“Try to sleep,” he murmurs. “Tomorrow might be overwhelming.”
I curl into my makeshift bed of pine boughs finding myself caught between two worlds—the one I left behind, and the one I found in darkness.
Without Kier’s heat, sleep is elusive. My mind races with thoughts of what awaits us at Shadowmist. Will the pack accept Kier? Will Levi’s possessiveness create problems? How will I explain what happened, what I learned about Zella’s plans?
When dawn breaks, we break camp in silence. Levi takes point, setting a brisk pace through the forest. Kier and I follow, the silver restraints slowing our movements but not our determination.
As we cross into Shadowmist territory just before noon, I feel it immediately—a shift in the air, in the scent of the forest,in the very energy around us. My wolf surges against the silver’s suppression, recognizing home.
But my attention isn’t on the familiar pine and granite that marks our borders. Instead, I find myself watching Kier, cataloging every micro-expression as he experiences Shadowmist for the first time. The way his gaze sweeps the towering pines, how his nostrils flare as he scents the rich earth and clean mountain air, the subtle shift in his posture as he takes in the sheer vastness of our territory.
Do you see what I see? I wonder. Do you see the beauty and possibility of this place? Does it feel like home, or another cage?
There’s a tightness in my chest I don’t want to examine too closely—a desperate need for him to understand why it’s worth protecting, why I’ve chosen to settle here.
You want him to stay.The admission whispers through my mind before I can stop it.You want him to choose this. Choose us. Choose you.
My wolf whines softly, pressing images at me of Kier running these trails, learning our territory, finding his place among our people. It’s a fantasy I have no right to entertain, but seeing the careful way he studies everything around us, I can’t help a small part of me from hoping.
“Welcome back, Beta Lithia,” Levi says formally, his role as Gamma, third in command, momentarily overtaking his personal feelings.
The journey through Shadowmist territory is both familiar and strange. Trees I’ve known since childhood seem taller, streams deeper, the mountain paths wilder after my absence.
By mid-afternoon, we encounter the first border patrol—four wolves who shift into human form when they recognize me, their faces transformed by disbelief and joy.
“Beta,” their leader gasps, dropping to one knee. “Moon be praised.”
“Up, Tomas,” I say, uncomfortable with the deference. “I’m still just Lithia.”
“News will spread fast now,” Levi says as we continue our journey. “Ryker will know we’re coming before we reach the den.”
Sure enough, as we approach the final ridge overlooking the main den, I see a welcoming party assembled at the base of the stone steps carved into the mountainside. My heart leaps at the sight of familiar faces—pack members waiting with barely contained excitement.
Levi moves closer to my side, his hand coming to rest at the small of my back. “Your pack awaits,” he says, his voice low and intimate.
I feel Kier’s eyes on us, but when I glance back, his expression is carefully neutral. Only the slight tension in his jaw betrays his awareness of Levi’s possessive gesture.
As we ascend toward the waiting pack, Levi never leaves my side, his hand a constant pressure at my back, guiding me forward as if I might disappear without his touch.
The contact feels wrong—too possessive, too claiming for something I’ve never offered him. My skin crawls under his palm, every nerve ending wanting to pull away from the unwelcome intimacy. It’s not that Levi’s touch is unpleasant exactly, but it’snot Kier’s, and that difference feels like a betrayal of something I can’t even name.
I find myself hyperaware of the space between Kier and me, the deliberate gulf he’s maintained since we encountered Levi. Gone is the easy closeness we’d found during our weeks together, the casual touches and shared warmth that had become as natural as breathing. Now he walks behind us, close enough to offer protection but far enough to make his message clear—whatever intimacy we’d shared belongs to the road, not to real life.
The loss of his nearness feels like a physical ache, even as a treacherous part of me whispers that this is exactly what Iwanted.Separation. Safety. Protection from feelings that could destroy me.I should be grateful for the space, relieved that the temptation to fall further has been removed.
So why does it feel like I’m bleeding internally?
This is what you wanted,I remind myself firmly.No attachments. No vulnerabilities. No one else to lose.
But my wolf whines in protest, pressing against my consciousness with images of Kier’s hands on my skin, his voice keeping me sane in the darkness. The rational part of me knows this separation is necessary—I’m Beta of Shadowmist, I have responsibilities, I can’t afford the luxury of caring about someone who’ll eventually leave.
The irrational part of me wants to turn around, shove Levi away, and pull Kier close enough to feel his heartbeat against mine.
Behind us, I can feel Kier’s eyes on me, but when I risk a glance back, his expression is shuttered—the face of a man who’s already begun the process of letting go. Just like I wanted him to.
My morose thoughts are interrupted by my pack. The reunion that follows is a blur of embraces, tears, and questions. We’re bustled into the healing chambers where Elena, the head healer, starts to work on us. Elias, our head of security, arrives with his tools. It takes him a few minutes to work out the best way to remove the cursed cuffs, but soon they’re falling away, freeing us from our silver prison.
Things move quickly after that. Dane, my twin brother, crushes me in his arms. Kitara and Ryker arrive, greeting me with joyous news of their impeding pup. Pack members press close, seeking reassurance that I’ve truly returned.
