LOGINThe first impact rattled the fortress walls.Then came a second.The heavy gates groaned under the force.Instead of running toward the shelters, Nova took off in the opposite direction.She sprinted across the courtyard, weaving between warriors rushing to their positions.Rylan spotted her immediately.His eyes widened.“Nova!” he shouted. “Where are you going?”Without slowing down, she glanced over her shoulder.“To see what the hell is trying to break in!”“Oh, for the love of…”Rylan groaned loudly.“Are you crazy?”Nova didn’t answer.She was already racing toward the eastern wall, determined to see what had the entire compound on edge.Rylan cursed under his breath and immediately took off after her.“Nova, get back here!”She ignored him.Of course she ignored him.“Kael is going to skin me alive,” Rylan muttered as he pushed himself faster.Warriors scattered out of the Beta’s path as he chased after the stubborn human.Ahead, Nova reached a set of stone stairs leading up to
Nova let out a slow sigh and rested her elbows on the table.“This is all so confusing.”Rylan’s expression softened. The concern in his eyes was impossible to miss.He leaned forward slightly.“What exactly do you remember?” he asked gently. “I mean, besides the world going to shit.”Nova frowned, trying to sort through the fragments in her mind.“Do you remember your mother’s name?” Rylan asked.She was quiet for several seconds.“…No.”“Your father?”She slowly shook her head.“No.”“Friends?”Another pause.“No.”“What about school? Teachers? Your home?”Nova squeezed her eyes shut, willing something, anything, to come back.“I…” she whispered.There were flashes.A crowded hallway.A classroom.People laughing.Someone calling her name.But every face was blurred, like someone had smeared paint across a photograph.She opened her eyes again and looked at Rylan.“It’s all… broken.”Her voice cracked slightly.“I know I had a life before all this. I know I had people.”She swallowe
After Alex said his goodbyes and headed toward the eastern border, Nova watched him disappear into the crowd before letting out a quiet sigh.“Well… that could’ve gone worse.”She had no interest in another argument with Ava.One encounter today was more than enough.“I think I’ve hit my daily quota for wolf drama,” she muttered to herself.Shoving her hands into her pockets, she turned and headed in the opposite direction.“Maybe I’ll head back to the cafeteria.”At least there was food there.And, hopefully, fewer angry she-wolves waiting to pick a fight.Nova wandered through the compound at an unhurried pace, now recognizing several of the paths Kael had shown her earlier that morning. Wolves passed by carrying crates of supplies while others prepared to head out on patrol. A few greeted her with polite nods. Others simply watched her with curious eyes before returning to their work.She was beginning to get used to the attention.As the cafeteria came into view, the familiar smel
After returning from her walk with Kael, Nova stood in her room for a few minutes, staring out the window. He had told her she wasn’t a prisoner. She could walk around the compound if she wanted.She wasn’t sure she believed him.But there was only one way to find out.With a quiet sigh, she left her room and stepped back into the hallway. Nobody stopped her. No guards followed behind her. No one questioned where she was going.“So he wasn’t lying,” she muttered.Nova wandered through the compound at her own pace, taking in the busy streets. Wolves moved between buildings carrying supplies, repairing equipment, and preparing for the day’s patrols. Mixed among them were human families going about their own routines. Children laughed as they chased each other through the open courtyard while a few older survivors worked in small gardens beside their homes.It was… normal.Far more normal than she had expected.As she walked, a few wolves glanced in her direction. Some nodded politely be
“Well, okay, Mr. Wolf,” Nova said, folding her arms. “Do you have a mate?”Kael’s steps slowed for just a moment. A flicker of tension crossed his face before he let out a quiet sigh.“…Yeah.”Nova looked around the path, expecting another wolf to appear.“Where is she?” she asked. “Because if it’s going to be a problem with me being around you, I’d rather know now. I think I’m over fighting wolves.”A quiet laugh escaped Kael.“You don’t have to worry. I don’t think she’ll be able to hurt you.”Nova gave him a doubtful look.“Are you sure?”Kael lifted his gaze toward the rising sun, its light just beginning to spill over the compound walls. A faint, bittersweet smile touched his lips.“I’m sure.”Nova studied him for a moment. There was something about the way he had answered that didn’t sit right with her. It sounded less like confidence and more like someone remembering something they couldn’t have back. She wanted to ask another question, but the words never came. Instead, she no
Kael and Nova continued through the compound completely unaware of the pair of golden eyes watching them from a nearby rooftop. Ava stood partially hidden behind a stack of supply crates, her arms folded tightly across her chest. Her gaze never left them. The sight made her stomach twist. Five years. Five years she had spent helping lead patrols, defending the pack, and standing beside her Alpha through one disaster after another. Then one human appeared. And suddenly everything changed. Ava clenched her jaw. The human wasn’t supposed to be here. Wasn’t supposed to matter. Yet somehow she had become the center of every conversation in the compound. The elders were talking. The warriors were talking. Even the healers were talking. And Kael… Kael only seemed to care about her. Ava’s fingers tightened into fists. Her thoughts churned dangerously. Part of her knew she should let it go. Part of her knew challenging her Alpha over his mate would only end badly. But anot
Kael was thanking the Moon that the meeting was finally over. The second he stepped out of the council chamber, he felt lighter. Not by much, considering the elders still existed, but enough. His wolf immediately perked up at the newfound freedom.Mate.“Yes,” Kael muttered.Mate.“I know.”For the
After Marcus’s outburst and Kael nearly putting him through the council table, the meeting eventually settled back into something resembling order.Eventually.Marcus sat noticeably quieter now.Funny how that worked.Kael leaned back in his chair while the elders moved on to more pressing matters.
, I am not staying with you!” Nova shouted for what felt like the hundredth time that day.Kael closed his eyes briefly.Exhaustion.Pure exhaustion.He had fought Hollowfangs, led a pack, dealt with elders, tracked Nova across half the wilderness, and somehow the human female was still the hardest
Nova didn’t know how much distance she had put between herself and Kael, but she hoped it was far enough.Her legs ached from nonstop running while exhaustion dragged at every step, yet she kept moving anyway.Because trust got people killed.She learned that lesson early into the outbreak.People







