The air is still tense even after the chaos dies down.
No one dares to attack Alpha Torrin after his claim coz it's gonna be too risky and may cause an unwanted declaration of war between packs.
But distrust and disapproval are apparent on their faces as they turn their backs on us, while whispering among themselves. They head back to Mayari's Temple, and resume celebrating the Harvest Moon Festival.
Meanwhile, to simmer down the frustration and anger of the other packs for betraying them, Alpha Philip and the rest of the Dunebourne council has no choice but to distance themselves from me and Harper.
"Tomorrow at dawn, come to the Dunebourne territory, and we'll hand Harper over to you." His eyes flick between me and Alpha Torrin, filled with hate.
Relief slips out of me in a soft sigh. I turn to Alpha Torrin and take his hand.
"Thank you," I whisper.
He gives me a faint, reassuring smile, though the rest of the Frostveil werewolves look uneasy with obvious silent resentment.
When we return to the Frostveil territory, some whisper about staying vigilant coz other packs may start ambushing them because of me.
This makes me uncomfortable, that I can barely lift my gaze.
Immediately, Alpha Torrin summons his council to the pack's conference room. He invites me to join them, but I decline coz I don't feel welcome.
My heart tightens with guilt and pain when Damian walks past me without so much of a glance or a word. My gaze remains glued at him as the door to the conference room closes.
I'm sorry, Damian.
Alpha Torrin has risked his life and even his pack's safety to save Harper and me. I owe him so much. So before our entangled fated bonds twist our hearts even more, I have to make a choice. There can only be one.
Surprisingly, my wolf doesn't fight me this time. She's silent, as if she understands and agrees.
I stay awake the entire night, planning my next move while building up my courage.
When the council's meeting is over, I walk through the snow-covered street toward Damian's house.
His laughter drifts in the cold air. He's kneeling in the snow, surrounded by little pups throwing snowballs. But the warmth in his smile fades when he notices me. He straightens, motions for the kids to go, and turns toward his door without a word.
I follow him inside where a modern fireplace crackles.
"H-how are you feeling?" I ask carefully.
"I'll stay fine, as long as you don't accept Alpha Torrin's claim," he says. His voice carries a faint hope, trembling beneath the calm.
I hesitate to continue, but I force myself to. "I probably will... in a few days or weeks."
His eyes widen with pain flashing in them. "You can't be serious. Just because he's an Alpha and I'm just a Beta…"
"That's not true!" I interrupt. "It's not about that. But what he did earlier was…"
"I could've done it too!" he snaps. "I could've sacrificed more than he could for you."
I look down at my boots, unable to meet his gaze.
Then,...
He steps closer and pulls me into his arms. His warmth seeps through my cold skin.
"You can still change your mind. Once we get Harper tomorrow, we can leave, together, tagging Harper along with us," he says.
I shake my head. "That wouldn't be fair to Alpha Torrin after what he did."
Damian's arms loosen so he can meet my gaze again. His voice breaks when he says, "It's also not fair to me. I may die."
"This may kill me too," I counter.
"Not true. You may feel weak for breaking our bond, but your strengthened bond with Alpha Torrin will save you from dying," he explains.
My guilt only amplifies.
"Well, I guess dying is more acceptable than living and seeing you spend your life with another man," he adds, finally releasing me. "But, before you accept Alpha Torrin's claim, know this: he's not the man you think he is. There are things you don't know about him."
My brow furrows. I wanna demand for a clarification, but the words curl back into my throat.
I step back toward the door, and hurry down the snowy street to the Alpha's mansion with my mind spinning with doubt.
What kind of man is Alpha Torrin? Is Damian genuinely warning me or just trying to manipulate me just like Lance used to do?
My wolf growls inside me, snapping me out of my thoughts.
My wolf is right. After what Alpha Torrin did, doubting him is ludicrous.
When I reach the bedroom assigned to me, Alpha Torrin is there. He looks tense, but he tries to seem warm.
"I was told you came from Damian's house," he says.
I open my mouth to explain, but he gently cuts me off.
"I just came to say goodnight. Sleep now before we leave tomorrow."
He tucks me into bed. His touch makes me forget about what Damian said.
After kissing my forehead, his thumb brushes my lips, while staring at me with longing.
Then,...
The pull between us grows stronger. He moves closer and presses his lips to mine.
At first, I wanna fight it. But my wolf answers with a low, happy note, encouraging the mate-bond to continue humming between us.
I wrap my arms around Alpha Torrin's broad shoulders, and return his kiss.
The kiss soon becomes deep and more passionate, but not crude. His hands move gently along my curves, while I trace the lines of his buff chest and well sculpted torso with my fingers.
He reaches to loosen my clothes, when suddenly, Damian's voice echoes in my head: "Harleigh!"
I pull away, and cover myself with my arms and sit back against the bed headboard.
"I'm not ready… yet," I whisper, my voice shaking.
Though his face falls, he nods in understanding.
He fetches a night gown from the cabinet and hands it to me with a soft smile. "See you tomorrow," he says, before leaving quietly.
Regret fills me. I wanna chase after him, and ask him to come back so we can continue. Instead, I lie awake, and let my hands remember the warmth he gave until sleep takes me.
When I wake the next morning, the sun is already high.
I rush down the hall, covering myself in a coat. "Where's Alpha Torrin?"
One of the Omegas answers, "He and the others left this morning. Alpha Torrin checked on you but didn't wake you coz you seemed deeply asleep. They'll probably return before sunset."
Disappointed, I'm about to head back to my bedroom when a commotion outside makes us run to the front yard where a battalion of Gammas stand by in both military and battle gear.
"What's going on?" I ask.
The Gammas grunt and glare at me, and don't answer.
Beta Atticus strides through the gate, his face hard. "The Dunebourne Pack betrayed us. They attacked the wolves sent to retrieve your sister. So we're sending them backups. I'm gonna hold our border just in case some of their wolves make a surprise attack."
Strained gasps, including mine, ripple.
Though fear and anger coil in me, I declare without hesitation, "I'll fight with you."
Atticus's mouth twists into a dark smirk. "Good. So you can be useful to us after shoving us into this much trouble."
His words are cruel, but they steel me. I won't let Harper stay in my enemy's grasp, nor let the Frostveil's women and children be harmed!
They lend me a spare military and battle gear, which makes some men and women on the streets glare at me with disapproval for wearing their pack's sigil.
I try not to let their intimidation affect me as we march toward the border nearest to the Dunebourne Pack's territory.
We wait. The sun starts to set, but no one comes, not a slight scent of the Dunebourne wolves drifting through the air.
Beta Atticus says with worry lining his forehead, "If night falls and our fellow Frostveil wolves don't return, we'll send more troops."
"I'll go too," I offer.
His glare burns through me. Others growl distrustfully.
I bite back the response, I'm sorry for putting you in this situation, since it wouldn't ease their hate anyway.
Darkness spreads. Just as the next team prepares to leave, a sudden noise echoes from afar. Growls rise as we shift into wolf form, ready to defend.
The air reeks of blood and sweat, so no one can smell if it's the Frostveil or the Dunebourne wolves, or perhaps just some random non-shifting prey.
Then, a Frostveil she-wolf appears, grinning and panting while proudly tapping her pack's sigil across her battle gear. "We did it."
Cheers break out.
Relief floods through me when I see Alpha Torrin, wounded and bleeding, but smiling at me. Behind him, Damian limps, and Harper stands unharmed.
I shift to my human form and rush to Harper and hug her tight.
"I'm so glad to finally see you again, Harleigh," she sobs.
"Me too," I whisper, tears blurring my vision.
Suddenly,...
A loud thud echoes.
Alpha Torrin has collapsed! And frantic movements follow as they carry him.
We all rush to the pack's hospital where many of them are being treated by the pack's healers.
I anxiously pace outside Alpha Torrin's hospital room when Harper's voice trembles beside me. "The man they called Alpha was the one who saved me. When everyone wanted to leave because they're outnumbered, he objected."
That makes me more desperate to see him, and it strengthens my resolve to finally accept his claim.
A few moments later, the doctor steps out and lets me in.
Torrin sits slouched on the couch, wrapped in bandages, while staring blankly at the window.
I kneel before him, take his hands, and kiss them softly. My heart is ready. "I, Harleigh Hale, accept…"
But,...
In a sudden twist of event,...
He asks a question that's too impossible to believe, "Who are you?"
My eyes wide in shock.
What happened?! How come he's pretending not to know me?!