CHAPTER 6

~ Rowan ~

I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the floor without moving. My head was pounding badly, and every little movement made the pain worse. But the headache was nothing compared to the fear growing inside my chest.

Why was Hazel Cassian in my bed?

The question kept repeating in my mind. I didn’t understand what had happened, and I was afraid of what I might remember. I closed my eyes tightly and pressed both hands against my temples, trying to calm myself.

Then yesterday’s memories began coming back in broken pieces, one after another, like a terrible dream. The more I remembered, the more frightened I became.

It all started yesterday afternoon. That was when I learned the worst thing that had ever happened to me. My older brother, Alpha Levi, was going to marry Diana Adam, the first daughter of the Alpha of the Ironclaw Pack.

I had been deeply in love with Diana for years, but I had never found the courage to confess my feelings. I kept waiting for the right moment to tell her I loved her and ask her to be mine.

But then everything changed.

Levi and Diana were going to get married to bring the two packs closer together and strengthen their alliance.

Just like that, the woman I had secretly loved for years was going to become my brother’s wife. I had spent so long dreaming about a future with Diana, only to watch that future disappear right in front of me.

I couldn’t handle the pain, so I went to a bar nearby and drank until I could barely think. I hoped the alcohol would make me forget about Diana and the wedding.

By nightfall, I was so drunk that I could barely walk. I somehow made my way back to the pack house, stumbling through the long hallways and trying not to fall.

Then I remembered someone catching me when my legs almost gave out. A pair of soft hands held me up before I hit the floor. Through my blurry eyes, I saw a girl’s face, but I could hardly see her clearly because of how drunk I was.

I thought it was Diana.

In my drunken mind, I believed Diana had come to find me. I was so lost in my own pain that I did not stop to make sure I was right. I brought her into my room, believing she was the woman I loved. I kissed her, and somehow, we ended up spending the night together.

Now, sitting on the edge of my bed, the truth finally hit me. It hadn't been Diana. It was Hazel.

Hazel Cassian. The fat, wolfless, unloved outcast of the Bloodmoon pack.

“No…” I gasped as I jumped off the bed as if it had burned me. “No, no, no!”

A terrible feeling of disgust rushed through me. I rushed into the bathroom and turned the shower on as hot as I could stand. I grabbed the soap and started washing my body again and again. I kept scrubbing as if I could somehow wash away the memories of the night before.

But no matter how much I washed, I could not forget. I could still remember her being there, and the truth of what I had done made my stomach turn. I stood under the water for a long time, wishing I could go back and change everything.

When I finally stepped out of the shower, the bathroom mirror was covered with steam. I wiped a small space clear and stared at my reflection. My face looked tired and troubled, and I barely recognized myself.

I looked away from my reflection and clenched my fists. “She took advantage of me.”

But the words felt wrong the moment they left my mouth. I was the one who had been drinking. I was the one who had mistaken her for Diana. So why did I feel like blaming her?

I put on a clean black shirt and dark trousers, trying my best to push the shame of last night out of my mind.

I left my room and walked down the staircase toward the dining hall. I kept my face calm and walked into the dining hall as if nothing had happened.

Levi and my mother were already seated at the long mahogany table.

“Look who finally decided to join the living,” Levi teased. “You reek of alcohol, little brother.”

I rolled my eyes at him and ignored his joke. I walked over to the table and sat down beside my mother.

Without saying anything, Mom picked up some meat and placed a large portion on my plate. I picked up my fork and stared at the plate in front of me.

I looked across the table at Levi. There was something I needed to know, and I could no longer keep the question inside. I tightened my grip on the fork and took a small breath before finally speaking.

“I heard you’re getting married to Diana,” I said suddenly. I pushed my fork into the food on my plate, but I still did not take a bite. My eyes stayed on Levi as I waited for his answer.

Levi stopped with his glass halfway to his lips. He took a slow drink, then placed the glass back on the table. He let out a quiet sigh before looking at me.

“How did you find out so quickly?” he asked. “I was planning to tell you today.”

“I told him,” Mom said simply. She took another small bite of her toast.

I looked back at Levi. “Are you really going to marry her?” I asked. “You barely know Diana. You’ve always told me that you would never marry someone you didn’t love. So what changed?”

Levi opened his mouth to answer, but before he could say anything, Mom lifted her hand and stopped him.

“Rowan, stop asking your brother unnecessary questions,” she said, leaving no room for an argument.

“Levi is twenty-seven, Rowan. How long do you expect him to rule without a Luna or an heir?” Mom asked, staring at me as I said nothing.

“The pack elders are growing restless, and the council is pressuring him every single day. Combining forces with the Ironclaw Pack through Diana secures our borders and finally gives the elders what they have been asking for,” Mom added.

I stared at her, my hands slowly tightening under the table. I understood what she was saying, but that did not make it any easier to accept.

She leaned forward, resting her hands on the table. “I also need grandchildren to carry on the Logan name. Love is something that can grow over time, Rowan. What matters right now is duty to the pack.”

"But Mom—" I tried to argue, the thought of Diana becoming Levi’s wife made my blood boil.

"That's enough, Rowan," Levi interrupted softly, but his voice carried the firm weight of an Alpha's authority. "Mom is right. My personal feelings cannot come before the safety of our people. I hoped to find my fated mate, but maybe love simply isn't in the cards for me. This alliance saves lives."

Easy for him to say. He wasn’t the one losing the woman he loved.

Before I could voice another protest, the door of the dining hall burst open.

Damon, Levi’s loyal Beta, rushed into the room. His face was pale, his forehead beaded with cold sweat, and his breathing was heavy as he dropped to one knee before the table.

"Alpha! We have a severe situation," Damon reported.

Levi stood up at once, and the relaxed look on his face disappeared. In its place was the cold, powerful presence of an Alpha.

"Speak, Damon. What happened?"

"The spy we planted inside the Darkwood pack just sent an emergency raven," Damon said, looking up with grave eyes.