All Chapters of The Orphaned Alpha: Chapter 41 - Chapter 46

Sam’s POV The annex arrived two mornings after Edric approved its retrieval. Snow covered the iron case, and three seals crossed its lock beneath a layer of ice. I had packed my travel bag twice while we waited. I left it by the door until we knew what these pages said. Kyron watched the case through me while the guard documented each seal. When Maris raised her detection glass, I caught myself leaning forward. Neither of us liked how much hope we had put in a box of paper. ‘That box is between us and the southern road,’ he observed with restrained impatience. ‘The review is between us and the road,’ I corrected silently. ‘The box has handles. I could move it faster,’ Kyron offered without humor. Commander Halden stood beside the worktable with our comparison sheets arranged in date order. Celene waited across from him, her ledger open to the page where we had recorded the three conflicting totals. Pell remained near the door with the northern examiner and the record guard

Zion’s POV Orian spread three maps across my desk before the morning council had cleared the room. Red circles enclosed established packs, blue lines followed roads and rivers, and black squares marked settlements that might be rebuilt. The unclaimed spaces looked generous until we measured what a new pack would need. Sam’s sealed departure notice rested beneath the corner of the western map. His team had finally left Edric’s territory, although weather and the longer route kept him from promising an arrival date. Knowing he was moving south eased one concern without changing the work waiting in front of me. “The western tract is large enough, but the nearest healer is almost a day away during winter,” Orian explained. “The eastern tract is closer to the Academy and two trade roads,” I replied while studying its boundary. “It is also close enough that you could stand on the castle roof and supervise breakfast,” Orian warned. I looked at Orian until he stopped smiling. The

Zion’s POV Rain made me fold the maps and collect the inspection orders before she sent for Odett. She did not want our daughter to enter my office and see her future spread across the desk as though we had already decided it. The eastern tract bore a line through it in my handwriting. I had no defense worth making. Orian remained in the room because he had helped create the problem. Jess joined us after Rain learned he had already asked her which training grounds a hybrid pack might need. She entered with the expression of someone delighted to discover that two men had been caught planning beyond their authority. “I answered a general question,” Jess defended with cheerful innocence. “You recommended three combat fields and an underground shelter,” Rain replied. “Those are generally useful,” Jess insisted without shame. “You are not helping,” Orian muttered with weary affection. Jess and Orian argued as they always did, and I was grateful for the familiar noise. But a c