The clearing fell silent except for the ragged breathing of wolves and the distant hoot of an owl. Moonlight filtered through the canopy in fractured silver shards, illuminating the aftermath of the skirmish. Bodies of Roxas's men lay scattered, groaning or unconscious, their Ironclaw scent sour with defeat. Akira stood between her younger brother and the towering figure of Alpha King Leon, her silver fur receding as she shifted back to human form. Her dress from the gala hung in tatters, but she did not care. All that mattered was Jaden.
The boy clung to her side, his small frame trembling despite the prodigious strength he had shown in the fight. At fifteen, Jaden was already shifting with a fluidity that rivaled seasoned warriors, his wolf a sleek shadow with eyes too wise for his age. Akira pulled him closer, her hand stroking his dark hair matted with dirt and blood from minor scratches.
"You're safe now," she whispered, though the words felt hollow. Safe? With Roxas's blade still fresh in her memory, pressed against Jaden's throat? With Leon's possessive growl echoing in her ears?
Leon remained in his partial shift, muscles rippling under taut skin, claws extended and fangs glinting. His eyes—those piercing gold flecks in stormy gray—locked on Akira with an intensity that made her skin prickle. The mate bond thrummed between them, an invisible chain tightening with every heartbeat. He had saved them, yes. Torn through Roxas's enforcers like parchment. But the cost was this: his declaration hanging in the air like smoke. Mine.
Roxas had vanished into the treeline, his parting sneer still ringing: This isn't over. Viktor, his ruthless enforcer, had dragged the remaining men away, but Akira knew they would regroup. Roxas never let prey escape twice.
Leon finally shifted fully human, his broad chest heaving as he straightened to his full height. The gala attire he had worn earlier was shredded, revealing the scarred torso of a warrior king—marks from battles won and enemies crushed. He took a step forward.
"Akira," he said, voice low and commanding, laced with that obsessive edge she had come to recognize. "Come back to the keep. Both of you. It's not safe out here."
She lifted her chin, defiance blazing in her emerald eyes. "We were managing just fine before you arrived."
A dark chuckle escaped him. "Managing? Roxas had a knife to your brother's throat. If I hadn't tracked your scent—"
"You tracked me like prey," she cut in, voice sharp as claws. "This bond doesn't give you the right to hunt me, Leon. Or to claim us as your property."
Jaden peeked around her, his voice small but steady. "Aki... he did save us."
Akira's heart twisted. Jaden had been in hiding for months, ever since the fall of their Silverfang pack. Roxas's betrayal had shattered their family, forcing her brother into the wilds while she played the role of elusive princess, drawing attention away. She couldn't let Leon's protection come at the price of freedom.
Leon's gaze softened fractionally as it landed on Jaden, assessing the boy with the calculating eye of an alpha. "You're Silverfang blood. Prodigy, from what I saw in that fight. My pack could use a wolf like you. Protection. Training. A home."
Jaden's eyes widened, a spark of awe flickering there. Akira felt a pang—her brother had craved stability, a pack to belong to after years of running.
"No," Akira said firmly, stepping in front of Jaden again. "We're not joining your pack. Not while Roxas breathes down our necks. And not while you look at me like I'm a conquest."
Leon's jaw clenched, frustration etching lines on his rugged face. "This isn't about conquest. The bond—"
"The bond is a curse," she snapped. "I felt it the moment our eyes met at the gala. But I won't be chained again. Roxas promised me forever once, too. Look how that ended."
The words hung heavy. Leon's expression darkened, a storm brewing. He knew the stories—Roxas's brutal ambition, the arranged engagement that had turned to bloodshed when Silverfang refused to bow to Ironclaw expansion. Akira's pack destroyed, her parents gone, she and Jaden the last survivors.
"I am not Roxas," Leon growled, closing the distance until she could feel the heat radiating from him. "I would raze kingdoms to keep you safe. Both of you."
His hand reached out, fingers brushing her arm. The contact sent fire racing through her veins, the bond igniting despite her resistance. She jerked away, but not before Jaden noticed the spark.
"Aki... your scent changed," Jaden murmured, innocent curiosity mixing with concern. "When he touched you."
Akira flushed, mortified. Wolves could scent arousal, bonds, lies. Jaden was too young for this, but his prodigy senses were sharpening daily.
Leon's lips curved in a predatory smile. "See? Even your brother senses it. You're fighting the inevitable, Akira."
"Enough." She scooped up Jaden's hand. "We're leaving. Dawn will break soon, and we'll be gone before your patrols wake."
But as she turned toward the deeper woods, a low whistle cut the air—Lara, emerging from the shadows with Kai at her side. Akira's best friend looked disheveled, worry etched on her sassy features.
"Thank the moon," Lara breathed, rushing to hug Akira. "I followed your trail with Kai. The keep's in uproar—Zara's stirring trouble, saying you're bringing war to our borders."
Kai, Leon's brooding beta, nodded grimly. His dark eyes held secrets, as always, scanning the clearing for threats. "Alpha, scouts report more Ironclaw movement. Viktor's circling back with reinforcements. We need to move now."
Leon's gaze never left Akira. "Then we return to Blackthorn Keep. All of us."
Akira opened her mouth to protest, but Jaden swayed, exhaustion hitting him hard. The boy's wounds, though superficial, needed proper tending—Mia's healing touch, not makeshift wilderness care.
"Fine," Akira relented through gritted teeth. "For Jaden. One night. Then we decide our path."
Leon inclined his head, victory gleaming in his eyes. "One night is all I need to change your mind."
The group moved swiftly through the forest, Leon and Kai flanking them protectively. Lara chattered softly to Jaden, drawing out his shy smiles, while Akira walked in tense silence beside Leon.
As the first hints of dawn grayed the sky, Blackthorn Keep loomed ahead—imposing stone walls topped with thorns, banners snapping in the wind. Guards bowed as they entered the courtyard, but whispers followed: the princess and her brother, the king's obsession made flesh.
Mia awaited at the infirmary doors, her healer's robes pristine despite the hour. Her knowing eyes lingered on Akira. "I've prepared rooms. The boy first."
As Mia led Jaden away for healing, Akira lingered in the corridor, Leon at her side.
"You can't keep us here," she said quietly.
"I don't intend to cage you," he replied, voice rough with restraint. "But I will fight for you. Roxas wants war? He'll get it. On my terms."
Before she could respond, Zara appeared at the end of the hall, her elegant gown a stark contrast to their battle-worn states. Leon's sister smiled sweetly, but her eyes were cold.
"Welcome home, brother. And to our... guests." Her gaze slid to Akira like a blade. "Though some might say they're more liability than ally."
Leon growled a warning. "Mind your tongue, Zara."
Zara's smile widened. "Just concerned for the pack. Rumors say Roxas has allies now. Powerful ones."
Akira's blood chilled. Allies? Roxas had always been ambitious, but isolated.
Leon dismissed his sister with a sharp gesture, then turned to Akira. "Rest. We'll speak at council tomorrow."
As he walked away, Akira felt the bond pull like a tether. But deeper unease stirred. Zara's words lingered, and Mia's knowing glance as she tended Jaden—did the healer know more about her past than she let on?
In the guest chambers, as dawn fully broke, Akira stood at the window overlooking the mountains. Jaden slept soundly under Mia's care. Safety, for now.
But in the shadows of the keep, a figure slipped away—Zara, clutching a sealed missive bearing the Ironclaw seal.
The betrayal had already begun.