Chapter Twenty-nineHunter’s POVI sat in my office, staring blankly at the papers scattered across my desk. The events of the past few days had hung in my mind, and I couldn’t seem to know what to do... which was abnormally odd. The door creaked open, and I looked up to see Gaius, the pack’s physician and my late father’s old friend, stepping into the room.“Hunter,” Gaius greeted, his voice warm yet heavy with something on his mind. “I hope I’m not disturbing you?”I shook my head and signaled for him to sit. “No, Gaius. You’re always welcome.”He sat down, folding his hands in his lap as he studied me with those sharp, wise eyes. Gaius had been with the pack longer than most, and he’d seen more than anyone else.I knew that trying to hide anything from him would be pointless, but I wasn’t prepared for what he was about to bring up.“There’s been talk,” Gaius began, his tone casual, but I could sense the seriousness beneath it. “About the activities you’ve been keeping secret at th
Chapter ThirtyFaelen’s POVI wiped the dust off the desk in the study I was assigned to clean out, my mind wandering as I worked. The room was quiet, almost weirdly so, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit… on edge.I had hoped to find a phone here, something I could use to reach out, but there was nothing. No phone, no way to contact anyone still… too bad.Disappointment settled in my chest, but I forced myself to carry on with the task I was on to. “I’ll get my chance.” I murmured to myself. As I moved around the room, polishing the surfaces and straightening the books, my thoughts kept going back to my plan to steal a phone.Ever since Hunter had caught me sneaking around the estate, I’d been too scared to try again. The memory of his cold, angry eyes sent a shiver down my spine.But I couldn’t just give up. I needed to find a way to resume my search, to gather more of the information I needed. I had to be more careful this time.The estate was huge, with so many rooms and studies
Chapter Thirty-oneFaelen’s POVAs much as I tried to resist, thoughts of Hunter completely consumed me over the next days… even though I’d resolved to focus only on my mission. It was like he had already invaded my mind, making it just impossible to think about anything else.No matter how hard I tried to focus, to remember why I was here, my thoughts always transformed back to thoughts about him. At night, when the estate and quarters were quiet, I lay awake, thinking about him… I knew that was wrong.Ever since that kiss, something had shifted between us. I could feel it. Hunter had confronted me about it a few days ago, with his tone gentle and not cruel.It was the first time we had spoken about what happened. The way he talked to me, he didn’t yell at me like he would normally, and for a moment, it didn’t even feel like I was beneath him.He wasn’t angry, not in the way I expected him to be. Instead, there was something softer in his eyes, something I couldn’t quite place, but
Chapter Thirty-twoFaelen’s POVThere was just no easy way to stop thinking about him.No matter how hard I tried to push the thoughts away, Hunter’s face, his voice, even the way he moved kept creeping into my mind.The more I resisted, the stronger the pull became.When it was time to take the tea to him, I felt my heart race. I wanted to see him again, even though I told myself I shouldn’t.I’d made myself rehearse what to say, how to act normal, but all of that dissolved as I approached his office door.I knocked softly, unsure if he’d even hear it. I hoped in my mind he wouldn’t notice how much my hand was trembling.“I said I don’t want to be disturbed,” Hunter’s deep voice called from inside, making my heart leap. For a moment, I considered turning away. Maybe it was better if I stayed away. But I’d promised to bring him tea.“You asked me to bring you tea, Alpha,” I said quietly from the hallway.There was a long pause, then his voice softened slightly. “Come in.”I pushed th
Chapter Thirty-threeHunter’s POVI sat in my office, staring at the stack of papers in front of me, but none of the words registered in my head.My thoughts were constantly disrupted by thoughts of Faelen... As always. The memory of the feel of her skin, her scent… that was all I could think about.Ever since the awkward moment here in my office, when I’d been just inches away from her, everything had escalated for me.We had been so close, I could feel the heat radiating off her skin. That moment had stirred something wild in me… and it was something I didn’t want to admit.I leaned back in the chair, lifting my eyes to the ceiling, fighting against the frustration that had built up in my chest. “Why the hell can’t I stop thinking about her?”It didn’t make any sense and yet it felt completely right. I had fought it from the start, but it was becoming impossible to resist.She was in my head constantly now, and I didn’t know how to deal with that.“Dammit.”I stood up and started to
Chapter Thirty-fourHunter’s POVI sat behind my desk hours after the awkwardness with Faelen, my fingers tapping against the wood, as I waited for Caleb and Gaius to arrive.Even though my mind was totally overrun by thoughts of her, the situation with Steeprock pack was pricking at me, like an itch that I couldn’t scratch.This wasn’t just about territory or gold anymore… it was something more. I could feel it… something far more dangerous was creeping up on us.A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. Caleb entered first, his face hard. Then followed by Gaius, his face calmer, but it did nothing to hide the seriousness of the matter. They both took their seats opposite me, and Caleb didn’t waste any time. “My spies have confirmed it,” he said. “The killings. It’s definitely Steeprock’s doing.”“Of course it is.” Gaius chimed in. I clenched my jaw. We all had thought as much, in fact if not for Caleb’s pleading for confirmation first… hence the spies… I would have retaliate
Chapter Thirty-fiveFaelen’s POVThis became our secret routine.Every time I brought Hunter tea or came to do something else for him, my heart would race as I walked down the hallway towards his office, knowing what would happen there.My hands would tremble slightly, and my heart throbbed with the feeling of guilt. It wasn’t just about the tea, or the pretense of needing me for some task… those were just excuses, really.We both knew why I was there, why he always asked for me specifically. I’d step into the office, quiet and shy, like always. And he’d be there, standing behind his desk or by the window, waiting.The moment our eyes met, it was like the rest of the world just disappeared. We wouldn’t say much, barely even spoke. Words felt useless when our gazes locked.There was always something in the way he looked at me, and it made my skin crawl and my breath unstable.He’d walk up to me, slowly, and every inch of my body would be on edge from his presence. I would just stand th
Chapter Thirty-sixFaelen’s POVLater that evening, when I got the message that Hunter wanted to see me in his bedroom, my heart skipped a beat.This wasn’t like our usual routine in his office… this was something different. Something more intimate I sensed, or devastating.I couldn’t stop my hands from trembling as I walked down the corridor, the cool stone floor beneath my feet doing nothing to calm the heat building up inside me.Why his bedroom today?The question kept spinning in my mind, but I already knew the answer. I felt it in my bones. Ever since that first kiss and touch, we’d been dancing around each other, pretending there were limits. But I felt those limits were soon about to break.I reached the door and knocked softly, my heart thudding in my chest.“Come in,” came Hunter’s deep, commanding voice from the other side. The sound of it sent a familiar shiver down my spine.I opened the door slowly, stepping inside. The room was as I remembered it the last time I was he
Chapter Seventy-nineFaelen’s POVThe days after the victory seemed to blend together in a whirlwind of activity and emotion. It was as if the world had shifted, and everything I had known, everything I had feared, had been replaced by something entirely new… a future I had never dared imagine.I woke up next to Hunter every morning, and with each passing day, it felt more and more like a dream.I could hardly believe that I, Faelen… the girl who had once been a slave, a spy, a tool for manipulation… was now beside him.I hadn’t expected any of it. I thought, perhaps, that I would remain on the fringes of his world, a pawn in the game, but Hunter had changed that.He had proven his loyalty to me, time and again, and I had returned it with all my heart. We were one with each other, in a way that felt right.We were connected… living side by side, laughing together, even sharing those quiet moments that spoke a lot without a single word.Since the night of the celebration of victory, I
Chapter Seventy-eightHunter’s POV The battle was finally over. Belladonna had fallen, and as the dust settled, the tension that had gripped the air for so long began to lift.I watched as my men moved across the battlefield, taking stock of the damage, collecting the fallen, and securing the area.The victory was ours, but It was Faelen’s plan, her intelligence, that had truly turned the tide. Without her, we wouldn’t have been in the position to strike when we did.It didn’t take long for the survivors to come to us… the harmless members of the pack, who had also suffered from Zodd’s cruelty no doubt.Raid, Faelen’s friend was among them. I had promised Faelen the chance to reunite with her best friend earlier, and now I had.I knew it would be an emotional moment for both of them, I couldn’t help but watch closely, watching Faelen walk towards Raid, a soft smile on her face as they locked eyes.There was an exchange, too quiet for me to hear, but I didn’t need to know the words.
Chapter Seventy-sevenHunter’s POV Finally, the day had come.We were ready. Faelen and I stood at the head of the army as we prepared for the surprise attack on Belladonna.The air was thick with anticipation, but there was something more that made me feel confident in the plan we’d set in motion.Faelen had laid it out so carefully, and her insights had changed everything. For once, I felt sure that we would strike the right blow at the right time.I had always been a leader who trusted in my warriors, but there was something different about this attack.It wasn’t just my warriors who we depended on to make the difference. It was Faelen. Her knowledge of Zodd, his tactics, his weaknesses… it had made this possible.I trusted her more than anyone, and though we had never fully spoken of it, I could feel the bond between us growing stronger. Not just as leaders, but as something more.The moon hung low in the sky, the light spilling across the darkened trees. The forest was quiet, li
Chapter Seventy-sixHunter’s POV After the breakfast, we barely made it to the office when I sent a message for Caleb to join us soon.But now, as I watched Faelen move slowly around the room, her gaze resting on the framed photographs on the walls, my mind shifted completely from any strategy session.There was something about the way she stood there, her fingers grazing the edges of a picture, her expression lost in thought, that stirred something deep in me.If I’d known she’d come looking for me last night, I’d have returned the second I finished at the stables.The thought of her waiting, wondering where I was, brought a flash of desire that caught me off guard.My chest tightened, and before I knew it, I was crossing the room, unable to resist the pull any longer.Sliding my arms around her waist, I pulled her to me, and she spun in my hold, her wide eyes meeting mine.Before she could say a word, I pressed my lips to hers, pouring everything I felt into the kiss. She stiffene
Chapter Seventy-fiveFaelen’s POV The morning sun streamed through my window, pulling me from the light, restless sleep I’d managed to catch after a night filled with endless thoughts.My mind picked up exactly where it had left off, circling around Hunter’s absence, the plan I wanted to share, and, undeniably, the burning question of where he’d been.I knew he was more than capable of taking care of himself, but a strange feeling had clawed at me through the night.And worse… some jealous part of my mind whispered that maybe he’d spent the night with someone else.Hunter was, after all, a powerful and desirable Alpha. Every woman in the pack seemed to orbit around him, from the noble daughters of allied families to the giggling servants.As much as I tried to shrug it off, the thought stuck. I wasn’t exactly one of his official “consorts,” and though we shared something far deeper than just passion, there had never been talk of loyalty or commitment.But the idea of him with someone
Chapter Seventy-fourFaelen’s POV That night, I lay in bed, turning over every possibility in my mind, knowing Alpha Zodd wouldn’t let his recent defeat here go unanswered.I couldn’t shake the thought that he’d already heard of my defection. Someone must have informed him by now, and I knew the rage he’d feel.I could even almost picture it… Zodd’s eyes blazing, his infamous rage twisting his face as he unleashed his anger on anyone nearby.I used to stay far from his wrath, feeling an instinctive survival need to avoid setting him off, yet now, the very idea of him made me feel only disgust.I wondered how I had spent so much of my life under him, convincing myself I could tolerate it, or that it was simply the way things were.And now, lying in the safety of the Howle Wulf pack, I felt something I’d barely dared to hope for back in Belladonna… a fierce gladness that I’d escaped.I knew I might have stayed in Zodd’s shadow forever, accepting his cruelty, believing I had no choice.
Chapter Seventy-threeHunter’s POVSeated alone in my office that morning, I tried to focus on the endless papers spread across my desk, yet all my mind seemed capable of doing was going back to last night with Faelen.A faint smile tugged at my lips as I recalled every detail… the way her hair fell in waves across the pillow, her soft laughs, the warmth of her body against mine.I’d left her early, quietly slipping out to keep up appearances and make it to the office without drawing attention. But the memory lingered, a welcome distraction from my usual routine.The door creaked open, and I looked up to see Caleb stepping inside, his expression serious. My smile faded as I straightened, noting the urgency in his eyes.“What’s going on, Caleb?” I asked, gesturing for him to come in.He closed the door behind him and stepped forward. “I have news from the scouts and spies,” he began, his voice low and wary. “The Belladonna Pack… They’re regrouping for another attack.“What?” I asked, r
Chapter Seventy-twoHunter’s POV Waking up in Faelen’s bed, I lay still for a moment, letting the early morning sun which pierced through the window settle over us. The warmth of Faelen’s body beside me was a reminder of the steamy night we’d shared, every detail printed into my mind.Her bare shoulder peeked out from under the sheets, her red hair spilling around her face like fire against her pillow.Laying there, she looked almost unreal, soft and breathtaking… like an angel… in her sleep.My fingers itched to reach out to her again, but I held back, not wanting to disturb the rare peace that she had in this moment.Slowly, I shifted, slipping out of the bed with a careful, measured silence. I gathered my clothes and moved away slightly.I glanced over at her every few seconds, as if to check that she was still there, that last night hadn’t been some hazy dream.As I pulled my shirt over my shoulders, I couldn’t help but recall the warmth of her touch against my skin, or the swee
Chapter Seventy-one Faelen’s POV When Hunter shared his decision to make me a full member of the pack, my first instinct was disbelief.I couldn’t quite grasp that he meant it, that he was willing to trust me so deeply despite everything I’d done.All I managed was a quiet, breathless thank you, hoping he could see just how much his faith in me mattered.As he watched me, the warmth in his eyes gave me something I hadn’t felt in years…hope. For the first time, I felt like maybe I could be more than a pawn in someone else’s game.The days that followed were filled with new routines for me as I tried to settle into my place among the pack.Hunter, of course, was never far. I would find him stopping by while I helped the pack with library work, hauling supplies, or tending to small tasks around the offices.His face held that half smile of his, and sometimes he’d shake his head at me, urging me to take a break.But I couldn’t. It wasn’t about proving anything to the others… it was abou