Page 59 of Shifting Hearts

THIRTEEN

The Ashes We Keep

Lucien

I don’t want to go.

Her scent still clings to my skin, and the heat of her breath still lingers on my neck. Everything in me screams to stay wrapped in that moment. That bed. That bond .

But I promised her I’d clean this up. And if I don’t, she’ll never be safe. The Alpha Council doesn’t wait for excuses or context. They want names. Bodies. Proof that the land is no longer under threat.

So, I leave her sleeping, wrapped in our bond like silk. And I run. I let my wolf take over and push as hard as I can until we get to where we need to be.

The Council meets in a clearing ringed with obsidian stones, neutral territory for old blood. The sky here is always gray, and the trees don’t move in the wind. Five Alphas sit on stone chairs, cloaked in black, gold and ruby pins marking their packs.

I stand before them like a wolf beneath the blade.

“Speak, Hunter,” growls Alpha Taron. His voice is gravel and ash.

“Nara Vexley. Witch-blooded. She is responsible for the deaths of two wolves and the possession of rogue territory through blood-claim rituals. She is also dead.”

“And the witch responsible for shielding her?” asks Alpha Mirella, her silver eyes sharp. “The one rumoured to have aided her escape from the first investigation?”

“I didn’t find one.” A blatant lie nut one I’ll carry if it keeps Emilia off their radar.

Unfortunately, I’m not the only wolf who’s been sniffing too close.

Alpha Grayson clears his throat. “Our intelligence suggests otherwise. A half-breed witch. A psychic is hiding in Crystal Falls. Rumours say she summoned a blood flare powerful enough to rupture a protection line.”

My heart slams against my ribs.

“She stopped Nara,” I say coldly. “She saved me. She’s not a threat.”

“Magic like that always is,” Mirella snaps.

Taron nods. “You’ve always been loyal, Lucian. But love makes wolves blind. This girl, this Emilia, she is dangerous. She walks both lines, the witch and wolf never really one or the other. The Council cannot allow that imbalance to fester.”

I grit my teeth. “The Council doesn’t get to dictate the bond.”

Grayson sneers. “You think that bond will protect her? There’s already a bounty on her head.”

“What?”

“Ten thousand, alive. Twenty, dead.”

The rage is instantaneous. I shift halfway before I even realize I’m doing it, my claws extending, my fangs bared, and every muscle burning to tear someone apart.

“You put a bounty on my mate?” I growl.

“She’s not registered. Not cleared. She used blood magic in front of a Council hunter.”

“To save my life!” I roar.

“You think the law bends because your cock is hard for a half-breed?” Mirella snaps.

The clearing goes silent, but the mistake is hers. Because I lunge and she wasn’t expecting it. In less than two seconds, I have her by the throat, her back slammed against obsidian.

“You come near her,” I snarl, “and I will burn this entire fucking Council to the ground.”

The other Alphas draw their weapons, but I don’t flinch. But I do let her go. Eventually.

They don’t arrest me, and they don’t reprimand me. Because they know who I am, and what I’ve done to keep this peace intact.

But the warning is clear, you’ve chosen her. Now, the consequences will follow.

I’m halfway back to Crystal Falls before the scent hits me. Smoke, Ash, and Magic. I run harder, faster, my wolf surging beneath my skin forcing me to allow him out. When I reach the cabin, the wards are still intact—but the air is thick with power.

I slam the door open. And find her waiting. She is Calm and Still. Like a woman ready for war.

“They know,” she says quietly.

I nod. “There’s a bounty on you.”

“I figured.” She rolls her eyes.

She looks down at her hands—tattooed with sigils, still glowing faintly.

“I’m not sorry.” I say, not hiding how I feel.

“You shouldn’t be,” she says honestly. “We didn’t do anything wrong. It’s these damn archaic laws.”

I move toward her. She watches me like she’s deciding whether to pull me close… or push me away.

“Do you still want this? Me?” I whisper. “Now that the world wants me dead?” I take her face in my hands. “Because I didn’t just choose you, Emilia. “I claimed you. In front of the council that governs my world.”