All Chapters of The Pack's Princess Left: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

"You volunteered for Frostfang?" Ronan dragged me into his room and slammed the door. "Elara, are you insane?"He paced once, jaw tight. "Those northern wolves take their brides into the snowy mountains. Once they form the bond, they don't let them leave. Ever. Every unmated she-wolf in Mooncrest is praying her name doesn't get drawn."His eyes cut back to me. "And you're handing yourself over?"I dropped my gaze and twisted my skirt until my knuckles turned white.Frostfang Pack had no she-wolves.For generations, they'd kept their ties to mainland packs through marriage pacts.But northern wolves weren't like us.They were stronger. Rougher. Way more dominant.Once they claimed their mate, their possessiveness went feral.Once you were marked, you were theirs for life.No she-wolf wanted to spend forever trapped on a mountain buried in ice and snow.Ronan's face went dark."Did they hurt you again?" His voice dropped. "Orion? Cassian? Nikolai?"Alpha force rolled off him

The cabin was warm.I sat stiffly in a carved wooden chair.The wooden walls should've been rough and splintery, but someone had sanded them smooth.Firewood was stacked high in the corner—enough for the whole winter.Fresh herbs hung above the hearth, drying in the heat.Everything here felt cared for.Like a home.Pain punched through my chest.Back at my place, the roof still leaked every time it rained.After Orion and Cassian pulled away, Nikolai tried to patch it.But he always did a half-assed job.The firewood disappeared fast because he waited until the last second to chop more.At night, even under my blankets, my fingers went numb from the cold.Weeks ago, I'd stopped complaining about all of it.I just curled into Nikolai's arms for warmth and prayed to the Moon Goddess—that he wouldn't leave me too.Low voices rumbled from the next room.Blurred.Hard to make out."What?" Cassian drawled. "Feeling guilty now? I'm warning you—if you're changing your mind

"Are you seriously sure you want to go to Frostfang?"Ronan's voice sounded like it hurt to ask.I sat across from him and gave a tiny nod.After leaving Dana's cabin that night, I locked myself in my own place for two whole days.I didn't go outside. Barely touched food.Ronan dragged a hand down his face and sank back in his chair."Frostfang's way out in the snowy mountains," he said quietly. "If you're really doing this, you need to leave tonight. Pack whatever matters."I forced a weak smile. "Nothing here matters enough to take."***On the night before the Drawing Rite, every unmated she-wolf in the territory was wide awake.Nobody wanted to get picked by the northern wolves.By sunset, the rumor that I'd gone to Ronan about the Rite had already ripped through the pack.So, of course, they came for me.Orion was the first to storm into my room, rage all over his face."Elara! What the hell did you say to the Alpha this time?"Nikolai came in right behind him.His

Dawn had barely cracked the sky.Cassian rushed over and spotted Nikolai from a distance.Nikolai was slumped against Elara's door, exhaustion hanging off him. A polished wooden box sat by his feet, stuffed with gifts.Dark circles bruised his eyes. Red veins threaded through his stare.He'd been guarding her door all night."You stayed out here all night?" Cassian's voice softened.Nikolai slowly lifted his head. His eyes were dull, but hope still flickered there."I wanted to see her first thing."He ran his hand over the wooden box, his voice soft."These are all for Elara. I picked every one myself. I want to make up for everything I owe her."Cassian went quiet and pulled out his own gift.A smooth, heart-shaped stone, polished until it gleamed, with Elara's name carved into it.Orion, who'd come with him, reached into his pocket too.A yarn charm, like the ones Elara used to love, only way better made.The three of them traded a look, guilt heavy in all their eyes.

Elara's POVThree years later..."You've been following me this whole time. Come out."Two tiny figures peeked out, then shyly stepped into view.My pups.They ran over and wrapped themselves around my legs, whining, "Mommy, take us with you. We don't want to be away from you. Not even for a second."I crouched and ruffled their hair with a smile. "Your dad definitely taught you to say that."Three full years had passed since I left Mooncrest Pack.The northern wolves' blizzards had stripped every bit of softness out of me.I wasn't the same Elara who cried the second things got hard, desperate for someone to stay.I'd learned to be independent. To protect what was mine. To stand on my own.And somehow, I got luckier than I ever deserved.I met Flynn Frostfang.My fated mate.The strongest Alpha in the North.Footsteps sounded behind me, heavy with that familiar Alpha force.Flynn stepped out of the shadows.He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close, his possessi