The hamring is the first thing I hear.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
My eyes snap open.
I jolt upright so fast my head spins. My hands fly to my surroundings, and I realize—wooden walls, thin blanket, the faint sll of dried herbs.
Brielle’s Oga house.
I blink hard. "What the hell...?"
The hamring continues outside, it sounded like soone chopping wood, the strikes hitting in angry rhythm. I rub my eyes, trying to process how I got here, but the mories hit like a slap.
The party.
The stranger.
His fingers on my waist.
His deep, smooth, sinful voice.
His body above mine, thrusting in.
My panties in his hand.
I groan and bury my face in my palms. "Fuck. I actually left them with him."
I rember lying to him—"Let make a call"—then sneaking out of the cabin barefoot, my dress twisted, my panties literally gone, stumbling through the woods like a lunatic. I didn’t even look back. I felt him staring at from his upstairs window. I could feel those gray eyes on my spine.
But I didn’t turn.
I couldn’t.
If I had looked... I’m not sure I would have walked away.
I swing my legs off the bed and stand. My dress from last night is wrinkled beyond saving, hickeys all over my neck probably bright purple, and my hair looks like I fought a wild raccoon.
Great. Perfect Oga look.
I push open the door and step outside.
Brielle is by the chopping area with three other Oga girls. They’re whispering fast, their eyes darting around like they’re scared of being overheard. The mont they see , all three scatter like pigeons.
"Wow," I mutter. "Love the warm welco."
Brielle turns to mid-swing, dropping her axe. "Irene?" Her jaw drops. "You’re awake."
I give a weak smile. "Yeah. Um... sorry. I left the party without telling you."
She opens her mouth to respond—then her eyes widen. "Wait—what is that?" She marches toward , squinting. "Oh my Goddess. Irene."
"What?" I blink.
Brielle lifts my hair, fingers brushing the marks, the hickeys. "Your neck. You look like soone tried to eat you alive."
I choke. "Brielle!"
She snorts. "Don’t ’Brielle’ . Who did this? Were you hiding a hot secret from ?"
I laugh despite the embarrassnt, covering my face. "Shut up."
She pulls off her shawl and wraps it around my neck without asking. "There. Before soone reports you for having too much fun."
I sigh. "Thanks."
She grins. "So... you did have a great ti?"
I roll my eyes. "I’m begging you to stop."
"Nope," she says. "You owe details later."
I groan loudly.
Brielle laughs, returns to chopping wood, and I glance around. A bunch of Ogas are gathered near the fire pit, whispering heatedly. Others peek toward the main road like they’re expecting sothing huge.
"What’s going on?" I ask.
She lifts the axe and strikes the log. "Alpha Devon, his Beta, and his Gamma arrived last night."
I freeze.
My blood runs cold.
"...what?" I whisper.
Brielle keeps chopping. "Yeah. eting with Elder Rowan."
I swallow hard. "What are they doing here?"
"Rumor says Alpha Devon wants to make changes to Ironfang now that he’s basically taking over." She wipes sweat off her forehead. "You know—new Alpha, new rules."
My fists clench. "He’s not my Alpha."
She shrugs. "Well, legally, he kind of is."
Anger flares so fast my jaw aches. "If I et him, I swear—I won’t hesitate to kill him."
Brielle’s axe drops mid-swing. "Irene!"
"I an it," I hiss. "He ruined my family, he ruined my life. If he stands in front of , I’ll—"
"—Irene! Brielle!" Jasper, Brielle’s brother, jogs over, breathless and excited. "Alpha Devon invited all Ogas to the main Pack house. Right now! He said he has an important announcent."
The yard erupts into cheers.
The man beams. "Do you know what this ans? We’ve never been inside the main Pack house before!"
One of the Ogas gasps. "Holy shit. This is big."
Everyone starts rushing around—fixing hair, grabbing shawls, straightening shirts.
I just stand there.
Silent.
Numb.
The main Pack house?
The place where I was rejected.
The place where Simon told I was "no one."
The place where my life shattered.
I swallow hard.
Brielle nudges . "Hey... are you okay?"
"No," I say honestly. "But I’m going."
She frowns. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." My voice is tighter than rope. "I need to see him."
"Him?"
"The monster who took everything from ."
She places a hand on my shoulder. "Just don’t do anything reckless."
I give a small cold smile. "Not reckless. Necessary."
A few hours later, all of us Ogas walk the long dirt path toward the main Pack house. Everyone is buzzing with excitent, chattering loudly.
Except .
My stomach feels like it’s filled with stones.
The mont the Pack house cos into view, its tall stone walls, the large windows, the wooden double doors, I stop breathing.
The mories slam into .
Simon standing on the stage.
The whispers.
The realisation.
The rejection.
The pain.
I force a breath, tug Brielle’s shawl tighter around my neck, and walk inside.
The hall is empty, chairs removed, leaving only a wide open space. Ogas gather excitedly, pointing at decorations, touching walls like they’re touching a forbidden world.
I stand near the back, eyes burning.
Brielle whispers, "You okay?"
"No."
Seconds later, silence sweeps the room.
A decorum falls like a switch being flipped.
Soone steps onto the podium.
Gideon.
His eyes sweep the crowd, and a tiny smile touches my lips. Familiar face. Loyal face. Soone who isn’t a nightmare.
Brielle whispers, "He looks angry."
"He always looks angry," I whisper back.
He moves aside.
Another man steps forward—long black hair tied back, expression unreadable.
Then another—silver hair, eyes hard as steel.
The silver-haired one steps to the front, glaring at us like we’re dirt beneath his boots.
Gasps ripple through the room.
"That must be the Alpha," Brielle whispers.
But then—
The silver-haired man bows.
To soone behind him.
My heart starts racing.
A familiar figure climbs the podium steps. Slow. Confident. Familiar.
No.
No.
NO.
I choke on my breath.
He steps forward fully, turning to face the crowd.
Jet-black hair parted in the center.
Icy gray eyes.
Sharp jawline.
Broad shoulders.
The sa voice that whispered in my ear.
The sa body above mine last night.
The sa man whose fingers were buried in .
The sa man who left marks all over my neck.
My stomach drops to my knees.
"No," I whisper. "Please. No. Please tell I’m wrong."
Brielle glances at . "Irene? What’s—"
He speaks.
"It is of great delight to have you here, people of Ironfang." His voice rolls through the hall, smooth and cold. "My na is Alpha Devon Warner, Alpha of Silvercrest Pack."
Everything in stops.
My sight blurs.
My knees almost give out.
Brielle grabs my arm. "Irene? Irene!"
But I can’t hear her.
Because all I can hear is last night—
"Hey, baby. You look at when I fuck you, alright?"
"You taste like fire."
"Do you trust ?"
"Smart girl."
"My sweet angel."
Alpha Devon.
I slept with Alpha Devon.
My enemy.
The man who destroyed my life.
The man I swore to kill.
The man whose na I cursed—
And last night I was moaning underneath him.
My world collapses.
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