Chapter Fifty-fiveHunter’s POV I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The words had fallen from her lips, sharp and cold, like ice cutting into my chest.Faelen, who I thought I was beginning to understand… trusted even… was a spy. A spy, for the Belladonna Pack.And she had been playing me this whole time.I stood there, staring at her, barely able to process the weight of what she’d just confessed.It felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. My pulse pounded in my ears, and every breath I took became shallow.“You’re with Belladonna,” I repeated, my voice low, as if saying it aloud would help me make sense of it. “You’ve been working for them this whole time?”Her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear, but she didn’t deny it. “Yes,” she whispered, like the truth was too much for even her to bear.My blood boiled. All the conversations we’d had, all the moments we shared… they had all been lies. And I had been too blind to see it.I was too caught up in my own growi
Chapter Fifty-sixCaleb’s POV I stood there, rooted to the spot, my heart hammering in my chest as Hunter’s footsteps faded down the hall.The weight of his words hung in the air, thick and heavy, pressing down on me. “She’s not as innocent as you’ve thought,” he had said.The way he spat those words, like venom… what could that mean?I turned toward Faelen, who was now curled on the floor of the cell, her face buried in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably.My mind was spinning. I had to know what was happening. I had to know what Hunter meant.“Faelen?” I stepped closer to the bars, my voice softer than before, though still a little panicked. “Please. What’s going on? Why did Hunter bring you here? Why did he say that?”She looked up, her face soaked with tears, her eyes red from crying. The Faelen I knew… the gentle, kind girl who always seemed to carry an air of silent strength… was gone, replaced by someone that looked broken.She shook her head, not answering at first, as if the w
Chapter Fifty-sevenFaelen’s POV The cold stone floor felt unforgiving beneath me as I sat huddled in the corner of the cell, my knees pulled to my chest.The air was damp, cold, and I shivered, though I wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or the fear eating at my insides.My body ached from being thrown in here, but it was the weight of everything else that hurt more.Hunter’s face haunted me there in the cell… the way he had looked at me when I told him the truth.The hurt in his eyes was worse than any of the harsh words he had thrown at me. I had expected anger, but seeing the hurt behind his rage broke something inside me.He thought I was a traitor, that all I had ever been was a spy. And in some ways, he was right.But I hadn’t planned for this… none of it. I never meant to fall for him, or to feel anything for him or anyone in Howle Wulf.I was supposed to do my job, gather information, and report back to Raven. It should have been simple. But it wasn’t.I glanced around the
Chapter Fifty-eightFaelen’s POV I sat on the cold floor, watching the sunlight pierced through the small barred window above in the cell, my mind spinning with thoughts of everything.Since seeing Hunter the previous night, I couldn’t stop replaying the events in my head. Every word and look of betrayal in his eyes struck me as he questioned me.I had hoped… no, I had prayed… that talking to him again would at least make him see that I wasn’t his enemy, but now I wasn’t sure.The stone walls around me felt like they were closing in, and the weight of what I had done seemed heavier each passing moment.I then heard footsteps echoing down the hall. My heart leaped into my throat, and I pushed myself up from the floor, smoothing my dirty clothes with shaking hands.It was him. I knew it even before he appeared in front of my cell. Hunter stood there, his tall frame looming in the dim light, arms crossed and jaw clenched.His eyes met mine, and I could still see his anger just beneath
Chapter Fifty-nineHunter’s POV I stood by the window of my office, staring out at the horizon, where the forest and mountains loomed in the distance.My hands clenched into fists at my sides, a familiar reflex action of mine, the weight of everything Faelen had told us pressing down on my chest.Steeprock, backed by Belladonna. All part of Alpha Zodd’s plan to conquer all territories.Of course. I should’ve seen it. All the signs were there, but I had been too wrapped up in my own pride and feelings to connect the dots.Faelen had been playing me from the start, true, but now, knowing what she’d told me, the lines between truth and deceit were blurred.Did she genuinely care about me, or was she just trying to save herself from being caught up in the destruction of our pack?Caleb walked into the room, his face as grim as I felt inside. We hadn’t spoken much since we left the dungeons after seeing Faelen.He trusted her enough to consider her warning, but I wasn’t so sure.“Steeproc
Chapter Sixty Faelen’s POV The sounds of chaos woke me up at midnight, jolting me up in my small, cold cell.At first, I thought I was dreaming… hearing the distant clash of weapons, the sharp cries of warriors… But as the noise grew louder, I realized with horror that the attack had begun. The Steeprock pack had launched their assault.My heart pounded in my chest as I scrambled to my feet, gripping the bars of my cell. I could hear footsteps rushing past the dungeon entrance, the sounds of men shouting orders. Hunter’s pack was caught off guard. This wasn’t supposed to happen so soon, I felt. But that had been the plan all along.My stomach twisted in fear, for Hunter, Caleb, and everyone else in Howle Wulf.And here I was, locked away while everything I’d tried to prevent was happening right above me.I paced around in my cell, thinking quickly. I couldn’t just sit here and do nothing. Hunter might hate me, but I couldn’t let him and his people fall.Not like this. I had to fin
Chapter Sixty-oneHunter’s POV As the dust settled and the last of the assault forces retreated, I stood amidst the wreckage of what had been a brutal and chaotic fight.The Howle Wulf pack had held its ground. Against all odds, we had resisted the attack… and we had won.I wiped the blood from my face, my muscles aching from the relentless hours of fighting. The victory, though hard earned, felt heavy on my chest.We had planned in secret, just as Caleb and I had discussed. A few trusted officers knew, and we were ready.Steeprock pack had been held back by our defense, their tactics no match for the preparations we had put in place.But the battle had taken its toll. I looked around at my pack mates… wounded, exhausted, but alive. Most of them.There were a few casualties, faces I knew well, warriors who had stood by me for years. My stomach twisted as I saw their bodies being carried away.We had won, but every victory had its cost.Still, we’d made it through better than I expect
Chapter Sixty-twoHunter’s POV After the battle, when the dust had finally settled and the pack began rebuilding what had been lost, I knew it was time to face Faelen again, this time to get the full truth.Indeed her warning had saved us, and her actions had earned her a place in the pack’s good graces, but I needed to hear it all from her. I had to understand why she had been with us, pretending, when she came from Belladonna. Just really why she was here.I ordered for her to be brought to my office. This time, it wasn’t an interrogation. I wanted to hear her side of the story.When she entered the room, her face was calm, but I could see the weight of everything she carried in her eyes.She stood before me, beautiful as ever, her hands clasped in front of her, waiting for me to speak.“Faelen,” I began, my voice steady but firm. “I think it’s time you explain everything… why you were sent here, how you said Belladonna manipulated you.”She hesitated, her eyes shifting with a hin
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