Nathaniel’s POVThe meeting had dragged on longer than expected. I sat at the long wooden table, arms crossed over my chest, as Alpha Tommen continued talking about alliances. The room was dimly lit, the glow of lanterns casting flickering shadows over the warriors and advisors gathered around.“The Silverclaw Pack has finally pledged their loyalty,” Tommen said, his voice measured. “They hesitated at first, but I convinced their Alpha that our side is the strongest.”I gave a slight nod. Silverclaw had been cautious for weeks, watching and waiting for any sign of weakness. Their support would give Tommen more influence, but it wasn’t enough. There were still packs hesitating, still others that could tip the balance if they made the wrong decision.“And the Darkrun Pack?” one of the advisors asked.Tommen’s expression darkened slightly. “They’re still weighing their options. Alpha Kieran doesn’t trust us fully.”That was a problem. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table. “Da
Phoebe’s POVI folded another tunic, smoothing out the fabric before placing it carefully into the wooden trunk at the foot of my bed. The room was silent except for the soft rustling of cloth and the occasional creak of the old floorboards beneath my feet.This wasn’t how things were supposed to go.I reached for my cloak, draping it over my arm, my movements controlled despite the storm brewing inside me. The sooner we left, the better.A soft knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.Shirleen.She stood in the doorway, her expression unreadable. Gone was the polite mask she had worn when we first arrived. There was no forced friendliness now, no need for pretended kindness.This time, she wasn’t pretending.I didn’t speak. I simply waited. If she had something to say, she would say it.Shirleen stepped inside, her steps slow and deliberate, like a predator closing in. “You’re leaving sooner than I expected,” she said, her voice s
Nathaniel's POV The journey back to Moonhowl was quiet. The tension from our last moments in Moonfury still sat heavy on my shoulders. Phoebe rode beside me, silent but alert. I knew she was thinking the same thing I was—something was very wrong.The trees stretched high around us, their branches shifting with the wind. The dirt path was worn from years of travel, but today it felt longer. Every few minutes, I glanced back, making sure we weren’t being followed. The feeling of being watched hadn’t left me since last night.By the time we reached the Moonhowl Pack’s borders, the sun was already sinking. The guards at the entrance recognized us immediately and stepped aside. No questions, no hesitation. But their faces were tense. Word must have already spread that things hadn’t gone as planned with Tommen.Phoebe and I rode through the main path leading to the pack house. Wolves moved about, some stopping to look at us before continuing on their way. There was no cheerfulness, no reli
Nathaniel's POVPhoebe and I settled back into our routine, but nothing felt the same. There was a tension in the air, not just between us but throughout the entire pack. We all knew an attack could come at any moment, and there was no room for mistakes. I spent most of my time reinforcing defenses, making sure the warriors were ready, and setting up new patrol routes. Every decision had to be perfect.What surprised me the most was how involved Phoebe had become. At first, I thought she was just curious, but then she started making suggestions—ones that were too good to ignore. She pointed out weak spots in our patrols, suggested different formations for defense, and even spoke about battle strategies that weren’t common knowledge. Some of the things she said were the same ideas I had considered, but others were things I hadn’t even thought about.The first time she corrected one of my plans, I assumed it was a lucky guess. But then it kept happening. She wasn’t just throwing out ide
Phoebe's POVI felt restless. No matter what I did, the feeling wouldn’t go away. It had been there for days, an itch under my skin, a pull toward something I didn’t fully understand. It wasn’t just the tension in the pack or the looming threat of an attack. It was something personal, something deeper. It made my body feel too tight, my mind too loud.Mia, I called out to my wolf, hoping for some kind of answer.Train. Prepare.Her voice was calm but firm, steady as always. She never panicked, never wavered.Train. The thought settled inside me like a decision I had already made. It made sense. I needed to move, to push myself, to let out whatever was building up inside me.The next morning, I stepped onto the training grounds without hesitation. The sun had barely risen, but the warriors were already there, practicing their drills. They didn’t notice me at first, too focused on their sparring. That changed when I walked toward the sparring ring.A few heads turned. The murmurs starte
Nathaniel's POVI moved carefully, my body tense, waiting for her next strike. Phoebe stood across from me in the training ring, her breathing steady, her stance firm. She had already landed a hit to my side, and I could still feel the force of it. She was fast—faster than I expected. I knew she had skill, but this was something different.She didn’t hesitate. The moment I shifted my weight, she moved again, coming at me with a sharp precision that forced me to stay on the defensive. I blocked her first strike, but she twisted around me, trying to take me down. I barely caught her wrist in time, using my strength to hold her back.She gasped, her breath warm against my skin as I pinned her arm behind her back. For a moment, neither of us moved.The scent of her wrapped around me, making it hard to think. Her body was pressed against mine, her chest rising and falling quickly. I could feel every inch of her, the heat between us impossible to ignore.I should have stepped away.Instead,
Phoebe’s POVBreakfast was quieter than usual, but I could feel the tension underneath. The warriors had trained hard the previous day, and many of them ate in silence, too tired for chatter. Nathaniel sat beside me, focused on his plate, while Elizabeth sat across from us, her usual smug expression in place.Then, Alexander cleared his throat.“I’m leaving for a few days,” he announced, his voice calm. “I’ll be visiting some friends in a neighboring pack.”The words sent a chill through me. I put down my spoon and turned to look at him, my stomach twisting with unease.Nathaniel didn’t react at first. He kept eating, as if this wasn’t news to him. I leaned in, lowering my voice. “You can’t let him go.”Nathaniel sighed, setting his fork down. “He’s not a prisoner, Phoebe. I can’t stop him from visiting other packs.”I clenched my fists under the table. “He’s up to something.”Nathaniel met my eyes, his expression unreadable. “You don’t have proof.”That was the problem—I didn’t. But
Phoebe’s POVThe packhouse was quiet in the afternoon light, but my thoughts were loud. There was an unsettled feeling in my chest, something I couldn’t shake no matter how much I tried to distract myself. Ever since Alexander left, that feeling had only grown stronger. Mia had been restless in my mind all day, her presence more insistent than usual.“Something is wrong,” she murmured.I agreed. But I had no proof, no real reason to act. It left me feeling powerless.I turned a corner, still lost in thought, and nearly ran straight into Elizabeth.She didn’t move out of the way. Instead, she stood there, her arms crossed, eyes burning with something that I knew was more than just dislike. It was closer to hatred.“This is your fault,” she spat.I blinked, my mind catching up to the sudden hostility. “What?”Elizabeth took a step forward. “Because of you, the Moonfury Pack refused the alliance. You’re the reason we’re vulnerable now.”I didn’t flinch. I didn’t even let her words sting.
Nathaniel’s POVA week had passed since the letter arrived, and the pack had not relaxed for a moment. Every wolf knew what was at stake. The attack had nearly cost us everything, and Alexander’s message had made it clear—something worse was coming.We strengthened our borders, reinforced our watchtowers, and doubled the patrols. Every available warrior trained harder than ever. Some even trained past exhaustion, determined to be prepared. Even the civilians were more cautious, moving in groups and keeping their children close. Fear lingered in the air, thick like an approaching storm.Phoebe and I spent hours on the training grounds, pushing ourselves beyond our limits. She was relentless, her strikes sharp and precise. I could see the exhaustion creeping into her, but she never complained. She was more useful than everyone else I had come to know in battle for the past few years. Now I was beginning to understand that aside once being mated to alpha Duncan, she had been an asset wh
Nathaniel’s POVThe crackling fireplace was the only sound in my office as I studied the map spread across the table. The scent of burning wood mixed with the lingering metallic tang of blood on my clothes. Tonight’s small battle to keep the jerks away had been a little too brutal, I hadn't expected it to take such wild turn, but we had driven the enemy back. For now, we had won. But I knew Alexander. He wouldn’t stop. He’d retreat, regroup, and strike again. He was forming alliance with as many packs as he could. He was getting them on his side so he could come back and take the Moonhowl pack. He would not stop until he was sure that the Moonhowl was completely broken and he could come and take over what was left. My fingers traced the western border of our territory on the map, where his forces had attempted their ambush. It had been a foolish move—rushed and reckless. But the next time, he wouldn’t be so careless.A sharp knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.“Come in,” I
Nathaniel’s POVPhoebe and I took a stroll around the pack in the evening. Near the edge of the field, two younger warriors faced off. Their movements were eager but lacked precision. I observed closely as one hesitated just before delivering a strike, his uncertainty giving his opponent the opening to counter. The blow landed, weak but effective, throwing the first warrior slightly off balance.“They should stop soon,” Phoebe said beside me, her voice firm but calm.I kept my gaze fixed on the warriors, arms crossed over my chest. “They need to train harder.”“They’ve been training all day,” she countered, her tone unwavering. “They need rest.”“If Alexander attacks again, we can’t afford weakness.”Phoebe let out a slow breath, crossing her arms as well. “Exhaustion is also a weakness, Nathaniel. If they’re too tired to fight properly, they’ll make mistakes.”I clenched my jaw, unwilling to admit she had a point. The pack couldn’t afford mistakes. But neither could we afford warrio
Duncan’s POVThe morning was quiet, but I knew better than to think peace would last in this house. From the very first time I had made the step of going to get Phoebe, sending men and then eventually going in person, a lot had changed. Some things that could not be fixed had broken and I wasn't sure I really cared yet. Not when I had still not gotten what I was out for.I sat in my office, looking through reports and playing with my cup once again when Antonio walked in. I waited for him to walk from the door and reach me and in those few seconds, I tapped my hand on the desk, almost too anxious to hear what he had come to say this time. It didn't look like he was exactly coming with some exciting news, but I waited as he reached me and mumbled a word of greeting that I barely acknowledged, too focused on the matter he had come to discuss, as he was. He placed a paper on my desk and leaned against the chair across from me. “You might want to deal with your mate.”I didn’t look up.
Duncan’s POVThe room was dimly lit, the wooden desk between us covered in scattered reports. I picked up my cup of water more than once, but each time, I set it back down before my lips could touch the lid of the cup. I wasn't about to get myself distracted from important business, yet, my mind called for that very distraction. I sat back in my chair, watching Antonio as he flipped through one of the papers. The scent of ink and old parchment filled the office, but my focus was elsewhere. The attack on Moonhowl had shaken things up, and I knew this was the moment to act. If we were ever going to get some power over them, this was their trying period and it was the safest time to launch an attack that will be completely successful. This was the one chance.Antonio set the paper down and met my gaze. “You called me here for a reason.”I nodded, leaning forward. “Moonhowl was attacked. Alexander failed, but he managed to weaken them. Every pack is weakened after a war and this is their
Phoebe’s POVThe night was far from over. Though the battle had ended, the weight of what had happened still hung in the air. Warriors tended to the wounded, the pack house filled with quiet murmurs and the occasional pained groan. Blood stained the ground, the scent of it still thick around us.Nathaniel stood near the main hall, his face tense as he watched the last of the injured wolves being taken inside. I stood beside him, exhaustion creeping through my limbs, but my mind refused to rest. We hadn't been defeated, But that didn't mean we enjoyed the war. Every pack wanted to stay at peace, it didn't matter their prowess in war and how easily they could eliminate other packs. They still wanted peace in the end. “We need answers,” Nathaniel finally said, his voice low but firm. He turned to one of the warriors. “Gather the top fighters. Now.”The warrior nodded and hurried off. I looked at Nathaniel, knowing what he was thinking.“It was him,” I said. “You know it.”Nathaniel clen
Phoebe's POVA loud howl ripped through the night, jerking me awake. My breath came in sharp bursts as the sound echoed through the pack house. Another howl followed, then another—this time, a warning.Nathaniel and I had not shared the same bed for a while now because I said I preferred to sleep in my bed again. I didn't know what exactly was happening outside the pack house but I knew it could not be anything good. The room was dark but I could see flashes of light outside and that was all that I needed to know that there was real trouble.Intruders.I was still trying to make sense of the dreams and visions I've been having and then this happened. I could feel my heart thumping wildly.I threw off my blanket and sprang to my feet, my heart pounding with urgency. I pulled my hair back instinctively and had it tied to my neck as I rushed over to my wardrobe and threw on a jacket and pants that would leave me more comfortable if I stepped out there and there was an actual war to be f
Phoebe’s POVThe days passed, each one slipping into the next as the pack settled into a steady rhythm. Warriors trained, patrols followed their routes, and meetings were held to reinforce our defenses. Life carried on, though there was an unspoken awareness lingering beneath it all—Alexander’s absence had left a mark, and no one had forgotten him.Nathaniel was busier than ever, managing Alpha duties with his father. He handled border reports, assigned warriors to new shifts, and ensured everything remained in order. I had taken on more responsibilities as well, helping with training sessions and assisting warriors where I could. It wasn’t a role I had ever imagined for myself, but I felt stronger each day. The pack had started looking at me differently—not as an outsider, but as someone they could rely on.After another long morning of training, I found a quiet spot near the pack house to catch my breath. The sky was clear, the breeze carrying the scent of pine and damp earth. I wip
Phoebe’s POVThe training grounds were alive with movement. Warriors clashed, the sound of bodies hitting the ground mixing with the sharp crack of fists meeting flesh. The air smelled of sweat and dirt, the usual scent of a pack pushing itself to be stronger. I tightened the wraps around my hands, rolling my shoulders as I prepared for my next sparring match.Nathaniel stood nearby, his arms crossed as he observed the other warriors. His sharp gaze followed their movements, assessing their strengths and weaknesses. He had always been an exceptional fighter, but he was also a careful leader. He never missed a mistake, never overlooked a flaw in technique.He turned his head slightly, his eyes meeting mine. "Ready?"I nodded. "Always."A smirk tugged at his lips as he stepped forward. "Then let’s see if you’ve been keeping up."We moved at the same time, our bodies reacting out of habit. I ducked under his first strike, twisting to the side before aiming a hit at his ribs. He caught my