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Alaric "The practice is unnatural," Elder Marcus declares, his face twisted with revulsion. "We honor our dead, not mutilate them.""Two warriors are dead," I growl, barely containing my beast's rage. "Dead under suspicious circumstances that some are using to condemn an innocent wolf. You'd deny us the chance to prove her innocence because of tradition?"The council chamber fills with uneasy murmurs. No Alpha has ever suggested examining our dead this way before. But no Alpha has ever had their mate falsely accused of murder either."My King," Lord Harrison speaks carefully. "While we understand your... personal interest in clearing the omega's name, there are centuries of custom to consider."Phantom snarls at their inability to say Sage's name, to acknowledge her as pack. But I force my voice to remain steady. "And what of justice? What of truth?""There are other ways to investigate," Victoria's father suggests smoothly. "Ways that don't desecrate our fallen warriors."Before I c
Sage Small changes ripple through the pack in the days following the poisoning incident. Wolves still whisper when I pass, but some nod respectfully now. The warriors I saved make a point of greeting me publicly. Their families send quiet thanks through Iris.But at night, when I'm alone with my thoughts, doubt creeps in like poison. I know who I am now - a healer, someone who saves lives. But what about then? What about the memories that stay locked behind that dark wall in my mind?"You're brooding again," Iris declares, finding me in the garden. "I can practically smell the self-doubt.""Wouldn't you doubt?" I touch a moonflower petal. "Everyone keeps talking about how well I know poisons, how easily I recognized them. What if...""Don't." She grabs my hands. "Don't let their accusations make you question yourself.""But that's just it - I don't know myself. Not really." The words that have been haunting me spill out. "I know who I am now, but what about before? What if I really
Sage The training room feels different in early morning solitude. My muscles remember the moves now, body flowing through sequences Alaric has drilled into me night after night. I catch glimpses of myself in the mirrored walls - not the scared omega from Blackthorn anymore, but someone stronger. Someone who knows how to fight back."Your form is improving."I don't startle at Iris's voice. Another change - I'm more aware of my surroundings now, harder to sneak up on."Alaric's a good teacher." When he's not distracting me with other activities, I don't add."Speaking of my brother's... teaching." Her grin turns wicked. "Those marks on your neck are new."Before I can sputter a response, voices approach the training room. Eris enters with her usual entourage, including Victoria and three other noble wolves."Well, well." Eris's smile shows teeth. "The little poison-maker, practicing her... skills."I continue my exercises, remembering Alaric's lessons about staying calm. "Good morning
Sage “Sage! Sage! Where is that wolfless little urchin?” I hear Daphne, the Beta’s daughter and so-called future Luna, at least that’s how she regards herself, calling out to me as I rush inside the packhouse. “I’m here!” I answer, a little too breathlessly. “You’re late!” She chides, the promise of swift and severe punishment lurking in her eyes. Daphne grabs my wrists, twisting them painfully as she drags me closer. “You lazy little gutterpup! How dare you take advantage of your Alpha’s kindness!” I feel the sting on my cheek before I even register her hand flying out to slap me. My eyes prick with tears that I refuse to let fall. I rub at the tender flesh while ignoring the snickers from the other omegas who’ve gathered to enjoy the show. They wouldn’t find it so funny if it was happening to them. But of course it never will. Not when they have a poor wolfless outcast like me to abuse instead. “You will climb up that ladder and polish the crystal chandelier until it shine
Sage My anxiety grows with every step I take as I rush home. I have an important guest, well important to me anyway, and he’s injured. He was still unconscious when I left him this morning and I’ve worried about him all day. I hope he’s okay.I don’t know his name or where he’s from. All I really know is that he needs me. I was working in the fields yesterday when he stumbled into our pack, covered head to toe in blood from several nasty looking wounds. It was a gruesome sight and I was terrified, but before the shriek could tear from my lungs, he collapsed at my feet. I’m ashamed to admit I hesitated to help him, concerned he might be a rogue. Harboring a rogue is punishable by death in my pack and I wasn’t sure I should risk it. But on closer inspection, he was wearing expensive clothes and even the blood smearing his face couldn’t hide his handsome features. He smelled amazing too, like fresh, crisp winter air, not putrid like a rogue. Everything in me screamed to help him. If I
Alaric She’s covered in cuts and bruises! Who the fuck would do that to her and why do I have this overwhelming need to find them and end them slowly and painfully? She’s a tiny waif of a thing, thin and frail. Only the worst kind of bully would do that to someone like her. “Tell me who hurt you, sweetling.” I don’t mean to growl but I can’t help it. I’m not a soft man. I’m used to commanding respect, not coddling little omegas. But she doesn’t seem put off by it, in fact, she appears to ignore it completely. “Who didn’t?” She shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Here, I brought you some food. It’s not much, but you need to keep your strength up.” She chatters away, unwrapping her little bundle and presenting it to me like a sacrificial offering. She doesn’t seem affected at all by her injuries though I can tell by looking at them that they must be painful. It’s almost like she’s accustomed to this kind of abuse and I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all. “I asked you a question,
Sage There’s a spring in my step as I stride toward the packhouse. It’s selection day for Chief Omega and I plan to slide my name onto the list before sign-ups close this morning. I know I can win! Cassius will see my worth, I’m sure of it! I hustle into the kitchen, dropping my bag and strapping my apron on. The room is empty, but I peek over my shoulder, toward the door just to be sure no one’s watching. After scribbling my name on the list of contestants quickly, I’m just shoving the pen back in my pocket when Daphne’s shrill screech has me jumping out of my skin.“What do you think you’re doing?” She demands.“N-, nothing. Just getting ready for work.” I glance toward the clock to double check the time, verifying I’m still early. “Well you’re not needed here. Find something to do out back where you won’t be in the way!”I practically skip out of the kitchen on my way to the backyard. I like working in the garden. It’s beautiful and peaceful out there. But it doesn't take long f
Sage“Sage! Please come out, sweetling. It’s important!” I hear my guest call to me through the door. “Leave me alone!” I bite back.I’m still mad at him for the disrespectful comments he made earlier. Even if I do go weak in the knees at hearing him call me “sweetling.” Suggesting I’d let Cassius or any Alpha use me as a sex toy was a step too far. I may be inexperienced, but I read romance novels. I know what a “fuckboy” is, and it’s not Cassius. Implying I’m too stupid to know the difference is just insulting!“Please!” He’s scratching at the door now and his voice is closer, his tone pleading. “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. It wasn’t my intention. But we really need to talk.”I crack the door, peeking through the thin strip of space to find him just on the other side of it, staring back at me with those slate eyes, unreadable emotions swirling in them. I sip air in short little gasps. Why does being so close to this man make me feel so . . . warm? I have to fight the urge to
Sage The training room feels different in early morning solitude. My muscles remember the moves now, body flowing through sequences Alaric has drilled into me night after night. I catch glimpses of myself in the mirrored walls - not the scared omega from Blackthorn anymore, but someone stronger. Someone who knows how to fight back."Your form is improving."I don't startle at Iris's voice. Another change - I'm more aware of my surroundings now, harder to sneak up on."Alaric's a good teacher." When he's not distracting me with other activities, I don't add."Speaking of my brother's... teaching." Her grin turns wicked. "Those marks on your neck are new."Before I can sputter a response, voices approach the training room. Eris enters with her usual entourage, including Victoria and three other noble wolves."Well, well." Eris's smile shows teeth. "The little poison-maker, practicing her... skills."I continue my exercises, remembering Alaric's lessons about staying calm. "Good morning
Sage Small changes ripple through the pack in the days following the poisoning incident. Wolves still whisper when I pass, but some nod respectfully now. The warriors I saved make a point of greeting me publicly. Their families send quiet thanks through Iris.But at night, when I'm alone with my thoughts, doubt creeps in like poison. I know who I am now - a healer, someone who saves lives. But what about then? What about the memories that stay locked behind that dark wall in my mind?"You're brooding again," Iris declares, finding me in the garden. "I can practically smell the self-doubt.""Wouldn't you doubt?" I touch a moonflower petal. "Everyone keeps talking about how well I know poisons, how easily I recognized them. What if...""Don't." She grabs my hands. "Don't let their accusations make you question yourself.""But that's just it - I don't know myself. Not really." The words that have been haunting me spill out. "I know who I am now, but what about before? What if I really
Alaric "The practice is unnatural," Elder Marcus declares, his face twisted with revulsion. "We honor our dead, not mutilate them.""Two warriors are dead," I growl, barely containing my beast's rage. "Dead under suspicious circumstances that some are using to condemn an innocent wolf. You'd deny us the chance to prove her innocence because of tradition?"The council chamber fills with uneasy murmurs. No Alpha has ever suggested examining our dead this way before. But no Alpha has ever had their mate falsely accused of murder either."My King," Lord Harrison speaks carefully. "While we understand your... personal interest in clearing the omega's name, there are centuries of custom to consider."Phantom snarls at their inability to say Sage's name, to acknowledge her as pack. But I force my voice to remain steady. "And what of justice? What of truth?""There are other ways to investigate," Victoria's father suggests smoothly. "Ways that don't desecrate our fallen warriors."Before I c
SageMy first steps beyond my room feel like walking into enemy territory. I considered hiding out despite Alaric’s declaration of freedom, But that would make me a coward, unworthy of Alaric’s faith in me. So I lift my chin, refusing to skulk like a guilty thing. Alaric's marks still tingle on my neck, reminding me that I'm not alone anymore."Well, well." Iris's gleeful voice makes me jump. "What are those on your neck?"My hand flies up to cover Alaric's marks, face flaming. "I... that is... we were training and...""Training?" She circles me like a predator. "Is that what they're calling it now? Must have been quite the... defensive maneuver.""Iris!" I try to sound stern but my voice comes out squeaky."I mean, some of these look pretty high up for combat holds." She grins wickedly. "Unless you were practicing very specific escape techniques?""We were... I mean he was... oh moon, stop looking at me like that!"Her laughter echoes through the hall. "Wait till Garrett hears about
Sage The first rays of dawn filter through my window as I stretch languidly, every muscle pleasantly sore in ways I never knew possible. The bed beside me is empty but still warm, Alaric's scent of pine and winter wind lingering on the pillows. He stayed all night, then, holding me close as I drifted to sleep.My cheeks heat remembering everything we did, the ways he touched me, the places he kissed. I never knew such pleasure existed, never imagined one person could make another feel so much. At Blackthorn, the mated pairs were discreet, and no one discussed such intimate matters with a wolfless omega.But Alaric... he showed me things I didn't even know to want. Made my body sing with sensations I had no words for. Even now, my skin tingles remembering his reverent touches, the way he whispered "sweetling" against my skin like a prayer.I touch my neck where he left marks - not a claiming bite, but evidence of his passion nonetheless. The memory of how they got there makes me shiv
Alaric My beast roars in triumph as I finally let go of three days' worth of desperate restraint. Having to stay away from her, to maintain distance while investigating James's death and keeping hostile nobles at bay - it's been torture. Every instinct screamed to protect our mate, to keep her close.But now, with her soft body pinned beneath mine on the training mats, her scent filling my head with honeysuckle and rain and arousal, I can't remember why I ever tried to resist this."Mine," I growl against her throat, feeling her pulse race under my lips. The mate bond thrums between us, and even if she can't feel it yet, her body recognizes its other half."Yours," she breathes, and the word snaps the last threads of my control.I capture her mouth again, swallowing her soft gasp as I deepen the kiss. Her hands tangle in my hair, pulling me closer like she's as desperate for this as I am. She’s uncoordinated at first, but what she lacks in experience, she makes up for in enthusiasm a
Sage Three days. Three days of silence broken only by the soft scrape of meal trays being left outside my door. Three days of nothing but my own thoughts spinning darker with each passing hour.Guards murmur outside my room, changing shifts at regular intervals. Sometimes I hear wolves pass in the hall, their whispers carrying fragments that cut like knives: "—definitely poison—" "—just like they said—" "—can't trust—"Not even Iris, with her perpetual positive attitude, comes to visit. But it's Alaric's absence that breaks me. After everything - his promises to protect me, to face things together - he's just... gone. No word, no explanation..My pendant feels heavy against my throat as I pace the confines of my room for the hundredth time. What if they're right? What if somewhere in my missing memories lurks the monster they claim?The door's lock clicks suddenly, making me jump. Alaric fills the doorway, power rolling off him in waves. But his face... Moon Goddess, his face is cold
Sage The ballroom empties like water draining from a cracked bowl, nobles clustering in whispered groups as they leave. Wolves who eagerly sought my healing knowledge hours ago now avoid my eyes. Even the young healers I've been training edge away when I move."Don't," Iris says fiercely when she sees my face. "Don't let them make you doubt yourself."But how can I not? The memories I've always struggled to access now feel like shadows hiding monsters. Every time I touch my pendant, trying to remember anything before Blackthorn, I hit that same dark wall.Alaric stands with his council, power rolling off him in waves as they demand an emergency meeting. His eyes keep finding me across the room, torn between duty and desire to stay close."Go," I tell him when he approaches. "Handle what you need to handle. Besides, I have no right to be selfish with you when it’s my mess they want you to clean up.""Sweetling—""Please." I manage a weak smile. "I'm fine. This is more important."The l
Alaric My beast roars as Daphne's words echo through the silent ballroom. Sage stands frozen beside me, her scent sharp with fear and confusion. Every instinct demands I tear out Daphne's throat for threatening our mate, but I'm painfully aware of hundreds of eyes watching how the Lycan King handles this crisis."That's enough." My voice cuts through the whispers. "Your presence here is unwelcome, given your history of false accusations.""False?" Daphne's eyes widen with practiced innocence. "You mean when I tried to warn my pack about harboring an unknown wolf?" She turns to address the crowd. "I admit I was hasty in my judgment then. The evidence seemed so clear at the time...""The evidence you fabricated?" Power rolls off me in waves. "The lies that nearly got an innocent omega executed?""I was wrong about that specific incident," she concedes smoothly. "But my instincts about her weren't entirely misplaced. I was only trying to protect my pack from someone with... uncertain ori