Chapter 1

Before Eleni Gomez's birthday, Dario Callahan returned to downtown Silvoron after a year-long border patrol assignment clearing rogues.

The moment he reached the arrival point, he caught Eleni's scent immediately, winter pine and wildfire, the unmistakable signature of an Alpha. Then he saw her surrounded by her Beta unit. Unlike her usual composure, her inner wolf howled for him alone.

Pack wolves howled in formation, their voices weaving a welcome song across the night sky.

Dario smiled, reaching for her hand, and the two held each other tight.

But that night, he smelled something else.

While he was gone, Eleni had an omega tagging along.

It was Rory Weinstein, a newly accepted pack member. He served as a healer and worked closely with Eleni, tending to wounded hunters.

He wasn't tall and wore glasses, but there was something about his eyes and brows that reminded Dario of himself.

Rory had shadowed Eleni for a full year, but her bond with Dario always hummed a warning at his approach. She flinched when he reached for her.

However, during a clearance operation, Rory leapt between Eleni and a rogue, and a silver dagger scraped his chest, a blow that might have killed him.

From that moment on, the warning hum ceased. When he stood close, she did not walk away.

*****

Dario's hand froze on the carved door of the Pack Hall. Inside, Eleni's voice resonated with her subordinates.

"Alpha," a Beta asked. "Now that Dario's back, what will you do with Rory?"

Eleni replied without hesitation. "Dario and I chose each other. Our bond stands. Rory is one of us. Nothing more."

"But that Omega follows you everywhere. What if Dario senses the entanglement? Shall we reassign him to the southern border?" another Beta asked.

The hall fell silent for a moment. Then Eleni said flatly, "No need. I'll take care of it myself. Don't mention any of this around Dario."

Someone else commented, "Honestly, Alpha, Rory is useful. He's attuned to your moods, never overstepping, and he took the silver dagger for you. I think you could keep him. We'll help you hide it from Dario."

Eleni's glass shattered against the stone table.

Her expression turned downright scary. "What are you talking about? Dario is my only chosen mate. Speak of Rory again, and you'll challenge my authority."

Everyone went dead silent, not daring to make a sound.

Only Dario, standing by the half-open door, caught sight of Eleni's fingertips quivering in the dim light.

She had a quirk she did not know.

Whenever she lied, her fingers betrayed her.

Dario's eyes stayed glued to her trembling fingers, his thoughts a mess. He wondered which part of what she said earlier was a lie.

The joy of return faded in an instant.

Before he could clear his mind, the pack soon sensed him.

"Dario, you're back! Come on in," one of them said.

Eleni looked up sharply, got to her feet, and hurried over, her tone subtly probing.

"Dario, how long have you been standing there? Why didn't you come in?" she asked.

Dario discreetly avoided her hand and said with a smile, "I've just returned. I was about to enter when you noticed me."

Eleni glanced at her empty palm. Annoyance flickered across her face. She reached for his hand again with stubborn insistence.

Dario gave her a helpless look, but he didn't pull away this time.

Eleni interlaced her fingers with his and led him to a seat. Her palm sent steady warmth through the bond.

Dario smiled, thinking perhaps the shadows had deceived him. Perhaps her hand had not trembled after all.

"If you had not returned, we would never see this warmth," a Beta remarked. "She is usually ice to us."

Eleni glanced at them with smug satisfaction. "I am cold only when my chosen mate is far."

The hall erupted in laughter.

Suddenly, the sound of glass shattering echoed through the hall.

Dario looked toward the source of the sound.

A man in a gray uniform stood there, swaying slightly, clutching a few beer bottles.

His face was pale, and the floor beneath him was scattered with broken bottle shards.

Eleni's expression instantly soured when she saw the man, and the rest of the pack went dead silent.

Dario felt his bond hum a warning. "We did not call for healing. Why are you here?"

The man seemed to snap back to reality, his voice shaky and timid. "S-Sorry. I'll leave right now."

He turned to run, but his foot landed right in the broken glass. He let out a sharp scream and crashed to the floor.

Dario froze at the scene, instinctively reaching out to help him.

But Eleni suddenly ordered, "What are you all good for? Can't you see he's hurt? Take him out of here."

The others in the hall snapped back to attention, jumping up in a flurry of movement to haul the man out.

Dario instinctively looked up, just in time to meet the man's heartbroken gaze locked on Eleni, laced with a trace of resentment aimed at Dario.

*****

Once everyone had left and the hall was quiet again, Eleni drained a few glasses of wine and reached for the keys on the table.

"It's getting late. Let me drive you home," she offered.

Dario pulled on his coat without meeting her eyes. "No need. My escort is picking me up."

Doubt flickered in Eleni's gaze, but she dismissed it.

"Then I will see you tomorrow," she said, turning to leave with hurried steps.

Eleni climbed the stairs, her attention fixed on her phone, unaware that Dario followed at a distance.

Minutes later, Dario hid his scent and stood before a chamber door. A torn skirt lay at his feet. Inside, two figures moved as one.

Pain lanced through his chest like silver as he watched. His fingers shook.

He slowly took out his phone and called his mother, Violeta Callahan, his voice rough with restraint.

"Mother, I am transferring to the Mistport territory. In one week."