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LOGAN

I sat with my closest circle, their faces tense and thoughtful as they absorbed what I’d told them about the old woman and her talk of a curse. Moonlight spilled through the windows, casting shadows across their expressions. Every one of them was taking this as seriously as I’d expected.

Elder Raina broke the silence first.

“Logan, curses have been spoken of before in our history, mostly as warnings to keep rival packs at bay. Powerful rumors, yes, but hardly ever real.” Worry crept into her tone. “That woman could be a red herring, meant to rattle us, make us fear ourselves.”

Rhys, seated to my left, leaned in closer, his expression dark. “What if she’s not? The old curses were spoken about like this for a reason—meant to break a pack from the inside out without lifting a single claw.” He paused. “What’s been happening to us, it’s almost too coincidental. Our losses, no pups born, even parts of the land that seem like they’re withering.”

I nodded, pressing my hand against the table. “That’s exactly it. If the curse is real, we’re facing something insidious, tearing us apart slowly. But if it’s a trick, the Heraclids could use it to make us doubt ourselves. Either way, it’s a threat.”

Killian and Blair, my enforcers, sat together, exchanging a look. They were a strong, thoughtful pair who liked to weigh things between them first, communicating through the pack bond before they spoke. I felt their hesitation through the bond, a low hum of energy moving back and forth.

“Out with it,” I said. “What are you thinking?”

Killian raised an eyebrow and nodded to Blair, who spoke first. “Look, Alpha, I don’t trust the Heraclids, not one bit. They’d throw anything our way if they thought it would weaken us. But if there’s even a chance this curse is real, then we’re already seeing it take its toll.”

Killian chimed in, “If the curse is real, it could go far beyond a few unlucky breaks. It could be generational. This curse could be woven into our land itself, the bloodline of the pack. It wouldn’t end here—it could break Orion apart for good. We have to find the curse-sayer.”

They were voicing the same fears I had, the same dread that had twisted in my gut ever since the old woman spat out the word curse .

Raina’s sigh filled the room. “I wish I could dismiss the possibility of a generational curse, but that would be reckless. We know that curse-sayers have held a place among supernaturals since the beginning of time. The Seven Sisters were experts at manipulating them for their own purposes.”

The Seven Sisters were celestial forces, stars given form, and they saw the shifters of Earth as mere playthings. They spun destinies for their amusement, setting realms at odds with one another and reveling in the chaos that ensued. The shifters suffered endlessly because of them, yearning for harmony, which seemed impossible to attain. But the arrival of the Shadow Moon Goddess set everything right, commanding the Orion pack to lead. That was, until the Great Separation. Curse-sayers existed, there was no doubt. But when the Great Separation happened, they were forced to draw their power from somewhere other than the Shadow Moon Goddess. That alone was enough to make the idea disturbing. Powers that didn’t originate with the Shadow Moon Goddess often played into someone else’s agenda.

Blair looked at me, his wolf not far from the surface. “Alpha, curse or no curse, we’re with you. But if there’s a chance it’s real, we need to prepare. Confront the curse-sayer head-on and demand answers.”

“Forget answers,” Killian grumbled. “We have to kill the curse-sayer.”

I let their discussion filter through the room. My mind had already drifted, thoughts tangled with memories. I rubbed at the tattoo on my forearm, the familiar shapes of Wyatt’s and Nash’s initials beneath my fingertips a bitter reminder.

My brothers—strong, proud, always watching over me. Even now, their lives still sparked in my blood. They weren’t dead, I was sure of it, but they were gone .

They’d disappeared after the Southern Council meeting. I had sent them there to represent the Northern packs, and more specifically, the leadership of Orion. It had been a hostile environment, but I’d had every confidence in their ability to manage the situation. I couldn’t have known there were dark forces that would take them away from me. And I should have.

I’d been left to carry the weight of their disappearance alone. I still didn’t know today what exactly had become of them. But they were alive. Had to be.

I refused to believe any other possibility.

I closed my hand over the ink, feeling the familiar ache gnawing at me, the old regret I tried to lock away. Wyatt and Nash had fought as Orions through and through, true hunters. And I’d failed them. I couldn’t fail the rest of Orion now.

I had to find the curse-sayer.

I had to kill the curse-sayer.

I barely noticed Rhys moving closer, catching the movement of my hand as it lingered on the tattoo.

“Logan,” he said gently, pulling me from my thoughts.

“I’ll start by going into Heraclid lands. Reconnaissance.”

The room fell into silence.

“You don’t have to do this alone.” I knew Rhys was seeing right through me, straight to the shadowed place I kept hidden from everyone, even myself. He had always been like that, a step ahead in ways I never admitted aloud. But this was something I couldn’t ask of anyone else.

I forced myself to meet his eyes. “I have to. It’s my responsibility. ”

“You have to trust we can help. We are here precisely for that.”

I shook my head. “This isn’t about trust,” I said, though it sounded hollow.

“Alpha, we’re not just here to stand around. This is our fight too,” Blair said. Killian nodded silently beside him, the two of them communicating through the bond as if they were of one mind.

Killian finally looked at me. “We’re with you. Curse or no curse, this is about Orion. We stand together.”

I couldn’t shake the image of Wyatt and Nash, couldn’t drown out the voices that said I’d failed them once and I would fail again if I let anyone else take this on.

I forced myself to look at them, the faces of those who’d been by my side through every storm and scar. “This curse—it’s tied to our blood, to the alpha line. If it’s real, it’s something I need to face myself.”

“It’s my blood, too.” Rhys’s hand tightened on my shoulder.

“It’s decided.” I avoided looking at Rhys. “If I know anything about that old woman, she’s already on Heraclid lands, intending to exploit knowledge of this curse. Something about her rubbed me the wrong way. I am confident she’s there.”

“This is reckless!” Rhys threw up his hands in a rare show of anger. “I cannot stay here while my brother goes into enemy lands alone. I will not stand for it.”

The alpha command emerged without my willing it: “This is not your decision to make.”

Every head bowed in instinctual response. It wasn’t a move I liked to use, but they had to understand .

This was my fight.

The silence stretched longer than was comfortable, but they each lifted their heads. Raina was the first to speak.

“If you’re going into Heraclid lands, you’ll need to mask your scent as they do. There’s a stream on the northern edge of Raven’s Pass. Only take your bike to that point. That’s where you’ll cross.” Her eyes met mine, understanding the history embedded in the place without words. It was the same route the Heraclids used to creep into our territory undetected years before. And now, it would serve me.

Blair gave a quick nod. “We’ll keep patrols doubled at our borders while you’re gone. Killian and I will cover all routes in and out of Orion land. They won’t dare to move against us as long as they scent our cover.”

Rhys folded his arms, his face a study of tension and barely contained frustration, but his loyalty won out. “I’ll rally the scouts. We’ll keep a close watch on the northern and southern borders, and I’ll have our fastest messengers ready.”

They spoke in turns, each offering up their support, their skills, their absolute dedication to the pack’s safety. Their faith in me was my shield.

This curse would end, one way or another. And whoever had spoken it over us would regret the day they dared cross Orion’s path.