The pack festival was a grand affair, transforming the normally quiet grounds into a bustling scene of celebration. Lanterns hung from trees, casting a warm golden glow over the crowd. The scent of roasted meat and spiced cider filled the air, and laughter echoed from every corner.I walked cautiously through the festival, Martha at my side, her excitement palpable.“Isn’t this amazing?” she said, her eyes sparkling as she took in the sights. “It’s like the whole pack has forgotten their troubles for one night.”“Not everyone,” I murmured, noticing the occasional scowl or whispered comment directed my way.Martha looped her arm through mine. “Ignore them, Marcy. Tonight, you’re here to have fun.”Easier said than done. I tried to focus on the lively music and the colorful stalls, but the weight of the pack’s disapproval clung to me like a shadow.As we passed a group of warriors gathered around a large bonfire, I spotted Ryker and Evan standing off to the side, deep in conversation. R
I was giggling to myself as I rushed to get some drinks. The festival had done something strange to me, lifted a weight I hadn’t realized I’d been carrying. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt light. Even the lingering tension between Ryker and Evan had faded from my thoughts as I wove through the bustling crowd.Grabbing two mugs of cider from a nearby stall, I turned to head back when I nearly collided with someone.“Oh, I’m sorry—” I began, stopping short as I looked up.The man before me was older, his face lined with deep wrinkles that spoke of years of wisdom and hardship. His sharp, amber eyes seemed to pierce straight through me, and a long, silver beard framed his weathered face.“Marcelline,” he said softly, his voice gravelly yet calm.I blinked, the sound of my name from his lips catching me off guard. “Do I know you?”He gave a small, knowing smile. “Not directly. But I knew your parents.”The world around me seemed to slow, the sounds of the festival fadi
Their words sent a jolt through me. Playing the victim? What was right under my nose? My pulse quickened as I pressed harder against the door, trying to catch every word. The conversation was laced with a tension that hinted at something deeper than petty gossip.“We need to move quickly,” Clara said after a moment of silence. “If the Elder keeps poking around, it’s only a matter of time before he puts the pieces together.”Elder? Were they talking about Solas? My heart sank. What could they possibly be involved in that connected to him—and, by extension, to me?Martha sighed. “I know. But if we rush, we’ll make mistakes, and mistakes mean exposure. We’ve waited this long; a few more days won’t hurt.”Clara wasn’t convinced. “We’re running out of time. If she remembers anything—if she finds out what really happened—”“We’ll handle it,” Martha interrupted, her voice sharp with finality. “Just stick to the plan.”I stepped back from the door, my mind racing. What were they talking about
The following days passed in a haze of paranoia and determination. The journal and the pendant never left my side, tucked safely in my satchel. I spent every free moment deciphering my mother’s words and studying the map, though its symbols and annotations still eluded me. Each step forward felt like peeling back another layer of the lies that had shrouded my life for so long.Clara and Martha, meanwhile, were becoming more vigilant. Their whispered conversations were shorter, their movements sharper. It was as though they sensed I was onto them. I avoided them as best I could, but I knew it was only a matter of time before they made their move—or I made mine.One evening, I found myself back in the library, poring over old texts in the hopes of matching the symbols on the map to anything in the archives. The room was silent, the faint scent of aging paper filling the air. I’d nearly given up when a faint scuff of boots on the wooden floor made me freeze.I looked up to find Ryker sta
Clara let out a low, humorless laugh. “Good. Let her stay clueless. It’ll make things easier when the time comes.”I stepped back, my mind racing. They were talking about me. Whatever they were plotting, I was somehow involved, and it was clear they didn’t think much of me.The door suddenly creaked open, and I barely had time to slip around the corner before Clara and Martha emerged.“You’re sure you’ve got everything handled?” Clara asked, her voice still tinged with doubt.“I said I do,” Martha snapped. “Now stop worrying and act normal.”They parted ways, Clara heading toward the kitchen while Martha turned and walked in my direction.I pressed myself against the wall, holding my breath as she passed by, her expression tense. When she was out of sight, I exhaled slowly, my hands trembling.What in the world are they planning?---Later that afternoon, I found Martha alone in the laundry room, folding linens with an air of forced nonchalance. I needed answers, and I wasn’t about to
Evan was right when he said I was looking for something.Indeed I was.Martha.How could she? She acted all good and nice to my face, only to stab me in the back.I angrily walked through the hallways of the pack house, heading straight for the maids’ quarters.To the room we shared.It was unbelievable.I was sharing the same room, sleeping next to my enemy.The thought churned in my stomach, twisting like a knife. Her words to Clara echoed in my mind, the way she so easily dismissed me, calling me clueless, plotting something that I didn’t fully understand yet.I pushed open the door, the hinges creaking loudly. Martha was sitting on her cot, folding clothes, a soft hum escaping her lips. She looked up, startled, as I entered.“Marcy! You scared me,” she said, placing the shirt she was folding onto the pile. “What’s wrong?”I shut the door behind me and crossed my arms. “You tell me.”Her smile faltered, her brow furrowing. “What are you talking about?”“I overheard you,” I said, my
Martha leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. “Oh, come on. You’ve been spending so much time with him lately. Don’t tell me there’s nothing going on.”“There’s nothing going on,” I insisted, though my voice sounded unconvincing even to me.Martha raised an eyebrow, her grin widening. “You’re blushing, Marcy..”“I am not!” I said, setting the spoon down with a little too much force.“Sure you’re not,” she said, laughing. “So, what did you two do? Talk? Laugh? Stare into each other’s eyes? Kiss? Touch boobs?”I groaned, covering my face with my hands. “We got ice cream, okay? That’s all. You don't exactly have sex in an ice cream parlor or I tell him to oh Evan mark me.”“That isn't so bad.”I cocked my head to the right, “It's just ice cream Martha.”“Okay at where?”“Dream delights ice cream parlor.”Martha gasped, her eyes lighting up. “Oh my goddess! You are so clueless. That’s practically a date! Anyone who goes there knows that's a date.”“It wasn’t a date,” I said firmly
The council chamber was filled with tension so thick it felt like it could shatter at any moment. The long wooden table, carved with the sigil of the Obsidian Pack, sat in the center, surrounded by elders and advisors. Ryker stood at one end, his broad frame rigid, his piercing blue eyes locked onto Evan, who leaned casually against the far wall.I hovered near the door, unsure if I was supposed to be here, but neither of them had told me to leave when I arrived with a tray of water for the elders.“I don’t see why we’re even having this conversation,” Ryker said, his voice a sharp blade cutting through the murmurs. “I’ve led this pack for years without incident. Evan is not ready to take on this responsibility.”Evan snorted, his smirk growing wider. “Right, because ‘without incident’ includes driving the pack into stagnation. Or have you forgotten how you’ve let other packs walk all over us in recent years?”Ryker’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. “You don’t know wh
The walk back to the maids’ quarters felt endless, every step heavy with the weight of my thoughts. I couldn’t stop replaying the events of the morning, the intensity, the bond, the impossible situation I found myself in.As I pushed open the door to the common area, the sharp buzz of gossip hit my ears like a swarm of angry bees. The maids turned to look at me, their eyes filled with curiosity and something darker: judgment.“Well, look who decided to grace us with her presence,” Clara sneered, stepping forward with her arms crossed. “Have a good night, Marcy? Or should I say, the Alpha’s little plaything?”The words stung, sharper than I expected, but I squared my shoulders, refusing to let her see my pain. “I don’t have time for your petty insults, Clara,” I said evenly, moving past her toward the sink.“Oh, but we have time,” another maid piped up, her voice dripping with mockery. “You know, Marcy, some of us actually work for our place here. We don’t just... lie down for it.”A r
The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the warmth.It was everywhere, surrounding me, pressing against my skin, cocooning me in a way that made me feel both safe and... exposed. My eyes fluttered open, and it took a moment for the blurry edges of the world to come into focus.That’s when I realized.I was naked.My heart stopped, my breath catching in my throat as the events of the previous night came rushing back. The full moon. The bond. The way it pulled us together like an unstoppable force.I sat up abruptly, clutching the blanket to my chest, my gaze darting around the room. It wasn’t my quarters—it was larger, darker, with a heavy wooden bed that screamed dominance and authority.Ryker’s room.My stomach flipped as I glanced down. Evan was sprawled on one side of me, his chest bare, his hair a mess, and his lips slightly parted as he slept. His arm was slung loosely over my waist, his touch sending shivers through me even in his unconscious state.On the other side was Ry
Ryker didn’t hesitate. His teeth sank gently into the curve of my shoulder, the sensation a sharp mix of pain and pleasure that made me cry out. The mark pulsed with warmth, a tangible reminder of his claim.Evan followed suit, his teeth grazing my other shoulder before he bit down, his mark sealing the bond between us.The sensation was too much. I clung to them, my body trembling as the world around us seemed to shift, the bond solidifying in a way that was both exhilarating and terrifying.“You’re ours now,” Ryker murmured against my skin, his voice a low growl. “And we’ll never let you go.”“Never,” Evan echoed, his hands sliding lower as he pressed a kiss to my temple. “You belong to us, Marcy.”And in that moment, I knew it was true.Evan’s lips lingered against my temple, his breath warm as his hands trailed over my bare skin. Ryker’s grip on my hips tightened, his calloused fingers digging into my flesh as his heated gaze pinned me in place. The tension between us was electric
Evan was the first to recover. His warm hand closed over mine, firm and steady, grounding me in despite the chaos of the moment.“Marcy,” he said softly, his voice a soothing balm against the tension crackling in the air. “You’re right. This is real. It’s always been real.”Ryker’s growl was low, almost feral, as he stepped closer, the moonlight catching the sharp angles of his face. “This isn’t some fairytale,” he said, his tone clipped. “You don’t just get to decide—”“Decide what?” I shot back, cutting him off with a surge of confidence I didn’t know I possessed. “That I’m done feeling like I’m nothing to you? That I’m done being pushed and pulled like I don’t have a say?”Ryker’s mouth opened, then closed again. For once, he seemed at a loss for words. His piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, I saw something raw there—something that made my heart clench.Evan’s thumb brushed the back of my hand, drawing my attention back to him. “He’s an ass,” he said, his lips
Marcy’s POV“Did you hear?” Martha asked me as she hung a freshly washed shirt on the clothesline, her voice filled with excitement.“If it’s about gossip, I do not know. I do not pay attention to such,” I replied curtly, focusing on wringing out the damp towel in my hands.“It’s not just gossip,” Martha said, stepping closer to me. “It’s about your mates.”That made me pause. I raised an eyebrow, giving her a sideways glance. “What about them?”“They defended you,” she said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.I blinked, unsure if I’d heard her correctly. “What?”“Both of them,” she said, a hint of awe in her voice. “At the council meeting this morning. They stood up for you, Marcy.”I frowned, setting the towel aside. “What do you mean ‘stood up for me’? What happened?”Martha shrugged, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “I don’t know all the details, but people are saying the elders demanded they reject you publicly. Something about unrest in the pack because of uou. Th
Ryker's POVI had spent the night pondering the hunter and his attack.His words haunted me, circling in my mind like vultures. “She’s a threat. You think she belongs here?”And yet, what haunted me even more wasn’t the hunter’s cryptic warning but the dreams that followed.Lola.It’s been twenty-five years since her death, and at fifty-seven, my heart still struggles to move on. She was my everything, her laugh the one thing that could shatter the weight of my responsibilities. Even now, her voice echoed in my mind, soft and loving, telling me to let go.But how could I, when my life seemed to be one cruel twist after another?The moon goddess made me a second-chance mate, only to tie me to my own son’s mate. Young, delicate Marcy, a complication I neither wanted nor asked for.I clenched my fists as I stared at the morning sun, its warmth doing little to thaw the ice in my chest. A cup of coffee sat forgotten in my hand, its bitterness matching my mood.A knock broke through my t
Ryker’s POVI tucked my hands in my pockets, my beta beside me as I walked through the shadowed hallway of the pack dungeon. The cold, damp air clung to my skin, the scent of blood and decay thick in the air. My boots echoed against the stone floor, each step a reminder of the task ahead.“Are you sure you want to handle this personally?” my beta, Darius, asked, his tone low but careful.“I don’t trust anyone else to get answers,” I replied without looking at him. “This bastard infiltrated my territory, attacked my pack, and nearly killed me and my son. I need to know who sent him.”“And if he doesn’t talk?”I glanced at Darius, my expression cold. “Then he dies screaming.”We reached the heavy iron door at the end of the corridor. Two guards stood outside, their postures stiffening as they saw me approach.“Alpha,” one of them said, nodding respectfully before stepping aside to unlock the door.The hinges groaned as the door swung open, revealing the small, dimly lit cell inside. The
His lips twitched, almost like he wanted to argue, but he didn’t. Instead, he stood and charged back into the fight, his wolf form emerging again as he tackled the hunter.The battle was a blur of movement, growls, and the sharp clash of steel. I stayed on the sidelines, my eyes darting between Ryker and Evan as they fought together to overpower the hunter.For a moment, it seemed like they had the upper hand. Ryker’s wolf form forced the hunter to retreat, while Evan’s blade struck blow after blow.But the hunter wasn’t finished. With a sudden burst of strength, he knocked Evan back, his blade swinging toward Ryker’s exposed side.“Celline!” I screamed, the panic in my voice matching the roar in my mind.“Now!” she shouted.I didn’t hesitate. I launched myself forward, grabbing a discarded spear from the ground and hurling it with all my strength.The spear struck true, hitting the hunter’s shoulder and throwing him off balance. Ryker and Evan seized the opportunity, their combined s
I woke with a gasp, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst from my chest. Sweat clung to my skin, and my breaths came in shallow gulps as I sat up, clutching the blanket.The room was quiet, the only sound the faint rustling of the curtains as a breeze slipped through the cracked window.“Marcy,” Celline’s voice broke the silence, soft but insistent.“What was that?” I asked aloud, my voice trembling.“A glimpse of the past,” she said. “And a warning for the future.”I shook my head, trying to make sense of her words. “The wolves in the dream... were they my parents?”“Yes,” Celline replied. “They were protecting something. Someone. And now, the same danger circles you.”My stomach twisted, fear curling around my heart. “What kind of danger?”Celline was quiet for a moment before responding. “I don’t know the full extent. But I can feel it. It’s close, Marcy. Closer than we realized.”I swung my legs over the side of the bed, my hands shaking as I rubbed my temples. “Wh