Page 14 of A Sunwoven Ascent

Evelyne had seen him. And she understood. Any girl basking in Beau’s attention might have melted.

Heidara’s voice went cold. “I gave myself to him. I was foolish enough to believe he loved me. By the next day, he was telling me he’d found his mate and that whatever was between us was done. Then he left with his pack.” Her brows pinched, fury bright in her eyes.

Evelyne felt sick. What a wretch. “He deserved that punch,” she hissed.

“He did,” Heidara said, hatred flashing. “And my brother deserves one too.”

Indeed, Evelyne knew too well the sting of secrecy and betrayal, and how the truths kept hidden often cut the deepest. When they finally came to light, the shame and hurt could be crushing. In that, she understood Heidara’s pain completely.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

Heidara shrugged. “Consider it my lesson in how rotten men can be, and how easily they prey on a girl’s heart.”

“Would you like me to give Holden a well-placed blow?” Evelyne said with a smile, though she half meant it. “Not that you couldn’t do it yourself. Beau will be sore for days, even with shifter healing.”

Heidara barked a laugh. “I did get him good, didn’t I?”

“I think Coren enjoyed the show.” Evelyne grinned.

“Oh, gods.” Heidara clapped a hand over her mouth, snorting, and the two dissolved into laughter as they made their way back to retire for the evening.

Chapter 8

The day was cool and bright, sunlight spilling across the rolling hills as the packs moved together toward Wrenford. The air carried the faintest bite of autumn, crisp and invigorating against Evelyne’s skin. She fell into step beside the Ironwolves, her gaze sweeping back toward the rearguard where the Moonshade pack followed. It was a wise enough placement. Beau was kept well away from Heidara, and she had given him no chance to corner her since their last encounter.

The land stretched wide, the kind of open ground that made Evelyne ache to shed her human skin and feel the earth beneath her paws. The memory of shifting still thrilled her: the rush of power, the sharpened scents, the sense that each breath anchored her more deeply to the world. More than anything, it had drawn her closer to Kaldrek. In that form, what lay between them seemed to sing, until she could feel not only his strength beside her, but the steady pulse of his spirit woven with her own.

They were nearly to Wrenford now. Evelyne let her thoughts drift back to that morning’s training, to the sparring and swift exchanges, to how much surer and quicker she had become with each round. Disarming no longer felt awkward, but natural. Much of that was thanks to Kaldrek’s patient instruction… though the extra practice in their tent the night before had taken on a rhythm all its own. Wrestling had turned playful, then heated, and the memory of his hands at her waist, his lips against her throat, sent warmth unfurling through her even now.What are you thinking about, love?

Evelyne startled and bit her lip, then cast Kaldrek a look from the corner of her narrowed eye. She walked beside him now, not as someone in need of constant guarding, but as a leader in her own right. Some might credit her place to the fact that she was the alpha’s mate, but Kaldrek had asked her to stand with him and named them equals. And Evelyne knew, without doubt, that she could hold her own if the moment required it.

You know perfectly well, she sent back, warmth rising to her cheeks and spreading through her chest.

Kaldrek’s smirk was immediate. Mmm. Then by all means, keep thinking about it. I enjoy when your thoughts wander there.

Incorrigible, she muttered.

Only for you. His voice in her head was all velvet and mischief, and the answering rush of affection across the bond was enough to make her forget, for a moment, the long road ahead.

“Is it common for three packs to travel together?” Evelyne asked, needing to change the subject and calm the thoughts stirred by her mate’s strong, skilled hands.

Kaldrek turned toward her, his dark eyes moving over her face as though committing every detail to memory. She could not help but marvel at how beautiful he was.

“Not common,” he admitted, “though not unheard of. Why do you ask?”

“I can’t help worrying that it might draw the Noskari. We’ve done so much to avoid them. We know they’re out there, but something feels wrong. Yes, we’re well protected, but we don’t know how many of them there are. We only glimpsed Vaelora’s Noskari in the northern woods… and in her dungeons.” Evelyne shook her head, fumbling for words. “What if she’s hiding more? She could have an army watching us right now.”

“You’re not wrong to think it,” Kaldrek said. “A true leader always weighs the dangers that could harm the pack. I’ve spoken with Ravena and Obren and we’ll likely part ways in Cindermoor after gathering supplies.”

“Oh.” Her reply was quiet.

“I meant to tell you sooner, but nothing’s settled yet. Obren and Ravena are set on hunting the Noskari down, and truthfully, I’d gladly see them wiped from this world. But—”

“But you’re headed to Caltheris because of me,” Evelyne broke in, guilt rising. She knew how much he wanted to rally the packs and fight, yet he also knew how badly she needed to return home.

“Not because of you,” Kaldrek said, his voice gentling. “For you.” He wove his fingers through hers and traced slow circles over her thumb. “Your safety and your happiness mean everything to me. Even more than my pack, difficult as that is to admit. But it is the truth.” His eyes held hers, steady and full of love. “You are my mate, my everything. If it’s your family and home we must protect, then that will be our mission. Until then, we travel with Moonshade and Glaciermaw, and stay under constant guard.”

Evelyne smiled faintly, looking back to the path. “I know there are things you can’t share as an alpha, and I’ll always respect that. Just promise me you’ll tell me if you think our path is wrong.”