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 Thirty-eight Faelen’s POVI stepped into the kitchen, feeling a wave of relief wash over me as I noticed it was empty. The maids hadn’t reported for work yet, which gave me a moment of peace.But I knew it wouldn’t last long. They’d start pouring in soon, with their whispers, their suspecting glances and piercing gazes. I needed to keep busy to distract myself from the weight of everything that had happened with Hunter last night.I wanted it to seem like I had woken up before everyone else to begin my task for the day, there was no time to truly prepare. The tension from last night still remained in my body, a reminder of our steamy moment, the heat that had burned between us.I shook my head, trying to push the thoughts away.Grabbing a rag and some cleaning supplies, I decided to head to the dining room. It was always good to stay ahead of the work before the day truly started.As I made my way through the door, my mind spinning with plans of a possible escape and ways o
Chapter Thirty-nineHunter’s POVI sat back in my chair, maps and papers scattered on my desk, yet none of it held my attention.As usual, my mind was occupied totally by thoughts about Faelen.She had left my chambers only moments ago, but already, the space felt empty without her presence... Both in the room and in my heart.“What in the name of the moon goddess is happening to me?” muttered underneath my breath.I’d always prided myself on being a man who never let emotions dictate my actions. Love was a weakness I could not afford, especially as Alpha.But here I was, feeling as if part of me had been torn away the moment she walked out that door. Her shy and naive smile still flashed in my mind.Her scent, even though she was just a slave, was intoxicating to me, and it filled the room with a warmth I hadn’t realized I needed.Running a hand through my rough hair, I exhaled sharply, the frustration boiling beneath the surface.I forced myself to look at the maps again, detailing
Chapter FortyFaelen’s POVLater towards the end of the day, I got into doing dishes, and as I finished scrubbing the last dish in my hands, I wiped my hands on my apron and glanced out the window.The sky was starting to darken, signaling the approach of night. My heart beat a little faster, knowing that in just a few hours, I would be meeting the strange spy girl.I still couldn’t shake the feeling of unease about her sudden appearance. Why now? And why through the Steeprock pack, of all places?But as much as the impending meeting with her occupied my mind, I couldn’t help but think about Hunter.I hadn’t seen him all day, after I left his chambers, and the silence from him strangely felt unsettling.I had expected him to send for me at some point during the say, half expecting for one of the guards to appear and tell me that the Alpha needed me.But nothing, up till now. I’d caught myself pausing in the middle of my tasks more than once, imagining what it would be like to go back
Chapter Forty-oneFaelen’s POVThe sound of the clock bells from the estate watchtower echoed through the entire compound. Each struck made my heart pound harder in my chest.I let out a shaky breath, feeling a mix of relief and nervousness all at once. “This is it.” I murmured.The time had come, and there was no turning back now. Fear crept in as I thought about what I was doing… sneaking out in the dead of night to meet with a stranger, a spy no less.The danger was obvious, but so was my determination. I needed to know what this girl’s presence meant, for me and for the mission. This meeting was crucial, and I couldn’t afford to let fear stop me. That just wasn’t an option.The bells stopped, dragging the estate back into the heavy silence of the night.I slowly slid out of bed, my legs tense with both excitement and fear. My heart kept pounding hard in my chest.My bare feet hit the cold floor, which sent a shiver up my spine, but that didn’t make me hesitate any bit.Quietly, I
Chapter Forty-twoFaelen’s POVI thought we were finished, but it turned out there was more. Raven’s smirk faded as she glanced around, her eyes narrowing.She turned to face me and spoke in a low whisper. “Alpha Zodd has allies in Steeprock. They helped me sneak here.” She paused, looking at me up and down before she continued. “But you already suspected that, didn’t you?”I didn’t respond, my throat tightening as the reality of the situation became clearer to me every second.Steeprock’s presence here wasn’t a coincidence. They had a plan, and I was part of it, whether I liked it or not.“What have you learned?” Raven asked, her voice sharp and expectant.I hesitated. My heart raced as my mind flashed back to everything I had discovered since my arrival.But should I trust her with it? I had no choice. For now, she was my only link back to my pack, to completing the mission I had started months ago. I took a deep breath and began.“Howle Wulf is probably on the verge of war,” I whi
Chapter Forty-threeFaelen’s POVSunlight pierced through the kitchen windows as I busied myself with my daily tasks the next morning.But my mind was far from the duties of cleaning and cooking. It was beyond even the present.The meeting with Raven last night had stirred something inside me. At first, seeing her had filled me with unease.Her sudden appearance made me seriously question my own position. Was she here to replace me? Or worse, expose me?But after she left, those fears had faded, replaced by a strange sense of purpose. If her story was to be believed, then Alpha Zodd hadn’t forgotten me after all.He still needed me. And that meant something.I scrubbed the kitchen countertop harder, my hands working automatically as my thoughts circled on Alpha Zodd.It was almost amusing to think of him as the person who had my loyalty. He wasn’t the kindest, or the most compassionate of persons. To the world, he was a power-hungry and ruthless Alpha. I’d seen the way he treated his
Chapter Forty-fourFaelen’s POV The sun blazed high in the sky, its heat beating down on me relentlessly as I tried to lift a bag of soil.It was heavier than I’d expected, and I struggled to keep my grip.Sweat trickled down my neck, soaking through the back of my uniform and making the fabric stick uncomfortably to my skin.My arms trembled with the effort as I tried to maneuver the bag to the side of the flower bed. The gardener, a stout man in his late fifties, stood nearby pruning the hedges, offering no help or even a glance my way.The head maid’s orders had been clear… “help out in the garden”…but I knew what it really meant. Punishment.A reminder that I wasn’t anything special. She hadn’t even looked me in the eye when she’d said it, her tone cold.I could hear the sneers and barely concealed giggles of the other maids behind me.I adjusted my grip on the bag, lifting it higher and then almost losing my balance.My foot slipped on a loose stone, and I lurched forward, bare
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