Chapter 41- The Forced Apology

The healer’s wing felt warmer than before, as though the quiet hum of herbs and low burning lanterns worked together to cradle the fragile peace inside. Samantha lay propped up on soft pillows, her back slightly raised, her breathing steadier now. Elder Mira had left moments earlier after confirming her vitals again, leaving Samantha in a calm but uncertain silence.She tried to focus on the sound of her own breathing, anything to ground her racing mind. The fragments of memory from the attack came back in uneven bursts, shadows, pressure, fear and the crushing weight of being helpless. She shut her eyes, willing the panic to stay down.The door opened.Her eyes lifted instantly.Adrian stepped back inside, his expression unreadable but his presence steady. He approached her bedside without speaking at first, as if assessing her state.His voice, firm but not unkind, eased some of the tension twisting in her chest. She nodded faintly.“Someone is coming in,” he continued. “You are saf

Last Updated : 2025-11-22

Chapter 42- The Night He Stayed

The healer’s wing had grown quieter after sundown, the soft orange glow of lanterns stretching shadows along the walls. Samantha lay awake, back propped on pillows Elder Mira insisted she use, though the fabric beneath her felt too warm and too soft to belong to her. Sleep wouldn’t come. Every time she closed her eyes, she felt again the rough grip on her arms, the darkness, the helplessness. Her body tensed on its own, breath catching before she even realized she was panicking. She pressed a shaking hand to her chest. Calm. Breathe. The air around her shifted. She opened her eyes. Adrian sat in the armchair beside her bed, not slouched, but alert, elbows on his knees, watching her with eyes that reflected the dim lantern light. He hadn’t left since she drifted into an uneasy sleep earlier. And now he leaned forward slightly. “Nightmare?” Samantha swallowed, nodding once. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” “I wasn’t asleep,” he said, voice low enough not to break

Last Updated : 2025-11-25

Chapter 43- Warmth in the Quiet

The healer’s wing smelled faintly of crushed herbs and warm linen. Morning sunlight spilled through the high windows, softening the edges of everything it touched. Samantha sat up slowly, stretching her fingers before lifting her gaze.Adrian was sitting in the same chair.Same posture.Same quiet alertness.Same unreadable gaze that softened only when it landed on her.“You’re awake,” he said.She nodded. “Did you sleep at all?”“No.”She frowned. “Adrian…”He stood before she could argue. “If you’re strong enough to sit up, you’re strong enough for fresh air. Elder Mira said it would help.”Samantha blinked, surprised. “You’re taking me outside?”“Unless you’d rather stay here.”Her heart thudded, unexpected and warm. “No. Outside is good.”He held out a hand. She hesitated only a second before placing hers in his.His grip was steady and grounding. He helped her off the bed as though she were made of glass. The hallway was quiet as they stepped out, guards nodding respectfully. A

Last Updated : 2025-11-27

Chapter 44- Time Spent Together

The next morning arrived with a thin veil of mist drifting over the pack grounds. Samantha woke to the soft rustle of footsteps, the healers preparing tinctures, rearranging bandages, murmuring to one another. It was the kind of morning that felt suspended, gentle, and slow.She shifted, immediately noticing she was alone.Adrian wasn’t in the chair.For some reason, that realization made her chest pinch unexpectedly.Before she could sit up fully, the door creaked open and he stepped in, carrying a wooden tray. He looked… almost casual. His hair was damp from a recent shower, the sleeves of his black shirt pushed up to his forearms. But the moment his eyes landed on her, his posture straightened.“You’re awake earlier than yesterday,” he said.Samantha blinked. “You weren’t here.”He paused at that, a small tilt of his head. “I stepped out for ten minutes. I wasn’t expecting you to miss me.”Heat rushed up her neck. “I didn’t say I did.”His lips quirked as he set the tray down. “Eat

Last Updated : 2025-11-29

Chapter 45- The Journal and the Echoes

The healer’s wing was quieter than usual. Morning light pressed softly through the windows, warming the sheets around her. Samantha sat with the leather-bound journal Adrian gave her the day before, its weight steady in her hands. She opened to the first full story she hadn’t yet read. The ink was old but clear, tales of wolves who crossed borders, defeated ancient threats, forged unlikely alliances. Yet every so often, a phrase tugged at her, familiar in a way she couldn’t explain. The Wolf Born Silent. She paused. The term appeared only once, tucked between paragraphs as if the writer didn’t intend for it to be noticed at all. Her pulse quickened. She ran a finger over the faded letters. But when she turned the page, the story shifted to a legend about moonlit battles and lost heirs. Nothing else about silent wolves or strange births. Still, something uncomfortable stirred beneath her ribs, as if a memory tried to surface and slipped away too quickly. Samantha leaned back again

Last Updated : 2025-12-04

Chapter 46- The Beta's Measure

The healer’s wing grew warm as the day stretched on. The scent of dried lavender and poultices usually calmed Samantha, but today it pressed in too heavily. Mira was busy tending to an injured scout in the adjoining room, and the quiet only amplified the restlessness crawling beneath Samantha’s skin.She needed a few minutes of air.With slow, steady steps, she pushed open the wooden door and slipped outside. The courtyard greeted her with cool shade and the distant hum of pack activity, warriors changing shifts, omegas sorting laundry, a few children racing around the training posts. She stayed near the stone wall, careful not to wander far.She lowered herself onto the flat ledge and placed the journal Kieran had given her across her lap. The leather still held the faint scent of aged paper and pine resin. She flipped to the page she’d studied earlier. The ink looked the same… until a new line settled at the bottom in the same old script:‘The sky breaks soon. Prepare the mind befor

Last Updated : 2025-12-06