He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. His touch was firm, but not rough. “Itismy concern. We kill men for things like that.”
His voice was deadly and resolute, a quiet promise in every word. And she had no reason to doubt him. Kaldrek struck her as the kind of man who would hunt down anyone guilty of such a crime and make them suffer. Slowly.
Evelyne swatted his hand aside. “Alaric found me. He saved me from—” Her voice faltered. “He saved me. That’s all you need to know.”
Kaldrek’s eyes darkened. His entire body tensed, muscles coiled like he was about to snap.
And strangely, it made her feel safe.
He exhaled, ready to walk away, but before he did, she blurted out, “Do you like being alpha?”
His brows lifted slightly, as if he were surprised by the question. “I didn’t have a choice,” he admitted. “When our previous alpha—my father—died, the mark chose me.”
She frowned. “So whether you enjoy it or not doesn’t matter?”
“No,” he said. “I must protect my pack. That’s all that matters.”
“So you don’t enjoy the killing and bossing people around?”
He grinned. “I never said that.”
And damn him, because that wicked smile sent a rush of cruel excitement through her. For once, she could only blink, completely speechless.
Before disappearing into the trees, he tossed over his shoulder, “Take that bandage off. You look ridiculous.”
***
The trading outpost was nothing more than a skeleton of what Evelyne assumed it had once been. A few wooden structures stood in silence, their roofs sagging under the weight of neglect. Lanterns flickered dimly outside a single tavern, the only sign of life amid the decay. The market stalls were abandoned, and the scent of damp wood and stale ale lingered in the air. A scattering of old wagons sat unused near the treeline, overtaken by creeping vines.
Trade had severely diminished. People had vanished into the forests, into the unknown, and what remained of this place felt like a forgotten relic of a time before the darkness came creeping in.
Beyond the outpost, the stables stood at the edge of the clearing, tucked against the thick treeline like an afterthought. The structure was small but well-maintained, with only a few stalls. Most of the horses had already been sold or taken elsewhere. Probably because fewer mouths to feed meant a better chance at survival. Still, two remained: strong, sleek, black-coated creatures, their ears twitching in the moonlight as they dozed in their stalls.
Kaldrek sent his quickest. Nathan, Ty, and younger scout Drakin moved like ghosts through the night, their forms slipping between shadow and torchlight. They wasted no time creeping past the slumbering guards, weaving through the dark corners of the outpost with an ease that spoke of years of practice. Kaldrek, of course, went as well. He wouldn’t send his scouts without their leader. Holden had been ordered to stay behind and guard the pack—a duty he clearly didn’t take lightly. His clenched fists said all he needed to.
When they returned, Evelyne barely had a moment to react before Kaldrek’s firm hands gripped her waist and effortlessly lifted her onto the horse’s saddle.
“I hope you know how to ride,” he muttered, fastening leather bags against the saddle straps.
Before she could retort, he reached for the hem of his shirt and peeled it off. Then his hands went to his belt. Evelyne’s stomach dropped.
“What are you doing?” she whispered, eyes wide with horror.
Kaldrek’s lips curved into a wicked smirk. He was clearly enjoying her discomfort. But before he could respond, she noticed the others around them—Holden, Heidara, Nathan, Ty—all shedding their clothes down to their undergarments, swiftly packing them into bags secured to the saddles and the wooden sleds that some of the pack would pull along.
Realization hit her like a bolt of lightning.
The pack was going to shift.
“This is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen,” she muttered, torn between fascination and sheer disbelief.
Kaldrek finished securing his belongings, his eyes flicking up to meet hers. “Get ready to ride,” he warned. “The shift will be loud.”
And then, the night filled with the visceral sounds of transformation. Bones snapped, bodies twisted, and before Evelyne could even process it, the horses reared, hooves kicking up dirt. They took off into the night, chasing the wolves that ran like shadows beneath the moon.
They rode until exhaustion weighed heavy, stopping only when Kaldrek deemed it safe. No camp this time. Just sleep and food. Just enough time to keep themselves from falling apart before moving on.
Dawn came cruel and relentless. Evelyne’s body ached, her muscles stiff from riding, but there was no time to dwell on discomfort. They trained. Again.
