(Katelyn's POV)Tyler climbed out of the truck, stretching his arms and legs as he walked around the front of the vehicle. I watched him, taking in the fatigue that had been etched into his features. This whole experience had definitely taken its toll on him.Ryder headed towards him, also stopping to stretch his arms and legs before Tyler handed him the keys."You sure you're good?" I heard Tyler's muffled voice carrying from the front of the truck.Ryder nodded. "Better than you, at least," his muted response came. As Tyler climbed into the back next to me, his hand brushed against mine and a small, tired smile tugged at his lips. “You should sleep,” he whispered, his voice low and comforting.I nodded, leaning into him. "Trust me, I want to," I replied, sounding exasperated and exhausted. "Got a lot on your mind?" he asked gently.I sighed and nodded, resting my head against his shoulder.He kissed the top of my head and wrapped his arm around me, pulling me in close as he relaxe
(Katelyn's POV)The warm water from the shower ran over me, dousing me in calm tranquility. It washed away the grime from the journey and the weight of everything that had happened over the last few days. The shower I had shared with Ryder hadn't fulfilled the same need. Though, you could definitely argue that it fulfilled other needs...As I washed my hair and felt the knots in my hair beginning to untangle, I could feel myself becoming lighter, more like my usual self.After drying off, I threw on some clothes, just an oversized t-shirt and a pair of denim shorts, then I joined Jenna in my room. I'd let her shower first and now she was sprawled out on my bed, wearing my clothes and looking more like the Jenna I knew and loved.“At least your bed doesn’t smell like fast food and sweaty motel sheets,” she sighed in relief, her voice muffled as she buried her face into one of the pillows.I chuckled softly, sitting down at the edge of the bed while I towel-dried my hair.“Glad to kno
(Katelyn's POV)Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting soft beams of light across the bed. I opened my eyes slowly, relieved to see my familiar surroundings as I stretched and yawned.The room was quiet aside from Jenna’s soft breathing beside me. As I looked over at her I couldn't help but smile. It felt like we were just having a sleepover, like we used to when we were still in high school.I fumbled for my phone on the bedside table and saw that it was 11:15. Almost time for us to head to The Fortress.With another yawn, I slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Jenna. She stirred slightly but didn’t wake up, letting out a soft sigh as she snuggled deeper into the pillows.“Lucky cow,” I mumbled under my breath with a smile as I grabbed a hoodie from the chair and slipped it on.I padded quietly across the floor and out into the hallway, wondering where Ryder and Tyler were. They hadn’t mentioned how we were getting to The Fortress. We all kind of just parted ways to do our
(Katelyn's POV)Alpha David's voice cut through the heavy silence as we took our seats around the table. The familiar tension of The Fortress weighed down on me, but today it felt even more oppressive than usual. The air in the room was thick, anticipation hanging in every breath as we waited for David to speak.“First things first, I’m glad you’re all back safe,” David began, his tone still serious. “But we can’t pretend this is over. Things have happened while you've all been gone.”He certainly didn’t waste any time...“In fact, just before this meeting I was contacted by The Elders,” he continued, looking to Tyler and Ryder. “They received communication from the Aspenwood Pack. They’re claiming we acted unlawfully in Colorado.”The words hit like a sledgehammer, and the tension in the room spiked instantly. I looked to Tyler and Ryder, both of them sitting stiffly in their seats as they listened to what Alpha David had to say.“What do you mean ‘unlawfully’?” Ryder muttered, his j
(Katelyn's POV)“You can’t expect me to sit here and do nothing!” Ryder snapped, his eyes flashing dangerously.“I’m not asking you to do nothing,” Tyler said, his voice calmer now but still tense. “I’m asking you to listen to me and to consider all the facts before we get ourselves into even more trouble.”Ryder opened his mouth to argue, but Alpha David cut in before he could.“That’s enough, both of you,” David said firmly, his voice commanding as he drew the attention of everyone in the room. “We’re not making any rash decisions right now. You did what you had to do to get Kate back. Now she's back and she's safe and we should let The Elders handle the rest. At this point, we can still argue that you were acting to protect your mate. If you go out there to hunt down Harlan or any of his accomplices in all of this, that looks like vengeance and there's no way to defend that.”The room fell into an uneasy silence, Ryder’s frustration still palpable as he glared at the table, his bod
(Katelyn's POV)The room fell into silence again, the weight of my words sinking in. Tyler, Ryder, and even Alpha David looked conflicted. The idea of telling The Elders that I was part of the Elysian Line could be dangerous, and I knew it. But what choice did we really have? David’s brow furrowed, the look in his eyes one of deep concern. “Maybe you’re right,” he said slowly, after what felt like an eternity. “It will come out eventually. And it’s probably better if we’re upfront about it.”Ryder leaned forward, his hands gripping the edge of the table as he stared at David in disbelief. “How can you say that? You know what this could mean! The second they find out, there’s no telling what they might want with her!”I swallowed hard, my throat tight.Ryder wasn’t wrong. Of course, The Elders were trusted, yes, but their power was absolute. What if they decided I was too valuable to be left in River Gorge? What if they thought my abilities might be better suited elsewhere?“I underst
(Katelyn's POV)As the others filtered out of the room, I found myself lingering, watching as Tyler and Ryder spoke quietly with Alpha David near the door.My mind was racing with everything we had just discussed. The Elders, the marking, the looming threat of Harlan or his pack. There was so much to process, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready for any of it.Jenna came to stand beside me, her expression clouded but I could see that she was trying to be supportive.“I didn’t expect that,” she murmured, more to herself than anyone else.I nodded, but in honesty, I wasn't exactly sure what she meant. Did she mean the part about us telling The Elders the truth? Did she mean the fact that Alpha David had welcomed her and potentially her mother to the River Gorge Pack? Did she mean the fact that I had disagreed with the Alpha, Tyler and Ryder?“Kate?” Tyler’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. He had finished talking with Alpha David, who had left the room, leaving me alone with the twins a
(Katelyn's POV)We sat in silence in the living room... not the one we usually sat in when we watched movies, but the one where I'd met with Ryder and Tyler's parents for the first time. It felt like eons ago now...The weight of unsaid words pressed down on all of us, but no one seemed willing to be the first one to start talking. My gaze drifted to the large window overlooking the back garden and the forest. Outside, life went on. The birds flew through the trees, the bees buzzed around in search of flowers, the bugs did whatever it was that bugs did, but here we sat inside... quiet and still, like time had momentarily paused for us.Tyler sat on the sofa opposite me while Ryder stood beside the fireplace with his arms crossed and his jaw set. Both watched me patiently as if waiting for me to kick off the conversation. But where would I even start?Jenna sat beside me, perched nervously on the edge of the sofa, twisting her fingers in her lap as she waited for the conversation to com