All Chapters of The Wolf King and the Wilted Flower: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Grey The journey north continued in suffocating silence. Not because Grey preferred silence. Because every attempt at conversation ended almost immediately.Marcus had tried. Repeatedly."Are you hungry?"A nod."Too cold?"A shake of her head."Would you like to rest?"Another nod.That was the extent of Maya's conversations.Grey had initially assumed she simply disliked speaking. Then he remembered Valir introducing her as mute.Wonderful.

Maya Stormfang was nothing like Aurellia. The difference became clearer with every passing hour. People smiled here. Not the polished smiles servants wore when Valir was watching. Not the fearful smiles of people trying to survive.Real smiles. Warm smiles.The villagers greeted her respectfully.Some bowed.Some introduced themselves.Many simply welcomed her.Welcome home.The phrase confused her.Home?She had only arrived.Yet nobody looked at her as

Grey Grey had always respected Healer Cora.She had been the one person his mother trusted without reservation. Even after becoming the kingdom's Alpha, Grey had never spoken to the elderly healer with anything less than respect.Today, for the first time in his life… He wondered if age had finally dulled her judgment."A Rona brimming with life?"His eyes drifted toward Maya.She stood near the doorway, both hands folded before her. Her shoulders remained slightly hunched as if trying to disappear into her oversized cloak. She barely lifted her eyes from the wooden floor.She looked like a frightened rabbit.

Maya There was something strangely comforting about broken things. Perhaps because they did not pretend to be whole.Maya watched the grey wolf resting peacefully beneath the old pine outside Healer Cora's cottage. Only moments ago, it had been snarling, ready to tear through anything in its path. Now it lay quietly among the others, occasionally lifting its head whenever Cora called its name.Broken. But not evil.Just frightened. Just hurting. Just... forgotten.Maya understood that feeling better than most.The difference was that wolves possessed claws. Teeth. Strength. When frightened, they could bite. When cornered, they could fight.Hum

Grey  The first thing Grey heard upon returning to the castle was not good news. It was never good news anymore. "My King." A palace guard hurried toward him before he had even stepped down from the carriage. "The council has assembled." Grey closed his eyes briefly. "Now?" "The matter is... urgent." Of course it was. Everything had become urgent these past few years. The Everlasting Tree. The declining birthrate. The wolves trapped forever in beast forms. Food shortages after harsher winters. Rogue attacks. And now—&n