Page 34

D raven POV

At dawn’s first light I was at her door much to my reluctance.

This was a bad idea, blood or not there was no way that she would be able to lead the pack.

I had been trained from this role since the moment I was chosen as a young boy.

And now my entire life was flipped upside down, I no longer held the title I had worked so damn hard for, and now I had a fated mate that I never asked for.

I stood by the car, arms crossed, watching the apartment door.

I stretched my body feeling the ache of having been stationery for too long.

Where was she? I was anxious to get back to the pack lands.

Being so close to humans agitated my wolf. What a joke.

The door creaked open, and Brielle stepped out, her father trailing behind her. Her steps were hesitant, her face pale but set with quiet determination. She has made the right choice. That much I would give her. Her grandfather was a persistent man who never liked to not get what he wanted.

She clutched a small duffel bag in one hand and that crescent moon necklace in the other, as if it anchored her to some semblance of sanity.

She still had not put it on and I wondered if she ever will.

It was a symbol of the leadership of our pack.

I had a tattoo of the very emblem on my chest, a mark of the chosen heir—-or so it had been.

I watched as she turned to her father, their whispered exchange filled with emotion I couldn’t bring myself to feel. She looked at him like she might never see him again, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. Pathetic.

“Thank you for everything,” she murmured, her voice carrying faintly in the breeze. “I’ll come back. I promise.”

No she wouldn't. The life she knew here was long gone and all that she would know from this moment on was the frost pack. She would need to come to terms with that.

Her father gave her a sad smile, cupping her face in his hands. “Just stay safe, Brielle. That’s all I care about. I will write to you and tell your mother what happened.”

The tenderness in their exchange made something in my chest tighten, but I pushed it aside. She was leaving behind a life of mediocrity to claim a title I’d bled for. She didn’t deserve sympathy, not from me.

Finally, she turned and walked toward me, her movements hesitant but resolute. “I’m ready,” she said softly, her gaze meeting mine for the briefest moment before dropping to the ground.

Something tugged at my chest that I did not want to acknowledge.

There was an air that followed this woman as she moved.

Her long lashes kissed her cheek bones as she blinked.

Her eyes shined against the morning rays that streamed onto the ground.

I had to catch myself from staring, turning away and clearing my throat.

This bond was something that I would need to put an end to soon enough.

The last thing I wanted to do was to be tethered to the woman who upended my life.

“Let’s get this over with,” I muttered, opening the car door and gesturing for her to get in.

She hesitated for a second, then climbed in without a word. I slammed the door shut behind her, biting back the bitterness that threatened to spill out.

As I slid into the driver’s seat, Damien’s steady presence filled the back of the car. “Drive,” he ordered, his voice calm but firm. He gave his granddaughter about the warmest smile I had ever seen him muster.

She brought out the tenderness in him. She melted some of the ice the losses he had taken built around his heart.

The ride to the pack lands was silent, the tension between us palpable. It was so thick that the air itself stuck to the sides of my lungs. I stole a glance at Brielle in the rearview mirror. She stared out the window, her fingers gripping the edge of her seat like she was holding on for dear life.

When we finally reached the edge of the Frost Pack territory, the dense forest gave way to a sprawling estate.

Towering gates opened to reveal a long, winding driveway flanked by ancient trees and manicured gardens.

The mansion at the end of the drive loomed like a fortress, its stone structure both elegant and intimidating.

Brielle’s eyes widened as she took it all in, and I couldn’t help the flicker of satisfaction that surged through me. This was our world, a far cry from her dingy little apartment. She didn’t belong here, no matter what her blood said.

I brought the car to a halt by the front door after going up the gravel driveway. I could smell the familiar scent of home and my wolf eased a little. Damien stepped out first, his posture as commanding as ever. “Welcome home, Brielle,” he said, his voice laced with pride.

I hopped out of the sleek SUV with Brielle in tow. Her jaw was still on the floor and all she could think about was the fact that she had finally hit the jackpot, I was sure.

The heavy oak doors of the pack house creaked open as Damien led Brielle inside, his posture rigid, his presence commanding.

I followed a few paces behind, my jaw clenched and my hands stuffed into my pockets.

The sight of her, small and out of place amidst the grandeur of the Frost Pack’s mansion, only fueled my anger.

Brielle’s wide eyes roamed the interior, the polished marble floors, the grand staircase spiraling upward, the towering windows, cast a gentle golden light in the room. She clutched her necklace tightly, her knuckles white, as if the small pendant could anchor her in this strange new world.

Interesting .

“This way,” Damien said, his voice cutting through the silence.

He strode toward the far end of the hall, and Brielle followed hesitantly.

Damien pushed open the double doors to his office, revealing a space as imposing as its owner.

Dark wood bookshelves lined the walls, filled with volumes on pack history and strategy.

Things that had taken me years to memorize over the years.

This was all evidence of my hard work all going down the drain.

The massive oak desk dominated the room, its surface immaculately organized. Damien was very type A like that.

“Sit,” Damien ordered, gesturing to the leather chair in front of his desk.

Brielle sank into the chair, her hands folded tightly in her lap. I leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching the scene unfold.

“Now that you’re here,” Damien began, his voice calm but firm, “it’s time to prepare you for the role you were born to fulfill. You’ll need to learn our ways, develop your wolf, and gain the strength to lead this pack.”

Brielle swallowed hard, her uncertainty obvious. “I’ll do what I can as long as you fulfill the end of your bargain of course,” she said, her voice soft but resolute.

“I told you, you have my word. I am a man of honour after all. My word is my bond, it is our way. Isn’t that right, Draven?” Damien looked my way and gave me a pensive look. The green in his eyes looked eerily similar to his granddaughters.

They truly were of one blood.

“Yes of course, alpha.” I tried to keep the bitterness from my tone but it was extremely hard.

Damien held my eyes as he spoke again, as if daring me to defy him. “Draven will train you.”

The words hit like a slap, and I pushed off the wall, my brows furrowing. “Train her?” I scoffed. “She’s not ready for this. She’s barely even awakened her wolf, she needed your help to do it.”

“That’s exactly why she needs you,” Damien said, his tone leaving no room for debate. “You’re the best warrior in this pack, and you’ve trained for years to lead. She needs your expertise. ”

“She’s weak,” I bit out, my frustration bubbling to the surface. “She has no idea what she’s walking into.”

“She will learn,” Damien said coldly. “And you will ensure that she does. That is your duty as my beta and her mate.”

There that word was again. Mate. I loathed it with all I had in me.

I held his stare for a long moment, my wolf bristling under his command. But no matter how much I wanted to fight it, Damien ’s word was law. Finally, I dropped my eyes in reluctant submission.

Unlike myself my wolf leaned more to the happier side about finding our mate. It was his primal instinct to crave her. He was simply following the laws on nature imposed on him. I on the other hand was less pleased to pretend to be into this farce connection.

“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. “But don’t expect miracles.”

Damien nodded, then turned his attention back to Brielle. “You’ll start training tomorrow. Draven will ensure you’re ready for the challenges ahead.”

She looked between us, her uncertainty replaced by a flicker of determination. “I won’t let you down,” she said quietly, though her voice carried a hint of defiance.

I scoffed, shaking my head. “We’ll see about that.”

The tension in the room thickened, and Damien’s eyes flicked between the two of us, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. “Good,” he said. “The sooner you both find your rhythm, the better. Now it is time that you meet with your people. They should all be gathered by now in the amphitheater.”

Damien stood from his seat and walked out of the office leaving me with my mate. The word still felt so foreign on my tongue. She stood from her chair looking visibly shaken and pale. She turned and faced me with fear gripping her eyes.

“You’re nowhere near ready for this. You are as good as dead.” I turned on my heel and made my way out of the office.

She was going to burn this whole pack down and I could do nothing but watch it all go up in flames .