Chapter 3

“How has the pack been? What’s happening in the territory?” I leaned back on the fur-lined couch, ready to hear everything I’d missed.

Mother and Father exchanged a sharp, heavy look. The air in the den seemed to chill.

“What?” My gaze flicked between them. “What happened?”

Father’s jaw tensed. He strode to the rune-etched drink cabinet and poured himself a measure of ember-whiskey. “The Wintermoon Pack.”

My heart dropped. The Wintermoons had been our oldest rival clan. “What about them?”

“They’ve risen in strength,” Mother said tightly. “Far more than before.”

“How? Last time I was here, they were barely holding their borders—”

“Sorenna Wintermoon bonded with Alaric Rageclaw six moons ago.” Father downed the drink in one swallow. “The Rageclaw Clan supports them now.”

Color drained from my face. The Rageclaws dominated half the New Lycan. “You’re telling me they merged?”

“Not just merged.” Mother’s fingers twisted her moon-pearl necklace. “They’re united. One force. And they’re setting their sights on us, Isolde. All the signs point to it.”

“Alaric isn’t just brawn,” Father added, placing the empty glass down with a sharp thud. “He’s tactical and genius. And Sorenna…” He exhaled. “She’s more ruthless than her father ever dreamed of being. Together, they’re dangerous.”

I leaned forward, pulse quickening. “How serious is it?”

“They’ve already claimed the Molthaven Teritory,” Mother whispered. “Three of our oldest allied packs have pledged loyalty to them. We’re losing land. Wolves. Influence...”

“Moon above.” I dragged a hand through my hair. The Molthaven Pack had stood untouched for decades. If they fell… “Why did you never call me? Tell me things were collapsing?”

“We wanted you to have peace,” Mother said softly. “After what happened with…” She stopped, not want me hearing his name.

“You had walked in a different direction,” Father murmured, refilling his glass with slower, steadier movements. “You sought your own life. Who were we to drag you back?”

I breathed hard. “I’m still part of the pack.”

“Of course, you are,” Father said, pride flickering in his eyes. “That’s why I knew you’d return when the time was right. Rustpire blood doesn’t fade.”

“Your father had a strong believe,” Mother added, shooting him a look filled with years of unspoken tension. “Said if you were meant to come home, you’d walk back on your own.”

“And here you are.” Father lifted his glass slightly. “Just as I expected.”

Their words settled over me like a heavy cloak. They’d stood by and watched our territory crumble—piece by piece—yet still chose to shield me from the truth.

“I didn’t leave because I didn’t want to part of the Rustpire anymore,” I whispered. “I ran away because I thought… I ran into the better life I wanted.”

“We know,” Mother said, squeezing my hand. “We understand.”

“How do I help?” The offer left my lips before my mind could catch up. Five years running from this world… and here I was stepping straight back into its jaws.

Mother and Father traded another quiet look. One that made my stomach knot.

“What?” I straightened. “Just say it to me.”

Mother drummed her fingers against her knee. “There is… one possibility.” Her voice barely carried. “But after everything with—after everything you’ve endured… we didn’t want to ask.”

“What is it?” My chest tightened. “Stop treating me like I’m fragile. I’m not.”

Father stood, pacing to the tall window overlooking our moonlit lands. “A mating alliance.”

The words hit like a blow. “What?”

“An arranged bond,” he clarified, turning back. “There are still powerful clans not aligned with the Rageclaw-Wintermoon union. Clans who might stand with us—if given the right… incentive.”

“You want me to bond with one of them?” My throat felt dry. “After what I had just been through?”

“That’s why we hesitated,” Mother said, her voice trembling. “You deserve more than being bartered.”

“But with the right alliance,” Father said firmly, “we could counter their strength. Maybe surpass it.”

I stood, legs unsteady. Years ago, I’d sworn I’d never let the pack decide my life again. But this wasn’t about romance or freedom. This was about survival and the whole pack.

“Who?” I managed.

“Marcellus Ashenfell,” Father said quietly.

My knees nearly buckled. I gripped the couch to steady myself. “The Lion-wolf of the Northern Territories? You can’t be serious.”

The same Alpha they’d once planned to bond me with. The reason I ran. The reason I found Axton. The reason I thought I could break free. I used to think being handed over like a bargaining chip made me shiver.

“He remains unpaired,” Father said. “And so his influence has grown more.”

My nails dug into my palms. The irony of it all stung—running from an arranged mate only to circle right back to him.

I walked to the window, pressing my forehead to the cool glass.

Five years ago, I wanted love. I believed in it.

Now?

My heart ached with the fresh wound of betrayal. Love had only destroyed me.

“Isolde, if you don’t want it, you don’t have to,” Mother whispered. “We’ll find another path.”

But how?

The merged Wintermoon-Rageclaw force was tightening around us.

Our land, our allies, our future—everything on the verge of collapse.

What did I have left to lose?

My dreams? Already shattered. My heart? Already broken.

But my pack? They were worth any sacrifice.

“I’ll do it.” The words tasted like iron.

“Isolde—” Mother started.

“No.” I turned to them. “I’m not that frightened girl anymore. If this is what it takes to save the Rustpire, then I’ll bond with Marcellus Ashenfell.”