Ch. 186..190: A Warrior Luna's Awakening Chapter 186-190
Chapter 186
Freya’s POV
Finished
Silas caught my hands before I could pull away. His grip wasn’t rough, but there was a tremor of urgency beneath it. When he turned to face me, his dark eyes gleamed with a rare, unguarded light.
“If you don’t despise me for what I am… me than anyone else ever has. Promise me that.”
wzed to face me, his dark eyes gleamed wear it, Freya. Don’t just say you’ll accept me. Prove it. Be beker to a
For a heartbeat, I just stared at him. The Ironclad Coalition’s Alpha, the man who carried scars on his back like a map of suffering, looked at me now like a wounded pup begging not to be abandoned. I almost laughed at the absurdity of it, but instead a helpless smile tugged at my lips.
“All right,” I said softly, squeezing his hands. “I’ll treat you better.”
The words seemed to undo something inside him. His control, always taut as a drawn bow, snapped. He hauled me against his chest, one arm clamping around my waist like steel, and his mouth crashed down on mine.
His lips were cold at first, cautious, as though even kissing me might break some sacred trust. But when I didn’t pull away- when I tilted my head and pressed back–he deepened the kiss with a hunger that stole my breath. His restraint burned away, leaving behind raw need.
By the time we stumbled out of the bathroom, my cheeks were blazing, and my lips were swollen and red. Even the hollow of my throat bore the evidence of his fervor–small marks that throbbed faintly against my pulse. My wolf stirred uneasily inside me, whispering that his claim was dangerous, intoxicating, and far too easy to accept.
Silas, on the other hand, looked utterly unbothered. His breathing was steady, his face calm, his body loose with confidence.
I couldn’t help glaring at him. “Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked, as he casually began dressing right in front of
me.
He smirked, never breaking eye contact. “Because you’re staring at me as though you’ve discovered something.”
“I’m staring because you’re too damn calm,” I retorted. “Like what just happened was… normal for you.”
His laugh was low and warm, rumbling in his chest. Then, without warning, he caught my hand and pressed it against his chest–right over his heart.
“Does that feel calm to you?” he whispered.
Under my palm, his hearth dammed against his ribs, fast and frantic, as though my presence alone had set
aflame.
his blood
“Freya… to you, maybe it was just a kiss. But to me? You’re the first woman I’ve ever truly wanted. The first I’ve kissed, the first I’ve lain beside without shame. You’re not just the first–you’ll be the last.”
I froze, my eyes widening. My brain tripped over his words, stumbling to catch up.
“You… what? You can’t possibly mean-”
But I thought back to our first kiss. How clumsy he’d been, how stiff and untested. It wasn’t my imagination–he really had been awkward, inexperienced. Silas, heir of the Whitmore line, had given his first kiss to me.
The revelation rattled me so badly that for the next several days, I kept replaying it in my mind. How was it possible that someone like him powerful, feared, cold–could still be unclaimed, untouched?
Yet if he was a student, he was a quick learner. Each time he stole a kiss in passing, his lips moved with more confidence,
pore insistence, until it was my turn to be breathless and off balance. And I didn’t push him away. The truth was, I liked it. More than liked it. The pull between us was undeniable. And besides… wasn’t he my chosen mate?
At night, the lines between restraint and surrender blurred further. After that first night together, he never asked again—he simply appeared at my door, slipping into my room like it was his right. At first, I wanted to refuse. To remind him that we weren’t there
yet, that I wasn’t sure if my feelings for him were strong enough to withstand the storm of his world.
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Chapter 186
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But then he’d look at me with those haunted eyes, or worse, he’d smile with that wicked, knowing curve of his mouth, and I caved. I let him in. Again and again.
And yet… for all his power and hunger, he never crossed the line. His hand would brush along my skin, teasing, daring me to ask for more, but when I didn’t, he’d simply hold my hand as sleep dragged us under.
My wolf understood the unspoken vow in that gesture–Until she asks, I won’t take.
It both comforted me and drove me insane.
Meanwhile, the human world spun on outside our cocoon. The incident with the Consortium’s trapped workers had spread like wildfire across every network. Footage of the rescue efforts went viral, sparking debates across the packs.
For once, the press didn’t slander us–they praised us. Praised the Coalition, praised Whitmor, praised the Stormveil branch that had joined the mission. Everywhere I looked, commentary hailed our speed, our cooperation, our unity.
One night, as I sat on the edge of Silas’s bed scrolling through WolfComm, my screen lit with an unfamiliar number.
“Hello?” I answered cautiously.
“Miss Freya Thorne?” A woman’s voice, polished and professional, greeted me. “This is with Halston Broadcast. We’re producing a feature on the recent rescue efforts, and we’d like to invite you onto our program.”
I almost laughed. “Sorry, but I don’t do talk shows. Not my thing.”
“Please, reconsider,” the woman pressed. “Every other participant has already agreed, and we want the full story. Aurora, for instance, has confirmed her attendance. You flew beside her that day, didn’t you?”
Aurora.
The name soured on my tongue. My wolf bristled instantly, hackles rising. That Beta’s daughter–newly minted pilot of the Bluemoon Airborne Wing–had the audacity to stand in front of cameras and bask in glory that didn’t belong to her?
My fingers tightened around the phone. “Fine. I’ll come.”
“Wonderful,” the producer gushed.
I hung up before she could say more, my pulse already quickening. If Aurora thought she could twist that rescue into her. story, she was about to learn the hard way that Freya Thorne didn’t sit quietly while others stole her pack’s honor.
And this time, I wouldn’t be fighting with guns or claws. I’d be fighting with truth,
Silas shifted beside me, glancing at the tension in my face. His hand slid over mine, grounding me, his wolf brushing against mine in quiet support
“Another battle?” he asked softly.
I smiled, sharp and humorless. “Yes. And I intend to win.”
Chapter 187
Silas’s POV
Finished
I could smell her frustration before she said a word. Freya’s wolf bristled, her irritation rolling off her like heatwaves. She hated Aurora with the kind of cold, cutting fury that could peel flesh from bone.
I leaned closer, tilting my head as I studied her. “If you don’t like her, I can end this for you. One word, Freya, and Aurora disappears from the game.”
Aurora was just the Beta’s daughter from the Bluemoon Pack, and even with her shiny new badge as a pilot in the Airborne. Wing, she was nothing compared to me. I could crush her future with a flick of my fingers.
But Freya’s eyes narrowed, flaring that dangerous amber glow that made my wolf sit up inside me. “No. The ones I want to deal with–I’ll deal with myself. Aurora doesn’t deserve your hand in this.”
Her words curled like smoke inside me. Pride. Defiance. She didn’t need me to fight her battles. And still… I would tear down the sky for her if she asked.
“Fine;”
“Fine,” I said, lowering my voice, letting a note of promise slide in. “But when you need me, you ask. Whatever it is, I’ll make it happen.”
She gave me a brief look–half grateful, half stubborn–and the matter was closed. For now.
The day of the broadcast came too quickly. I accompanied Freya to the Halston Broadcast studios, ignoring the whispers of staff that rippled the moment I stepped through the doors. Wolves and humans alike froze when they saw me walking into a television station like it was enemy territory.
None of them expected me to show. And they sure as hell didn’t expect me to sit down among the mortals like just another face in the crowd.
One brave staffer finally found her tongue. “Mr. Whitmor, are you here… as a guest?”
I arched a brow, letting the weight of my presence bear down just enough for her to sweat. “No. I’ll sit in the audience.”
The girl nearly choked on her own tongue. Audience? They’d probably never let an Alpha of my stature in the front doors without a camera pointed at his face. Now I was choosing to be background furniture. I could see the gleam in her eyes- visions of ratings and headlines already flashing in her skull..
Good. Let them salivate.
Inside the studio, Aurora was already perched on one of the couches, all painted smiles and false sweetness. When Freya entered, Aurora’s expression cracked, revealing the snarl underneath before she smoothed it back into a smirk.
“Well, look who finally decided to bask in the spotlight,” Aurora sneered. “I thought you were too noble to seek attention. Turns out, you just wanted your moment under the lights like the rest of us.”
Freya’s reply was sharp as a fang. “At least I saved lives, Aurora, Funny, I can’t recall a single soul you managed to pull from the wreckage. So tell me, why are you even here?”
Aurora flushed, then pasted on a brittle smile. “You should be grateful I didn’t swoop in. My aircraft was right behind yours. If you’d failed, I would’ve stepped in. I was praying you’d succeed, Freya. Truly”
My claws itched to tear the smugness off her face. Freya tilted her head, her voice dripping venom. “Ah. So the helicopter frozen in the sky that day–that was you. I thought it was a rookie afraid of the wind currents. My mistake.”
Aurora’s face went crimson.
And then, of course, Caelum Grafton had to open his damned mouth. “That’s unfair, Freya. Aurora was monitoring conditions. If you hadn’t been able to complete the rescue, she would’ve taken over.”
My lip curled. Typical Silverfang arrogance, rushing to defend the Bluemoon darling. Freya didn’t even waste real anger on him–just a cold, cutting laugh. “Believe her if you want, Caelum. You always did.”
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Chapter 197
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The host intervened with a cheerful clap of hands, pretending not to feel the charged dominance filling the room. “All right, let’s get ready for recording.”
I leaned toward Freya, my voice low. “I’ll head to the audience.”
She nodded once, trusting me without question. And that small gesture–it sank deeper than she knew.
I took my seat in the front row. Caelum slid in nearby, his scent souring the air. My wolf snarled inside me, but I leashed it. This wasn’t the battlefield–yet.
The program started, the host launching into their rehearsed lines about bravery, teamwork, sacrifice. The cameras panned across the participants, then turned exactly where I knew they would–straight to me.
And Caelum, though he was little more than a side note in the lens.
The big screen filled with my image. I saw the shock ripple across the audience. Most of them didn’t even know my name, but they knew power when they saw it. They knew a predator when one sat among them.
The host turned sly, grinning. “Both of our pilots brought guests today. Gentlemen in the front–may we ask who you are to them?”
The trap was sex. They wanted the reveal, the headline, the spark to send their ratings sky–high.
Before I could open my mouth, Freya beat me to it.
“He’s my boyfriend,” she said, calm, unapologetic.
For a second, I thought I’d misheard her. But the word rang clear, echoing through the studio like a battle horn. Boyfriend. Claimed. Mine.
My wolf roared in triumph inside me, its tail lashing, teeth bared in savage satisfaction. My lips pulled into a smile I couldn’t restrain, sharp and bright.
On the screen above us, I watched my own face shift Alpha composure cracking into something warmer, something unguarded. My eyes gleamed, my mouth curved. And gods, I didn’t care who saw.
She’d given me a place at her side. Publicly. Before the packs, before the world.
Not as a weapon. Not as a Coalition Alpha. But as her male.
For the first time in years, I felt like I could breathe.
The host gawked, then quickly covered it with professional delight, already imagining the storm this revelation would cause. Ratings, headlines, speculation–they could have their feeding frenzy.
All I cared about was the fire in Freya’s eyes when she said it. And the fact that for the first time in her life, she’d let the world see me standing at her side.
Chapter 188
Freya’s POV
* Finished
The moment the host leaned toward me, voice brimming with excitement, I knew exactly where his thoughts were heading.
“So,” he said, eyes bright, “how did the two of you meet, and what made you decide to be together? Could you share a little
with us?”
Heat brushed my cheeks, but I forced myself to remain composed. This wasn’t supposed to be about me, not tonight. This stage was for the rescue mission, not for prying into my private life.
“Tonight’s interview,” I said evenly, “isn’t meant to be about me personally. It wouldn’t be fitting to go into that here.”
I saw his expression flicker with faint disappointment, but the man recovered quickly, shifting his attention toward the woman sitting opposite me.
Aurora.
The Bluemoon Beta’s daughter lounged on the studio sofa as though it were her rightful throne. Her sleek uniform had been tailored to perfection, the gleam of her flight insignia catching in the lights. I’d thought perhaps she would play coy. Instead, her lips curved with a calculated smile.
“Then perhaps we should ask you, Miss Aurora,” the host continued. “The gentleman who accompanied you here–your /friend?”
Her chin lifted an inch higher, pride burning in her eyes as she gestured toward the front row. “He’s not just a friend. He is the founder and Alpha of SilverTech Forgeworks… and my fiancé, Caelum Grafton.”
The words hit the room like a thunderclap.
I wasn’t the only one stunned into silence. Caelum himself, the man who had always carried himself with an untouchable certainty–stared at her, his face draining of color. The cameras didn’t miss it. They captured every twitch of his jaw, every unguarded second of his shock.
My brows drew together. Caelum Grafton, Aurora’s fiancé? Since when?
The host, thrilled by the drama, seized upon the claim. “So Miss Aurora arrives with her fiancé! I heard during the rescue mission he boarded your aircraft as well. He must have cared deeply, fearing for your safety.”
“Yes,” Aurora replied smoothly, tilting her head toward him with an expression of tender adoration that was anything but genuine. “Caelum loves me very much. Isn’t that right, Caelum?”
All eyes turned on him.
I caught it in his gaze that flicker of doubt, of unease. He hadn’t been prepared for this. Aurora had thrust him into a corner with nowhere to run.
For an Alpha, he looked uncharacteristically small.
“Yes…” His voice was low, strained. “I love you.”
A tight smile pulled at Aurora’s mouth. Triumph. She could already see the headlines. Once the episode aired, once her words were broadcast to every pack in the region, her claim would become truth. Caelum would be bound to her. A public engagement couldn’t be undone without disgrace, not for an Alpha.
I didn’t understand. Caelum had always seemed to carry Aurora in his heart, like some treasured ideal. She was his “white moon,” the legend whispered. And yet, the hollow look in his eyes told a different story–that he was already regretting her
Chains.
None of it was my concern. Not anymore.
The host, oblivious to the tension cutting through the room, pushed the interview forward. “Let’s move to the real matter. Can the two of you–our heroic pilots–tell us what went through your mind when you heard lives were in danger? Did the
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risks ever make you hesitate?”
Aurora leaned forward, seizing the moment. “Hesitate? Never.” Her voice rang with righteous conviction. “When lives are at stake, when fate demands courage, it is our duty to act. How could I possibly shrink away?”
The audience erupted into applause. Some even rose to their feet, clapping fervently as the host looked on with open admiration.
you were
“Remarkable. Truly admirable. Miss Aurora, you are not only the Bluemoon Airborne Wing’s new pilot, but I hear also part of the border fire rescue five years ago. A hero then, a hero now! Let’s give her another round of applause.”
The ovation swelled again, thundering in my ears. Aurora’s lashes fluttered as though she were soaking in the adoration like sunlight.
My stomach soured. I remembered that border fire. I remembered who had bled and who had burned. And I remembered who hadn’t been there.
The host turned at last to me. And you, Miss Thorne? How did you feel in that moment, knowing the task was dangerous? Did fear ever touch you?”
My lips curved in a humorless smile. “At that moment, I only thought of one thing–that lives were on the line. The world doesn’t revolve around Aurora. Pilots aren’t so rare a breed that she should set conditions. She tried to use trapped civilians as bargaining chips, and I refused to allow it. So I flew.”
A sharp silence fell.
The host’s eyes
widened. “What?”
Aurora shot to her feet, fury staining her cheeks crimson. “Freya, how dare you! That’s a lie, a filthy slander!”
Her aura flared, Beta–born power sparking against mine. But I held her gaze, cold and unyielding, and slowly drew WolfComm from my pocket.
I tapped the screen, and the studio filled with sound.
I leaned back in my chair, arms crossed over my chest, and let the truth hang heavy in the air.
Let them see her for what she was.
Chapter 189
Freya’s POV
The audio played loud enough to strip the air from the room.
Finished
“Freya, aren’t you a retired soldier? Don’t you always like to parade your so–called kindness? Well, I’m giving you a chance to
prove
it now.”
Aurora’s voice–sharp, manipulative, dripping with venom–echoed through the studio.
The audience’s gasps fell into silence. A silence so thick I could hear the hum of the cameras capturing every second. Aurora’s face turned a blotchy red, her composure cracking like thin glass under a wolf’s claw.
With a strangled sound, she lunged across the narrow space between us, fingers outstretched to snatch the WolfComm from my hand.
I blocked her with my free arm, my stance instinctive–military and wolf–born. She wasn’t taking anything from me.
The recording continued, merciless.
“As long as you apologize to me, and I’m satisfied, then of course I’ll pilot the helicopter. But if you don’t… if my mood sours, and my hands slip while flying, well–who knows what might happen? If those Bloodmoon employees trapped out there die because of delayed rescue, it’ll be on you.”
By the time the last word fell, the crowd was staring at her like she was a creature dragged from the shadows of the wilds- something foul and unrecognizable.
This was the Bluemoon Pack’s “hero“?
Aurora stumbled back, her face drained of all color. “N–no. That’s not real! It’s fabricated!” She forced a shrill laugh that only made her look more desperate. “I didn’t use trapped civilians as leverage. I only… I only wanted an apology because Freya had smeared my name before.”
I rose slowly, holding the WolfComm loosely at my side, my eyes locking on hers. Cold. Unforgiving. “And what exactly did I smear you with, Aurora? Do
you have proof of these accusations? If you don’t, then perhaps I should say you’re smearing me right now.”
Her lips twisted into a snarl, but her words faltered.
The audience watched, rapt. No one missed the dominance tug–of–war between us.
“You’ve got plenty of ways to hide evidence!” she hissed. “That doesn’t erase the fact that I flew to save lives!”
My laugh was low, sharp as a blade’s edge. “Flew? Your craft never
reached the rescue site.”
Her spine stiffened, jaw jutting. “I was observing the situation! If your side failed, I was ready to intervene.”
“You mean–if my side succeeded, you were ready to swoop in and claim the glory.” My words struck like claws, raking deep.
Aurora’s nostrils flared.]
And then, from the rows of seated rescuers, a voice cut through the tension like lightning splitting the sky.
“That’s not what you said on the aircraft.”
Every head turned. One of the men who’d been on Aurora’s chopper stood, face set with grim resolve. “I remember it clear. You said you wouldn’t risk advancing because your fiancé was on board. That if Freya’s craft encountered trouble, you’d land first in a safe zone, drop Caelum Grafton, then maybe–maybe–you’d continue.”
The studio detonated in noise. Shocked cries, gasps, curses.
Aurora’s face blanched as though her very blood had been drained away.
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Chapter 189
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The host, ever the vulture circling chaos, pounced. “Miss Aurora… your fiancé boarded with you, yes? But isn’t the point of such a mission to save those in danger? Why would you prioritize dropping him off first? Isn’t that risking lives unnecessarily?”
Aurora’s throat bobbed. She forced a brittle smile. “He–he was there to help! To support the mission.”
I turned my gaze toward Caelum Grafton, seated stiffly under the spotlight of the entire hall. His hand was bandaged still, the lingering reminder of wounds taken in the chaos. He didn’t move, didn’t deny, didn’t confirm–just sat there like a wolf with his paw caught in an iron trap.
The host pressed harder. “Then why the hesitation? Why not fly straight in? Were you more concerned with protecting your fiancé than those waiting for rescue?”
The whispers from the crowd sharpened into outright accusations.
“She never meant to fly in.”
“She brought him on board just to parade him around.”
“Unbelievable–using hostages as bargaining chips, now this?!”
Aurora trembled under their scrutiny, her aura collapsing in on itself. Beta–blood or not, she was prey before the pack now.
The rescuer who had spoken first didn’t stop. His voice grew harder, louder. “Truth is, I don’t think she ever intended to save anyone. That helicopter never moved closer, not once. She sat back, making excuses, and waited. I asked myself that day if she was here to rescue, or to make sure her image stayed untarnished. Today, after hearing that recording? I don’t have to ask anymore.”
More voices rose in agreement, the other rescuers nodding, muttering their support. Some even called out from their seats.
“If she cared so much for her fiancé, she shouldn’t have dragged him along.”
“Heroes don’t gamble with lives for their own pride.”
“She’s not a savior. She’s a fraud.”
The swell of disdain rolled through the hall like a storm surge, impossible to stop.
Aurora’s lips worked soundlessly. She raised a trembling hand, pointing at the rescuer. “You–you’ve been bribed by Freya. How much did she pay you to say this?”
The man’s gaze was steady, unyielding as an Alpha’s vow. “I wasn’t paid anything. I speak what I saw, what I heard. I’d swear it before any Elder Council. This is the truth.”
Others nodded again, murmuring, their conviction forming a wall no lie could breach.
Aurora wilted before it, her body rigid, her complexion the ashen hue of defeat.
Chapter 190
Third Person’s POV
Finished
Aurora staggered, her body trembling as though her legs could no longer carry the weight of the hall’s eyes. With a strangled sound, she covered her face and bolted toward the backstage exit.
“Aurora!” Caelum’s voice rang out, sharp and frantic. The Alpha of the Silverfang Pack shot to his feet, his silver gaze blazing, and hurried after her.
On stage, Freya sat unmoving, her eyes cold as she watched them disappear through the doors. Her wolf pressed close to the surface, hungry to lash out, but she forced it down and turned back to the hall.
The audience, the cameras, even the host–all seemed caught in the tension. Then Freya leaned forward, her voice calm, steady, each syllable edged with the authority of wolf–blooded truth.
“Tonight, the real heroes have already been named,” she said. Her gaze swept over the audience, the ground rescue wolves scated among the crowd. “It isn’t those who make speeches. It’s the ones who dive into flame and rubble, risking their lives for strangers. Their courage is what we should honor. Their sacrifice is what we should learn from.”
The words struck like a vow spoken beneath the moon. Slowly, the murmurs softened. The host, seizing on the moment, guided the conversation back toward the night’s program.
Backstage, chaos festered.
Aurora had collapsed into the greenroom, her voice shrill with rage.
“Freya planned this! She wanted me humiliated in front of the packs!”
Caelum tried to soothe her, his tone low, steady. “Don’t worry. I’ll handle it. The show is recorded, not live. A few favors, the right price–your shame will never see daylight.”
Hope flickered across Aurora’s pale face, and she clutched his sleeve like a drowning wolf clinging to driftwood. “You… you can do that?”
“Of course,” Caelum said, arrogance lacing every word. “The Silverfang name opens doors. Trust me.”
Relief bled into her expression–until her WolfComm vibrated.
The voice on the other end was not Caelum’s. It was distorted, metallic, cruel.
“Murderer… Aurora. You’re a murderer. Did you think your sins would stay buried? I have proof. I’ll place it where the whole hall can see. Then they’ll know you’re no hero.”
Aurora’s hands shook so violently she almost dropped the device. “Who are you? I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
The voice only chuckled.
“It doesn’t matter if you deny it. What matters is that soon, the world will know. You’re no savior. You’re bloodstained.”
The line went dead.
Panic flared inside her! If evidence truly existed… if the crowd saw it… her entire life would unravel. She stormed from the greenroom, desperate to stop it—
-and walked straight into shadow.
A figure waited in the dim corridor, grotesque mask grinning with jagged red. The iron–wrapped bat swung without warning. The blow cracked against her skull. Aurora crumpled, a strangled cry escaping as the world tilted.
The last thing she saw before darkness claimed her was that mask’s hollow eyes, staring into hers.
Onstage, the program shifted into a recess. Freya finally exhaled, shoulders loosening when Silas appeared at her side. The Alpha of the Ironclad Coalition carried the storm in his stance, his presence grounding her like steel.
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“Freya,” he said quietly, his voice almost too low for the cameras still lingering nearby. “When this airs, every pack will know we’re together. Are you certain you won’t regret it?”
Freya turned her head toward him, studying his sharp features. His question was not political–it was personal, almost pleading.
“Regret?” she echoed with a faint laugh, edged like a blade. “What is there to regret? I chose you. Why would I hide it?”
Some of the tension bled from his shoulders, though not all. “I thought you might prefer to keep it private. To protect yourself. To… keep your options.”
Her lips curved, her gaze unwavering. “Are you the one who dislikes the world knowing, Silas?”
“Of course not.” His reply was fierce, immediate. “The opposite. I want every wolf in every pack to know you are mine. Especially him.”
There was no need to name Kade Blackridge. The soldier’s shadow lingered always at the edge of Silas’s gaze. The man who had once carried Freya from battlefield flames.
Silas’s hand brushed her bandaged arm, fingers reverent. His lips ghosted over the cloth, eyes burning with a raw, unshakable claim.
“I won’t let distance, or rivals, or fate itself take you from me. You are mine, Freya. No matter how far you run.”
The vow hung between them, heavy as a brand beneath the moon.
Freya’s wolf bristled, not in defiance, but in recognition. He was staking his claim, and a part of her wanted the world to see it.