“It’ll cost me political capital, likely. I’ll be trading some of my favor and leverage for increased scrutiny from the Royal Council. But that doesn’t endanger the pack. It only means that I’m choosing to stand beside my Commander, which is well within my rights as Alpha.”
Hope starts to flare hot in my chest before my persistent fear smothers it. “Do you think the Alpha King will allow it?”
Xander’s expression sobers. “I can advocate, but I can’t guarantee his decision. Few alternatives exist, should he refuse.”
My wolf keens, the sound reverberating through my every bone. The threat of Ethan’s exile — or worse, execution — rips a hole through my chest.
“However,” Xander leans in and whispers as if telling me a secret. “If two people were to disappear into the Outer Lands some dark night, of their own accord and at their own risk...” He pauses. “And if their Alpha couldn’t locate them, despite his very best efforts, there would be nothing anyone could do.”
My blood chills. I understand exactly what he’s suggesting.
“That path means losing everything.” I can hardly speak the words. “My pack. My family. My home. Everything.”
“Yes.”
“I’d have to hide what I am. Pretend to be human. Forever.”
“Yes.”
“And if the Alpha King discovered—”
“It would mean incarceration. Possibly execution, for both of you. And I may not be informed to try and stop it. You do need to understand what’s at stake.” Xander’s gaze holds mine, unflinching. “The worst-case scenario isn’t inevitable, but this is where the road could lead if you choose him.”
The reality of his words sinks into my bones. The picture he paints is not meant to be a threat. It’s simply the truth.
“Rhiannon, know that I’m with you, whatever path you choose.”
Warmth spreads through my chest, loosening the knot that’s lived there since I realized what Ethan means to me.
Xander isn’t granting permission. He’s not swooping in to fix this mess. He can’t. But he’s encouraging me to take back my power to decide my own fate.
“Thank you.” Moisture prickles my eyes. I will it to stop, refusing to let the tears fall. “For trusting me. For risking so much for this.”
He nods with understanding, the kind that only comes from years of shared history, even when that history is marked with its own scars.
“Go be with our Luna. I can handle things here.” I manage a small smile. “She’ll want to know everyone’s safe.”
He squeezes my shoulder once before turning away and heading down the corridor, his silhouette disappearing around the corner.
I lean against the cold stone and let the silence calm me.
I need to tell Ethan this secret I’ve been holding on to.
But not tonight. Not while Shaman magic still lingers in his veins and exhaustion clouds his eyes.
Soon, I promise myself. When he’s steady enough to hear the full truth — about our bond and its possible consequences, the fraught paths stretching before us. These paths demand sacrifice, but might lead somewhere we can find happiness.
My wolf settles, finally content. Willing to be patient.
We’ll decide together what comes next.
Chapter 45 — Ethan
It shouldn’t be this hard to sort through a wardrobe. I grab my worn jeans and shove them into the leather pack sprawled open across my bed.
What belongs at Kortan is on the left, what belongs to me is on the right. It’s a simple enough distinction, in theory. I showed up here in a shirt, jeans, underwear, and socks. That’s the complete inventory. Yet, my hands keep stalling.
I toss my training vest on top of the Kortan pile. But then I pull it back, my fingertips gliding over the leather that has molded to my frame over weeks of getting my ass handed to me in the yard. My hands go still at the thought of walking away from it.
