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Sage Power courses through me like liquid moonlight as I stand over Alaric's fallen form. Everything feels different - sharper, clearer, more alive. I am different. Where once there was emptiness, now my wolf fills me completely, as if she was merely sleeping all this time, waiting for this moment.My pure white fur gleams in the moonlight, and some deep instinct tells me my name - Aura. But I can't focus on the wonder of finally finding my wolf, not with Alaric still bleeding before me.The mutant wolves retreat, but their corrupted scent lingers, reminding me how close we came to losing everything. How close I came to losing him. The memory of his blood mixing with mine, of power exploding through me when I thought I'd lose him forever, still burns in my veins.“We need to shift back,” I think frantically, trying to figure out how to access my human form.“Breathe,” a voice inside me soothes - my wolf, Aura. “Feel the change in your bones. Let it flow naturally.”Her presence in my
Alaric Memories torment me as I try to rest - every time she asked what she meant to me, every opportunity I had to tell her the truth. The night in the training room when she gave herself to me so trustingly. The mornings after when she looked at me like I hung the moon.All while I kept this secret from her.“She is OURS,” my beast rages. “Has always been ours. Why did we hide it?”"Because I'm a fool," I tell the empty room."Yes, you are." Garrett appears with reports about the attack. "But a fool who can still fix this.""How?" The word comes out more desperate than I intend. "You didn't see her face, Garrett. Didn't feel her pain through the bond.""No, but I saw her face every time you pulled away in public. Every time you maintained 'proper distance' while knowing exactly what she was to you."His words cut deep because they're true. I thought I was being noble, giving her freedom to choose. Instead, I made her feel unwanted. Unworthy.Just like Cassius did.Pain from my woun
Sage "Again," Iris instructs as I shift back to human form. "You're getting faster, but you need to be able to change instantly if threatened."My bones and muscles protest, but I welcome the physical discomfort. It's easier than the constant ache of the mate bond, the awareness of Alaric that I can't shut off no matter how hard I try.“He suffers too,” Aura reminds me. “I can feel it through the bond.”“Then he should have thought of that before lying to me,” I snap back, shifting again into my white wolf form.The sun rises fully as we practice, other wolves gathering to watch. My transformation has changed how they see me - some with awe, others with lingering suspicion. But at least they're open about it now, unlike some people."The Alpha's in another emergency meeting," I overhear one guard tell another. "More attacks reported from the eastern territories."Of course he is. There's always another meeting, another crisis, another reason to be anywhere but here.“He's doing his du
Alaric The message from Pine Valley Pack arrives before dawn - multiple wolves injured in a coordinated attack, wounds that won't heal properly. They beg for help, but what catches my attention is the opportunity their request presents.Away from politics. Away from noble wolves' schemes. Away from everything keeping me from having a proper conversation with my mate."You can't be serious," Lord Marcus protests when I announce my intentions. "Both you and the healer leaving? Now?""They're a small pack under my protection," I remind him. "And these attacks grow worse. We need to understand what we're facing.""Send guards then," Victoria's father suggests. "Surely the Lycan King doesn't need to go himself.""They’re a small pack without the means we enjoy here in Silver Crown. They need someone to assess their defenses and understand how their king can help them." I let power color my tone. "They need both leadership and healing. They'll have both."More protests follow, but I silenc
Sage The room feels impossibly small as the Beta leaves us with an awkward bow. One bed, two chairs, a small window letting in moonlight. No escape from this conversation we've been avoiding.As soon as the door closes, I turn to Alaric. "Earlier, when their Alpha was describing the attacks - you had a theory. I could see it in your eyes. What aren't you telling everyone?"He moves closer, power rolling off him in waves. "No.""No?" I back up, bumping into the door. "What do you mean, no?""I mean," he crowds me against the wood, hands planting on either side of my head, "that we're not discussing pack business right now. We're going to talk about us."My heart thunders traitorously at his proximity. Even angry, my body remembers his touch, craves it."There is no us," I try to sound firm despite my racing pulse. "You made that clear when you kept the mate bond secret.""Is that what you think?" His voice drops lower, dangerous. "That I don't want you? That I've ever not wanted you?"
AlaricDawn hasn't quite broken when I wake with Sage curled against my chest, silver-blonde hair spilling across my arm. The mate bond hums with contentment despite the residual tension between us. Last night, after our confrontation, after tears and explanations and careful steps toward reconciliation, she let me hold her. Let me press kisses to her face, her throat, anywhere I could reach, and I have a very long reach, while whispering all the things I should have told her months ago."You're staring," she murmurs without opening her eyes."Can't help it." I trace her cheek with my thumb. "You're beautiful in the morning light. I’ve never seen anything more stunning."She tries to maintain her stern expression but the bond betrays her pleasure at my words. "Sweet talking won't get you completely forgiven.""No?" I nuzzle her neck where my mark should be, will be someday. "What about this?"Her breath catches. "Still angry with you.""I know." I press a kiss to her pulse point. "You
Sage Silver Crown's gates loom before us, and I feel my spine stiffening automatically. After the relative freedom of Pine Valley, returning to royal pack politics feels suffocating.Alaric reins his horse closer to mine. "Wait," he says quietly. "Before we enter..."The others ride ahead slightly, giving us privacy."We need to talk about how things will be here," he continues. "I know we're working through things, and I don't want any more misunderstandings."My heart clenches, but the mate bond carries his sincerity. "You mean you’ll be keeping your distance again.""Yes." His eyes hold mine. "Not because I'm ashamed or uncertain, but because the gathering will bring every political schemer in the territories here. While most of the kingdom would be overjoyed to see their king in love, these wolves will look for any weakness to exploit, any way to undermine us, if they think it will gain them power.""And I'm a weakness?" I can't quite keep the hurt from my voice."No, sweetling."
Alaric The royal seal hardens in red wax as I press it into the last summons. Not invitations - I can't leave this to choice. Every pack in my territories will send representatives, whether they like it or not. If we’re to defeat these aberrations, these vile, warped insults to the name of wolf, we’ll have to find a way to work together.Besides, something tells me these malicious creatures are merely puppets while someone with power and wealth is pulling the strings. Having them all in one place will give me the chance to learn more about who that might be. But I keep that suspicion to myself for now. "The Northern Alliance won't take kindly to being commanded," Garrett observes, watching me work."They'll take even less kindly to being destroyed piece by piece." I hand him the stack of sealed documents. "Send our fastest messengers. I want these delivered personally to every Alpha."Through the mate bond, I feel Sage's approval from where she sits nearby, pretending to be engrossed
Lyra "Or another of your bloodline, though few remain." Thalia’s words bring me back to the present as she reaches for my hands, clasping them in her own. "The Northern delegation seeks a Silverspiral healer for their ritual. Whatever they plan, it involves the prophecy, the Lycan heir, and the disruption of the true mate bond you now share.""But why? What could they hope to gain?""Power," she says simply. "Control over the balanced power that the prophecy promises. If they can bind the heir to their bloodline instead of his true mate, they might redirect the fulfillment of the prophecy to serve their purposes."My mind races, connecting fragments of overheard conversations with this new information. "I overheard them speaking of a binding ceremony, of needing a healer of pure bloodline for a ritual to work properly.""A perversion of ancient magic," Thalia growls. "They would use your blood—your essence—to create a false bond between the prince and their princess, overriding the t
LyraI follow the hidden paths back to our secondary encampment, my mind still reeling from the encounter with Alexander. Every step increases the distance between us, and with it comes a physical ache I've only heard described in tales of true mates separated. The silver bond stretches taut between us, a constant reminder of what fate has decreed and duty denies.The dream flowers in my basket seem to pulse with their own soft luminescence in the fading light, their scent more potent than usual—or perhaps my senses are simply heightened by the awakening of the mate bond. Either way, their presence is a tangible reminder of my responsibilities to my people, responsibilities that now seem at odds with the pull of my heart.Our emergency settlement is well-concealed, nestled against a cliff face with natural caves providing shelter. Unlike our permanent enclave, this location is sparse, functional, designed for temporary safety rather than comfort. As I approach, I sense rather than see
AlexanderMy mother’s watchful eyes pierce right through me as she waits for me to speak. I consider lying, brushing off my questions as nothing more than curiosity. But I’ve never lied to her before, and I don’t intend to start now. "I found my true mate today," I say finally, the words both liberating and damning. "A healer named Lyra, from one of the hidden communities."Elara gasps softly while my mother's expression transforms from shock to a complex mixture of joy and concern. "The mate bond—you're certain?""As certain as you and Father were," I confirm. "The silver connection, instantaneous and undeniable.""Oh, Alex," Elara breathes, understanding immediately the impossible position I'm in. "The Choosing Gala, Princess Selene, the prophecy...""All pointing me in one direction," I finish grimly, "while fate pulls me in another."My mother rises, coming to me, her hands cool against my face as she studies me with those violet eyes so like my own. "A true mate is a gift beyond
Alexander The Grand Ballroom is even more crowded than the previous night, the competition among potential matches growing as the Gala progresses. By tradition, I should be narrowing my preferences, spending more time with those I find most suitable. Instead, I move mechanically through the required dances, my thoughts a thousand miles away in a forest clearing with a woman whose touch brought balance to my warring nature."Your Highness seems distracted tonight," observes Lady Mirella, the daughter of an influential Alpha from the Western territories, as we complete our obligatory dance."Forgive me," I say automatically. "Many matters require my attention with the coronation approaching."She simpers appropriately, but I can see the calculation in her eyes. All of them are watching, evaluating, strategizing—except Selene, who stands across the room in conversation with my father, her poise perfect as always but her gaze finding me repeatedly.I've successfully avoided her so far, pl
AlexanderEvery step away from Lyra feels wrong—physically painful in a way I've never experienced. The silver thread of our mate bond stretches but doesn't break, a constant pull urging me to turn back, to claim what fate has decreed is mine. My head pounds and my dual nature—healing and Alpha—roils inside me, more unsettled than ever before."Alex?" Dominic's voice breaks through my inner turmoil. "You need to slow down. You're practically running."I realize I've been striding through the forest at a punishing pace, as if physical distance might somehow diminish the connection I feel to her. I stop abruptly, bracing one hand against a tree trunk, struggling to bring my breathing under control."A true mate," I say, the words hollow with disbelief. "Now, of all times."Dominic says nothing, just watches me with concern etched on his features. He was there, he saw the connection spark between us, but he can't feel what I'm feeling—the bone-deep certainty colliding with equally powerfu
LyraMy healing ability activates instinctively, energy flowing through my fingertips into his arm. I sense immediately that something is wrong—his dual natures pulling against each other with increasing force, creating internal fractures where they should flow together."Your power is destabilizing," I tell him, medical concern momentarily overriding the more complicated emotions of our situation. "The Alpha strength and healing ability—they're fighting each other instead of balancing."He looks at me with surprise. "You can sense that?""I'm a healer," I remind him. "Diagnosing is what I do." I hesitate, then add, "But this is beyond my experience. I've never felt anything like the conflict in your energies.""The conflict has been growing stronger as my twenty-fifth birthday approaches," he admits. "Headaches, power surges, difficulty controlling either ability."His Beta watches our exchange with growing concern. "We should return to the palace," he suggests. "If you're unwell—""I
LyraThe moment I lock eyes with him, everything inside me shifts—rearranges itself around a truth I never expected to face. The legendary silver connection of true mates flares between us like a living thing, pulsing with recognition so fierce it nearly brings me to my knees.My basket tumbles from my fingers, precious dream flowers scattering across the forest floor. I rise to my feet, unable to look away from the man standing at the edge of the clearing. Even without the royal trappings, I would know him anywhere—the violet eyes that mark his heritage, the commanding presence that no plain clothing can disguise. Prince Alexander, heir to the throne, son of the king who descended from those who hunted my people to near extinction.My true mate."It's you," he whispers, his voice carrying easily across the clearing.I can't speak, can't move. Every instinct urges me forward, toward him, while every rational thought screams danger. The mate bond thrums between us, demanding acknowledgm
AlexanderAfter some discussion, Merrick provides us with a crude map marking the locations of reported sightings and the disturbance. With daylight still abundant, Dominic and I set out immediately, following the forest paths that grow increasingly wild as we move deeper into territory rarely traveled by royal patrols."This feels like crossing into another realm," Dominic comments as the forest changes character around us—older trees, more undergrowth, a stillness that seems almost watchful.I know what he means. There's a different quality to the air here, a sense of ancient presence. As we continue, I notice something else—a subtle resonance with my healing abilities, like a low vibration just beneath my awareness."There's power here," I murmur. "Old power."We reach the area Merrick marked as the site of the disturbance by mid-afternoon. At first glance, it appears to be nothing but dense forest, but closer inspection reveals signs of recent activity—broken branches, disturbed ea
AlexanderThe reports lie scattered across my desk, each more troubling than the last. For the past hour, I've been reading intelligence summaries from our border patrols—accounts of strangers asking questions about healing bloodlines, mapping remote areas where healing enclaves are rumored to exist, and in one case, pursuing someone through the forest near the eastern boundary."This can't be a coincidence," I tell Dominic, who stands by the window, his expression grim. "Not with the Northern delegation's sudden interest in the prophecy, their questions about Elara's abilities.""You think they're connected?" he asks, though his tone suggests he's already reached the same conclusion.I run a hand through my hair in frustration. "Three reports of strangers in Northern colors sighted near areas where healing communities might be hidden? During the exact week they arrive with prophecy texts mentioning both Elara and me?" I shake my head. "That's not a coincidence. That's coordination."D