LOGINFor three long winters, my life had devoted its whole heart to Draven's family, honing my baking skills until my sweet pastries rivaled any top chef in the territory. Maelis loved my treats, and every holiday moon eve, her mouth had insisted my hands make enough batches for the whole pack council.Back then, my wolf had foolishly believed that if my body worked hard enough, if I gave enough of my own flesh and energy to their name, my spirit would finally earn their true approval.Right now...Maelis's bad moods, her likes and dislikes—they no longer mattered to my chest.Not even Draven Calder did.None of their pack business was my concern anymore.Maelis was caught completely off guard by my flat refusal. She falls totally silent on the other end, turning my short words over inside her brain, searching for some deeper hidden meaning behind my voice.She knew my mild temperament real well—always patient with her demands, always considerate of the alpha line. Whenever her mouth asked
LARDON VEXLEY POV"Lardon Vexley is a completely different wolf now, Tavros," Lucien Mordane says into his screen, his gay eyes watching my face real closely inside the lifting cage.Lucien had always looked at my male body through bad lenses because of the pack history. But right now, his eyes find themselves studying my expression all over again.My male face is as calm as the mountain frost, completely devoid of any old feelings for his friends. The polite warmth my hands once showed their warrior circle is totally gone, replaced by a deep chill that keeps every single beast at arm's length."My boots are staying right with my grandmother tonight," I answer Lucien real simply, not bothering to explain my family plans any further to his ears.Lucien looks a little bit surprised by my quick words, but his brain can tell my mouth has absolutely zero intention of chatting by the iron door.As for the real reason behind my cold attitude toward his pack...His mind understood the truth.
As soon as my boots and Ilyra arrived with our bags, the lodge staff hurried right over to help our hands with the luggage.For many winters now, Ilyra had spent most holiday phases sitting inside the medicine cabin with Zephan. This year, with our small line together at last, her old face glows with a quiet, deep joy. "The mountain air here is wonderful, isn't it? Spending the holiday moon with so many happy packs—it is a real nice change of pace for my old bones."I smile real softly at her face as my hands push Zephan's rolling chair across the floor. "As long as your heart is happy, Gran. You and Uncle Zephan's grand suite is right next to my private room."Zephan glances over at my clothes, his gay eyes blinking. "Aren't the suites big enough for all our bodies to sleep together, Lardon? Why did your fingers book separate rooms for your wolf?"My lips curve into a gentle smile. "My screen might have to join some late project calls with Orion Greyclaw and the engineering team at S
LARDON VEXLEY POV"Your male scent should not stay on Draven’s clothes or inside his private space at all," Mireya Duskrell tells Selith Vayne real softly, her fingers smoothing her leather coat inside the front seat.Draven Calder does not say a single word to object to her high words.His gold eyes glance right up at the glass mirror.Through the rearview reflection, his beast catches a clear sight of my slender male body just reaching the public wood stop.My knees sway slightly in the snow, my spirit fighting a wave of sudden faintness—maybe my inner energy is super low from the bitter medicine, forcing my fingers to steady my weight against the side of a big wooden pack board.My wolf looks real unwell today.Draven’s face stays completely cold and indifferent to my pain, but still, his mouth speaks to the front seat. "Pull the truck over."Mireya and Selith look up real fast.Selith is the first one to spot my bad situation by the trees. She guesses exactly what Draven’s brain i
My feet had not planned on riding all the way with his truck anyway."The road is on the way to Nighthowl Systems. My wheels will take your body all the way there," Draven says, glancing down at his heavy watch. His voice sounds low and completely unreadable to my mind.That was the total end of our conversation.After a short while, the iron truck pulls up right to the snowy spot Selith had mentioned. My eyes immediately spot her waiting on the curb—along with Mireya Duskrell.The two of them, standing together in the cold air.No wonder Draven’s beast had suddenly agreed to Selith's request so easily.Selith bounds right over to the truck and opens the heavy door. The exact moment her eyes see my male body sitting inside the seat, her cheerful smile completely vanishes from her lips. She frowns real hard. "What is your shirt doing here today?"She turns her head around, awkwardly looking back at Mireya's coat. "Mireya... my brain did not know he would be sitting inside the truck."M
LARDON VEXLEY POV"My male body was the only sick exception in the whole pack house," I tell his grandmother, my voice shaking a little bit because my stomach feels super bad today.Lately, my alpha appetite had been real poor in the woods; even the slightest strong smell of wild game was enough to make my throat want to retch right on the wood.But when my eyes saw the big worry inside the old woman's face, my wolf forced his mouth to stop the bad feeling, my skin turning pale but real determined to stay strong."Draven, get Lardon something sweet from the woods to take away that bitter medicine taste right now," the old lady barks immediately to the table.Draven Calder finally looks over at my clothes. This time, his big beast does not object to her command. Instead of reaching for the regular dried berries, his heavy shoulders turn right toward Kalista Thornmere. "There is a glass jar of dried cranberries for the Calder Dominion leader in the small cold box inside the cooking cabi
Still, her mouth will not push the matter. When her heart desires it, Draven Calder will make the arrangements for her status. What wolf in this entire forest would ever say no to the supreme leader?Mireya composes her frame and stops asking questions. She looks up at Draven, meeting his gold eyes
LARDON VEXLEY POV"Your wolf is quite a puzzle, isn't he, Lardon?" Orion Greyclaw whispers, and his gay voice is full of light teasing as his eyes track Draven Calder entering the grand hall.He nods toward my leather notebook. "My chest loves how your brain ignores his heavy boots. Your spirit sta
LARDON VEXLEY POV"Get your fingers away from that weapon, Lardon!" Mireya Duskrell yells, and her high voice sounds super mean and loud in the big war room. "Do you think this Wraithfang Recon Unit is a basic forest toy? Your paws cannot just touch our top warrior gear without a special pass from
"I am deeply sorry, Lardon Vexley. You have completely missed the optimal moon cycle for the marrow surgery to halt the silver-rot decay in your ribs."My claws dug into the parchment diagnostic, tearing the edges as the healer’s words echoed. I dialed Ronzek Hale, the pack-bound secretary of Drave







