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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 engrosse
Sage The packhouse buzzes with activity as the first visiting packs arrive. From my window, I watch carriages and wolves in travel form stream through the gates, far more than attended the last disastrous affair. Each arrival brings new scents, new politics, new potential allies or enemies.“We are stronger now,” Aura reminds me as anxiety flutters in my chest. “No longer the scared omega from Blackthorn.”She's right. I touch my pendant, drawing strength from who I've become - the last heir of the healing packs, finally coming into my power.Through the mate bond, I feel Alaric's pride and protective instincts as he greets ranked visitors. His beast wants to stay close to me, but we both understand the necessity of distance right now."Lady Sage?" A young healer from one of the arriving packs approaches tentatively. "We've heard so much about your methods..."More healers gather as I demonstrate techniques for treating mutant wolf attacks. Some watch skeptically, others with open fa
Sage “Hello again, my little mate.” The audacity of those words, combined with the smug look on his face, is enough to send fire through my veins, burning through the ice that’s held me frozen. I feel the sting of my hand on his face before I even realize I’ve moved. A collective gasp fills the silence that descended as the gathered dignitaries watched our exchange with baited breath. His head snaps to the side from the force of my blow, but when he turns back, his eyes glitter with something that makes my stomach turn. Not anger - appreciation. Like I've done exactly what he hoped I would."Such spirit," he purrs, touching his reddening cheek almost lovingly. "I always knew it was there, buried beneath all that... submission." His tongue darts out to wet his lips. "How delightful to see it finally surface."My skin crawls at the way he looks at me - like I'm a prize that's only become more valuable. Like my newfound strength just makes the game more interesting. "You dare strike
Alaric My claws leave gouges in my desk as I struggle for control. The beast inside me roars to hunt down Cassius, to tear him apart for daring to touch my mate, to call her his.But I'm the Lycan King before I'm anything else. And right now, every ranked wolf in my territories watches how I handle this."We can't just remove him," Garrett says, reading my thoughts. "Not without legitimate cause.""Legitimate cause?" I snarl. "He tried to have her executed. And he dares to come here and call her mate? She has a mate and it sure as fuck isn’t him!""But no one knows that, do they? And his offense against Sage was months ago, in another territory. Right now, he's playing the perfect diplomat."He's right. Through the mate bond, I feel Sage's tension as she works in the healing wing, almost like Cassius is watching her with predatory interest again. But he maintains careful distance, perfect manners. To outside observers, he appears reasonable - even magnanimous about her slapping him.
Sage My heart pounds with every shadow as I make my way to Alaric's quarters. Even at midnight, the packhouse isn't completely quiet - visiting wolves everywhere make sneaking around much more complicated.“You smell of desire,” Aura teases. “Anyone with a nose will know where you're going.”“Not helping,” I tell her, pressing against a wall as voices approach.When I finally reach his door, it opens before I can knock. Alaric pulls me inside and immediately pins me to the wall, his mouth claiming mine hungrily."Took you long enough," he growls against my lips."Some of us can't just order everyone away," I gasp as his lips find my neck. "Had to wait for the halls to clear..."His hands slide under my nightdress. "Good girl, wearing something easy to remove."Heat pools in my core at his words, at his touch. Growing bold, I reach for the buttons of his shirt, wanting to explore him the way he always explores me. His ragged purr when my hands roam the bare skin of his chest tells me
Cassius They think they're so clever, maintaining careful distance in public. But I can smell him on her - pine and winter wind clinging to her skin beneath her own honeysuckle scent. The Lycan King's touch is all over what should have been mine.Watching them now at morning council, anyone else might miss their subtle tells - how his eyes track her movements, how she unconsciously angles toward him. But I see everything. I always have.What they don't understand is that this isn't about a spurned mate claiming what he lost. This is about power - pure, raw power that radiates off her now. The way wounds heal under her touch, the way others naturally follow her lead despite themselves... she's become something rare. Something valuable.The noble wolves are pathetically easy to manipulate. A few careful words about propriety, about a king compromising himself with an omega of unknown origins, and they practically write the scandal themselves."Such a shame," I murmur to Victoria, who h
Sage The healing wing buzzes with activity as visiting healers watch me demonstrate techniques for treating mutant wolf wounds. Even with Cassius's presence casting a shadow over the gathering, I refuse to shrink from my duties."The silver-leaf mixture is key," I explain, showing them proper proportions. "Combined with moonflower essence...""Just like the ancient texts described," one elderly healer murmurs with respect. "For so long, we believed none of it was true. But you do it instinctively."“Because it's in our blood,” Aura reminds me. “Our heritage is growing stronger each day.”A commotion outside draws attention - more injured warriors arriving from border patrols. I move immediately to help, other healers falling in naturally beside me."Thank the moon you're here," one warrior grits through pain. "Traditional methods barely touch these wounds anymore."I notice Cassius watching from the doorway, his face unreadable as pack members defer to my expertise. Whatever poison h
Alaric The last of the pack representatives have finally arrived and it’s time to get down to business. The great hall fills with more ranked wolves than it's held in generations. Representatives from every pack in my territories gather to face a threat none of us fully understand yet. Through the mate bond, I feel Sage's nervous energy from where she stands with other healers. Cassius watches her too intently from his position near Blackthorn's delegation, while Eris sits with Victoria's group on the opposite side. Their careful distance feels calculated, especially since she can’t seem to keep her eyes off him. Something about how the wolves arrange themselves catches my attention. Traditional allies sit apart, while packs that historically feuded now whisper together in corners. The usual political lines blur as new alliances form."Notice how Blackthorn's delegation splits their attention?" Garrett murmurs. "Half focused on defense discussions, half watching Sage's every move.
Alaric The last of the pack representatives have finally arrived and it’s time to get down to business. The great hall fills with more ranked wolves than it's held in generations. Representatives from every pack in my territories gather to face a threat none of us fully understand yet. Through the mate bond, I feel Sage's nervous energy from where she stands with other healers. Cassius watches her too intently from his position near Blackthorn's delegation, while Eris sits with Victoria's group on the opposite side. Their careful distance feels calculated, especially since she can’t seem to keep her eyes off him. Something about how the wolves arrange themselves catches my attention. Traditional allies sit apart, while packs that historically feuded now whisper together in corners. The usual political lines blur as new alliances form."Notice how Blackthorn's delegation splits their attention?" Garrett murmurs. "Half focused on defense discussions, half watching Sage's every move.
Sage The healing wing buzzes with activity as visiting healers watch me demonstrate techniques for treating mutant wolf wounds. Even with Cassius's presence casting a shadow over the gathering, I refuse to shrink from my duties."The silver-leaf mixture is key," I explain, showing them proper proportions. "Combined with moonflower essence...""Just like the ancient texts described," one elderly healer murmurs with respect. "For so long, we believed none of it was true. But you do it instinctively."“Because it's in our blood,” Aura reminds me. “Our heritage is growing stronger each day.”A commotion outside draws attention - more injured warriors arriving from border patrols. I move immediately to help, other healers falling in naturally beside me."Thank the moon you're here," one warrior grits through pain. "Traditional methods barely touch these wounds anymore."I notice Cassius watching from the doorway, his face unreadable as pack members defer to my expertise. Whatever poison h
Cassius They think they're so clever, maintaining careful distance in public. But I can smell him on her - pine and winter wind clinging to her skin beneath her own honeysuckle scent. The Lycan King's touch is all over what should have been mine.Watching them now at morning council, anyone else might miss their subtle tells - how his eyes track her movements, how she unconsciously angles toward him. But I see everything. I always have.What they don't understand is that this isn't about a spurned mate claiming what he lost. This is about power - pure, raw power that radiates off her now. The way wounds heal under her touch, the way others naturally follow her lead despite themselves... she's become something rare. Something valuable.The noble wolves are pathetically easy to manipulate. A few careful words about propriety, about a king compromising himself with an omega of unknown origins, and they practically write the scandal themselves."Such a shame," I murmur to Victoria, who h
Sage My heart pounds with every shadow as I make my way to Alaric's quarters. Even at midnight, the packhouse isn't completely quiet - visiting wolves everywhere make sneaking around much more complicated.“You smell of desire,” Aura teases. “Anyone with a nose will know where you're going.”“Not helping,” I tell her, pressing against a wall as voices approach.When I finally reach his door, it opens before I can knock. Alaric pulls me inside and immediately pins me to the wall, his mouth claiming mine hungrily."Took you long enough," he growls against my lips."Some of us can't just order everyone away," I gasp as his lips find my neck. "Had to wait for the halls to clear..."His hands slide under my nightdress. "Good girl, wearing something easy to remove."Heat pools in my core at his words, at his touch. Growing bold, I reach for the buttons of his shirt, wanting to explore him the way he always explores me. His ragged purr when my hands roam the bare skin of his chest tells me
Alaric My claws leave gouges in my desk as I struggle for control. The beast inside me roars to hunt down Cassius, to tear him apart for daring to touch my mate, to call her his.But I'm the Lycan King before I'm anything else. And right now, every ranked wolf in my territories watches how I handle this."We can't just remove him," Garrett says, reading my thoughts. "Not without legitimate cause.""Legitimate cause?" I snarl. "He tried to have her executed. And he dares to come here and call her mate? She has a mate and it sure as fuck isn’t him!""But no one knows that, do they? And his offense against Sage was months ago, in another territory. Right now, he's playing the perfect diplomat."He's right. Through the mate bond, I feel Sage's tension as she works in the healing wing, almost like Cassius is watching her with predatory interest again. But he maintains careful distance, perfect manners. To outside observers, he appears reasonable - even magnanimous about her slapping him.
Sage “Hello again, my little mate.” The audacity of those words, combined with the smug look on his face, is enough to send fire through my veins, burning through the ice that’s held me frozen. I feel the sting of my hand on his face before I even realize I’ve moved. A collective gasp fills the silence that descended as the gathered dignitaries watched our exchange with baited breath. His head snaps to the side from the force of my blow, but when he turns back, his eyes glitter with something that makes my stomach turn. Not anger - appreciation. Like I've done exactly what he hoped I would."Such spirit," he purrs, touching his reddening cheek almost lovingly. "I always knew it was there, buried beneath all that... submission." His tongue darts out to wet his lips. "How delightful to see it finally surface."My skin crawls at the way he looks at me - like I'm a prize that's only become more valuable. Like my newfound strength just makes the game more interesting. "You dare strike
Sage The packhouse buzzes with activity as the first visiting packs arrive. From my window, I watch carriages and wolves in travel form stream through the gates, far more than attended the last disastrous affair. Each arrival brings new scents, new politics, new potential allies or enemies.“We are stronger now,” Aura reminds me as anxiety flutters in my chest. “No longer the scared omega from Blackthorn.”She's right. I touch my pendant, drawing strength from who I've become - the last heir of the healing packs, finally coming into my power.Through the mate bond, I feel Alaric's pride and protective instincts as he greets ranked visitors. His beast wants to stay close to me, but we both understand the necessity of distance right now."Lady Sage?" A young healer from one of the arriving packs approaches tentatively. "We've heard so much about your methods..."More healers gather as I demonstrate techniques for treating mutant wolf attacks. Some watch skeptically, others with open fa
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 engrosse
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."