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LOGAN

I gripped Eve’s hand, unwilling to let even the smallest piece of her slip away. Her fingers were cold and trembling. My mind churned with everything Mariyah had revealed.

The world could burn, could crumble into ash around us, and it wouldn’t matter. She was mine to protect, and nothing—not curses, not enemies, not fate—would take her from me.

My wolf was ready to tear through anything in our path. Every fiber of me burned with purpose, a fierce determination to shield her from what we’d just heard. Whatever this curse was, whatever darkness had tangled itself into her life, it would answer to me before it touched her again.

We reached the office. The door was ajar, low murmurs cutting off as I approached. Rhys was talking, but he stopped as soon as I crossed the threshold. Every head in the room shot to us—or, more specifically, to her.

Eve stiffened beside me, holding my hand tighter.

I will protect you. It could have been me or the wolf who said it. Probably both of us.

The room was again cramped with my inner circle. Rhys, Alden, Blair and Killian, assessing Eve. Raina sat by the window, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, as usual. Isabelle stood between us all.

The energy of our pack bond was alight but turning over itself with ever-changing reactions—anticipation, wariness, and judgment tangled together like frayed rope.

I leaned down, murmuring so only Eve could hear. “Sit.”

She hesitated before obeying, folding into a chair with a grace that didn’t quite mask her nervousness. Raina rose, her movements slow, and crossed the room to place a hand on Eve’s shoulder. The gesture was simple, but the sensation through the bond told me it was a deliberate show of support. Eve glanced up at her, surprised, and Raina’s presence seemed to settle her.

The collective anxiety was weighing on me, and I didn’t like the atmosphere in the room. Mariyah’s declarations were taking a toll on me too, and I needed energy from the pack to get me through.

“Glad to see you’re all here. However,” I straightened, “I can feel your nerves wound up like a shot, and right now we need focus. On me ,” I added, seeing several of them glance over at Eve. “Everyone in this room has earned their place. Now we act like it.”

The tension hung for a beat longer. Rhys broke the silence with a dry snort. He leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed. “You always know how to warm up a crowd, Logan. ”

A huff of air resembling a laugh escaped my lips and the tension broke.

“Let’s settle in,” I said, pulling up a chair and straddling it. “We have a lot to cover.”

The others followed suit, chairs scraping softly against the floor as they sat down one by one around the table. Only Killian remained standing, looming by the door, as was his job.

I glanced at Eve again, watching as she sat rigid in her seat. Her hands rested in her lap, her knuckles white as she gripped them together. Our bond hummed faintly, her emotions flickering through me. I offered her a small nod, trying to reassure her, before I turned my focus to the others.

“Isabelle,” I said, gesturing toward her. “What have you got?”

She stood, smoothing her shirt and clearing her throat. “Alpha, I think I’ve figured out their next move.”

“An attack.” I nodded.

“Not so much.”

Everyone leaned forward as Isabelle continued.

“I’ve been tracking activity—ticket purchases, travel itineraries, private flights. At first, I didn’t think there was a connection but I cross-referenced them with information from our allies in the east. All signs point to a meeting.”

“A meeting?” Alden asked, frowning. “What kind of meeting?”

Isabelle drew in a breath. “While I can’t access the personal details of those traveling, it seems to be a conclave.” She looked at Eve and said, “That’s when the alphas of the big packs under the Shadow Moon get together to discuss issues that concern all of us.”

Eve flashed a smile, and I felt her sense of relief at Isabelle including her.

For the rest of us, the news was not good. Raina broke the silence with a soft, knowing exhale. “It certainly could be a conclave. Where?”

Isabelle bit her lip. “I don’t know yet.”

Things were accelerating. Grayson wasn’t stupid—his son had been killed, his oracle had defected, and it could very well look like Orion was behind it.

To call a conclave was a big move.

To exclude Orion was an even bigger one.

Alden stiffened, gripping the armrest of his chair. “A conclave, of all things. And Orion hasn’t been invited?”

Isabelle looked at me as she said, “No. We have not.”

The room erupted.

“That’s impossible,” Blair snarled, surging to his feet with a growl rumbling deep in his chest, his wolf riding dangerously close to the surface. “Orion always leads the conclave. That has been our role since the Shadow Moon passed hundreds of years ago! Heraclid wouldn’t dare?—”

“They would,” Killian cut in from where he stood by the door. His expression was grim, his wolf barely contained. “If they think we’re no longer worth following.”

His words hit the room like a physical blow.

Eve’s emotions spiked through the bond. She buried it quickly, but I could still feel the edges of it, like glass against my skin. I looked at her, and saw no sign of what she felt.

Voices overlapped, the arguments growing louder.

“ Stop ,” I growled, the alpha force in my tone slicing through the chaos. The room stilled immediately. “Isabelle,” I said, turning to her. “What else do you know?”

She nodded quickly, gathering herself under the weight of the pack’s scrutiny. “Not much yet. The location hasn’t been publicly disclosed, but all signs point to somewhere in our region. The timing aligns with increased activity among Heraclid scouts?—”

“Of course it does,” Alden muttered darkly, shaking his head. “Grayson’s trying to box us out. He knows exactly what he’s doing.”

Isabelle’s expression tightened. “I’ll keep digging. I’ll find the exact location and as many details as I can.”

I nodded. Rhys spoke before I could respond. “This isn’t just about the Heraclids anymore, Logan.” His expression was hard as he leaned forward in his seat. “It’s about us . We’re not invited because of her.”

Eve’s shoulders stiffened, and through the bond, I felt a sudden wave of shame and anger. She didn’t say a word, her chin lifting slightly in defiance, but I could feel how deeply his words cut.

I forced myself to remain calm, even as my wolf snarled at the insult. “You don’t know that.”

“Don’t I?” He gestured toward Eve, his tone gaining strength. “Word about Damian’s death has spread. Everyone knows you killed him, and everyone knows she was there. Whether or not it’s true, they think she had something to do with it.”

Eve flinched, the movement so slight it would’ve been imperceptible to anyone who wasn’t watching her as closely as I was. I could feel her trying to hold herself together under the weight of the room’s judgment .

“We can’t ignore this,” Rhys continued. “As your beta, it’s my job to advise what’s best for the pack. And right now, that means sending her back.”

I met Rhys’s gaze. “That’s not an option.”

“It has to be!” Rhys snapped, slamming his hand on the table. His wolf flared, the anger in his eyes matching the frustration in his voice. “Logan, think about it. Her presence is a threat—to all of us. You’re risking everything we’ve worked for, everything we’ve fought to rebuild?—”

“You think I don’t know that?” I growled, my wolf surging against the confines of my control. “You think I don’t know what’s at stake here?”

Rhys stood abruptly. “Then make me understand! The packs see her as a danger. The Heraclids want her back. You can’t keep her here and expect us to survive this?—”

“Stop.” My wolf was clawing at me, demanding I put an end to this argument. “You don’t understand.”

“Then explain it!” Rhys’s temper was on the verge of boiling over. “Because all I see is you risking everything for someone whose black magic has already damaged us, possibly worse than?—”

“Because she’s my fated mate!” I roared.

And the room fell into absolute silence.