Mag-log inTerms of SurrenderThe camp fell into a suffocating silence. Even the wind held its breath.Kade stared at the man holding his brother, disbelief clouding his face. “Zayne?” His voice cracked. “What did you do to him?”Elias raised a brow. “Relax, Alpha. He is alive. For now.”Kade stepped forward, but Lena grabbed his arm. “Stop.”“I cannot stop,” Kade snapped. “You see what he is doing.”“Yes,” Lena said. “Which is exactly why you cannot rush.”Elias smirked. “Thank you, Lena. At least one of you is thinking.”Kade looked like he wanted to rip Elias apart on the spot. “If you hurt my brother, I swear to the Goddess—”“You will what?” Elias cut in. “Start a war you cannot win? One you are already losing?”Lena stepped between them, her eyes sharp. “Enough. You wanted a negotiation? You have it. Speak.”Elias tilted his head. “Always the leader even when they refuse to call you one.”“Speak,” she repeated.He gave a slow nod, pleased with her tone. “Very well. My terms are simple.”J
The Hostage at the GateThe courtyard buzzed with tension. Warriors moved fast, forming defensive lines, whispering orders, checking weapons. Lena pushed through them, her steps rigid and quick. Jade and Garrick flanked her while Kade, still injured, limped stubbornly behind despite every healer shouting at him to stop.“Slow down,” Kade said.“No,” Lena replied without turning. “I am not giving Elias a reason to hurt her.”“Lena,” Jade tried, “you do not even know if it is really her.”“I know,” Lena said sharply. “Elias would not risk a bluff that big.”Garrick grunted. “He would if he thought it would rattle you.”“He succeeded,” Lena said. “Do you want honesty or comfort?”Jade sighed. “Honesty. Always honesty.”They reached the outer gates. Warriors stood on the walls, bows drawn. The watch captain hurried toward them.“He is waiting outside,” she said. “He has not moved in the last three minutes.”Kade tried to step ahead of Lena, but she placed a hand on his chest. “Do not even
The Cost of TruthLena paced the length of the infirmary hall, her boots tapping a restless rhythm across the polished floor. Every few steps she stopped, pressed her palms together, and tried to slow her breathing. It did nothing. The adrenaline from the fight was gone, but the tension remained like a fist locked around her throat.Jade watched her from a nearby bench, legs crossed, arms folded. “You’re going to wear a hole in the floor,” she said.“I need answers,” Lena muttered. “Kade knows them. And he is taking his sweet time avoiding me.”“He just dealt with a sabotage attack on the walls. Cut the Alpha some slack.”“I didn’t ask for excuses,” Lena shot back.Jade’s brow lifted. “No. You asked for blood when you thought he was hiding something from you.”Lena sighed heavily. “Maybe I still am.”Before Jade could respond, the infirmary doors opened and Garrick stepped out. His shirt was stained with dirt, but the lines around his mouth were tighter than usual. He stopped w
The Enemy’s ShadowThe battlefield simmered with tension even after the last blow was struck. Wolves from both sides nursed wounds, growls lingering in the air like static. Lena shifted back into her human form, chest rising and falling, anger pulsing with every breath.Kade’s warriors formed a wary semi-circle behind him, while the rogues gathered close around Lena. No one seemed willing to look away from the treeline where Elias Voss had disappeared moments earlier after taunting them with the promise of more bloodshed.Garrick wiped blood from his jaw and muttered, “That bastard was testing our defense. He wanted to see how fast we respond.”“Yes,” Lena said sharply. “And he got exactly what he came for.”Kade glanced at her, but she didn’t acknowledge him. Her eyes stayed on the dark path Elias had retreated into.“We need to move,” she announced. “This place is compromised. He knows our formation now.”Kade stepped forward. “We can regroup and fortify it.”“No,” Lena cou
His eyes maybe softened at the sight of hers but his tone remained defensive "I came to speak"Lena crossed her arms, the barrier between them as tangible as the moonlight. "Talk? Now you want to talk? After rejecting me in front of everyone and tossing me aside like I was nothing?"The edge of her voice was enough to make the warriors behind Kade shift uncomfortably, but he didn't budge."I made a mistake" he admitted with his voice low but resolute "I thought that pushing you away was the right thing to do for my pack and the alliance but I couldn't have been more wrong"Lena's laughter was bitter and it sliced through the night like a blade "Wrong?, That was an understatement. You didn't just reject me Kade, you made me feel less than myself. You shattered me"Kade took a step closer, but she raised her hand, halting him in his tracks. Her wolves growled softly, a warning that resonated in the air."I deserve that" Kade replied with his voice thick with remorse "But I'm here now be
The arrival of Elias Voss had sent a chill through her core. His reputation preceded him: a rogue Alpha with an army of wolves loyal to his every command. His silver hair flashed in the moonlight as he stood before her, and his bright eyes did not meet hers but just looked at her with mockery."So," Elias drew out, his voice a silk over steel. "This is the infamous Lena Hart, the rejected mate who thinks she can gather the lost and broken."Lena's jaw tightened. She stepped forward, holding his gaze. "Let me guess, you're the little coward who needs to prey on the weak to build your army? What do you want from me, Elias?"Elias laughed, a soft but sinister sound. "I want to see for myself if the tales are true. It's said that you have been gathering rogues and encouraging them. It is also said that you are destined for greatness. All I see is a little girl pretending to be brave."The crowd murmured, the tension thick in the air. Lena felt the weight of their doubts pressing down on h







