bChapter /bb28 /b

bSkye’s /bPOV

“Yesb,/bb” /bI answered, recalling the name from my werewolf education. “It’s a coastal pack in the the West Coast of the United States, isn’t it? One of the oldest established territories with direct ess to the ocean.”

Three years ago, my father–the Alpha of Stormhowl–died unexpectedly. My uncle Maxwell seized the Alpha position that should have been mine bby /bbirthright.”

The name Maxwell sparked something in my memory.

Three years ago, at a formal dinner, Alpha Maxwell had casually suggested giving Leon a female warrior to serve as his Breeder.

“Winter, three years back,” I said slowly. “Alpha Maxwell visited Frostshadow Pack–my old pack. I saw him then. To be honest, I didn’t like bthe /bguy.”

“Seriously?” Adrian raised his eyebrows. “I was with Maxwell on that trip to Frostshadow.”

“I don’t remember seeing you at the banquet,” I said, frowning bas /bI tried to picture him.

“I wasn’t at the banquet,” he said with a shrug. “I ditched it and went swimming in the Jake.”

“Wait–you were the lunatic swimming in the frozenke that night?”

Adrian blinked, thenughed. “And you were the girl crying by thekeshore!”

Suddenly, it all clicked. No wonder he’d felt so familiar when bI /bbsaw /bhim at the bar. We’d met before, on that bfreezing/bb, /bunforgettable night.

“Funny how fate worksb,/bb” /bAdrian said with a small smile. “It brought bus /bback togetherb./bb” /b

“You should be Alpha of Stormhowl,” bI /badded. “Honestly, you’d be way better at it than Maxwell.”

Adrian sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I could have challenged him, forced a session fight. By bour /bpackws, I bwould /bhave been within bmy /brights. But I chose not to. I didn’t want to tear the pack apart with a bloody power bstruggle/b.b” /b

“That wasb… /bremarkably selfless,” I said, genuinely impressed. Most wolves with Alpha blood would have fought to the death for their rightful position.

“Perhaps,” Adrian replied with a humorless smile. “Or perhaps I was simply tired of violence. I took those who were loyal to me–Nadia Ryder, and about ten others–and left to build something new.”

“But why here? Why not somewhere with forests and waterb, /bsomething closer bto /byour natural environment?”

“Because it was thest ce anyone would look for coastal wolvesb,/b” he banswered /bsimply. And because this oasis had been abandoned by other packs bas /b‘uninhabitable.‘ I saw potential where others bsaw /bonly harshnessb./bb” /b

I hesitated before asking the next question, unsure if bI /bbwas /boverstepping. “And your mother? What happened to her?b” /b

A flicker of pain bcrossed /bAdrian’s bface/b. “She chose to remain with bMaxwell/b. They’re married now.”

I couldn’t hide my shock. “Your mother married your uncleb? /bAfter he took your birthright?”

Adrian’s eyes met mine, filled with aplex mixture of resignation and old hurt.

“She imed it was to maintain pack stability, to bprevent /bbloodshed.b” /bHis tone suggested he didn’t entirely believe this exnation.

‘I don’t support her choice—it felt like a betrayal of my bfather’s /bmemoryb. /bBut I also couldn’t bear the thought of her living out her life balone/b,

bWe /bsat in silence for a moment.

bChapter /bb28 /bfne1ce Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n Find~Novel/fne1ce

“Three years bago/b,” I murmured. “We both had our lives changed three years ago, in the same winter.”

bAdrian /bturned to me, his expression softening with interestb. /b

b“/bYou’ve heard my story. Will you share yours now? Why has a wolf like you been wandering alone?”

I shifted ufortably under his gaze. “Compared to what you and your council members have endured, bmy /breason for leaving seems… childish.

“Pain isn’t something to bepared or ranked, Skye. Your experiences are valid, whatever they may be.”

His words loosened something inside me.

“If I hadn’t left, I said slowly, “I might still be the wolfless girl everyone pitied–forever dependent on my parents‘ protectionb, /bnever standing on bmy /bbown/bb./bb” /b

Drawing a deep breath, I decided to trust him with my truth.

1

“It was the night of Frostshadow Pack’s hunting festival. I was just trying to catch a rabbit when bI /bsuddenly caught the scent of bmy /bmate. So, of courseb, /bbI /bfollowed it-

And ran straight into a massive grizzly bear. bI /bfreaked out, started shooting like bcrazy/bb… /band ended up hitting bAlpha /bJames’s son. Yeah. bI /bshot Leonb. /bbAnd /bbthe /bkicker? He turned out to be my mate.b” /b

Adrian’s eyebrows brose/bb. /b“Leon from Frostshadow? You’re his mate?”

“You know him?” bI /basked, surprised by his recognition.

“He’s Alpha now,” Adrian confirmed. “Quite powerful, from what bI’ve /bheard.”

A bittersweet feeling washed over me. “So he achieved his dream after breject /bme.”

“He rejected byou/bb?/b” Adrian prompted gently.

“That same night,” I confirmed. “In front of the entire pack. He didn’t hesitate, because I didn’t have wolf and couldn’t help bhim /bpete for Alpha King.”

Adrian leaned forward slightly, his expression thoughtful.

“I believe your wolf had actually begun awakening that night,” he said. “bOtherwise/bb, /bbyou /bwouldn’t bhave /bdetected your mate’s bscent/b. But your mate’s immediate rejection wounded your wolf so deeply that she refused to emerge.b” /b

“You think so? No one ever suggested that to me.” I stared at him, stunned by this possibility.

“bIt’s /bhappened beforeb,/b” Adrian said with quiet certainty. b“/bA traumatic brejection /bbcan /bsuppress a partial awakening. No one in byour /bpack mentioned this possibilityb?/bb” /b

No, I whispered, “I always thought I was too weak, that something was fundamentally wrong with meb./bb” /b

“Your wolf is healthy and strong, Skyeb,/bb” /bAdrian said firmly. “You have nothing to be bashamed /bbof/bb./b”

I exhaled deeply, feeling a weight lift from my chest.

For three years, I’d carried the burden of my own supposed inadequacyb. /bTo have someone–an Alpha, no lessb–/bsuggest that the fault wasn’t mine was surprisingly liberating.

“This is the first time bI’ve /btold anyone about what happened,” bI /badmitted. “It bfeels/bb… /bgood, to finally share it.”

Adrian smiled, the warmth reaching his beyes/bb, /bb“/bMy offer still stands, you know, bhe /bsaid. “I invited you to join Oasisborn Pack bbefore/b, band /bbthat /bbinvitation /bremains open. What do you bsay /bnow? Will byou /bstill refuse?b” /b

‘I’m honored, truly. But looking bat /bVenus, Nadia, and the bothers/b–bthey’re /ball so exceptional. What could I possibly bcontribute/bb?/bb” /b

b“/bbEvery /bmember of Oasisborn brings their own unique strength, Skye. You don’t need to

A suddenmotion from the direction of the celebration interrupted him.

Adrian’s head snapped up, his body tensing as he stood in one fluid motion. His eyes unfocused briefly–the telltale sign of someonemunicating through mind–link. The connection onlysted seconds before his attention returned to me, his expression now alert and guarded.

“What is it?” I asked, rising to my feet.

Adrian’s eyes met mine, all traces of our earlier warmth reced by Alpha vignce.

“Strangers have breached our territory,” he said grimly. “Unfamiliar wolves.”

bChapter /bComments

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Well, I would hope so given all he’s revealed to her.

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