Wyatt's POV
Hearing that my father was dying and had suddenly requested to see me after more than a decade of silence didn't stir any deep emotions. If anything, it felt hollow—too little, too late. But learning that my brother, Aldric, had been killed by jackals—those same shifters responsible for our mother's death—was what finally compelled me to return home.
I'd been banished from the pack at a young age, blamed for a crime I didn't commit—the death of our mother.
My father, Eldric Cadwell, Alpha of the Silver Howl Pack, had warned Aldric and me not to wander too far that day. But I was a headstrong kid, too restless to obey, and I convinced Aldric to sneak out with me to play. That decision changed everything.
We stumbled into a group of juvenile rogue shifters. They weren't older than teenagers, but they were wild and unpredictable—and dangerous. When they attacked, my mother arrived just in time. She fought them off and ordered us to run. We did. But halfway through, I realized she was outnumbered, and the thought of leaving her alone gnawed at me.
I told Aldric to find help and turned back. I wasn't fast enough.
By the time I got there, the fight was over. She lay lifeless, her body torn open in a way no child should ever have to witness. Something inside me snapped, and my wolf—too young to surface—forced its way out anyway. The transformation was violent and uncontrollable.
I tracked down the rogues and tore through them in blind rage. I don't remember how many. I don't even remember how. I just remember blood.
But I couldn't shift back. My body stayed in wolf form, and I was trapped in the mind of something feral and confused.
When my father arrived with other pack members, he saw only a bloodied wolf beside his mate's shredded corpse. He didn't hesitate to jump to conclusions. If Aldric hadn't arrived just then and told them the truth, I don't know what they would've done.
Even with the Alpha's command, I couldn't shift back. The trauma had rooted me in my wolf state. It was Aldric's healing abilities that finally brought me back to human form. But by then, the damage was done.
The pack had already made up their minds. I was a murderer in their eyes—an unstable freak who'd lost control and killed his own mother.
My father didn't try to defend me. Maybe he couldn't. Maybe grief had hollowed him out too deeply. He sent me away—to live with an old friend in another territory. I was exiled without ever getting a chance to defend myself.
After a few years abroad, I stopped pretending I had a place to return to. I wandered. I fought. I survived. Eventually, I gathered others like me—misfits and outcasts, rogues with nowhere else to go—and we became our own pack. The Wild Heart Pack was born, forged from exile and defiance.
And now, years later, I was returning to the place that cast me out.
According to the message, Aldric had died in a battle with rogues. I couldn't stop wondering if things would've been different had I been there. Maybe he'd still be alive.
He had messaged me a week ago—told me our father was dying and asked me to come, to make peace before it was too late.
I never replied.
"There's nothing you could've done," Delvin, my Beta, said softly beside me. He felt the turmoil swirling inside me through the pack link. Everyone did. That's probably why no one had spoken much during the journey.
I rubbed the back of my neck and closed my eyes for a moment, centering myself. I didn't want to see Eldric. I didn't want to set foot on Silver Howl territory again.
But I had to—for Aldric.
When we arrived, the gates loomed ahead, massive and cold. Dozens of werewolves stood on guard, tense and watchful. They had every reason to be.
My pack radiated dominance. The enforcers flanking me were dangerous men—sharp, capable, and loyal to the bone. Their presence was enough to make the Silver Howl guards stiffen.
I didn't bother telling them to relax. I wasn't here to play nice.
This place had exiled me, branded me a killer, and turned their backs when I needed them most. Their unease was nothing compared to what they'd put me through.
From among the guards, one familiar face stepped forward—Bran Wentworth, my father's Beta. He looked older now, the sharpness of age evident in his white-streaked beard, but otherwise unchanged.
"Wyatt," he said, clearly surprised, walking toward me.
My enforcers growled at his approach, but I lifted a hand to stop them and stepped forward.
"You're alive. And all grown up," Bran said with a crooked smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. If he was intimidated by my pack, he didn't show it.
"You're old. And still wearing that ugly coat," I replied flatly.
Bran chuckled. "Still disrespectful, I see."
He hugged me before I could refuse. He was one of the few who had ever treated me like more than a curse. Apart from Aldric, Bran was the only one who'd shown me any kindness back then.
When we stepped apart, his expression turned somber. "I'm sorry about Aldric."
"I want to know everything," I said, and Bran didn't hesitate.
"The jackals declared war. Council sanctioned it, and they had numbers we weren't prepared for. We were overrun. Aldric held the line as long as he could and wounded their leader before collapsing from his injuries. That was enough to turn the tide—for now. But we're hanging by a thread, Wyatt. And we don't know how long we can hold out."
"Aldric was strong. For them to take him down like that…" I clenched my fists, feeling my claws pierce through my palms.
Bran nodded grimly. "They weren't just jackals. They're organized—someone's pulling strings. We suspect other shifter species are backing them, but we don't know who or why. The brutality of it all… it felt personal. Aldric wasn't just killed. He was shredded—same as your mother."
My chest tightened, and for a moment, I struggled to breathe. The memories, the guilt, the rage—they all came flooding back in a sickening wave.
There was no way this was coincidence. Someone was playing a twisted game. And I intended to end it.
"Come," Bran said gently. "Your father's waiting."
I hesitated but nodded. I had to see this through—for Aldric, if not for myself.
As we walked, Bran glanced behind me. "Only you and your Beta can come in."
I stopped. "Seriously?"
"I'm sorry. Given the state of the pack, letting in an entire rogue unit would cause panic. You and your Beta are welcome, but the rest will need to wait outside the perimeter."
I could hear the low growls behind me, felt the tension rise, but I gave my pack a look, and the protests died down.
"Wait here," I ordered. "We won't be long."
"If you're not out in an hour, we're coming in," Brody warned, and I didn't doubt him for a second.
I gave him a faint smile, appreciating the loyalty more than I could say.
Eventually, we arrived at the Alpha's office. I paused outside, taking a deep breath before pushing the door open. Delvin followed me in, silent as always.
And there he was.
After fifteen years, I saw my father again.
He was a shadow of the man I remembered—his once commanding presence dimmed by age and illness. His back was bent, hair grayed, and his skin hung loose over hollow cheeks.
"Leave us," he said without lifting his head.
Bran nodded and stepped out with Delvin, closing the door behind them.
For a moment, we just stared at each other.
"You grew up well," he said finally.
I scoffed. "Why did you really call me here?"
He looked up, brows furrowed. "Fifteen years have passed. Can a father not want to see his son?"
I let out a dry, bitter laugh.
"You lost the right to call yourself my father the day you sent me away without even asking for my side of the story."
His expression faltered. "I lost your mother. And now I've lost Aldric. You're all I have left."
"Then say what you brought me here to say."
He exhaled, defeated. "The pack is vulnerable. Since Aldric's death, our enemies have grown bold, and our allies have turned away. No one wants to stand with the Silver Howl anymore. They see us as weak, and they fear being dragged down with us."
"You want an alliance with the Wild Hearts," I said, already knowing.
"Yes," he admitted. "But more than that—I want you to come back and take your place as the Alpha of this pack."