The moonlight poured in through the arched windows of Alaric's temporary chambers, silver beams dancing across the floor in harmony with the rustling breeze outside. But inside, there was no harmony—only tension, unease, and a gnawing ache that refused to fade.
Alaric tossed for what felt like the hundredth time, the silken sheets tangled around his legs, the cool air brushing against his bare chest doing nothing to calm his rising heat. His body was still, but his mind and his wolf were in a frenzy.
"You need to see her. Now. Just a glimpse—just check on her," his wolf pleaded, his voice impatient and restless. "She's ours. She's scared. She needs us."
Alaric groaned, throwing an arm over his eyes. "You said that an hour ago," he whispered aloud.
"And it's still true."
The room grew colder somehow, despite the warmth of the blankets. He knew what this was—what this meant. Finding his mate should've given him peace, should've made the world feel more right than ever.
Instead, he felt unsettled.
Her face flashed in his mind—those wide, wary eyes, the way she shrank into herself as if expecting cruelty at every turn. The tremble in her limbs when he tried to help her. The invisible chains of her past still clung to her tightly, binding her spirit.
And he couldn't stop thinking about it.
His wolf was relentless, prancing about in his head like a lovesick pup.
"Do you know what she smells like to me?" the wolf murmured dreamily. "Warm rain and crushed lavender. Comfort. Home."
Alaric sighed, dragging a hand down his face. "You've said that three times tonight."
"Because you won't listen."
A knock pulled him from the mental spiral, firm and deliberate.
He sat up immediately, the threads of sleeplessness vanishing under duty's call. "Come in."
Elias stepped in with his usual confident gait, though the weariness on his face betrayed the long night he'd had.
"You're up," Elias noted, brows raised.
"I never slept."
"Figured," Elias said, easing into a nearby chair without waiting for permission. "You've got that look—storm brewing behind the eyes, and your hair's messier than a hurricane's leftovers."
Alaric didn't bother replying. He waited.
Elias sighed, rubbing a hand down his face before leaning forward. "I dug into her past, like you asked. Got a few pieces."
Alaric's posture stiffened. His heart thudded once, hard.
Elias held his gaze for a moment, then continued. "Her name's Jade. No official last name listed in any of the records I pulled from Shadowfang, which is odd. Most wolves have full names tied to their lineage or at least a surname from their adopted household. She's registered as a pack orphan, supposedly taken in by the Elder council after her parents died when she was really young."
Alaric narrowed his eyes. "Supposedly?"
"Yeah," Elias said grimly. "There's no record of her parents' death. No real evidence they existed aside from one vague report filed fifteen years ago. Like someone scrubbed them clean."
Alaric's jaw clenched. "Go on."
"She was raised in isolation. Not by a family—by the pack. The guards and elders took turns monitoring her. Training her. But not like the other wolves." Elias hesitated here. "From what I gathered... she wasn't raised with kindness."
Alaric closed his eyes, the image of her cowering at his touch replaying in sharp detail.
"Do you think they knew?" he asked softly. "That she's... mine?"
Elias hesitated. "I think they knew she was different. Maybe dangerous. Maybe rare. But your mate? I doubt it. They'd never let a mate bond form without trying to control it."
Alaric stood then, slowly, the weight of the moment pressing into his spine.
"I felt it," he whispered. "The moment I saw her. And the closer I got… it wasn't just attraction. It was like... something inside me clicked."
"She smells like your future," Elias said, half-joking to ease the tension, then sobered. "So what now?"
Alaric turned his back to him, his gaze fixed on the moonlit hills outside. "Now we find out what they did to her—and why."
Elias studied him for a beat, then nodded. "I'll dig deeper. I'll find the witch that sealed her wolf."
Alaric's head snapped toward him. "What?"
Elias nodded slowly. "That was the final piece. I spoke to one of the older servants who used to run errands for the council. She said Jade was taken to the forest once as a child. Said there was a witch there. Said Jade was different after that."
Alaric's wolf growled in his head.
"She was bound," the wolf said, voice low and dangerous. "That's why we can barely feel her. She's trapped."
Alaric's fists clenched.
"And only a mate mark will wake her wolf?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"According to the old lore... yes. But that means she's been living half of herself without even knowing who she truly is."
Alaric nodded slowly. "No wonder she's terrified. She's not just scared of people—she's scared of herself."
Silence stretched between them for a moment.
"I'll keep digging," Elias said, standing. "But Alaric—she's going to need more than answers."
"I know," Alaric replied. "She'll need patience. Safety. And time."
Elias moved toward the door but paused. "And what about the meeting tomorrow?"
Alaric's lips curled into a humorless smile. "Let them wait. My mate comes first."
Elias gave a low whistle. "You're serious about this."
"I have to be. Because if I'm not, no one else will be."
As Elias left the room, Alaric sat down heavily on the edge of the bed, exhaling a long breath.
"We need to find a way to reach her," his wolf said softly. "She's more than just ours—she's lost. And we're the only ones who can bring her back."
And for the first time that night, Alaric didn't argue.