RafeThe circle had already formed around the Ashmoor grounds, a ring of bodies and silence and dread. I could feel the stares, the weight of expectation bearing down on my shoulders like stone.But all I saw was her.Evelyn.She stood beside me, her gaze steady despite the storm in it. She hadn’t flinched. Not once. Even now, with blood about to be spilled and war hanging by a thread, she stood like she belonged at my side.I didn’t say anything. Couldn’t. My throat was tight with everything I wanted to promise her and didn’t know how.So I leaned in and kissed her forehead.A slow press of lips to skin.Then I rested my forehead against hers, eyes closed, just for a breath. One heartbeat. One tether.Mine.Hers.Ours.Then I stepped back, locking it all behind my ribs, and walked into the ring.Kael was already there, standing with his arms loose at his sides like he didn’t have a care in the world. Bare-chested, bare-footed, wearing the combat tunics meant to shred in the shift. Hi
EvelynThe fire had long since burned down to embers, but its warmth lingered in the sheets—and in Rafe’s arms. We lay tangled together, the morning light slowly painting the edges of the room in soft gold. The scent of smoke, sweat, and him clung to my skin. I didn’t want to move. Didn’t want to leave the cocoon we’d built in the hush of the night, the taste of him still warm on my tongue, the ache of need still curling low in my belly.His breath stirred against the curve of my neck, and his fingers moved in lazy, soothing circles along my spine. There was a stillness between us, not awkward but reverent, like we were trying to hold onto the last pieces of something fragile before the world demanded too much of it.This was the first time I’d woken up in his room. Not just beside him—but in his space, wrapped in his scent, surrounded by shadows and details that were his alone. The worn books stacked beside the bed. The blades mounted on the wall. The faded Blackthorne banner folde
EvelynHis mouth claimed mine like he’d been starving for years—like he couldn’t breathe without me. Heat rolled off him in waves, searing through the thin layers between us until they were nothing. Every kiss tasted of desperation and defiance. Every touch said the words neither of us could bear to speak: If this is the end, let it be ours.I dragged him closer, nails biting into the hard lines of his back. His body pinned me, all steel and sinew, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted him everywhere—inside every breath, every heartbeat. My robe slipped off my shoulders, pooling like water around us, and his hands followed, worshipful and hungry all at once.The bond roared between us, primal and unyielding. When his mouth left mine to trail down my throat, I felt the graze of his teeth and a sound escaped me—a sound that stripped me bare.Something inside him fractured then—something dark and desperate. His mouth crushed mine again, and this time there was no restraint. He kissed me like a
EvelynRafe didn’t speak, but his hand was steady in mine. He moved like a blade sheathed in flesh—tense, contained, dangerous. His jaw was tight, eyes fixed ahead, every step purposeful as we walked with our warriors, the Ironridge emissary and Cassian close behind.No one spoke. Outside in our territory, the sun dipped below the treeline, casting everything in gold and bloodlight.I couldn’t stop glancing at him.This wasn’t the aftermath of a simple negotiation. He had just declared for the Blood Trial.The courtyard was awash in fading warmth, and something had changed. Everything hinged on one fight. One moment. One man.I sensed the storm beneath his stillness, his power leashed like a beast held back. He was bracing. Preparing.And I had never felt more terrified.Back in his quarters, the first thing he did was brace both hands against the wall and hang his head.“Why the Blood Trial?” I asked.“Because Kael would’ve dragged every pack into war otherwise,” he said without turn
RafeThe keep felt like it was holding its breath.Not because of Evelyn. Not anymore.That fear, that uncertainty, had passed days ago—burned away by fire and truth. My pack had made their choice before Ironridge ever stepped in. And they’d made it clear in the quiet way wolves do, with where they stood.The tension now was something else. Something older. The kind that comes before a storm. You can smell it in the air, feel it in your bones. We weren’t waiting for Ironridge’s decision—we were waiting to see how far Kael would push.And whether this time, we’d push back.The lower corridors were dim and still, lit only by the amber flicker of wall sconces. I passed warriors I’d trained beside, elders who’d once told me bedtime stories, pups pressed close to their mothers. All of them watched me.All of them nodded.Their voices came in hushed threads, barely audible over the hum in the walls.“We stand with her. No matter what.”Over and over. A heartbeat of loyalty. Not loud. Not de
EvelynThe Circle Hall had grown colder.After the Ashmoor wolf’s growl, the entire gathering had shifted on edge, tension thickening until it vibrated in the air itself. But it hadn’t exploded—not yet. The Ironridge emissary raised her hand with sharp authority, her voice slicing cleanly across the murmurs.“Enough. This is sacred ground. If your wolves cannot restrain themselves, Alpha Kael, the court will consider it a breach of sanctuary.”Kael said nothing for a long beat. Then, with the flick of two fingers, he called his wolf back. But the look he gave me over his shoulder was clear. He hadn’t surrendered. He was waiting.The emissary turned to the assembly. “This matter touches on ancient blood debts, mate bonds, and the stability of peace between territories. As such, we invoke the Trial of Truth. All must be seen. All must be heard. And the Goddess shall be witness.”A ripple of movement passed through the crowd. Several wolves straightened, others stilled entirely. Something