Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 21 - Chapitre 30

Crescent Ridge welcomed us back like heroes. Word had spread about the Summit. About my fight with Victor Kane. About exposing Seraphina’s crimes. My wolves were proud.“Alpha!” Young wolves ran to greet us as we pulled up to the pack house. “You’re back!”I climbed out, accepting their enthusiasm with a smile. This felt good. Being celebrated by wolves who genuinely cared about me.An older wolf named Sarah approached. She ran the pack house in my absence. “Everything went smoothly while you were gone. No incidents. Territory secure.”“Thank you, Sarah. I knew I could count on you.”That night, we held a pack dinner. Everyone gathered to hear about the Summit. I kept the stories light. Focused on the alliances we’d made. The respect Crescent Ridge had earned.I didn’t mention Kaden. Didn’t talk about the complicated emotions still tangled inside me.“Three cheers for Alpha Aria!” someone shouted.The pack erupted in celebration. Howls filled the night. For the first time in forever,

The Council’s announcement sent shockwaves through the pack world. News spread fast. Alpha Marcus Nightshade, respected leader, had orchestrated the murder of Alpha Marius and Luna Celeste Silvermoon twenty years ago.My phone rang constantly. Other Alphas are calling to offer condolences. To express shock. To distance themselves from Marcus’s crimes.But the call I was waiting for didn’t come. Kaden stayed silent for three days after the announcement.“He’s probably dealing with fallout in his own pack,” Maya suggested. “Finding out your Alpha’s father was a murderer can’t be easy for them.”She was right. Reports filtered in about Shadowpine. Pack members are demanding answers. Some are calling for Kaden to step down. Others are defending him.It was messy. Painful. Exactly what I’d feared.On the fourth day, Kaden finally called. He sounded exhausted.“I’m holding a pack meeting tonight. To address everything publicly. I wanted to invite you. If you’re willing to come.”“Why would

We fortified our quarters as best we could. Moved furniture to block the door. Set up a watch rotation so someone was always awake. Dax positioned himself near the window with clear sight lines.“This is insane,” Maya muttered, checking our supplies. “We have maybe two days of food. Three if we ration.”“Then we ration.” I reviewed my notes again. “I need to organise all this evidence. Make it clear and compelling. When the Council guards arrive, I want a complete case ready.”“If we survive that long.”A knock on the door made us all tense. Dax moved into position, ready to fight.“Who is it?” I called.“Thomas. Please, let me in. Quickly.”I opened the door just enough for him to slip through, then barricaded it again.Thomas was breathing hard, his eyes wide with fear. “You have to leave. Tonight. Alpha Garrett is planning something.”“What kind of something?”“I don’t know exactly. But I overheard him talking to his Beta. They’re going to make it look like rogues attacked you. Kil

Three months into our renewed relationship, I finally agreed to visit Shadowpine. Not as a servant or a rejected mate, but as a visiting Alpha. As Kaden’s equal.The difference was striking from the moment we crossed the border. Warriors saluted me. Showed respect. No one looked through me like I was invisible.“This feels surreal,” I told Kaden as we drove through familiar territory. “Everything looks the same but feels completely different.”“Because you’re different. And because I’ve made it clear that disrespecting you means disrespecting me.” He glanced at me. “Are you okay? We can leave anytime if this is too much.”“I’m okay. Nervous, but okay.”The pack house looked exactly as I remembered. Grand. Imposing. Full of memories both sweet and painful.Pack members gathered in the main hall to greet us. Faces I recognised. Some had been kind when I was a servant. Others had been cruel.An omega I remembered, one who’d enjoyed mocking me in the kitchens, approached cautiously. “Alph

The alliance ceremony was held on neutral ground. A wide clearing between our territories where ancient pack treaties had been signed for generations. Hundreds of wolves attended. Members from both packs. Visiting Alphas. Council representatives. Even humans who worked closely with pack territories.I stood at one end of the clearing in formal silver robes that matched my wolf form. Kaden stood at the other end in deep black. We’d spent weeks planning this ceremony. Making sure every detail honoured both traditions and the new path we were forging.Elder Marcus of the Council stepped forward to officiate. “We gather today to witness something unprecedented. Two Alphas. Two packs. Choosing partnership over dominance. Cooperation over conquest.”His voice carried across the silent crowd. “Alpha Aria Silvermoon of Crescent Ridge. Alpha Kaden Nightshade of Shadowpine. Step forward.”We walked toward the centre. Meeting in the middle. Equals.“State your intentions,” Elder Marcus commanded