تسجيل الدخولDamonI did not return home immediately after leaving the southern border.Instead, I drove to the old patrol office near the edge of Silver Moon territory and spent nearly an hour going through records I was not supposed to see without approval.Most of the reports were useless.Weather notes.Rogue movement.Damaged boundary markers.Minor patrol incidents.Then I found the entries from the week Elliot disappeared.Mooncrest warriors had been seen moving along the eastern side of no-man’s-land. Their presence had been recorded twice, both times close enough to the southern route to matter.The official explanation was simple.They had been patrolling rogue territory.Nothing unusual.Nothing suspicious.Except Mooncrest never reported finding anyone.And three days after Elliot disappeared, their borders became heavily restricted.Visitors were turned away.Trade caravans were searched.Even allied patrols were denied access without direct approval from Alpha Adrian.I stared at the
DamonThe ice struck my knee hard enough to send pain through my entire leg, but I barely felt it.My hand remained pressed against my chest while the mate bond pulsed again.Not sharply.Not like the pain of rejection.This was different.Warm.Weak.Distant.Alive.“Damon!”Mason reached me first.He dropped beside me and grabbed my shoulder while the other players gathered around. Coach Grant blew the whistle and ordered everyone to move back, but their scents and voices still crowded the air.“What happened?” Mason asked.“I’m fine.”The words came out through clenched teeth.“You fell.”“I lost my balance.”“You don’t lose your balance.”Coach crouched on my other side.“Can you stand?”“Yes.”I tried.The moment I shifted my weight, another faint pull moved through the bond.My wolf surged forward.Alive.The word echoed through me with terrifying certainty.Our mate is alive.I gripped Mason’s arm.His expression changed.“You felt it again.”I looked at him.The arena seemed t
DamonMason did not look back as he walked away from the garden.Lelia remained near the bench, her hands folded tightly in her lap. Her face was calm, but something about her posture told me the conversation had not been casual. She looked as though she had just agreed to something difficult.When she noticed me, her expression changed.Not guilt.Fear.That unsettled me more than anything else.I walked closer, careful not to move too quickly. The memory of her stepping away from me the previous evening still sat heavily in my mind.“Are you alright?” I asked.“Yes.”Her answer came too quickly.My eyes moved toward the path Mason had taken.“What were you discussing?”Lelia stood.“Nothing important.”“That did not look like nothing.”Her shoulders tightened.I immediately regretted the question. I sounded like Father, demanding answers simply because I believed I had a right to them.I softened my voice.“I’m not accusing you.”She studied me cautiously.“Mason saw me in the corri
LeliaI thought about Mason’s question all night.Could we really be friends when his wolf knew I was his mate?The answer should have been simple.No.There was nothing simple about being promised to one Alpha while fate tied me to another man. There was nothing safe about trusting Mason when my father had already threatened to destroy him. Even friendship felt dangerous because feelings rarely remained where people placed them.Still, when morning came, I found myself looking for him.Not openly.I knew better than that.The mansion was already busy with preparations for the engagement party. Servants carried flower samples through the halls, event coordinators argued about seating arrangements, and tailors waited outside my room with fabric I had not chosen.Every part of the day reminded me that my life belonged to an agreement.By noon, I needed air.I escaped through the rear entrance and walked toward the gardens. The bruise on my cheek had faded beneath makeup, but my wrist st
MasonThe moment Lelia stepped into the corridor, her scent hit me.Fear.It was sharp enough to make my wolf surge forward before I understood what I was seeing. The sweet jasmine and wild honey scent I had recognized as hers was almost completely buried beneath panic, pain, and something bitter that made every protective instinct inside me rise at once.Mate.My wolf’s voice crashed through my head.Protect her.Lelia stood with one hand pressed against the wall as though she needed it to remain upright. Her hair had fallen across one side of her face, but it did not hide the angry red mark on her cheek. Her sleeve had been dragged low over her wrist, and the way she held that arm close to her body told me it hurt.I started toward her.Her eyes widened when she saw me move.Then the door behind her opened.Alpha Victor stepped into the corridor.He looked perfectly calm.His clothes were neat. His expression was controlled. There was no sign of anger or violence on his face, but th
LeliaThe walk to Father’s guest suite felt longer than it should have.Every step carried me farther away from the safety of the main wing and deeper into the quieter part of the mansion reserved for important visitors. The corridors here were almost empty. The servants had already finished preparing the rooms, and the guards stood far enough apart that no one would hear what happened behind a closed door.Father had chosen the location carefully.He always did.By the time I reached the suite, my palms were damp.I stood outside for a moment, staring at the polished wooden door.Maybe he only wanted to discuss the engagement.Maybe he had not seen me in the garden with Damon.Maybe the message had sounded colder than he intended.The lies came easily, but I did not believe any of them.I lifted my hand and knocked.“Enter.”His voice came from inside.I opened the door.Father stood near the window with a glass of amber liquid in one hand. He had removed his jacket, but the rest of
Elliot POVI woke up feeling awful.For a few seconds, I just lay there staring at the ceiling.My body felt strange.Heavy.Weak.Wrong.A dull headache throbbed behind my eyes.My stomach churned uneasily.Even sitting up made the room spin.I pressed a hand against my forehead and groaned.“What
The entire pack was celebrating tognight! banners hanging brightly across the pack square, and music blasting from large speakers set up around the open field. Food stalls lined the edges, their delicious aromas mingling with the excitement, while children ran around wearing Damon jerseys, their
The entire city were buzzing with excitement, the air thick with anticipation that you could almost feel on your skin no matter where you went. Everywhere I turned, people were talking about the hockey game—the biggest one of the season, the championship match that had everyone on edge. Even be
By the time training finally ended, every single part of my body ached with exhaustion and pain that ran deep into my muscles and bones. My arms throbbed from the endless drills, and my legs felt so weak they might give out beneath me at any moment. There was still dried mud caked on my clothes, a







