"We need to move," Kael ordered, pulling Elara toward a hidden door behind one of the bookshelves.
"This passage leads to the safe room." Ronan wiped blood from his eyes.
"There's no ti. They're already inside." As if to prove his point, shouts and crashes echoed through the halls, getting closer.
"How many?" Kael demanded.
"At least ten hunters, plus Celeste and three pack traitors," Ronan growled.
"They have wolfsbane weapons." Elara's heart pounded. Wolfsbane could kill werewolves. Even Alphas.
"Why would Celeste work with hunters?" she asked, her voice shaking.
"They're enemies to all wolves!"
"Jealousy makes people do crazy things," Ronan said darkly.
Heavy footsteps thundered down the hallway. Kael pushed Elara behind him, facing the door. His body tensed, ready to fight. "Go with Ronan," he commanded. "I'll hold them off."
"But—" Elara began.
"Now!" Kael roared, his eyes flashing Alpha gold.
Ronan grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the secret door. The last thing she saw was Kael shifting, his human form blurring as a massive black wolf took his place. Ronan led her through dark, narrow passages.
"Kael will be okay," he said, sensing her fear. "He's stronger than he looks."
They erged outside, the cold night air hitting Elara's face. Distant howls and gunshots made her flinch.
"The pack is fighting back," Ronan explained, pulling her toward the forest. "We need to get you sowhere safe until it's over."
They ran until Elara's lungs burned. Finally, they reached a small cabin deep in the woods. "My hideaway," Ronan said, unlocking the door. "No one knows about it except Darian."
Inside was simple but cozy—a bed, a small kitchen, and a fireplace. Ronan imdiately checked the windows and doors, making sure they were secure.
Elara sank onto a chair, her legs trembling. "This is all my fault."
"No," Ronan said firmly.
"Celeste made her choice. She betrayed the pack."
"People are getting hurt because of ."
Ronan knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his.
"Listen to , Elara. You didn't ask for any of this. But now that it's happening, we have to be strong." His touch was warm, comforting.
Unlike Kael's cold distance, Ronan radiated heat and life. "What if Kael—"
"Is too stubborn to die," Ronan finished with a small smile. "Trust ."
They waited through the night, jumping at every sound. Dawn finally broke, painting the forest gold. Ronan's phone buzzed.
"It's Darian," he said, reading the ssage. "The hunters are gone. Celeste escaped with them. Three pack mbers died."
Elara covered her mouth, tears spilling down her cheeks. "No..."
"It's not your fault," Ronan repeated, pulling her into his arms.
"We're at war now, but not because of you. Because Celeste chose power over loyalty."
They returned to the pack house to find it damaged but standing. Alpha Marcus was organizing search parties to track Celeste. Luna Evelyn was treating the wounded. And Kael... Kael stood in the courtyard, covered in blood but alive.
When he saw Elara, sothing flickered in his eyes—relief, quickly hidden. "You're safe," he said stiffly.
"Thanks to you," she replied.
He nodded once, then turned away to help with repairs.
The next days were tense. Pack mbers whispered when Elara walked by. So blad her for the attack. Others were simply afraid of what she might be.
"Ignore them," Ronan told her as they walked through the main pack grounds. "They'll co around."
But the whispers hurt. One morning, as Elara got breakfast in the pack house kitchen, a group of young wolves blocked her path. "Look who it is," one sneered.
"The oga who thinks she's special."
"My cousin died because of you," another spat. "The hunters shot him with wolfsbane bullets."
Elara tried to move past them, but they surrounded her. "Maybe we should show her what happens to ogas who forget their place," the largest one suggested, grabbing her arm.
A growl ripped through the room. Ronan appeared, his eyes glowing dangerously. "Take your hands off her," he commanded, his voice deadly quiet.
"She doesn't belong here," the wolf argued. Ronan moved so fast Elara barely saw it. Suddenly the bully was pinned against the wall, Ronan's hand around his throat. "She is my mate," Ronan snarled. "Disrespect her again, and you'll answer to . Understood?" The wolves scattered, mumbling apologies.
Ronan turned to Elara, his face softening. "Are you okay?"
She nodded, though her hands shook. "Why do they hate so much?"
"Fear makes people cruel," he said.
"Co on, I want to show you sothing." Ronan took her deep into pack territory, away from the judgntal eyes.
They hiked uphill for an hour until they reached a stunning overlook. The entire valley spread below them, mountains rising in the distance.
"Wow," Elara breathed, the beauty montarily making her forget her troubles.
"I co here when I need to rember what's worth fighting for," Ronan said, sitting on a boulder.
"This land, our pack... it's bigger than any one person's fears or grudges." Elara sat beside him.
"Even Kael's?" Ronan laughed.
"Especially Kael's. My brother spends so much ti worrying about being the perfect Alpha that he forgets to live."
"And you don't worry?"
"About being perfect? Never." His eyes twinkled.
"Life's too short for that." For the first ti since arriving at the pack house, Elara felt herself relax. Ronan had a way of making everything seem simpler.
"Tell sothing about yourself," he said. "Sothing no one else knows." Elara thought for a mont.
"I used to make up stories about the stars. I pretended they were watching over when I felt alone."
"You're not alone anymore," Ronan said softly. He told her funny stories about growing up as a triplet, about the pranks he played on Kael, about the ti he shifted into his wolf form for the first ti and got stuck halfway. Elara laughed until her sides hurt. She couldn't rember the last ti she'd laughed like that.
"There it is," Ronan said, his eyes warm. "I've been waiting to hear that sound."
They spent the day exploring his favorite places—a hidden waterfall, an ancient oak tree, a adow full of wildflowers. With each step, the pack house and its problems felt further away.
"Why are you so different from Kael?" she asked as they walked back.
"We may share the sa face, but we don't share the sa heart," Ronan replied.
"Kael sees duty. I see possibilities."
"And Darian?" "Darian sees everything but shows nothing," Ronan said with a shrug.
"He's always been the mysterious one."
When they returned, Alpha Marcus was waiting for them. His face was grim.
"The council is eting tomorrow," he announced.
"They want to see Elara... and decide her fate."
"What do you an, decide her fate?" Ronan demanded.
"She's our mate!"
"Not everyone accepts that," Alpha Marcus replied.
"So believe she's a threat, especially after Celeste's attack."
"This is ridiculous," Ronan protested. "She's done nothing wrong!" Alpha Marcus's eyes narrowed.
"It's not about right or wrong anymore, son. It's about power. And there are those who will do anything to get it."
That night, Elara couldn't sleep. The council eting lood over her like a storm cloud. Would they force her to leave? Or worse? A soft tap ca at her balcony door. Startled, she looked up to see Ronan standing outside. She opened the door.
"I couldn't sleep," he explained. "I was worried about you."
"I'm scared," she admitted.
"Don't be," he said, taking her hands. "I won't let anything happen to you." His closeness made her heart race.
Unlike with Kael, whose presence made her nervous, Ronan made her feel safe. He gently lifted her chin. "Whatever happens tomorrow, rember you're not facing it alone."
Just as he leaned closer, the bedroom door burst open. Darian stood there, his face pale. "Tobias Grey has escaped," he announced. "And he left a ssage... written in blood." Ronan tensed.
"What ssage?" Darian's eyes t Elara's. "It said, 'The silver-eyed one must choose before the next full moon, or all three brothers will die.'" Elara's hand flew to the moon pendant around her neck as Ronan's words echoed in her mind. Not facing it alone. But the prophecy's warning was clear—her choice could an life or death for all three brothers.
Reviews
All reviews (0)