Acwulf’s boot slammed into my ribs before I could turn. I hit the wall, head cracking against stone, ears ringing. Pain roared through my side. I rolled to dodge the second blow, too slow—he caught my leg and yanked. I kicked out, heel catching his knee. He grunted but didn’t let go.He crouched, face close. “You're not your mother. No fire left.”I spat blood at him.He backhanded me hard enough to black the edge of my vision. “You think that makes you strong? You’re still crawling. Just like she did.”I didn’t answer. My fingers curled around the dagger shard. It was all I had.He straightened. “You’re predictable. Brave. But stupid.” His voice dropped. “That’s why it always ends the same.”Then he turned and walked away. I didn’t move. My head swam. Bones screamed. But the second I heard the chamber door close, I twisted and forced my limbs to respond. The dagger shard was slick in my grip, the only piece of steel between me and what was coming. Acwulf wasn’t gone; he would be
Acwulf stood at the threshold like a statue come to lifeblood soaking his legs, rage curling his lips. But he didn’t move. Didn’t chase me. He just watched, head tilted, like he already knew how this ended.And somehow, that was worse.I turned and sprinted down the next hallway, lungs burning. Every step shot fired up my legs, but I didn’t slow. I didn’t dare. I didn’t know this part of the fortress as well. There was no map or Acwulf's warriors to trick me. It was just a stone, shadow, and the pounding of my heartbeat.I swore under my breath and spun back. I didn't know where to go. My boots skidded on wet stone. Somewhere deeper in the halls, I heard the sharp echo of metal on stone. They were alert now. No more pretending I was unconscious or bound. I was a prey.My hand brushed my side. I ducked into an alcove and caught my breath. Then, I heard footsteps. It was not far, heavy, or not a run. It was a march. They weren’t hunting me again. We had been on this cat-and-mouse hunt a
We ran again.Branches clawed at my arms. Rocks tore at my feet. The cold bit down like teeth, but we didn’t stop. Behind us, Acwulf's roar still echoed—half rage, half pain. He was down but not dead. “Left...go left!” Mira wheezed beside me, gripping her ribs.I followed, trusting her instincts. We cut through a patch of undergrowth and spilled into a dried creek bed. The mud sucked at our feet, every step a fight.My side throbbed where Acwulf punched me. Breathing hurt, but thinking hurt worse. I kept seeing his eyes. His grin and the way he could break me. I hated that I almost let him.“Wait,” Mira gasped. “Just wait.”We collapsed beside a log. I rolled onto my back, staring at the stars, trying to slow my heartbeat. My lungs stung with every inhale. Mira coughed and held her side. “He’s not chasing.”“No,” I rasped. “He’s hurting. You heard the scream.”“I thought that stone wouldn’t work.”“Me too.”Silence stretched between us. Crickets started chirping again, like nothin
She locked the door without blinking. No dramatic pause or slow reach for the handle. Just the smooth, quiet sound of a bolt sliding into place.I stood slowly, a plastic water cup forgotten on the windowsill. “That’s not how friendly conversations start.”The woman didn’t smile. She looked calm and clean, like someone who didn't have to run through woods or crawl through blood.“You’re Wren Blevine.” Her voice was smooth. Mira stirred on the cot behind me, but she didn’t wake. Her chest rose and fell slowly under her blanket, still knocked out from the pain meds.I shifted my stance slightly closer to the wall, nearer to the table lamp, where I could see a pistol secretly left earlier by a nurse to keep us at peace. I only had one weapon and one chance.“I’m no one,” I said. “You’ve got the wrong girl.”The woman chuckled, taking a few steps inside the room. “I’m good with faces. I won’t forget them, especially the ones with bounties.”Bounty - the word cut straight through my g
I woke up to cold metal pressing against my cheek. My arms were twisted behind me, and my wrists were bound tight with what felt like a zip tie. My ankles, too. The scent of rust, sweat, and engine oil hit me first, then pain. My ribs screamed when I shifted. My neck burned where the dart hit. The back of my throat was dry and sour, like I’d swallowed smoke and metal.“Wren?” Mira’s whisper cut through the silence.I blinked into darkness. My eyes adjusted enough to catch the faint silver outline of a face.“Mira?”“Yeah. You okay?”I couldn’t even lie. “No.”“Same.”We were in the back of a moving truck with a metal floor but no windows. The rattling engine bounced with every pothole, and every bounce sent pain through my side.“Where are we?” I asked.“No clue. I woke up a few minutes before you. Two guys up front. One called the other Briggs.”“Bounty hunters?”“Maybe. They didn’t talk much, just said something about ‘delivering her in one piece’.”“Her?”“You.”Of course. I roll
I didn’t move when the man in the sharp suit said my name, nor did I flinch. I just stared at him with every ounce of rage I had left.“Wren Blevine,” he repeated like it was some grand introduction. “I’ve waited a long time to see you in person.”Mira hissed behind me. “Creepy.”I kept my chin high. “Who the hell are you?”He smiled, sleek and rehearsed. “You can call me Julian or just the man with the biggest checkbook.”The woman from earlier stood off to the side, arms folded, watching everything like she was the director of a bad play.“You bought me?” I asked, disgust curling in my gut.Julian walked a slow circle around me like I was something he might place in a display case. “I paid for delivery. Whether you’re worth the full price remains to be seen.”“You’ll be disappointed.”“I doubt it.”He stopped in front of me and tilted his head. “You’re smaller than I imagined.”“Get closer... I’ll show you what else I am,” I snapped. Julian chuckled. “I like her.”The woman
I didn’t sleep, didn’t blink. My back stayed against the cold wall, blade in hand, heart thudding like it was racing someone else’s time. Lark said midnight. I didn't know how close it was, but my gut said soon.Every sound hit like a warning. Metal creaked, pipes hissed, and somewhere far above, boots scraped concrete. No one here walked softly. They didn’t need to. Everyone below the ground was either loyal or locked up, except me.I knelt by the drain, the same one I’d memorized for hours. A rusted square in the concrete, damp around the edges, and just wide enough to slide through if you didn't care about your ribs.It clicked; it was faint, barely more than a sigh of metal. I pressed my ear to the floor. Another click and a slide sound. A hand slipped through the opening, fingers outstretched.“Wren,” Lark’s voice whispered from the dark. “Now.”I shoved my blade between my teeth, dropped flat, and slithered forward. Every scrape of my elbows against the floor sparks up my arms.
I stayed by the cave's entrance all night. The waterfall roared like a warning, cold mist blowing through the cracks. The rain had stopped, but the wind hadn't. The trees outside shivered like they were waiting for something to go wrong.I didn’t dare sleep. Behind me, Mira was curled around Lark, trying to keep him warm. He was pale, breathing shallowly. We’d wrapped his wound the best we could, but the blood soaked through. He needed a real medic and a pack healer. It was something we didn’t have.I glanced at Mira. Her lips were chapped, and her eyelids fluttered with exhaustion. But she stayed awake anyway, pressing her palm to Lark’s forehead every few minutes like she could will the fever away.“How’s he doing?” I whispered.She shook her head. “Hot. Clammy. It’s bad.”I turned back to the entrance, gripping my blade tightly. “We need to move soon.”“He can’t.”“He has to.”“You saw the trail we left. You heard the dogs.”I did, but staying here felt worse. Suddenly, a snapped
Morning sunlight spilled across the bed, golden and warm against my bare shoulders. I was tangled in sheets that smelled like him and the kind of heat that clung even when he wasn’t touching me.Reule hadn’t moved much during the night. He lay behind me, arm slung over my waist, breathing deep and steady. For a man who barely slept, he looked peaceful, dangerous, and soft all at once.I turned slowly in his hold, watching his lashes flick once as he stirred.“You’re staring,” he mumbled, a voice rasped with sleep.“You’re smug about it,” I shot back softly.One eye opened. “Only because you’re still here.”I grinned. “Too warm. And your sheets are soft.”“You’re soft.”“Liar,” I muttered, brushing my thumb across his stubbled jaw.He caught my hand and kissed the center of my palm. “No. Just lucky.”It was quiet for a while. It was just us and the warmth between us, the kind that didn’t come from heat, but from knowing someone chose you when they didn’t have to.“I like this,” I sa
There was a knock at the outer gate. It was firm and precise, like whoever stood there wasn’t lost, afraid, or unsure but invited. This made no sense because no one got invited into Gray Pack territory without Reule’s permission or order.Landon was the one who found her and escorted her, actually, through the warded gate. She was not in chains, and she wasn't a threat. But with suspicion at every step.Reule stood on the front steps of the main house as the stranger approached. I watched from behind the window, arms folded, heart thumping without reason.She wasn’t a wolf. That much was obvious. Human? Maybe. But she carried herself like someone who had nothing to fear. She was tall and lean, her dark coat crisp despite the muddy roads, and her hair pinned back like she’d stepped out of a war room, not a car.“I asked you to explain why you’re here,” Reule said evenly.“I’m not here to threaten your pack,” she replied, my voice smooth. “I came to deliver a message. Wren is in danger
The council chamber was colder than any battlefield. It was made up of stone walls, iron thrones, and now with silence that hummed like a warning. I wasn’t supposed to be here. But waiting for news while Reule stood trial for me? That was never going to happen.Landon didn’t stop me. He just gave me a long look, like a man too tired to argue with fate. I slipped through the side gallery, my heart pounding against my ribs. Hidden behind one of the columns, I scanned the room below. Reule stood alone before the five elders, wearing a black robe, sharp-eyed, and judging.“I don’t answer feelings,” Elias, the head counselor, was saying, his voice echoing. “I answer to structure. You’ve broken that.”Reule didn’t even blink. “Structure bends. Or it breaks.”Mara, thin-lipped and cold, clicked her tongue. “It breaks when Alphas let their hormones guide strategy.”He turned his head slightly, slow and calculated. “You have something to say, Councilor?”“You’re compromised,” she said. “E
The smell of roasted herbs and garlic pulled me from my thoughts. I sat on the edge of the couch, legs tucked under me, wrapped in the soft sweater Reule had dropped off two days ago. He hadn't said a word when he handed it to me, just tossed it onto the bed and walked out. I’d only cut the tag off this morning.The fire crackled in the hearth, flickering shadows against the stone walls. I wasn’t cold, just restless. Then, the door eased open.“I made dinner,” Reule said, stepping inside with a tray. “Thought you’d be tired of soup.”“You thought right,” I muttered, watching him cross the room.“Please tell me you didn’t cook just to impress me.”“No,” he said easily, setting the tray down. “I cooked to feed you. Impressing you is just a bonus.”I raised an eyebrow. “What’s the dish?”“Grilled chicken with wild rice and lemon thyme sauce. Roasted carrots on the side.”He smirked. “Try not to faint.”“I’m impressed.”He gave a little mock bow. “My greatest honor.”I smiled despite
The wind snapped at my hair as I stood on the porch, arms wrapped tightly around myself. The night felt wrong, too quiet. The woods beyond Reule’s territory loomed dark and heavy, like something was crouched inside them, waiting. I shivered and rubbed my arms, trying to shake off the feeling gnawing at my gut.Footsteps creaked behind me. I didn’t need to turn. I knew him; the weight of his steps, heavy and certain, as the earth answered only to him."You shouldn't be out here alone," Reule said, his voice low and rough."I'm not alone," I whispered, staring into the trees.I felt him step closer. His warmth reached me before his hands did, brushing against my back, steady and strong against the rising unease curling through me."Even so, don't tempt trouble," he said, his breath fanning my ear.I tilted my head back just enough to catch the smirk tugging at the edge of his mouth."Why?" I murmured. "You planning to punish me?"He snorted, the sound rough and amused. "You’re already
The doors of the Black Pack’s great hall slammed open with a deafening bang, rattling dust from the stone arches above. Acwulf stalked in, his heavy boots striking the marble floor in sharp, angry steps. Every conversation inside died instantly. Warriors, omegas, and even the elder council members turned to stare.Alpha Thorne sat lazily atop his throne at the far end of the room, one leg draped casually over the other, a goblet of wine dangling from his fingers. His dark eyes gleamed with interest as he watched Acwulf storm toward him like a storm about to break. He figured that his beta would come and seek help for the mess he created.Thorne didn’t move. He didn't need to. His mere presence commanded the room."Alpha, could we have a private conversation?" Acwulf said with a voice calm but dangerous.The warriors standing around Thorne bristled, but Thorne lifted a hand, waving them off like flies. "Acwulf, you have been away for so long. I was already thinking my Beta was dead. D
The forest felt heavier the closer they got to the border, like the trees themselves were holding their breath. I stumbled, catching myself against Reule’s side. He didn’t hesitate to loop an arm around my waist and kept me moving without missing a step.“You sure you’re not dead?” Landon muttered ahead of us, tossing a smirk over his shoulder.“Feels like it,” I rasped, trying to match his grin.Reule shot Landon a glare sharp enough to slice stone. “Maybe you’d like to carry her?”Landon snorted. “Nah, you’re doing great, Alpha. Real nurturing. Very inspiring.”“I’ll shove my fist down your throat if you don’t shut up,” Reule growled under his breath.I tried to laugh to break the thick tension. It was a small thing, barely a whisper against the roaring panic in my veins, but it kept me moving. Behind us, Mira limped along, half-carrying Lark, who was still unconscious. Ivar hovered at their side, sharp-eyed, ready to jump if they faltered.It almost felt normal until the wind sh
The forest pressed heavily against Reule’s senses. Damp moss, old stone, the distant crackle of broken twigs under careless feet. He inhaled sharply. Beneath the noise and the scents, he caught a faint Wren's smell. He jerked his chin toward Landon, who crouched a few yards away, weapons ready.“She’s close,” Reule growled.Landon nodded once.“Trail cuts east, near the ruins.”Reule didn’t waste his breath replying. His wolf clawed at his skin, frantic to run ahead, to tear down anything standing between him and Wren. But instinct sharpened his focus because he couldn't afford to make mistakes now. Otherwise, it would cost her life.They moved fast and silently, threading between trees, avoiding the obvious traps — snares, spiked pits, even cruder things like tripwires woven into roots. Acwulf’s men weren’t subtle, but they were desperate, making them dangerous.“Think she’s still running?” Landon asked under his breath.Reule’s jaw tightened.“She never stopped.”In the cold mouth o
The sun broke through the trees as the black SUV roared down the final stretch of road. Yannis barely glanced at the rearview mirror. His focus was forward, on what was waiting back at the Gray Pack's estate. He couldn't help but be excited about his wedding. Beside him, Landon rode with his usual tension, arms folded, eyes sharp."We still have time," Yannis said."The wedding preparations won't start until midday."Landon exhaled."She’s going to throw something at you. Maybe you. Maybe a chair. Maybe both."Yannis smirked."She’ll be fine.""You’re marrying a woman who was in love with another man. You think that ends in 'fine'?""I’m marrying a woman who was betrayed by her own choices. And I know she felt the mate bond, but she was too stubborn and kept denying it. However, I have faith that if I show her that I am a gentleman, she will come around," Yannis said.Landon snorted."You sound like a motivational speaker. You sure this isn’t just your way of proving you can tame her?