Page 26 of Bound to Exiles (Rejected Wolf Pack #5)

Flint

Dawn’s first light filtered through the tent walls as I awakened to the sound of rustling from the other cot.

Through our Bonded link, I sensed Heath supporting Freya as she prepared to meet her adoptive mother outside Moonblessed’s walls.

Her anxiety rippled through our connection, but Heath’s steady presence helped anchor her.

A whimper drew my attention to Zak, who thrashed in his sleep, his dark skin glistening with sweat. His usual iron control over the bond had slipped, letting through waves of fear and loss — and pain, as if something vital was locked away inside him.

His wolf. Something was happening to his wolf.

His eyes snapped open, instantly finding mine across the space between our cots. For a moment, raw longing flooded the bond — not just desire, but a bone-deep yearning for acceptance, belonging, pack. Then his walls slammed back into place, though not quite as thoroughly as usual.

“Bad dream?” I kept my voice gentle, non-threatening.

“Bad memories.” He sat up, sheet pooling around his waist, and I couldn’t help but remember how he’d looked yesterday while submitting to Gage’s will .

His dark eyes raked over my bare chest, heat kindling in their depths. “You’re up early.”

“Hard to sleep with such interesting company.”

His lips curved into that dangerous smile. “Careful there. I might think you’re flirting with me.”

“Yeah?” I shifted to face him fully. “I noticed who caught your attention yesterday.”

“Did you now?” His voice dropped lower. “And what exactly did you notice?”

“That you not only watched Freya… but your eyes lingered on Gage… and Heath.” I paused deliberately. “And me.”

“I shouldn’t be doing this,” he muttered, more to himself than to me. “Not until things settle with Freya…”

He turned away, giving me the cold shoulder, but not before I caught the flash of vulnerability in his eyes. While the others had been lost in pleasure yesterday, I’d watched Zak’s reactions.

His desperate need to belong warred with his careful restraint. Everything about him spoke of someone used to holding himself apart, even though he craved connection.

Through our bond, Freya’s turbulent emotions suddenly spiked — hope and fear tangling together as she finally faced Kaydence. Heath’s steady reassurance flowed to her, and I sent my own wave of support through our connection.

When Zak looked back at me, anxious words spilled from his lips. “What’s happening? Why is Freya—”

“She’s fine,” I hurried to put him at ease as he jumped to his feet and started pulling on his jeans. “She’s meeting her adoptive mother. She didn’t exactly like learning that Freya is not only half mage, but that she can access powerful medicine.”

His eyebrows rose as he put two and two together. “Right, you’re the moonmarked wolf of Freya’s mates. You’re descended from… the First Peoples.”

“Some would say that,” I acknowledged. “The moonmarked wolves guided my ancestors through harsh winters, helping them find harmony with the land and teaching them to hunt. They bonded and became a pack, letting their wolf spirits merge with my ancestors. The wise wolves disappeared into the stars, forming the Wolf Trail and leaving behind the ability to shift.”

Zak nodded as though pieces were falling into place. “So the moonmarked wolves used to act as bridges — helping humans find harmony with nature, with each other, with their wolves.” His knowing gaze met mine. “I see why you’re with her. Why she needs you.”

His words struck deep. None of my packmates had ever understood my heritage so instantly, so completely. But his insight contrasted with the mystery of his own nature.

“And you? What of your wolf?”

His walls instantly slammed back into place as he grabbed his shirt and headed for the tent flap.

“Wait.” I caught his wrist, feeling tension thrumming through him. “Do you know why Gage asked about your age yesterday?”

Zak stilled, his muscles tensing under my grip. His gaze dropped to where my fingers circled his wrist before meeting my eyes again.

“You knew about that?”

“Heath caught me up.”

I released him, and he put on his shirt.

His fingers paused on the buttons. “So, why exactly did Gage ask?”

“Freya,” I reached through our bond. “Would you like me to tell him about your Odinswolf so you don’t have to?”

Her emotions were still raw from speaking with Kaydence, but her answer came clear. “Thank you… I don’t want to have to explain it all. If you think it’s time, then please do.”

I sent her the mental equivalent of a hug, then focused on Zak.

“You understand my moonmarked wolf descends from a different pack than Gage or Heath’s wolves?”

Zak nodded.

“Freya isn’t just any hybrid,” I said carefully. “She’s a third type of wolf. They call her an Odinswolf — a descendant of wolves blessed by Odin himself. She’s resistant to alpha commands, takes multiple mates, and possesses powers beyond normal wolves… or mages.”

His breath caught, and for a heartbeat, his control shattered completely. Wonder, awe, and something like relief crashed through the bond before he wrestled his emotions back.

“An Odinswolf?” The word came out barely above a whisper. “That’s… that explains…”

“The starbeams, for one.”

He nodded. “The starbeams fell because she’s special. Because she’s…” He swallowed hard. “Because this is destiny, not coincidence.”

The raw vulnerability in his admission made my chest tighten. How long had he wondered if his place here was real?

“What does that have to do with my age?” Zak’s question came swift and sharp.

“Nothing. But Gage wanted to be sure. Odinswolves don’t shift until the full moon after they turn twenty-five, unlike moonmarked wolves or Lokiswolves, who shift between thirteen and nineteen.”

Zak’s face went carefully blank, but his scent spiked with something bitter. “Twenty-five? So… she’s only been shifting for a little while.”

“Freya shifted for the first time just months ago. Her wolf is pure white with lightning crackling along her fur, and her eyes stay blue instead of turning gold.”

“Lightning,” Zak breathed, fascination replacing whatever pain had flickered through him. “Her magic manifests even in wolf form. Wait. The way she can see everyone’s bonds — that’s coming from her Odinswolf?”

“Exactly. They’re visible to her like glowing threads between packmates. And she can share dreams with her mates.”

“Right, that’s how we met.” His eyes went distant. “She took me entirely by surprise, but even from that first dream, I knew I had to find her. I thought I dreamed of her, but she actually dreamed of me! She reached across the distance to find me, didn’t she?”

“In addition to dreamwalking, they can also apparently glimpse possible futures—”

He froze. “She has visions?”

“She saw the bloodshed that would have happened if Ironwood attacked differently. And she saw two lights in the darkness — two more mates who would help us in our time of need.”

Understanding dawned in his eyes. “The starbeams revealed us to each other so we could find each other. Witches often take multiple Bonded, but it isn’t just because she’s part mage — both sides of her nature seek multiple mates.”

He needed to know her unique nature also came with some downsides. “But most wolf shifters might consider her something like an aberration… an outcast.”

His eyebrows drew down. “So, other wolves see her as…”

“Powerful. And a target.” I kept my voice low. “People fear what they can’t understand, and shifters are no different. Odinswolves’ unique powers make other wolves nervous. Some view them taking multiple mates as greedy. Especially since Freya claims four alphas as mates.”

Zak’s expression hardened. As Freya’s future mate, his protective instincts must be sharpening to a razor’s edge.

“She needs protection,” he concluded. “And not just from physical threats.”

“Yes. Your magic is more than simply useful or convenient. It’s crucial. For her, for all of us. For the pack.”

“I understand.” His voice carried new gravity. “She’s… precious and rare. But not just because she’s an Odinswolf.”

All playfulness had disappeared from his expression. Whatever doubts he’d harbored about his place here dissolved under the weight of cosmic purpose.

Curiosity now blazed in his dark eyes. “The way her Odinswolf nature interacts with her witch heritage — there’s so much to explore, so much to understand.”

“More than any of us know yet,” I admitted. “You’ll probably be the one to help her figure it out.”

“And the sixth mate she saw in her vision?” Zak’s voice strained. “Another Odinswolf?”

“She believes so, based on her vision.”

“She didn’t tell me about the vision, you know. She didn’t tell me about any of this. ”

The hurt in his voice leaked through despite his careful control of his emotions over the bond.

“If you want her trust,” I said gently, “you’ll have to trust her too. We all know you’re keeping your own secrets.”

His shoulders tensed, but he didn’t deny it. Without another word, Zak pulled on his coat, movements decisive now.

I followed him as he ducked through the tent flap into the crisp morning air.

“I can talk to her about this, right?”

“Of course. She wanted you to know. The Howling Echo keeps no secrets from one another.”

I said it sternly, reminding him of what he would need to do before Gage would accept him into the pack. I hoped Zak would choose to be united with us now that he better understood what the spirits were trying to show us.

He turned his back, but I couldn’t let him go like that.

“Run with me,” I suggested. “Let our wolves know each other properly.”

He twisted back in time for me to see pain flickering across his features.

“I… it’s complicated, Flint. My wolf and I, we’re not…” He stopped, jaw clenching. “I can’t. Not yet, at least.”

The raw honesty in his admission told me more than his words. Whatever had happened to him, whatever was keeping him from his wolf, it went deeper than simple reluctance.

“When you’re ready,” I said simply. “I’ll be here.”

Relief flooded his features. “Thank you.”

“We all have our battles,” I replied, remembering how long it had taken Rowan to accept his place at Freya’s side. “Some are just more visible than others.”

The mage walked away, toward the edge of camp. Whatever secrets Zak carried, he would need to choose for himself when to share them.

Speaking of Rowan, I reached out through the bond to find him patrolling around the outskirts of our temporary camp.

“Scent anything?” I asked over the Bonded link. It was convenient not needing to shift to talk amongst ourselves .

“Nothing out of the ordinary. The ones Moonblessed drove out haven’t been back.”

“Better safe than sorry?” I asked.

He knew the real question behind my words. “I prefer to run alone. Or with my mate.”

I sent him back my wordless understanding and let him be.

He’d been uncomfortable around so many shifters in Frost Fang, but at least on packlands, houses were organized in predictable patterns. He’d learned which ways would avoid other shifters when possible. I wasn’t surprised he was steering clear of the chaos in our current setup.

Next, I turned my attention toward Gage and found him doing the opposite. Our pack alpha moved between groups around camp, his steady presence reassuring those still uncertain about our exile. Then he met with several Frost Fang alphas not far from the cooking fires.

I approached just as he finished giving instructions about today’s patrol rotations. The other alphas scattered, leaving us alone.

“I think it’s almost time to bring Zak into the fold,” I said.

Being direct with Gage had always worked better than beating around the bush. I wanted him to be ready when Zak finally talked to Freya and bared his truth to her.

“The five of us are the Howling Echo,” Gage answered. “We don’t need more. He’s already Freya’s mate. That’s good enough for now.”

“It wasn’t long ago that you thought you and Heath were enough. Then you accepted Rowan, and later me.” I met his gaze steadily.

“We wanted both of you in the pack.”

“And Freya wants Zak.”

“He’s a mage,” Gage growled, but I caught the undertone of something else in his voice — not just wariness, but uncertainty.

“And so is Freya,” I countered. “And none of us ever imagined bringing a woman into our pack, but Freya changed everything. Why not another hybrid?”

“He’s not ready,” Gage ground out.

“She’s thriving under his guidance, learning to control her magic. Every day they grow closer. It already feels unnatural to keep him on the outside. Even you must feel it after yesterday. ”

“Does he even want to be in our pack?” Gage’s jaw tightened. “Or just in Freya’s bed?”

“I think that’s what you’re not understanding, Gage.

” I kept my voice low, mindful of nearby packmates around the cook fires.

“To Freya, he already is pack. She chose him during her heat, dreamed of him before we even knew he existed. The starbeams fell for him just as they did for us. He belongs with us.”

“The Howling Echo is still my pack.” Gage’s alpha power crackled around us, his voice rising. “I’ll decide when he’s ready. Freya was with us for weeks before she joined the pack. We’ve known Zak for five days! I’m not done testing his loyalty, and he’s not done hiding things from us.”

“Then let me prove my loyalty to the pack.” Zak’s voice held steely determination I’d never heard from him before.

We both turned to find him approaching, his expression resolute. Confidence radiated from him now — not the careful submission he’d shown Gage, but the quiet certainty of someone who finally understood his place.

“You’re right — I have been keeping secrets.” His eyes met Gage’s steadily before dropping in appropriate deference. “And it’s time you understood exactly what this Bonded connection between us truly means.”