LOGINThe older man’s sudden shift in demeanor was absolutely sickening. Faced with the crushing, suffocating weight of an enraged Alpha, Emerald's father instantly abandoned his cruel arrogance. He held up his hands in a pathetic, placating gesture, plastering on a mask of false, fatherly concern."I was just trying to get my daughter to come home," he stammered, his voice dropping into a sickeningly sweet, pleading tone as he looked up at Zyan. "We... her mother and I, we just miss her so much, you see. I just wanted to talk to her."A low, vibrating snarl ripped through the clearing. It didn't come from Zyan. It came from Jeffries, who had to be physically held back by Cobb’s two youngest sons as his claws bit deeply into his own palms to keep from lunging.Zyan didn't move an inch. He didn't blink. He just stared down at the man, his head tilting a fraction of an inch to the side. He could smell the cheap ale on the man’s breath, the bitter tang of his deceit, and beneath it all, the sh
"Let go of me."The words didn't come out as a terrified squeak, and they weren't a trembling plea. They came out as a fierce, jagged snarl that scraped the back of her throat and surprised even her.Emerald planted her feet firmly in the dirt. She didn't have the towering, half-feral muscle of her Silver Paw cousins. She wasn't a lethal, born combatant like Reagan. But as she stared at the man who had stood by and watched her soul be systematically shredded—the man who had looked at her broken, bleeding pieces and called it her own fault—a dam finally broke inside her.Decades of being the quiet, compliant, terrified mouse vanished in a single heartbeat. The golden, unbroken spirit of Liora flared brilliantly in Emerald’s eyes, illuminating her gaze with a wild, breathtaking defiance.She violently twisted her arm, throwing her entire body weight against his grip.Her father's jaw dropped in sheer, absolute shock. For her entire life, his daughter had only ever shrunk away, bowing he
Across the bustling festival grounds, Reagan had just grabbed a fresh drink and was leaning casually against a wooden post, scanning the crowd. Her eyes missed absolutely nothing. Which was why she noticed the exact second the atmosphere around the Silver Paw table violently fractured.One moment, the six brothers were loud, rowdy, and deep in the throes of flirting. The next, they were moving with lethal precision. They didn't just walk away from the festivities; they cut through the crowd of celebrating wolves like a pack of highly trained war scouts closing in on a target. Shoulders squared, jaws locked, and eyes flashing with raw aggression.Reagan straightened up, instantly setting her drink down on the nearest barrel. She knew exactly who those boys were sworn to protect. Her gaze darted quickly across the field—Nesha had walked off earlier, Zyan was currently on the far side of the grounds shaking hands with a visiting Alpha, and Emerald was nowhere to be seen.Hell no, Reagan
Emerald shook her head, tears finally welling in her eyes as the deep, lingering wounds of her past threatened to reopen."My heart has led me astray before, Aunt Nesha," Emerald whispered, her voice breaking under the weight of the memory.Nesha’s expression instantly hardened—not at Emerald, but at the thought of the monsters who had broken her niece. She stepped closer, gently but firmly framing Emerald's face in both of her hands, forcing the younger woman to look directly into her unwavering eyes."No, Mouse. Your heart was exactly where it was supposed to be," Nesha said, her voice fiercely absolute, leaving absolutely no room for doubt. "It was right where the Moon Goddess told you it belonged. What happened... that was all Julia and Stephen. That was not you, dear. That was not your heart making a mistake."Nesha’s thumbs gently swept across Emerald’s cheekbones, catching a stray tear before it could fall."What they did to you," Nesha continued, a flicker of dark, protective
"Good," Jeffries said, the hard, protective line of his jaw finally relaxing into a small, knowing smirk. He crossed his thick arms over his chest. "No disrespect intended, Zyan.""None taken, Jeffries," Zyan replied smoothly, completely unbothered by the warning. In fact, he wouldn't have expected anything less from her family.Zyan shifted his attention past the wall of brothers, his blue eyes finding Emerald one last time. He offered her a warm, gentle smile that made her heart flutter all over again."I'm going to go take my strolls through the visiting packs now," Zyan told her, his voice shifting back into the confident, easy cadence of a gracious host. "I need to congratulate the winners, and definitely congratulate the losers—because that just makes them want to come back bigger and stronger next year."He gave her a respectful, lingering nod before turning back to the wider festival grounds, seamlessly stepping back into his role as the Alpha of the Frost Pack.Emerald watche
Zyan saw the overwhelming realization dawn in her eyes and quickly stepped in to ease the sudden weight resting on her shoulders."You don't have to if you don't want to," Zyan assured her, his voice incredibly gentle, stripped of any demanding Alpha command. "But if you do make them, you can be absolutely certain that if you never want to wear yours... they will never be worn. I will keep them in a safe place forever. And I will pay you for your time and craftsmanship, of course."Zyan saw the overwhelming realization dawn in her eyes and quickly stepped in to ease the sudden weight resting on her shoulders. It had hit Emerald like a physical blow, the weight of it crushing her lungs. She stepped back, but Zyan was already there, not to trap her, but to block the world from seeing her shake."You don't have to," Zyan said. His voice was low, stripped of the Alpha command that usually vibrated in his tone. "If you make them, and you never want to wear yours, they will never be worn. I
Maddox's gaze wandered toward the distant packhouse, his expression changing incredibly tender. "That was one of your mother's favorite things to do, you know. To sit down with the three of us after a long day in the dirt, spread the lists out over the desk, and run everyone's crazy suggestions by
As the guards hoisted the last of the flour bags into the back of the SUV, Reagan closed the tailgate with a solid thud and then rested against the bumper. She let out a long sigh, wiping a smudge of dirt from her jeans, before turning to the older woman."I'm really happy we could have this day to
Standing nonchalantly against the wooden doorframe, Maddox watched the exchange in quiet amusement. For the first time in his adult life, he was just a spectator on his own territory. He didn't have to be the one barking the orders, stressing over the logistics, or managing the pack's reputation. T
Reagan completely froze. Her hands tightened convulsively in the material of Xander's shirt, her digits turning bone-white. But she didn't collapse. She didn't bury her face and sob. Instead, she slowly lifted her chin. The hollow dullness in her eyes shifted, and a faint, familiar twinkle—a flash







