Page 77 of Bound to Exiles (Rejected Wolf Pack #5)

Flint

We made our way back to our camp outside of Moonblessed and spent a few hours getting the newest refugees from Frost Fang settled.

Fern and several of her followers joined us this time, but I didn’t get the chance to reconnect with my littermate the way I wanted.

She deserved the chance to explain herself, but we had other business to attend to, first.

Business which required some of us to cross Moonblessed walls and meet with the Moonblessed pack alphas, Hugo and Idori. Freya had been texting with Shante, who promised to meet us as soon as we crossed through the gate.

What lay ahead weighed heavily on my shoulders, but I forced myself to focus on the present moment.

Gage and Heath moved side by side, their earlier tension replaced by something solid and unshakeable.

No more stolen glances or careful distance — just the easy presence of two people who’d finally stopped fighting what they both wanted.

Heath’s hand brushed against Gage’s and then latched on.

Zak walked between Freya and Rowan, their conversation quiet but comfortable. Rowan seemed at ease in his two-legged form for once, maybe in part because his scars had all disappeared thanks to Zak.

The hybrid no longer held himself apart, no longer projecting the false front of carefree flirtation nor the careful submission he’d shown before.

Instead, he moved with the confidence of someone who’d found his place among us.

When Rowan said something that made him smile, the expression was genuine and unguarded.

And Freya — she remained our center, but now she carried herself with the authority of someone who’d embraced her power.

More than anyone, she was responsible for our victory back at Frost Fang.

The uncertain woman who’d struggled to shift was gone, replaced by a powerful hybrid who even Fern’s followers now respected.

We’d all grown into something stronger together. The thought made the prospect of losing Rowan, even temporarily, that much harder to bear.

A massive doorway opened as we approached the Moonblessed walls, revealing two beta guards who nodded respectfully to the alphas of the group. Their gazes lingered on Freya and Zak.

“Well, well,” a familiar voice called out as we stepped inside the safety of Moonblessed. “Look what the afternoon dragged in.”

Shante emerged from a side path, her lavender-painted nails flashing as she waved dramatically. Her matching sparkly lavender eyeshadow caught the light.

“Shante,” Freya said, genuine warmth in her voice. “Good to see you.”

“Ditto. Though you all look like someone died.” Her sharp eyes took in our grim expressions. “Please tell me you kicked those witches’ asses.”

Despite everything weighing on us, I felt a smile tug at my lips. Freya’s best friend had a gift for bringing levity to even the darkest moments.

“We won the battle but not the war,” Gage summed it up.

“No wonder Hugo and Idori forbade us from leaving our walls.” Shante smiled to take the sting out her words, “You’re bringing drama like usual. ”

“Yes, just the usual amount of impending doom,” Heath said dryly, earning a snort of laughter from Zak.

“Fantastic. Well, since you’re heading to see the alphas anyway, let me give our newest member the grand tour.” She hooked her arm through Zak’s with casual familiarity, and I watched him tense then relax at the friendly contact.

When Freya growled, Shante laughed and let Zak go. Then her eyes widened as her nostrils flared. “Don’t tell me—”

“Yes,” Freya answered with mock exasperation. “My third heat isn’t far off.”

“Roughly twenty-four days, give or take,” I murmured.

Shante whistled, her eyes naturally checking Zak’s neck for Freya’s mate bite. When she didn’t see a mark, she opened her mouth, then seemed to sense that Freya would prefer that she drop it.

“But who’s counting?” She laughed and turned back to Zak, “This place has quite the history with your pack.”

As we walked through Moonblessed, Shante pointed out various landmarks to him with theatrical flair, including the grocery store, where Freya’s impending heat had made all of us a little crazy once before.

“Oh, it gets better,” Shante continued, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she led us paralleling the wall, no doubt so she could point out her house.

At the back of our group, Gage and Heath shared meaningful looks, apparently carrying out a silent conversation and ignoring Shante’s antics completely. I was willing to bet they were doing some preparation for our upcoming meeting with Hugo and Idori.

Once we approached Shante’s house, I expected her to mention it to Zak, but instead, she suddenly gestured toward one of the gates in the wall.

“And here—” she announced with a dramatic flourish, “—is where our dear Freya tried to run off after she rejected Flint, trying to get him to leave her alone so she could sacrifice herself to Ironwood. Girl had a martyr complex like you wouldn’t believe.”

I groaned, feeling heat creep up my neck as Zak turned to look at me with raised eyebrows .

“What was it she said?” Shante asked me, clearly enjoying my embarrassment. “Something like, ‘We’re not mates and never will be.’ The drama was legendary.”

“Oh, shush,” Freya shook her head, but her lips curled up in a smile. “All’s well that ends well?”

“She was trying to protect us,” I said, defending Freya even as my ears burned. “She thought sacrificing herself was the only way to keep both the Howling Echo and Moonblessed safe.”

Zak’s expression softened with understanding. “Sounds familiar,” he said quietly, and I caught the meaningful look he exchanged with Rowan.

Next, Shante regaled Zak and Rowan with the tale of how she and Brielle had used magical smoke to draw Ironwood off Freya’s heat scent trail.

“My brave mate,” Rowan said, pulling Freya against him so he could kiss the top of her head.

As the scent of her heat filled his lungs, I sensed his arousal rising through the Bonded link.

“Well, clearly her powers of prophesy weren’t very good back then,” Heath said with a grin. “She mated Flint, after all.”

“She just wanted us to prove ourselves first,” Gage said, getting in on the teasing.

Freya laughed, the sound bright despite the shadows hanging over us. “I suppose rejection always was the beginning of our story.”

Gage gave her a fond look, though the bond carried his contrition as he no doubt recalled how he’d rejected her in the beginning, too. Then he turned to Shante, “Come, let’s not keep your pack alphas waiting.”

Shante grabbed Freya’s hand and dragged her toward the alpha residence with the rest of us in tow.

Unlike some packs that elevated their alphas with grand estates, Moonblessed’s alpha residence sat at the center of town, equal in size to those around it.

That was one of the many things that had endeared the pack to me when I’d first joined it, long before I left to join the Howling Echo.

Today, the alpha residence’s backyard where the pack often celebrated was empty of festive decorations. The outdoor kitchen stood silent, the grill cold.

Shante waved at the open space and told Zak and Rowan, “This is where we held the equinox party where Hugo and Idori tried to play matchmaker with every eligible wolf in the pack. Poor Freya was so overwhelmed.”

Rowan let out a low grumble of a growl at the thought of our mate being paraded around in front of other wolves.

Zak raised an eyebrow. “So, they welcomed you despite your hybrid nature?”

“None of us knew back then. That was before they saw what my magic could do. Later, they saw what happened to my aunt.” Freya frowned, sadness creeping into the bond at the loss of the only family she’d ever known.

“We need to get her sister out,” Rowan growled, leaving Freya out of it.

“We will,” Gage swore.

Heath agreed, “She deserves to meet one family member who isn’t a bitch.”

Shante lightened the mood by asking, “How much faerie wine did you drink last time you were here?”

“Like you said… who’s counting?” Freya smiled. “I thought it would calm my nerves.”

“Tensions were high,” Heath agreed, smirking at me, probably recalling our fight over Freya’s honor.

“Good thing I let you win,” I said.

Heath scoffed, but before he could reply, Gage gestured us all forward. “Come on.”

“I’ll leave you to it,” Shante said, giving a deferential nod of her head to her pack alphas before taking her leave.

Today, the outdoor meeting area had been arranged with chairs in a circle, a neutral setup that put everyone on equal footing. Hugo and Idori joined us, along with Artemis from the Bloody Dawn. The serious expressions on their faces told me word of our arrival had preceded us.

“Thank you for meeting with us,” Gage said as we took our seats .

“Thank you for coming,” Hugo said, his look encompassing all of us, include Zak.

Idori’s gaze moved to Freya, and her expression softened. “Freya. We’re glad to see you well.” Her eyes then shifted to Zak, curious but not hostile. “And this must be your new packmate.”

Heath made the introductions, and Idori smiled and said, “Well met.”

Zak nodded respectfully, keeping his eyes slightly lowered in deference to the alpha pair.

Hugo gestured to Artemis. “The pack alpha of the Bloody Dawn has already debriefed us on what happened in Frost Fang. About the witches, and how you managed to free those who had been severed from their wolves.”

“Freya was instrumental in that,” Gage said, his pride evident. “She and Zak destroyed the stones that were binding the wolves and stealing their life forces.”

“It was all Freya’s power, really,” Zak admitted. “I just directed it where to go.”

Hugo and Idori both turned to Freya with respect in their eyes.

“We owe you an apology,” Idori said softly. “We should have allowed Shante and the others to help when you needed them.”