Chapter 2

But what really crushed me was seeing Camille's posts all over the wish board.

[How many prayers to the Moon Goddess does it take to end up with an Alpha this perfect?]

[I only mentioned wanting to see the ice falls, and he actually pushed back his scheduled patrol with his fated mate for me.]

The photos showed the two of them together in the snow, looking perfectly innocent at first, but anyone could see how close they were.

The comments were filled with encouragement, urging her to be bold and win over the youngest Alpha the packs had seen in a century.

Some of the she-wolves I used to know sent me private messages, clearly enjoying the whole spectacle. [You'd better keep a close eye on your Alpha, or someone else might snatch him away.]

I didn't bother replying to any of them.

Some wounds only became more humiliating once they were spoken aloud, so I'd rather swallow mine and let it rot inside me.

In a few days, Camille posted over thirty times, documenting every little moment she and Cassian had shared out there.

Every photo stung, each one cutting deeper into the heart that had beaten for him for twelve years.

Last week, he handed off two of the most crucial border patrol shifts to someone else for Camille.

The borders were our first line of defense, and rogues were always waiting for a chance to strike. As captain of the Shadow Guard, I had to watch our defenses slowly fall apart.

My parents in Northern Reach finally saw how cold Cassian had been to me. They gave in and let me break the mating bond.

Ambrose, who'd raised Cassian since he was a kid, could only sigh when he saw how determined I was.

He said, "That damn boy let you down, Izzy. Don't be scared. Even if you're not part of the family anymore, I'll always care for you."

He said that to me three times before I left.

*****

At the edge of the snowfield, we finally reached the Greyrock Clan's border.

My parents came out to greet me from a distance. My mom's eyes were teary, and she rushed toward me, ready to pull me into a hug.

Right beside them stood a figure I hadn't seen in years.

Dressed all in white, he stepped out from beneath the pines and walked toward me with a smile.

"Izzy, it's been a long time," he said.

I froze for a moment. All those old memories came rushing back.

He was the Greyrock Clan's old Alpha's only son, and my childhood best friend.

Our packs were close when we were kids, and he'd spend his summers with us. He'd take me to raid birds' nests and teach me how to hunt rabbits beneath the moonlight.

"Elias Stone, is that you?" I asked.

He smiled warmly, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "Almost ten years. I'm amazed you still remember me."

Elias reached out and took my bag from my shoulder, like it was the most natural thing in the world. "How'd you get so gaunt? Come on, let's get you home so your mom can make a big meal."

I brushed his hand away before he could touch my forehead, pretending I wasn't bothered by the mess of feelings churning in my chest.

"Please, you haven't seen me in ages. Maybe you don't remember me as well as you thought," I said.

My dad spoke up, "Elias is here to renew the alliance between our clans. You should spend more time with him and help him out.

"It'll be nice to finally start handing some of our responsibilities over to you young ones."

"Dad, I just came back, and you're already putting me to work, huh?" I teased.

My mom gave him a playful glare, though the worry in her eyes was impossible to miss.

We all laughed and chatted as we made our way to the house.

And in that moment, I realized that having someone look out for me was a kind of warmth I hadn't felt in ages.

For the next few days, I stayed in the den where I'd grown up.

The air carried the unique, clean scent of Northern firs, slowly loosening the tightness in my chest.

Elias came by every single day.

He remembered I hated the cold, so he'd have the fire roaring before I woke up.

He remembered I didn't like things too sweet, so he'd swap out the wine for a mug of pine coffee.

He remembered I always hunted with my left paw, so whenever he sharpened a hunting knife for me, he made sure the handle was turned the way I liked it.

Cassian never managed to do any of these, but Elias did them all without a second thought.

Little by little, he made me believe that there really was someone in this world who could care enough to remember the smallest things about you, like how easily you got cold.

One night, I woke with a sharp pain tearing through the mark on my chest. I curled beneath the blankets, drenched in cold sweat.

Elias came in to add more wood to the fire. The moment he saw me, he simply warmed a stone, wrapped it in a soft cloth, and gently held it against my chest.

He didn't ask a single question. He only murmured, "If it hurts too much, lean on me. Don't try to tough it out alone."

I turned my face away, and tears soaked into my pillow.

I'd thought this kind of tenderness was something I'd never get to feel again.

*****

That afternoon, the sun finally broke through, and I was out in the snow, rolling around with the little pups.

Three fluffy wolf pups tumbled all over me, leaving my face dusted with snow.

I laughed and scooped the youngest one up into my arms.

It tried to look fierce as it gnawed on my sleeve, but it was totally adorable; its tail was wagging like crazy.

It had been so long since I'd felt this kind of simple joy.

Back in Nightfall, I smiled less and less until I barely recognized myself in the mirror.

Elias was the one who helped me find my way back to the girl who could actually laugh again.

Elias was busy with something in the house, but he called out to me from across the yard. "Izzy, your Moonstone has been lighting up for a while now. Looks like a message from Nightfall, but there's no name."

Moonstones were the crystals all the clans used to send messages.

Mind-link only worked with one's own pack or one's fated mate. Once he crossed the border, he had to rely on these stones.

I was swamped by the pups, too busy to look up, so I called out without thinking. "Elias, can you get that for me?"

"Sure," he said.

He pressed his finger to the stone, his voice warm and gentle. "Hello? Who's this?"

There was a sudden silence on the other end. Then came the dull thud of something heavy being slammed down on a table.

A long moment passed before a voice, cold as ice, finally came through. "Elias? What the hell are you doing with her?"

I shot Elias a quick shake of my head.

He understood immediately, his voice remaining calm. "She's tied up right now. If you don't mind, tell me, and I'll make sure she gets the message."

Cassian was yelling, "Put Isabelle on. I know she's right there."

Elias saw how calm I was and hung up the call without asking anything else.

Somehow, that meant more to me than anything he could have said.

For the next three days, my Moonstone kept lighting up.

At first, it was all accusations. Then it shifted to taunts.

"So, you finally learned how to find yourself a backer, huh?"

"Trying to get under my skin, is that it? Fine, let's see how long you can keep up this act."

"Elias can't protect you forever. Get your ass back here, now."

And then, beneath all that anger and mockery, came something he hadn't meant to reveal.

Fear.

"Come back, Izzy. I'll do anything, I swear. Camille was my mistake. I'll make it right however you want."

"Don't shut me out. I'm begging you, Izzy. Say something. Please."