(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
(Katelyn's POV)Ryder glared at her, his frustration clear, but Jenna didn’t waver for a second. “Kate doesn't owe any of us an explanation. This is her trauma, not ours,” she continued, her voice steady.“She said we could talk about it,” Ryder insisted, his tone becoming more aggressive. “I want to know what happened with that piece of shit! I deserve to know!”“Dude,” Tyler said, his voice calm but stern, “calm down.”But Ryder wasn't having it. "I am fucking calm! I want to know what happened! Don't I have a right to know?! I'm her fucking mate!”Jenna’s eyes flashed with anger but she answered him calmly. “No, you don't have a RIGHT to know. This isn’t about you. This is about Kate and what she’s comfortable sharing.”I watched as Ryder’s frustration boiled over. He was about to let Jenna have it, but before he could say another word, Jenna stood up and laid into him.“Don't you dare say another fucking word. You have no idea what she's been through and you have no right to deman
(Ryder's POV)I couldn’t stand the silence. It felt like it was crushing me, but no one said anything. We all just looked around at one another, waiting for someone to say something.Kate looked nervous, her eyes darting around the room. It felt like she was hiding something and I needed to know what it was.Eventually, Tyler stepped in, “So... we’re home. Let’s talk,” he began, opening up the floor.Kate still said nothing, her eyes now fixed on her lap while she fidgeted awkwardly.I'll admit, I was beginning to get annoyed. What was she waiting for? What was she hiding?I sighed and went to take a seat beside Tyler, feeling like I should probably get comfortable if this was going to take all day. Finally, after further prompting from Tyler, she began to talk.She explained how she had no memory of the actual kidnapping, but that she'd managed to access it via a vision by staring into her own eyes in a mirror.That was certainly an interesting turn of events. If that were the case, i
(Ryder's POV)Kate looked relieved when I apologized. I saw it in the way her shoulders eased and her eyes softened, but the moment didn’t last long. Her gaze flicked back and forth between me and Jenna, like she was trying to figure out if the tension between us had really died down.It hadn’t, not completely. I couldn't help the resentment I still harbored against her, but I was willing to let it go... For now, at least.The room was thick with unspoken words. Tyler sat quietly, waiting for someone to say something, while Jenna still clutched Kate's hand protectively.I didn’t know what was supposed to come next, but I knew that the silence was stretching on for way longer than was comfortable.Finally, Kate cleared her throat, looking like she was ready to say something, though her voice came out soft and hesitant. “I know you both need answers,” she began, her eyes settling on me before shifting over to Tyler. “And I want to tell you everything. But... I’m still trying to work thr