Ch. 1..5: The Rogue is a Female Alpha chapter 1-5

Back Where 1

Zephyrine

“That’s the… bracelet I pleaded with you to get at the Moonlight Trade last week, Nyroth. You’re giving it to her?”

When I pushed open the carved ironwood doors of Hue Pack’s council chamber without knocking the door, only to find my mate slipping a bracelet onto Kaela’s wrist.

My sudden appearance brought the room to a halt.

Inside the chamber stood the Beta of Blackbridge Pack and two of their elders. Among them was a female, one I recognized too well. She hailed from Blackbridge Pack, and I swallowed hard when my eyes met hers.

Kaela.

My Mate’s childhood crush. His obsession.

My gaze dropped from Kaela’s face to the bracelet in her wrist and a small frown crept onto my face.

My question made my mate roll his eyes and let out a low growl of displeasure.

I’d interrupted his perfect moment. And it seems I wasn’t welcome here at all.

I scanned the room, reading the tension, and managed a thin smile. Find the newest release on find⸺novel.net

“Nyroth, when you’re done, I have something to tell you.”

“If it’s about the bracelet, then forget it. Kaela is getting it, Zeph,” he snapped, his grey eyes flashing with irritation. Then he shrugged, like he hadn’t just chosen her, again.

“She’s hosting the festival at Blackbridge. It’s her first since returning from her mission to bring peace. Five years serving as envoy, Zeph. She deserves a gift, don’t you think?”

Another chill ran down my spine. Thoughts surged through my mind, but I suppressed them with a bite to my lower lip.

Ever since Kaela has returned from her mission as envoy, Nyroth obsession for her had grown and he didn’t bother fron hide it anymore.

“But I asked for it first, Nyroth,” I muttered helplessly.

To this, Kai, the Beta of Hue Pack and Nyroth’s best friend who had stood quietly rolled his eyes.

“We won’t be hearing a rogue’s nagging now, will we? You heard him. It’s just a gift. And it’s a stupid bracelet anyway. Why do you care?”

Rogue？

That one word tightened my chest and my wolf stirred within me, but I forced her back. I never told Nyroth that I was from the Ash Pack.

Soldiers from our Ash Pack were called Ashmere, warriors by blood, loyal to death, and respected across the Empire for our unmatched discipline.

When an Ashmere walked onto the battlefield, even kings and Alphas held their breath and stood aside.

But now, they all assumed I was a rogue?

And what he called stupid was the only thing my mother had left me. A day before they went off to war and never returned.

On the inner band of the bracelet was engraved the name my mother had lovingly written for me—For my beloved Zephy.

Now my mate was gifting my mother’s left to his crush?

I stepped forward, seized Kaela’s wrist, and coldly snatched the bracelet away.

“This is mine.” My voice trembled, yet it carried an unyielding firmness.

“What are you doing?!” she gasped, a flicker of panic flashing in her eyes.

The next second, Nyroth stormed over and shoved me aside, his face dark with anger.

“Are you crazy? You’d really make a scene over something so trivial?” he roared, his accusing gaze cutting into me like a blade.

I clutched the bracelet tightly against my chest, my fingers turning white from the force. I turned my gaze to my mate, who was still staring at me, his jaw clenched tight with impatience.

“What belongs to me, no one will ever take away. But I didn’t come here for the bracelet, Nyroth. That’s not what I wanted to talk about, I came here for my parents.”

“And I thought they were dead…” Kaela muttered and I stiffened.

Did I just hear her right?

What audacity.

I’d never once said a word to Kaela. Not when she paraded herself before my mate. Not when she lingered after council meetings. But now I could feel my patience slipping.

I bit back the words threatening to rise and turned to Nyroth, who was now staring at me, waiting.

“I just received a letter,” I said, trying to steady my voice. “It says their wolves have been cremated, and the Moonstone Vessel holding their ashes is ready to be brought home.”

I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath until he finally responded.

“Good.”

No emotion. Just one clipped, careless word. It sounded more like a dismissal than anything else.

“Nyroth…” I began again, forcing another smile. “After five years of silence, they’re coming home…My parents always wanted a son-in-law. We can go together to retrieve the vessel. It’s just at the border of the empire. ”

Silence fell.

Heavy. Crushing.

“I… uhm…” he began, and I turned to him, clinging to the last thread of hope. “Yeah, I was supposed to come along with you, but… I need to be somewhere with Kaela. Her mother invited me to dinner, and I can’t say no.”

My heart sank.

This was cruelty. Pure, sharp, deliberate cruelty.

I stared at him, stunned. Confused.

“You’re… You mean you’d choose a meal over…” I started to say, but Nyroth shot me a cold glare.

Then he looked away and Shrugged.

A soft sigh escaped him, and when he looked back at me, he wore that same hypocritical look of apology he always used to excuse his betrayals.

“I’ll ask my Beta to accompany you. Don’t worry, you’ll be safe.”

I nearly scoffed.

Safe?

Did he think that’s what I needed from him?

Safety? Or… him?

I stared down at the bracelet still lying on the ground. I picked it up and walked out Quietly with my Heart shattering.

“I don’t get why she’s acting all pained,” I heard Kaela say behind me. “She’s a rogue who should be happy you offer her shelter, Nyroth. Do you even have to give her an explanation?”

I slowed down. Waited. Expected, hoped, that Nyroth would say something. Anything but what followed was silence.

The same cold silence he gave when his family bullied me. When his pack members spat at me. When they called me rogue.

I no longer offered any explanations and went alone to the border.

“I, Zephyrine Ashmere, the only daughter of the last warlord, am here for the Moonstone Vessel.”

Before the impenetrable walls of Moonveil Fortress, I stood and said those words, allowing the goosebumps to overwhelm my skin and permitting my wolf to awaken inside me.

Back Where 2

Zephyrine

I waited with bated breath, and then the massive gates parted. I stood still in the middle of it all. A place I had left behind for five years. An identity I had shed to fulfill my parents‘ greatest wish.

I took a step forward, and as though the fallen warrior heroes themselves were welcoming me, a cold wind swirled around me, blowing my hair backward.

I am Zephyrine Ashmere of the Ash pack. Twenty–four years old. The only daughter of the last Warlord, Vale and War General, Seraphine. Younger sister to the best war strategist, Varyn.

The Asp pack members are warriors, who lay down their lives to protect the Shifter Empire from demons. The last battle that sealed the Demon Portal? I led it. I was given a medal, praised as a hero. Earn the title Goddess of war but I left all that behind… to be with Nyroth.

“Zephyr.”

That voice came and My breath caught.

I would know it anywhere.

Commander Thorn.

I turned slowly to see him emerging from the tent ahead, the Moonstone Vessel in his hands. The one that carried my parents‘ ashes. Their remains.

I never expected to feel this emotional. But being here, on the combat ground where I was raised and trained by my parents and others like them… it broke me. Tears welled in my eyes, but I forced them down.

As an Ashmere, we sacrifice many things. Emotion is one of them. We let it go.

“Commander Thorn,” I greeted, bowing my head as he approached.

He stared at me in silence for a long moment, then gave a firm nod, his jaw set.

“It’s good to see you again, Zephyr,” he said at last, blinking. Then he extended the Vessel to me which I received it with a heavy heart.

“I apologize for the delay. The final battle to close the Demon Portal was brutal. By the time we found their wolves, it was already too late. We couldn’t retrieve anything personal. No possessions remained when we arrived. If not for you, who led that charge… we would have all perished.”

I heaved a deep sigh and nodded.

“Thank you, Commander. You did your best.”

He looked relieved at my grace, then his face fell slightly.

“Zephyr… about your brother…”

My heart stopped. My hands tightened on the Vessel.

He paused. Then, carefully,

“We couldn’t find his body. Or his wolf. He wasn’t among the dead. So… maybe your instincts are right. Maybe he is stil

there.”

“He is,” I said quietly but with conviction.

Commander Thorn nodded solemnly. After a few seconds in silence, He shifted his gaze around, scanning the area.

“Alpha Nyroth didn’t come with you?”

GULD

His question struck something sharp inside me, but I smiled through it.

“He’s preparing for the Blackbridge Festival this weekend. There’s been a lot to plan.”

“That he couldn’t accompany you on such an important occasion?”

Before I could respond, He sighed.

“You’re an adult now, Zephyr. I trust your judgment. But remember this. If you ever wish to return to Moonveil Fortress… this gate will always remain open.”

Return? To this life? To war? To honor?

I looked into his eyes and felt the burn of truth press against my ribs. My days of battle were behind me. I had a new duty now or so I thought.

I stepped back and stood at attention. The soldiers, now gathered under the moonlit sky, and Commander Thorn did the same. In unison, they bowed, not to me, but to my fallen parents, who bled for the empire.

Tears blurred my vision as I turned to leave, clutching the Moonstone Vessel to my chest. I held them again. Even if only in ashes

It rained that night as I returned from Moonveil Fortress.

I had refused the Beta of Hue Pack’s escort. Since my mate wouldn’t come, I went alone.

Riding into the pack grounds, I stepped out of my carriage, the Moonstone Vessel still clutched tight.

Normally, maids was supposed to cover me with umbrellas. But no one moved. No one cared for a woman who is an orphan. A “rogue.”

I passed the guards and servants in silence and pushed through the door into the living room just in time to overhear Pamela, Nyroth’s mother’s voice.

That’s the best advice, my son. Don’t you see? If you marry Kaela, not only do you gain her pack’s favor, but also a beautiful, influential woman at your side. She’s a successful hostess. The first female envoy who brought peace into the empire. She could talk her way out of anything. But this barren woman you married has nothing to offer you, Nyroth.”

My feet froze in place. They hadn’t even noticed me. Chapters first released on FіndNovel.net

I watched Nyroth remain silent, not defending me.

“My friend from Blackbridge Pack told me,” Olivia, Nyroth’s younger sister, added, “Kaela’s family is already arranging a marriage for her to another Alpha. If you’re not fast enough, she’ll be gone.”

Jealousy crossed Nyroth’s face instantly. Raw and bitter. He never hid his feelings for her. Not even from me.

Each time he looked at Kaela like that, something inside me withered.

Then came the gasp.

Pamela had finally noticed me. Her face twisted in horror, her eyes fixed on the Moonstone Vessel in my arms.

“And what is that?” she snapped, just as cold as always.

I stepped forward, soaked from the rain, too tired to fight.

“My parents‘ remains. I’ve just brought them home from…”

“Bad luck!” Pamela shrieked, and I flinched.

It took everything in me not to react.

Pamela had always been a thorn in my side, never hesitating to call me barren, not knowing her precious son had never once touched me since our private mating ceremony.

“Nyroth,” she said firmly, turning to him, “this is a bad omen. Moon Goddess knows one rogue is bad enough, but now she brings the ashes of two more? She has to leave them outside the pack. Or pour them in the streets.”

My eyes widened. What the…

I turned to Nyroth, waiting, hoping for him to say something, anything. But then… he hesitated.

“Zeph…” he began softly, avoiding my gaze, “I think you should… keep them outside. Just for tonight.”

That was it. The final crack.

“My parents? You think they’re a curse? Bad luck?”

He said nothing. He wouldn’t look into my eyes. And yet again, he wouldn’t defend me.

“Don’t pull that guilt–tripping crap!” Olivia suddenly burst. “Yeah, you’re bad luck, Zeph. You never should’ve been my brother’s mate. You only wormed into my brother’s life because of that mate bond!”

She shoved me. Then Pamela did too and Nyroth stood there. Watching. Silent. As always.

The guards and maids stared. No one moved.

Just then Olivia shoved me again, harder this time, and the Moonstone Vessel slipped from my grasp. Gasps rippled through the chamber, everyone knew a single crack could destroy the relic forever…

Back Where 3

Zephyrine

In a blur, my fingers hooked beneath it before it touched the ground. The weight should have dragged me down, but I spun my wrist, momentum flowing with me instead of against me, and in the next breath, the vessel was cradled back in the crook of my arm, steady and unharmed.

The air shifted with the speed of my movement, rattling the glass lamp above.

A guard muttered under his breath,

“I didn’t even see her bend. She was so fast.”

It was over in a heartbeat, but the silence that followed was heavier than stone.

Pamela’s eyes flickered with confusion, then unease. Wolves weren’t supposed to move like that. Not without years of training.

I straightened slowly, meeting their stares, my voice low and cold.

“Touch this vessel again, and you will answer to me.”

Without waiting for a response, I clutched the vessel tighter, turned on my heel, and walked out into the rain. Into the dark. Alone.

A funeral for fallen Ashmere is sacred. Until the rite can be held, I rented a niche in the Memorial Hall, the Moonstone Vessel placed in a sealed alcove.

My hair dripped, clothes damp, cheeks salted by rain and tears. I knelt to pay my respects; when I straightened, I whispered a

VOW.

“I promise you, Mom, Dad. I will find Varyn, and when I do, we’ll both return to honor you. Only then will a funeral be held for you both.”

I lingered over the vessel, then locked the chamber and headed for the exit, my heart heavier than stone.

The corridor’s draft drags me into memory.

Five years ago, a new portal yawned open, demons pouring through. Warriors and Ashmere blood was summoned. My parents answered; my brother, Varyn too.

They’d danced the night before for their twenty–fifth anniversary. The next dawn they donned armor, kissed me goodbye, and promised letters when the war was done.

My brother kissed me farewell, and promised a new medal when the war finished.

However, Three weeks later a stamped death scroll lay on my doorstep.

Warlord Vale gone. Commander Seraphine gone. Varyn missing.

That was when my whole world shattered but Grief is a luxury an Ashmere cannot afford.

An imperial command arrived. One last assault to seal the portal. A new commander was needed. I took the mantle, led the charge, and by Moon–goddess grace, I won. The portal closed, but something in me never reopened.

I grieved my family. My loved ones.

During that period of time, beneath full moonlight, I met my mate, Nyroth Hue. He wiped my tears. Proposed and Promised. That had clouded me.

I decided to honor my parent greatest wish and that is for me to get married.

I hung up my armor, stamped the retirement scroll and leave everything behind, as well as my old home, which reminded

me of a happiness I could never feel again.

I left for Hue Pack, where I backed up Nyroth’s campaign to become Alpha.

Hue Pack was dying when I got there, poor, broken, weak. What did I do?

I poured my parents‘ blood–compensation into reviving Hue Pack.

Now it thrives but yet Nyroth dares call me curse, and my parents‘ ashes bad luck?

The thought made the hallway tilt. I sagged against the wall, sliding to the floor, breath hitching as my wolf whined. Maybe it’s time to quit. All of it.

We tried. We loved. We supported. We slaved. And in the end, we were cast out.

I stared at the blank space ahead for a long time. Then, slowly, I rose to my feet, surprised at the new strength unfurling in my chest,

I took a step forward–then froze.

A hiss of wind slithered through the corridor, strange and deliberate.

What is that? Find the newest release on find{n}ovel.net

My wolf stirred, the hair along my arms rising. My gaze dropped to my hands. My fingers had begun to curl into paws. Only one thing could provoke that reaction. A formidable threat was near.

My legs carried me to the window, where I peered out over the Memorial courtyard. Luxury carriages clustered beneath black umbrellas. New mourners, wealthy and somber. Whose death could draw such opulence?

Just then, a midnight–black warhorse glided in, its breath clouding in the storm. My wolf growled low. Power, ancient and ruthless, poured from the rider.

He dismounted. Black cloak, storm–slick leather boots. Long charcoal hair knotted high, loose strands framing a face carved like a blade. Ancient runes coiled up his throat; two rings through one brow caught the lamplight. Even from here, his pale- gold eyes sliced the night. A raven, pitch–black and sleek, nestled comfortably on his right shoulder. A creature of which the entire empire spoke only in hushed whispers.

Handsome was too small a word. Apex is dangerous artistry, a weapon sculpted to walk.

I recognized him from rare sketches and whispered histories. Not fully wolf, something older. No birth name known. The world called him Apex Blood, heir to the Lycan throne.

Werewolves splintered into packs, each ruled by an Alpha. But Lycans bowed to one king. That king was infamous for brutality, and his heir… cursed, rumor claimed. The heir who never left the obsidian castle and its black tower, yet here he was tonight.

My gaze caught on his, and impossibly, his head lifted. Pale eyes locked on mine across the courtyard. For one suspended heartbeat, the storm held its breath.

Then a mourner’s whisper shattered the spell.

“My goodness… it’s the Lycan prince!”

“Poor soul. His father died this evening. He’s here to cremate the king.”

“Poor soul? Did he look like someone who is mourning? Please.”

Cold shivers raced my spine. The Lycan King dead? That meant Apex Blood would ascend the throne. A cursed, ruthless monarch.

My heart thudded. I watched Apex stride into the lamplight shadows before closing my eyes against the sudden pulse of a mind link. Nyroth. Self–centered. As always.

Where are you, Zeph? Come home. Don’t make it a scandal just because of a little issue. I have something important to tell

you.

I opened my eyes and stared into the blank space ahead with a sigh.

Perhaps I, too, had something important to discuss about a five–year mate bond. About us.

Send Gifts

 

Back Where 4

Zephyrine

The carriage halted in the courtyard, the weight of everything that had happened still heavy on my chest. I stepped out, my limbs stiff, and moved slowly into the hallway. At first, it was quiet.

Then laughter spilled from the dining hall ahead.

I followed the sound with dragging steps, each one echoing louder in my ears. And then I saw them all seated, all glowing in warmth and light, like a perfect portrait.

Nyroth at the head of the table. His mother beside him, dressed in rich emerald.

Olivia, his younger sister, radiant in pale silk and Kai, Nyroth’s Beta, seated beside her with a drink in hand.

They were laughing. Joking. At peace. After everything they’d done, they could still laugh.

I stared. Watching. Waiting. Hoping I was wrong about what I’d come home to. But they saw me and the laughter died.

Forks clinked awkwardly against plates. Napkins froze mid–air.

Nyroth’s mother met my eyes and gave me the kind of look reserved for dirt tracked across polished marble. I didn’t flinch. No one said a word. No one asked where I’d been. No one asked what I’d gone through. Not even him.

I turned away, my chest burning, and walked toward the hallway that hosted two chambers. One for the Alpha, and one for me. I stepped into mine.

The room was small. A bed tucked in the corner. A few dresses. A couple pairs of shoes. Nothing else.

Come to think of it, Nyroth had never cared.

All he focused on was his rise to Alpha and the growth of the pack. He’d promised that when things settled, he’d announce our mate bond. That he’d mark me as Luna.

But Kaela had returned. His precious Kaela, his childhood crush, the one who rejected him and left for her envoy mission five years ago.

Now that she was back, I knew. That promise would never be kept.

I let out a shaky sigh and began to undress, fumbling with the zipper at my back when the door creaked open.

Nyroth entered quietly.

Our eyes met in the hazy mirror as he approached, and without a word, he reached to help with the zipper, his fingers brushing mine,

“Where did you put the moonstone vessel?” he asked softly, his breath grazing my neck.

“In the memorial hall,” I answered, my voice barely above a whisper.

He finished unzipping the dress. It slipped to the floor, pooling at my feet. Then his hand came around my waist, his touch

unfamiliar.

I shivered and closed my eyes, bracing.

“Zeph…” he breathed, “Let’s get married.”

Ifroze.

I turned to him slowly, searching his face.

“What?”

“It’s been five years,” he said, his voice low. “I want to seal it. Mark you. Make you my Luna. Have pups.”

My breath caught. It should have meant something. But something about the timing. I watch him looked down. Hesitated. Newest update provided by find·novel·net

“But first,” he added, “you must apologize to my mother and sister. For how rude you were. Kneel before them. Ask for their forgiveness.”

My chest went still. His eyes lifted to meet mine, waiting for a response and that’s when it hit me.

The marriage was bait. The real purpose of this talk was the apology.

Of course.

I took a step back, shaking inside, heading toward the bath chamber, only for him to catch my wrist.

“Zeph…”

“Let me go,” I said tightly. “Now.”

“It’s just a simple apology. You know you’re the one at fault…”

“They called my dead parents unlucky,” I snapped, my voice sharp as a blade. “They disrespected them.”

He flinched. But said nothing.

“How would you feel,” I hissed, “if I called your mother a curse? A bad omen? Would you fall to your knees and thank me for it?”

Silence stretched. At last, he nodded.

“So you won’t apologize.”

I stared at him, realizing words wouldn’t fix any of this,

482as

“Tread carefully, Nyroth. Push me too far, and I’ll demand a rejection.”

His fingers went cold around my wrist.

“What?”

*

M

“You never loved me,” I said, my voice shaking with fury. “Kaela’s always been on your mind. Five years ago, when she turned you down and left, you were heartbroken. You proposed to me that same week, brought me to Hue Pack because you needed someone to fill the hole she left. That’s all I was.”

“That’s not true,” he muttered. “Kaela and I… we’re childhood friends. I told you she saved my life once.”

“That’s your excuse,” I bit out. “It’s always been your excuse. Today was one of the most important days of my life. I brought my parents home after five years, and y

ou couldn’t even show up. Instead, you went to dinner with her

He didn’t deny it. He just stared at me, chest rising and falling with quiet rage or guilt.

“I can’t reject you,” he whispered at last. “A wolf from Hue Pack only gets one mate in a lifetime. If I lose you…”

He reached for me again but I stepped back.

He sighed.

“Fine. I’m sorry.”

He leaned in, cupped my cheek, and placed a kiss on my forehead, the same way he always did when he wanted to calm me.

“How about this?” he murmured. “Tomorrow morning, we go together to pay your parents the respect they deserve.”

I didn’t answer right away. I was still seething. But the bond… the bond made me hesitate. Made me want to believe.

So I nodded.

He kissed my forehead again and gave a gentle smile. “Tomorrow morning. Without fail. Goodnight.”

Back Where 5

Zephyrine

It wasn’t the sunlight that woke me.

It was the heavy scent of an Ash Pack wolf. Thick, grounding, and unmistakable. They never move without purpose.

I flutter my eyes open and stay still, listening.

“Zephyr?”

Jurrek’s voice cuts through the morning quiet, and a cold chill runs down my spine, My pack’s Beta. My brother’s Beta.

I rise at once, grabbing my robe and heading out of my chamber. As I walk toward the pack’s exit, I hear whispers. The werewolf members of hue pack are talking, moving quickly. Something must have happened. Original content can be found at f͟i͟n͟d͟n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟.net

I step into the open lane beyond the gate. The wind greets me, sharp and cold.

Then I feel him behind me.

I turn slowly and meet Jurrek Bane’s eyes. My brother’s most loyal man.

Broad–shouldered, sharp–jawed, wrapped in a white fur–lined coat marked with the Ash Pack crest. His brown eyes are steady, filled with something I don’t want to name.

He bows his head to me, and I look away, jaw tight. I don’t deserve that.

“How have you been, Zephyr?” His voice scrapes through me and I force myself to meet his gaze.

“How long has it been?” he asks again.

“Five years,” I whisper. My eyes lower, drawn into memories I’ve tried to bury. I left Ash Pack behind, but it follows me, especially in moments like this.

“I heard you recovered your parents‘ ashes,” he says.

“Yes.”

The word catches in my throat. I still can’t look at him. The guilt always lingers like smoke from a fire long extinguished.

“I should take them back to Ash Pack,” Jurrek says gently. “And maybe, maybe it’s time for you to come back too. The pack needs an Alpha.”

“I will bring my parent home myself and the pack will have its Alpha.” I lift my chin, forcing strength into my voice. “Varyn will return, Jurrek. He will.”

Silence stretches between us.

Then he nods. Eyes cast downward. Everyone knows how obsessed I am with that belief. That my brother, our General, is still

alive,

“There’s still no word,” he says quietly. “His comrades returned from the battlefield, but no one knows what became of him. Zephyr… it’s been five years. Don’t you think it’s time you take his place?”

Become Alpha?

I shake my head.

“No.” The thought is a weight I can’t carry. “Varyn will come back. And my answer will always be the same. I won’t take his place.”

Jurrek doesn’t argue. Instead, he walks to his white powerful horse, reaching into a saddlebag and pulling out a golden scroll. He extends it to me.

extends

“You must’ve heard,” he says. “The Lycan King is dead.”

I arch a brow. I’d heard. I’d seen the heir.

The memory of last night claws through me. Those pale eyes, that unnatural stillness. His presence had felt like something ancient. Not just powerful. Ominous.

“Yes, I know,” I murmur. “What about it?”

“There’s a coronation tomorrow. Apex Blood will be crowned and for the first time in Lycan history, werewolf packs have been invited. The Ash Pack was the first. This scroll was hand–delivered by the Lycan Prince’s elder sister herself.”

I blink at him.

“What will you do, Zephyr?” he asks. “The Alpha’s name is written on it. Should we ignore the invitation?”

My eyes drop to the scroll.

A golden seal. The scent of Lycan magic still clings to it.

Why Ash Pack first?

I take it from him, my hand trembling.

“Represent the pack, Jurrek,” I say softly. “Go in Varyn’s name. And send more men to the borders. Ask about the battle from five years ago. Any whisper. Any trace of my brother.”

Jorek doesn’t question me. Doesn’t flinch. He bows again, then mounts his horse and rides off, fading into the pale morning.

I stand alone in the cold, watching until he disappears, until the wind wraps around me again like a reminder.

Eventually, I return to Hue Pack and slip back into my room. I sit on the edge of my bed, heart pounding.

The Lycan Kingdom is opening its gates to werewolves? The former king never even acknowledged us, let alone sent invitations.

I unwrap the scroll.

The words are handwritten, a black–inked crest of the Lycan Empire stamped at the top.

To Alpha Varyn of the Ash Pack,

い

You are formally invited to attend the coronation of Apex Blood, heir to the Lycan Empire.

Your strength and loyalty to the realm have not gone unnoticed. Your presence would honor the ceremony.

Date: Under the bright sky tomorrow.

– By command of the Crown.’

I exhale, the scroll shaking in my grip.

Apex Blood had invited my brother. Varyn, the General of Ash Pack. The war hero.

I reach into my drawer and pull out a small chest. Inside lies the bracelet Kaela had flung at my feet and a hairpin simple, carved with marble edges. Broken, one piece lost forever. My tenth birthday gift from my brother.

I place the scroll beside it and close the chest, pressing my palm to the lid.

Varyn… where are you?

No answer comes. Just the sound of the pack gate creaking open.

I rise and walk to the window.

A carriage rides in, ornate and proud, bearing the crest of Blackbridge Pack.

She hasn’t even stepped out before her scent cuts through the air.

Kaela

Hue Pack guards rush forward. Maids line the path in silence. Every pack member pauses to stare.

I’ve read about her. Heard the whispers. I was alive when the legends began.

Kaela Bridge, the first female envoy ever chosen for a mission. Born of a Beta. Returned now after five years of success to be named host.

Men adore her beauty, Women praise her brilliance. She’s everything society celebrates and here she is, arriving like a queen.

She steps down from her carriage with elegance, fingertips grazing her gown. Then she lifts her head.

Our eyes meet. Brief. Sharp. Like a challenge.

Then she walks past, followed by guards and maids, treatment 1, the Alpha’s mate, have never received.

I wonder if her arrival has something to do with the Lycan King’s death… or Apex’s coronation tomorrow.

Either way, she’s here for a reason.