Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 77952 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77952 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“We need allies,” Nixon says. “From your pack. Or we walk into war with our bear allies only.”
“Bear allies?” Father’s face screws with disgust.
“They’re good men, and they’ll stand with us against a shared enemy.”
“Bears?” Macon says. “You’ve allied with bears.”
Father’s eyes narrow on us all, but when his eyes lock on Ahya, something changes. Finally, he says, “Come inside.”
He doesn’t offer peace.
But he opened the door.
***
The stone threshold under our boots seems rougher than I remember. This house, our house, is filled with echoes that never fade. Matt’s laughter. Our mother’s crying. Our father’s anger. And the silence that echoed behind us after we left.
Now, we bring our mate and a child made from violence and mystery back into our childhood home. Every step inside is like walking through memories we thought we’d buried.
The main room is dimly lit. A fire crackles in the hearth, but the room is as cold and formal as I remembered. No warmth here, only legacy.
Scarlet holds Ahya tightly, her shoulders braced. Our mother trails behind, glancing over her shoulder at Cami, who walks with the sure, steady gait of someone who knows where this is going. Chris and Macon flank our father like lieutenants.
We sit when offered, but the tension doesn’t soften.
“Tell us everything,” our mother says, gaze on Nixon. “From the beginning.”
Nixon rubs his brow and then sighs. “We found a child abandoned on our territory. She had a familiar scent, from a rival pack. Gregory’s mate Aura …”
“Scarlet found her first,” I add, glancing toward our mate. “She protected her before she even knew what she was.”
Scarlet’s voice is steady. “She didn’t need to prove herself special to be worthy of care.”
Cami speaks again. “That instinct is important. That kind of bond, one chosen rather than forged in blood, is stronger. When this child shows her true nature, you will need that kind of devotion.”
Father’s face remains impassive. “And Gregory?”
“He sent two wolves across our land,” I say. “Claimed he wanted to see the child. He’ll come for her. I don’t know what he knows. But he knows enough.”
“There are whispers,” Cami says, tilting her head like she’s listening to something none of us can hear. “Of wolves gathering. Of rogue bears answering his call. His ambition is no longer confined to territory. He wants something more.”
“He wants her?” Nixon’s attention drifts to Ahya.
Chris finally speaks, arms resting on his thighs. “You think Gregory would risk war for a child he doesn’t even understand… who isn’t his legacy?”
Cami turns her gaze on him, eyes bright. “It’s not what he understands. It’s what he feels. He feels her power, and that is enough.”
Macon shifts beside him. “So we’re supposed to fight a war over this? Risk everything on a baby born of—”
Scarlet stands slowly, Ahya in her arms. “No one chooses how they’re conceived.”
Macon’s jaw tightens, but he looks away.
Scarlet continues. “But we all choose who we protect. And I will die before I let anyone hurt this child again.”
Our father watches her with narrow eyes. “You speak like an alpha.”
“Nixon is my alpha,” Scarlet says firmly, and across the room, my brother expands with pride. “But I’m now the mother of a girl who will be hunted by men like Gregory. That makes me dangerous.”
There’s a beat of silence. Then Cami rises from her seat.
“There is more,” she says. “She is not only a bridge between wolf and bear. She holds the echo of something old. The blood in her... it sings to the earth. To the spirits. That power will need guidance.”
Mother’s eyes are wide now, fear and wonder braided together. Father rises, voice low. “Then she’s more than a child. She’s a threat.”
“To Gregory,” I snap. “To anyone who thinks her blood makes her a pawn. But not to us.”
He stares us down, but Nixon rises to meet him eye to eye.
“I didn’t come here for your approval of my family,” Nixon says. “I came because war is coming, and we’re stronger together than apart.”
Another long silence.
Then our father looks toward our mother, then to Chris and Macon.
“You’ll stay the night,” he says finally. “Cami will stay near the child. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”
It isn’t a yes. It isn’t a no.
But it’s more than we expected.
Scarlet exhales slowly. I reach for her hand, and she takes it without hesitation.
We’ve taken the first step.
But with so much unknown, the path of our future is shrouded in darkness.
36
SCARLET
My mates’ old bedroom is a little too clean now, like someone tried to scrub away memories with their scent. I can still imagine them here, playfighting and laughing, sharing hopes and dreams. I imagine them planning their futures, trying to find space in a world that didn’t even know they existed.
I sit on the edge of the bed, Ahya cradled in my arms, her soft baby breath steady against my collarbone. Her fingers twitch in her sleep. Every so often, she lets out a little growl-like sound, almost human, almost not. I smooth her red hair back from her forehead.