Cerelia The wind is chilly as we cross into our territory. Winter is nearly upon us. It should be a relief to be home, back with our pack where we belong, but unease lingers in my chest.I tell myself Hilda is safe. She and Arlo are far away in the mountains, wrapped in the peace they deserve and undoubtedly entangled in each other, but I can’t shake the feeling that Damon isn’t finished.He’s a thorn that just won’t stop stabbing right into my heart. If he hurts Hilda, or her baby, I don’t know how I would live with the guilt.Soren’s fingers brush against mine as we walk through the gates, and I steal a glance at him. My worries fading for a moment as I appreciate my handsome mate.He looks every bit the Alpha. Broad-shouldered, composed, his presence commanding respect from every warrior who bows their head as we pass. But when his gaze meets mine, there’s something softer there, something just for me.Pack members rush over to offer to help with our packs, but we gratefully wave
ArloI wake early, watching through the window as the mountains stretch endlessly beyond us, bathed in golden light as the sun begins its slow ascent. I breathe it all in gratefully. The quiet, the peace and the warmth of Hilda beside me.She’s still deeply asleep, curled on her side with one hand resting on my chest, her breath steady and soft. I’m not surprised after the frantic way we made love all day yesterday. My own muscles feel gloriously overworked.I let my fingers trace idle patterns over her back, marvelling at the way she fits against me. In spite of the difference in size between us, her curves slot perfectly into every bend and dip of my body.I never thought I’d have this. True love first of all, and once I found that it seemed impossible that we’d get to have moments like these, where the world isn’t demanding something from us.No battles to fight, no pack to lead for a few days, no threats lurking just beyond the borders. Just Hilda and me, lost in a sliver of time
TaraI don’t belong here.The thought slips through my mind before I can catch it. Before I can shove it down and pretend it’s not there. I shake it off, pushing through the trees as I follow the edge of the training grounds.The sounds of wolves sparring, of warriors barking orders, of the pack moving like a well-oiled machine, none of it feels like it includes me.I’m an outsider who showed up and brought only bad news and suspicion with her. I’m glad I was able to help Cerelia but I know she never really trusted me and it hurt. I could understand her position after everything with Maelor, but it still hurt.Hilda refused to send me away, despite all the bad omens and terrible news I gave her. She’s been my one shining beacon of light in this pack and with her gone I feel like an outsider again. The one everyone stares at and whispers about.I know she’s coming back, but something in my gut won’t let me believe that things will return to the way they were. Every time I think about h
HildaThe water is blissfully warm, wrapping around me like silk as I sink deeper into the natural pool. Steam curls into the cool evening air, tendrils of mist rising around the jagged rocks that frame the hot spring.Arlo watches me from the other side of the spring, the muscles in his arms flexing as he grips the smooth stone edge. The molten hunger in his gaze makes my breath catch.He hasn’t looked away from me since we slipped into the water, as if he’s savoring the sight of me, burning it into his memory. The space between us feels charged and alive, like a tether pulling me toward him.You’re staring again,” I murmur, a slow smile curving my lips. He doesn’t deny it. Instead, he pushes off the rock and moves through the water with incredible grace, closing the distance between us in record time.My pulse quickens as he reaches me, his hands finding my waist beneath the water, the heat of his touch searing even through the steam. “How could I not?” he asks. His voice is low, ro
ArloPacking up the few belongings we took with us to the mountain cabin takes less than a minute.“I don’t want to leave,” I tell Hilda, eyeing the wonderfully inviting bed again. She laughs, wrapping her arms around my neck. “Our people need us to come back. The only real difference is that we’ll be wearing clothes back home, nothing else was all that different here.”She’s not completely wrong. We do fuck a lot at home too, but not whenever the mood strikes. Which is every minute of every day.I shouldn’t complain. Leading our people is a privilege, even more so now that I have my incredible Luna by my side and our firstborn on the way.The moment we cross the border into our territory, I can feel it. The air is thick with expectation, the weight of responsibility settling back onto my shoulders like an old, familiar cloak.Hilda runs alongside me in her wolf form, her sleek coat brushing against mine as we cross the final stretch home. We haven’t spoken much since leaving the moun
HildaThe knife strapped to my thigh feels like a lifeline. It’s a comforting weight, pressing against my skin as I move through the halls of the pack house. I haven’t stopped there though. I now have one at my back and each of my inner arms.It’s ridiculous. I know it is. I’m surrounded by warriors, by my mate, by the safety of our home, but I can’t shake the feeling that something, or someone, is watching me.And I don’t think it’s Damon. Undoubtedly he’s out there too, but this feels seriously malevolent. Making the hair stand up on the back of my neck all day level of evil. Damon is a piece of shit, but I can’t believe his gaze would do this to me.Arlo notices, of course. He always does. “Is there a reason you’re suddenly carrying weapons everywhere?” he asks one evening as he leans against the bedroom doorframe, arms crossed over his broad chest. His tone is light, teasing, but his sharp gaze watches me closely.“Have you seen Damon?” he asks in concern. I sigh, tugging my sweat
TaraThe voice starts as a whisper. A distant hum threading through the edges of my thoughts. At first, I think it’s just exhaustion. Too many restless nights, too much tension hanging in the air like a storm waiting to break. But then I start losing time.I wake up in places I don’t remember going.The first time, I brush it off. Maybe I was just distracted, walking on autopilot. The second time, I feel a twinge of unease, but I push it down. But by the third, when I come to, standing in the middle of the hallway with no memory of how I got there, my fingers curl so tight they ache and I know something is wrong.And the voice. Gods, the insidiously whispering voice. It’s stronger now. Familiar and foreign all at once. Come, it calls, gentle as a lover’s breath against my ear. I’ve waited so long.I tell myself I’m imagining it, that it’s stress, that I’m unravelling after everything that’s happened and the constant worry about Hilda and her pregnancy. But then, one night, my body mov
ArloThe war room hums with tension. Warriors and Alphas from our neighboring packs fill the space, their scents a mixture of dominance, unease, and simmering aggression.Maps are spread across the long table, marked with recent rogue attacks. It’s happening more frequently now.I press my palms against the wood, levelling my gaze at the gathered leaders. "We all know why we're here. Rogue activity has increased, and we have every reason to believe Damon is behind it."A low murmur runs through the room. No one looks surprised. "We've been tracking their movements," I continue. "They're circling, probing for weak points, but they haven't made a direct move yet. That tells me one thing, Damon is hunting."The room falls silent, eyes swivelling to my lovely wife. Everyone knows who he’s hunting.Hilda sits beside me, her expression unreadable. She’s listening intently, but I can feel her impatience, the barely restrained urge to be out there fighting instead of talking. I admire her for
DamonHilda was alone. For a moment, I thought the gods had finally answered my prayers as she stood frozen over the body, her face pale in the moonlight, eyes wide with shock.I crept close enough to smell the iron tang of blood in the air, to hear the way her breath hitched in her throat. I had the perfect vantage point, hidden in the shadows, watching her, waiting for the right moment.But then I felt it. A prickle at the back of my neck. The unmistakable sensation of being watched. I retreated before I could be seen, disappearing into the darkness, cursing whoever had ruined my chance.Now, sitting in the depths of our makeshift camp, I replay the moment over and over. If I had been just a little faster, if I had stepped in before she’d noticed the body, she would be dead. The thought sends rage curling through my gut.The fire crackles in front of me, casting flickering shadows on the faces of the warriors who followed me into exile. It still stings that only ten of them stayed l
TaraThe voice isn’t just a whisper anymore. It’s a constant presence, slithering through my mind, wrapping around my thoughts like creeping vines. Morgana doesn’t just speak to me, she presses against me, her will curling around mine, demanding more, more, more.And the worst part is that I’m starting to feel her power calling to me.It started subtly. A tingling in my fingertips. A flicker of something curling in my chest. But then the surges started. Raw bursts of energy that left me gasping, burning from the inside out. It feels wonderful when it happens, intoxicating and limitless.But when it’s over it leaves me empty and hollowed out. Like some integral part of me has been siphoned away.You’re not losing anything, Morgana purrs in my mind. You’re becoming what you were always meant to be.I dig my nails into my palm, trying to anchor myself. No, I think fiercely. I’m part of this pack. This is my home. I’m already who I’m meant to be.She laughs, a sound like crackling embers.
HildaSomething isn’t right. I don’t know what it is, but I can feel it, coiled in my chest like a serpent, just waiting for the right moment to strike. And there’s no way Damon is causing this kind of anxiety in me.My bond with Arlo is indestructible. His touch anchors me and his love fortifies me. Our pack is united. They’re all giddy with excitement about the baby and no hidden whispers of dissent linger in the air. They love Arlo now and as conceited as it sounds, they adore me. Crediting me with saving their King.Despite all of this, the sense of dread won’t let go of me. I want to spend every day out on patrol with the warriors, but not even my stubborn streak trumps the swollen feet brought about by my current condition when I stand for too long.Then the dreams start.I’m standing in an endless field of snow, the silence so thick it presses against my ears. I want to reach for Arlo, but I know he’s not there. Then, suddenly, the snow shifts and dozens of wolves rise from the
ArloThe war room hums with tension. Warriors and Alphas from our neighboring packs fill the space, their scents a mixture of dominance, unease, and simmering aggression.Maps are spread across the long table, marked with recent rogue attacks. It’s happening more frequently now.I press my palms against the wood, levelling my gaze at the gathered leaders. "We all know why we're here. Rogue activity has increased, and we have every reason to believe Damon is behind it."A low murmur runs through the room. No one looks surprised. "We've been tracking their movements," I continue. "They're circling, probing for weak points, but they haven't made a direct move yet. That tells me one thing, Damon is hunting."The room falls silent, eyes swivelling to my lovely wife. Everyone knows who he’s hunting.Hilda sits beside me, her expression unreadable. She’s listening intently, but I can feel her impatience, the barely restrained urge to be out there fighting instead of talking. I admire her for
TaraThe voice starts as a whisper. A distant hum threading through the edges of my thoughts. At first, I think it’s just exhaustion. Too many restless nights, too much tension hanging in the air like a storm waiting to break. But then I start losing time.I wake up in places I don’t remember going.The first time, I brush it off. Maybe I was just distracted, walking on autopilot. The second time, I feel a twinge of unease, but I push it down. But by the third, when I come to, standing in the middle of the hallway with no memory of how I got there, my fingers curl so tight they ache and I know something is wrong.And the voice. Gods, the insidiously whispering voice. It’s stronger now. Familiar and foreign all at once. Come, it calls, gentle as a lover’s breath against my ear. I’ve waited so long.I tell myself I’m imagining it, that it’s stress, that I’m unravelling after everything that’s happened and the constant worry about Hilda and her pregnancy. But then, one night, my body mov
HildaThe knife strapped to my thigh feels like a lifeline. It’s a comforting weight, pressing against my skin as I move through the halls of the pack house. I haven’t stopped there though. I now have one at my back and each of my inner arms.It’s ridiculous. I know it is. I’m surrounded by warriors, by my mate, by the safety of our home, but I can’t shake the feeling that something, or someone, is watching me.And I don’t think it’s Damon. Undoubtedly he’s out there too, but this feels seriously malevolent. Making the hair stand up on the back of my neck all day level of evil. Damon is a piece of shit, but I can’t believe his gaze would do this to me.Arlo notices, of course. He always does. “Is there a reason you’re suddenly carrying weapons everywhere?” he asks one evening as he leans against the bedroom doorframe, arms crossed over his broad chest. His tone is light, teasing, but his sharp gaze watches me closely.“Have you seen Damon?” he asks in concern. I sigh, tugging my sweat
ArloPacking up the few belongings we took with us to the mountain cabin takes less than a minute.“I don’t want to leave,” I tell Hilda, eyeing the wonderfully inviting bed again. She laughs, wrapping her arms around my neck. “Our people need us to come back. The only real difference is that we’ll be wearing clothes back home, nothing else was all that different here.”She’s not completely wrong. We do fuck a lot at home too, but not whenever the mood strikes. Which is every minute of every day.I shouldn’t complain. Leading our people is a privilege, even more so now that I have my incredible Luna by my side and our firstborn on the way.The moment we cross the border into our territory, I can feel it. The air is thick with expectation, the weight of responsibility settling back onto my shoulders like an old, familiar cloak.Hilda runs alongside me in her wolf form, her sleek coat brushing against mine as we cross the final stretch home. We haven’t spoken much since leaving the moun
HildaThe water is blissfully warm, wrapping around me like silk as I sink deeper into the natural pool. Steam curls into the cool evening air, tendrils of mist rising around the jagged rocks that frame the hot spring.Arlo watches me from the other side of the spring, the muscles in his arms flexing as he grips the smooth stone edge. The molten hunger in his gaze makes my breath catch.He hasn’t looked away from me since we slipped into the water, as if he’s savoring the sight of me, burning it into his memory. The space between us feels charged and alive, like a tether pulling me toward him.You’re staring again,” I murmur, a slow smile curving my lips. He doesn’t deny it. Instead, he pushes off the rock and moves through the water with incredible grace, closing the distance between us in record time.My pulse quickens as he reaches me, his hands finding my waist beneath the water, the heat of his touch searing even through the steam. “How could I not?” he asks. His voice is low, ro
TaraI don’t belong here.The thought slips through my mind before I can catch it. Before I can shove it down and pretend it’s not there. I shake it off, pushing through the trees as I follow the edge of the training grounds.The sounds of wolves sparring, of warriors barking orders, of the pack moving like a well-oiled machine, none of it feels like it includes me.I’m an outsider who showed up and brought only bad news and suspicion with her. I’m glad I was able to help Cerelia but I know she never really trusted me and it hurt. I could understand her position after everything with Maelor, but it still hurt.Hilda refused to send me away, despite all the bad omens and terrible news I gave her. She’s been my one shining beacon of light in this pack and with her gone I feel like an outsider again. The one everyone stares at and whispers about.I know she’s coming back, but something in my gut won’t let me believe that things will return to the way they were. Every time I think about h