Page 74 of Bound to Exiles (Rejected Wolf Pack #5)

Rowan

As I awakened, I became aware of the absence of tension in my body.

For the first time since I could remember, every muscle wasn’t coiled and ready to spring into action.

My wolf lay quiet in my chest, not prowling the edges of my consciousness or scanning for threats.

The silence was so complete it felt wrong.

Freya’s head rested against my ribs, her breathing deep and even.

One of her hands splayed across my stomach, fingers relaxed in sleep.

The scent of wild apples clung to her skin, mixing with the musk of sex and the deeper, earthier smell that was uniquely hers.

My wolf stirred lazily, content to simply exist in this moment.

I’d never experienced peace like this. The wildlands had taught me that relaxation meant death. But here, surrounded by the warmth and scents of my pack, something fundamental had shifted.

Through the Bonded link, I sensed my packmates beginning to awaken around me.

Gage’s arm was draped over Heath, both of them radiating a bone-deep satisfaction I’d never sensed from them before.

The tension that had stretched between them for years was gone, replaced by something solid and unbreakable.

Their wolves had finally acknowledged what the rest of us had known before — they belonged together .

Flint’s steady presence anchored us all, his quiet strength a foundation we could lean on. As he awakened, his contentment warmed our bond.

Zak no longer hovered at the edges of our connection. Last night, he’d hunted with the pack, being woven into the very fabric of what we’d become. His magic hummed beneath the bond, a warm counterpoint to our wolf energy.

And connecting us all, weaving it all together into one Bonded link, was Freya, our heart.

The completeness of it stole my breath. This was what home felt like. Not a territory to defend or a den to shelter in, but these people, these bonds that tied us together more securely than any pack bond ever could.

Our peaceful moment was shattered by three sharp knocks on the cabin door.

We all froze. Every muscle in my body tensed as my wolf surged to the surface, instantly alert.

The familiar hyper-vigilance slammed back into place, my senses expanding to catalog every sound, every scent, every potential threat.

“Alpha?” Bretton’s voice called from outside. “Sorry to disturb you, but there’s a messenger here. It’s Philipe — the one who brought news about your family before.”

Gage sighed, reluctantly disentangling himself from our group. “Tell him we’ll be out shortly,” he called back, his voice returning to the authoritative tone of a pack alpha.

The spell of our intimate cocoon broken, we slowly separated, exchanging lingering touches, soft kisses, and meaningful glances as we all got out of bed. It filled me with a sense of wonder to see how close we were all becoming thanks to Freya bringing us closer than ever before as a pack.

“Come on,” Freya said, taking Gage’s hand. “Let’s go get cleaned up.”

“Yes, my queen,” Gage replied, kissing her forehead before heading to turn on the small standing shower in the bathroom.

“We’re lucky there’s a bathroom in this place,” Heath murmured, bending over to pick up clothes, dropping them in separate piles for each of us .

“Too bad it’s only big enough for two,” Flint said, then grinned over at Heath. “Care to share?”

Heath’s gaze flicked over to Freya before answering. “I’ll always share with you, Flint.”

Freya laughed as the two of them closed in on either side of her, taking turns kissing her until Gage called, “Get in while it’s hot!”

She ran to join him in the shower, but before she pulled the door closed, I caught her glancing back at Zak and me.

“Guess that leaves you and me to share the shower last, wolf man,” Zak's teasing voice came from behind me. I turned to find the mage’s eyes on me, stirring that familiar attraction I’d once tried to ignore.

I smirked, knowing my wolf had no interest in the tight confines of a shower stall. My bestial side needed space, needed the freedom of the outdoors. And bathing was the perfect excuse to return to nature where I belonged. Now that Zak could shift, would he join me?

“Or we can skip the wait and go bathe in the river like real wolves,” I suggested.

Zak’s eyebrows rose in surprise, but I caught a flash of interest in his expression. The mage who’d spent years suppressing his wolf was still learning to embrace the wilder aspects of his nature.

Whatever challenges awaited us beyond this cabin, we would face them together — not just as a pack, but as something stronger than any traditional bond had ever created.

“Lead the way,” Zak said, his eyes heating as they raked over my still naked form.

Once outside, I watched him shift, noticing how much more naturally it came to him.

“Well done,” I praised as I landed on all four paws beside him.

“Thanks,” he said simply, but through the bond, I felt how much my words pleased him. That, too, was a change. Zak wasn’t hiding his feelings from the rest of us like he used to.

By scent alone, I avoided Bretton and all the Frost Fang wolves camped outside the cabin and let my snout lead the way to the river. Zak followed, still getting used to his wolf after so many years of suppression. But his stride became more natural the more we loped through the wildlands .

At last, frigid water rushed over my fur, cleansing away the lingering scent of sex. As he daintily stepped into the river, Zak’s sleek gray coat darkened where the water soaked through.

After a quick dunk in the deeper part between rocks, he quickly retreated to the edge. He shuddered dramatically as he stepped out of the river, shaking his fur vigorously and sending droplets flying in all directions.

“Too cold for your thin mage blood?” I taunted through the pack bond, feeling playful after our group activities back at the cabin.

“Some of us didn’t grow up feral in the wildlands,” Zak replied, but there was no real bite to his words. “Some of us prefer hot showers and soap.”

I chuffed a laugh, circling him once before settling on a dry, rocky outcropping dappled by the early morning light.

The forest around us was quiet, peaceful in contrast to the battle we’d fought yesterday.

For a moment, I allowed myself to simply enjoy the natural scents of pine and earth, the distant calls of birds, the presence of my newest packmate beside me.

My thoughts drifted back to what had transpired in the cabin. The way Zak had taken charge to suggest Flint sit in the chair… the way he’d given Freya a show to rival Gage and Heath’s dominance battle… and especially the way Zak had taken me in his mouth at Freya’s behest without hesitation.

Most betas would never dare to be so bold with alphas, especially one like me. They feared the alpha command, worried I might bark an order they couldn’t refuse.

But Zak hadn’t shown that fear. He’d fallen to his knees before me with confidence, taking what he wanted and giving pleasure in return. That he trusted me not to abuse my power over him amazed me.

The Howling Echo had changed since Freya, and then Zak, had joined us. Our dynamics had shifted, our bonds deepening in ways I’d never imagined. I’d gone from barely tolerating the idea of a witch to accepting them both as pack… and more.

It made me wonder when Freya would claim him properly, when she would bite him and he would bite her in return, making their mate bond equal and complete.

The thought didn’t bother me as it once might have.

Instead, I found myself curious, even eager to see that final bond between them — and us — in place.

Zak’s words from earlier echoed in my mind: “We’re all Bonded. We’re all each other’s mates, regardless of whether we’ve been claimed or not. Your claiming bites just made visible what was already there.”

Did that mean Zak and I were mates, too?

I turned the thought over, examining it from all angles.

My wolf rumbled in agreement, surprising me.

It made a strange sort of sense. Our wolves got along just as mine did with Freya’s.

There was an ease between us that hadn’t existed before, a comfort I’d never expected to find with another male.

Before I could pursue that thought further, Gage called through the pack bond, “Let’s talk to the messenger.”

I nudged the smaller wolf with my muzzle. “Time to go.”

Zak and I raced back through the forest, our paws silent on the soft, needle-covered earth.

My wolf took over, slowing his long strides.

Zak was my first-ever beta packmate, and my wolf instinctively wanted to protect him, refusing to leave his side.

By the time we approached the cabin, Gage stood with Freya, Heath, Flint, and Bretton, talking to a stranger.

The lean man’s scent marked him as a beta from an unfamiliar pack.

The stranger kept his eyes respectfully lowered, though I caught him glancing at Freya with poorly concealed curiosity.

My wolf bristled at the attention, but I forced myself to remain still.

Freya could handle herself, and any threat to her would have to go through all of us.

We shifted back to human form, quickly pulling on the clothes from our sling bags.

“Who’s that?” Zak asked, nodding toward the unknown wolf.

“Must be the messenger looking into Freya's past,” I replied, studying the newcomer from a distance. “None of us have ever actually met him before.”

“Didn’t you guys hire him?”

“Through Bretton, I think,” I said, uncertain of how exactly Gage or Heath had gotten in contact with him. Human affairs were their domain, not mine .

We approached the group, and the stranger — a lean man with watchful eyes — glanced our way as we approached.

“Here are the rest,” Gage said, gesturing us forward. “Rowan, Zak, this is Philipe. He’s been gathering information for us.”