Page 65 of Bound to Exiles (Rejected Wolf Pack #5)
Freya and I repeated the process we had used in the chamber beneath the pack house, though on a smaller scale. Freya’s eyes began to glow as she connected with her primal power, and I felt the now-familiar static electricity tickling my fur as I guided her energy.
With a sharp crack, lightning arced through the air, and the stones exploded into dust. Thanks to Freya’s restraint, the magical backlash was minimal this time, but the effect on Heath and the others was immediate and profound.
The freed Frost Fang wolves howled in delight, instantly shifting.
Heath’s presence in our bond suddenly strengthened, his wolf surging forward with a fierce joy that echoed through all of us.
The alpha shifted, but Heath was clearly in control of his wolf.
“He’s not feral,” Gage confirmed as Heath danced toward us.
Freya wagged her tail like a dog, then chased after him, her laughter ringing through our minds.
Brielle watched with evident fascination. “So that’s how you did it,” she mused. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”
I shifted back to human form and dragged back on my dirty clothes. When I glanced over, I found three sets of alpha eyes watching me far too closely.
Brielle smirked at Gage, Rowan, and Flint standing protectively nearby, their wolves still riding them hard after the battle. “I notice we have other, more immediate concerns that need addressing.”
Freya and Heath bounded back over to us before shifting back into their human forms. Rowan and Flint’s eyes devoured Freya’s nude form as she straightened without any trace of embarrassment. Gage’s eyes slid up and down Heath, cataloging his injuries with fierce concern.
Only when he was satisfied that Heath was truly okay did his expression shift to something more complex — relief mingled with a deeper emotion I was still learning to recognize between them.
Brielle winked at me and grinned at Freya. “Everyone here knows what alphas need from their mates after a battle,” she said, her voice carrying a teasing lilt. “I’ll leave you to it. Have fun.”
I didn’t answer, too busy waiting to see what these deadly serious alphas intended to do as their predatory gazes all locked onto Freya.
Brielle wandered back over to the open door of the cabin. “Clear out! Freya and her mates need this space immediately!”
There were only a couple shifters who’d remained inside, most of them having joined us to watch as we destroyed the stones. From the scent of embarrassment on the two young wolves, I had the feeling they’d been taking advantage of the distraction to get reacquainted .
Brielle called over her shoulder, “Bloody Dawn, Frost Fang, let’s all celebrate our victory with a bonfire — even if we haven’t won the war yet.”
“A bonfire will draw the attention of the witches,” Artemis warned.
Brielle grinned. “Not if you have a hybrid on your side who’s spent decades perfecting the art of illusions.”
“Come on,” Gage growled, grabbing Freya and Heath’s hands and practically dragging them toward the cabin.
Heath looked back and gestured for me to follow as Flint and Rowan fell into lockstep with Gage.
As the door closed behind us, I realized we were suddenly alone — just the Howling Echo pack, reunited at last. The cabin felt smaller, more intimate without the others present.
It was a simple space, an open floor plan with a high ceiling.
The kitchenette and living area were separated from two small bedrooms by a half-wall.
Between the bedrooms stood a bookshelf with a large opening in the center, creating a window-like effect between the two rooms, which I noticed had no doors.
Flint and I moved to explore the space, finding closets stocked with blankets and basic supplies. We distributed the blankets onto the two beds, making them more comfortable.
“Not exactly private,” Flint commented, gesturing to the open layout and the gap in the bookshelf. “But perfect for a pack that’s used to sharing everything.”
“Including the view,” I chuckled, letting my eyes flick meaningfully between the beds.
Heath grinned. “It’ll be fun.”
My blood pounded in my ears at the implication, but I couldn’t deny the flutter of excitement it caused.
After the intensity of battle, the need for reconnection was palpable in the air — a desire to reaffirm life in the face of death, to celebrate our survival in the carnal ways our beasts demanded.
Mates, my wolf growled, pacing in my mind.
Heath pulled Freya to sit with him by the fire. His color was returning, but his expression still held shadows of his ordeal. Rowan stood nearby, his fists clenching and unclenching as though he wasn’t ready for the battle to be over.
“I thought I might never see you again,” Heath admitted quietly to Freya. “When they took my wolf, when they cut off our bond… it was like losing a part of my soul. And knowing they wanted you, that I was powerless to help…”
Freya silenced him with a kiss, her hands cradling his face with such tenderness it made my chest ache. “You’re here now,” she whispered against his lips. “We all are.”
I couldn’t help watching them, admiring the love that flowed between them — so natural, so unguarded. When Heath’s eyes met mine over Freya’s shoulder, I expected him to look away, perhaps uncomfortable with my observation. Instead, he extended a hand toward me.
“Thank you,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “For protecting her when I couldn’t. For ending Tork.”
I moved closer, taking his offered hand.
To my surprise, he rose and pulled me into an embrace, his arms strong around me.
And then, even more unexpectedly, he kissed me — not the brief, grateful kiss from earlier, but something deeper, more deliberate.
His stubble felt rough on my face, but I didn’t care.
I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him back, trying to show him exactly how worried I’d been about him.
When he pulled back, his eyes held a warmth that made my wolf rumble with pleasure. But I could sense through our bond that there was someone else he needed even more right now. Gently, I turned him toward Gage, who had been watching us with an intensity that made the air between us feel charged.
The pack alpha crossed the space between them in two long strides. His hands came up to cup Heath’s face, eyes scanning back and forth as though searching for something.
“I’m okay,” Heath assured him, though his voice betrayed his exhaustion. “But I feel… broken. The stone damaged my wolf.”
I moved to stand behind him, resting my hands on his hips in a subtle gesture, doing my own scan of Heath’s body now that I wasn’t distracted by our kiss .
He swallowed hard, vulnerability raw in his voice. “I don’t even feel like an alpha anymore,” he admitted, voice cracking. “How can I protect any of you when I couldn’t even protect myself?”
Gage’s eyes flashed gold as he stepped closer, his commanding alpha presence suddenly filling the small cabin as he grabbed Heath and pulled him in.
“You think you can get out of your promise that easily?” he growled, his voice dropping to a register that made my spine tingle.
He leaned in and nipped at Heath’s lip with a sharp bite. Heath moaned and leaned forward, chasing his lips, but Gage pulled back. To my surprise, he looked at me over Heath’s shoulder.
“Is he right? Is his wolf… damaged somehow?” he asked me privately through the bond.
“As far as I can tell, he just needs some time to recover and reconnect with his wolf,” I said out loud, so Heath could hear.
“What promise?” Rowan asked, bringing us back to what Gage had said.
“Heath promised me a battle for dominance,” Gage growled, his hand snaking up possessively behind Heath’s neck, gripping him tightly. “Don’t tell me you’re backing out.”
Freya made a sound of protest. “Gage, he’s still recovering—”
“It’s okay.” Flint took her hand. As an alpha, he probably understood what Gage was doing.
So I reiterated, “The magic is completely lifted. It may just take time for Heath to feel normal again.”
She grumbled something about alpha males, but I could sense her understanding beneath the concern. This wasn’t about dominance — not really. It was about reminding Heath of who he was, of the alpha that still lived within him despite what the witches had done.
She and I moved around to the side, giving the two alphas space as something primal awakened in them. Heath left the bond wide open, letting us all feel his wounded pride, alpha instinct, and beneath it all, a glimmer of hope that perhaps he wasn’t as broken as he feared.
The pack alpha waited, watching to see what Heath would do.
His eyes, which had been dulled by pain and shame, now blazed with rekindled fire. He stepped forward to meet Gage’s challenge head-on, closing the distance until they stood chest to chest, his gaze never wavering as he stared directly into Gage’s eyes.
“I keep my promises,” Heath growled, his voice low and dangerous as he made his demand to the leader of our pack. “Show me who’s alpha.”