still lingered, mingling with the salt of sweat and the damp breath of the forest. Most of the pack had retreated to their tents, resting after the trial. The others whispered in small clusters about the victory, about how the West Pack had defied the flames and passed unburned.But I couldn't rest. Not when his words keep playing in my mind."You've made victory possible, Regina. I should reward you for that."A reward, is something not everyone in the pack could get. I remembered the way he said it, it was not as an order, not as a passing statement, but something deeper and meaningful. Something that made my heart ache with a heat of longing that no enchanted fire in the forest could match.I had never asked for anything from my Alpha before, and I had nev
*Alpha Archer *The forest was still and smelled of plant leaves, wet earth, and blood when dawn came again. The night had been long, but I hadn't rested, none of us had after the challenge. Then the Alpha King's next challenge would test not strength or cunning, but unity and submission. Those words alone would cut sharper than a blade for some who aren't trained enough as a pack warrior.I stood before the fire outside my tent, the embers painting the air red against the cold mist. My pack was already awake, Beta Kael, the warriors, and the omegas, all waiting for my command. The wolves were tense, unsure what this new trial meant. But I was calm and ready. A true Alpha bends to nothing, that I learned since I was young.Still, the thought lingered, unity and submission. Two words meant to humble, meant to see if an Alpha could lower his pride for the sake of his pack. For the sake of loyalty. And that was where all members became important.The heralds' horns blew again, calling ev
* Regina *I listened to the horns that blew again, echoing across the valley, and I knew it was over. The second challenge from the Alpha King had ended.I walked fast on the ground that still smelled of smoke and ash down from the ridge, my skirts brushing against the wet grass, my hands clutching the strap of the medical satchel I'd prepared before dawn for this event. The forest was quiet now, except for the low rumble of returning wolves and the distant cries of healers tending to the wounded from their packs.My eyes scanned the mist until I saw him, Alpha Archer, emerging from the tree line. His body bore scorch marks across his arm and shoulder, his cloak singed, his jaw set in stone. Behind him, Beta Kael and the other warriors followed, they looked weary but still alive. They'd done it. They'd brought down the beast. I did not doubt that they could make it.But they were not alone. Across the clearing I see, the North Pack was returning as well, Alpha Zandro at their front,
* Alpha Archer *As the second day of the summit began, the challenge was expected before dawn. The camp was busy and restlessly, warriors waking, guards changing shifts, omegas tending fires and boiling water for their Alphas. Every pack is eager to participate aiming to gain the favor of the Alpha King by winning.I hadn't slept much with my wolf being stirred. My mind had stayed sharp through the night, weighing the conversations I'd had with the other Alphas, the rivalries simmering beneath the politeness. Strength was never silent in a summit like this, it whispered, tested, waited for its moment to strike.When the Alpha King's horn sounded from the high ridge, every conversation died instantly. Everyone was alert. Warriors straightened their postures. The sound is like a call to a war getting started.I stepped out of my tent, pulling on my cloak. The wind caught the edges, snapping them around my legs. Beta Kael joined me at once, his expression grim, the scar on his jaw catch







