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EVE

“ R aina?” I asked, my voice shaky as I followed her to the door. My wolf pressed against me, alert and uneasy.

The air changed.

Raina’s wolf stepped out of the bungalow, growling with the protectiveness of a mama wolf. I tried to call on my wolf, but she remained out of reach, surging beneath my skin like a tide that wouldn’t crest. Her energy crackled through me, hot and sharp, demanding action as Raina’s growls echoed in the air.

A low vibration built in my chest, almost like a growl of my own, as if my wolf was trying to merge with me, to force me to act. Every muscle in my body tensed as I gritted my teeth. It was more than an urge; it was a primal force screaming at me to protect, to stand beside Raina as more than just myself.

The sensations were visceral—a heat radiating from my core, a pulse in my ears that matched the rhythm of Raina’s growl. I had a sharp awareness of every sound, every shift in the wind. My wolf’s emotions were vivid, a flood of protectiveness that eclipsed my own fears. This wasn’t just about me anymore—it was about the pack, about our pack.

“Come on,” I hissed as I clawed at the connection, feeling her, so near yet so far.

Her emotions poured into me like fire—fierce loyalty, unwavering protectiveness, and a love for this place, these people, strong enough to knock the breath out of me. My wolf wanted to rise. She wanted to defend what was ours.

And she was so close .

Two figures emerged from the tree line, hesitant. Wolves. One was massive, her coat a rich, light brown streaked with darker shades, her piercing amber eyes scanning the surroundings with precision, like a scout. The other was smaller but no less imposing, her midnight black fur seeming to absorb the light.

I knew them before I recognized them.

“Anwen,” I whispered, my throat tightening as I stepped closer to the door. “Kenza.”

Raina let out a warning growl, her stance unyielding as she blocked the entrance. The two wolves stopped short of the bungalow, their heads dipping slightly, a show of respect but not submission. Kenza’s ears flicked, her posture tense but not hostile, while Anwen’s tail swayed in subtle, measured movements. They weren’t here for a fight.

“They’re safe,” I said quickly. “Let them in.”

Raina snapped her head toward me, her wolf clearly debating the intelligence of my request. I reached out through the bond, pushing calm and trust toward her, praying it would be enough. Slowly, her growl subsided, and she stepped aside, though her muscles remained tight, ready to react if necessary.

The two wolves advanced cautiously, their steps silent as I led them over the threshold, Raina following. Once inside, they paused, their eyes flicking between me and Raina before they shifted in perfect unison.

The transformation was as striking as their presence. Kenza emerged first, her lithe frame accentuated by the sharp lines of her face and the cascade of black hair that fell over her shoulders. Anwen followed, and the relief I felt at seeing my friends almost made me faint.

Their being here—crossing into Orion territory when they knew they would be tracked, possibly imprisoned—meant only one thing. They had come for me, and I had to know why.

“My friends.” Emotion threatened to overtake me, so I silently handed them some robes that were folded neatly on the nearby chair.

Kenza took a robe without a word, her movements precise as she draped it over herself, keeping her eyes on Raina as if waiting for an attack. Anwen, ever the steady one, nodded in thanks, though her expression remained grave.

“This is Raina, an Orion elder and…” I pressed my lips together before continuing, realizing this was one of the first times I’d said these words in my life. “And she has become a friend. A very close friend.”

Raina’s wolf sat beside me, her flank pushing into me as a sign of her protection over me, though it almost knocked me off-balance .

I looked at my friends from Heraclid, the only ones who had been there for me through it all. “If you’ve come here, I assume something is wrong.”

“It’s worse than wrong,” Kenza said, her voice low and cutting as she tied the robe’s belt. “It’s worse than I ever imagined it could be.”

A chill ran down my spine, and my wolf bristled, her energy rising at the edge of my mind. I sought her out, grounding myself against the dread. If Kenza, a dedicated Heraclid, was saying that, then it was really bad. “Tell me,” I said.

Anwen spoke directly. “Grayson is falling apart. He’s worse than when you left. He has gone mad with suspicion, lashing out against his close allies in the pack and taking out his rage on wolves who never did him harm. He’s beyond paranoid. And his power is slipping.”

Kenza cut in, “He’s planning something big. Some kind of meeting.” The meeting Logan had spoken about, the reason he was in Seattle. He’d been right—there was something going on behind his back. “A group of random alphas, betas, and traders have come for it, shady types, nothing like how the conclaves were in the past. And they are on Heraclid lands. Now.”

“What?” I glanced at Raina’s wolf, searching for some kind of answer. “They are supposed to be in the human city. That’s where Logan is.”

Raina’s wolf shifted back into human form and the elder’s silver brows furrowed as she considered the news. “That makes sense,” she murmured. “If your bond with Logan is suffering this much, then Logan probably found out the truth about this meeting, and he’s likely gone there. Into their territory.”

Into danger.

“Why? He wouldn’t be that thick as to think he could face them?—”

I stopped myself. Of course he would. Logan never backed down from a fight, never let someone else carry his burdens. My pulse roared in my ears as I imagined him there, his stubborn resolve driving him straight into the lion’s den.

Anwen cut through my spiraling thoughts. “Eve, I overheard them. The meeting isn’t about Orion. It’s about you.”

I felt like I was suffocating. “What do you mean?”

Kenza stepped forward, gripping my arm firmly. “The details are vague, but I’d guess Grayson’s looking for a way to get rid of you permanently, since Logan didn’t kill you as planned. You’re a liability. The wolves who have come from these other packs, they’re not leaders. They’re power-hungry scum who would sell their own for a taste of what he’s offering. They reek of desperation, of… worse.”

Her words churned in my mind, nausea rising as the truth sank in. This wasn’t a political maneuver. It wasn’t about territory or alliances. It was about me. And Logan was walking straight into it.

Anwen broke through my panic. “I knew the instant I saw him, before he’d laid eyes on you, that he was your fated mate. Everything we elders have heard through legends in our couple of centuries on Earth made it plain as day to me. Would you agree, Elder Raina?”

Raina nodded.

“If Logan senses you are the one in danger, you know what he’ll do. His wolf will drive him to protect you, no matter what it costs. And with these alphas, with Grayson—he’ll have no chance if it comes to that. And if he dies…”

Those words hung heavy in the air. Even I knew from the old stories about what happened when a fated mate died.

If I was lucky, I’d die with him. If I wasn’t, I’d be roaming the earth, tormented. Feral. A demon wolf.

I swallowed hard and looked at Raina, then back to the two wolves who had risked everything to come here. They were right. Logan was in the line of fire, and if I stayed here, waiting for news, I might as well be signing his death sentence.

And everything within me told me exactly what I had to do.

Like Raina had said.

“I have to go,” I said, before I could second-guess it. “Back to Heraclid lands.”

Raina stepped closer. “Are you sure? You did so much to escape them.”

I nodded. “It’s the only way. If I can distract them, if I can draw their focus… maybe Logan can get out of there alive.”

Raina smiled, a sad smile. “And that, dear Eve, is indeed the only answer.”

Kenza’s grip on my arm tightened. “Then we leave now.”

Her confidence made me feel mildly less terrified, but it was my wolf’s growl of agreement that made the decision. She couldn’t and wouldn’t let Logan face this alone. Not when I was the reason he was in this mess. Not when I had the power to stop it.

The decision had barely solidified in my mind when my wolf surged forward, clawing against the barrier that had kept her contained for so long. It was like a dam breaking, and the flood of her was overwhelming. I fell to the ground with a sharp gasp, the force of her rising nearly knocking the breath from me.

Pain lanced through my body, sharp and all-consuming. My muscles seized and my bones ached as if they were being stretched and compressed all at once. A cry escaped my lips, but even as the pain threatened to consume me, there was a strange comfort—a whisper through the chaos.

I’m here. No one hurts him. He’s ours.

Her presence wrapped around me, soothing, reassuring. The pain dulled, replaced by a warmth that spread through my chest and limbs. I could feel her guiding me, encouraging me to surrender, to let go of the fear that had kept her at bay for so long. My fingers curled, nails splitting and reforming as claws. My skin prickled as fur rippled across it, soft and white, and my senses sharpened to a razor’s edge.

My spine arched, the final shift snapping into place with a force that left me breathless, my clothes shredded on the floor. My wolf howled, the sound resonating through my mind as I rose onto four legs, steady and sure. I felt grounded in a way I had never experienced before. I flexed my claws, felt the strength in my limbs, the power that coursed through every vein.

My friends appeared to be frozen in a stunned silence. Finally, Kenza pursed her lips and gave me an approving nod. Her eyes shone as she took in the sight of me.

“A most stunning wolf,” Anwen whispered. “We’ll lead you through the safest route we can find.” Anwen moved toward the door, her movements brisk and purposeful as she shed the robe, placed it in a sack that Raina held out, and shifted into her wolf form. Kenza did the same beside her.

“Eve,” Raina called softly, and hooked the sack over my neck. My wolf looked back. “Whatever happens, know that your bond is stronger than any curse.”

I had to believe her.