Page 17 of Finding Forever with the Alpha Pack

The new JellyRoll song loops endlessly in my mind, a haunting soundtrack to everything I’ve been going through. The lyrics hit too close to home, echoing the chaos that’s been in my life lately. I always thought I was losing it, unraveling from the inside. But now, I know better—it wasn’t just me. I’ve had two wolves battling in my head all along.

‘She’s gone,’the ember wolf murmurs, her voice crackling like a dying fire.‘The lunar wolf only exists in color now. It’s safer for us this way.’There’s a sliver of regret in her tone, almost imperceptible.

‘Safe is good,’ I reply, though the hollowness in my chest suggests otherwise. My gaze drifts to my mates walking ahead, their steady presence grounding me. But we have bigger problems.‘What are we going to do about the missing elder?’

‘He’ll show himself,’the ember wolf responds.‘His ego won’t let him stay hidden for long. Between the two battlefields, he’s running out of allies.’Her logic is solid, and the thought stirs unease in my gut.

‘Guys?’I call out, interrupting my own thoughts.‘Where do the elders go when they leave the packs?’

Nicolai is the first to respond.‘I can find out,’he offers, his voice steady, yet his wolf’s ears flick with tension. He stops, turning to face me, the weight of his attention settling on my shoulders.‘What made you think of that?’

‘My wolf mentioned he’s running out of allies. If I were him, I’d head home, lick my wounds, and regroup.’The words taste bitter, but I know they’re true. My mates stop, all of them looking at me like I’ve just uncovered some hidden truth.

‘She’s got a point,’Griffin mutters, his sharp eyes scanning the dense woods around us.‘We find where the elders haunt, and we investigate. If we have to, we take them out.’A chill runs down my spine as the forest seems to hold its breath, waiting. There’s no turning back now.

Several hours and a shower later…

I’m curled up in Barrett’s nest in the new house, and his scent is slowly fading from the blankets. The familiar comfort I usually find here feels distant, overshadowed by the aching in my chest. I know what I have to tell them, but how do I say it? Their worst fear has come to pass, and I can feel the weight of it pressing down on me, squeezing the air from my lungs.

The tablet rings, its chime shattering the quiet tension in the room. My hand trembles as I swipe to answer, revealing Barrett and Conrad on the screen. I force a smile, my lips feeling foreignon my face. “Hi, guys...” My voice wavers, and I burrow deeper into Barrett’s blankets, seeking comfort I know they can’t give me right now.

Barrett’s eyes narrow as he leans closer to the camera, his concern immediate, cutting through the distance between us. “What’s wrong, Gracie? You feel like the world ended.” His words hang in the air, and he snatches the tablet, angling it so only his face fills the screen, blocking out Conrad for a moment.

I close my eyes, the truth heavy on my tongue. The pain of it is sharp, like glass cutting me from the inside. “She’s gone.” My voice is barely a whisper, and I feel the weight settle in my chest, a heaviness that sinks deeper with every breath. The lunar wolf … gone.

‘You’re better this way.’The ember wolf’s voice, softer than usual, floats in the back of my mind.‘We’re more stable now,’she murmurs, almost a whisper of regret. Her presence fades as quickly as it came, leaving me hollow.

Barrett’s eyes widen, and I see Conrad lean back into the frame, both their faces twisted in confusion. “Who’s gone?” they ask at the same time, their voices overlapping in perfect harmony, though laced with the same growing fear.

My heart twists painfully, and I meet their eyes on the screen, feeling the ember wolf rise within me. My gaze burns red-orange, her fire flickering behind my own eyes. “The lunar wolf,” I whisper, lowering my head, unable to bear their shock any longer. The bond between us quivers, the sudden disruption rippling through it, and I feel the tremor of their disbelief slam into me like a wave.

“Are you sure?” Conrad asks gently, his voice laced with concern, his eyes searching mine.

“I’m positive.” My chest tightens as I recount the battle at the mine shafts, my voice steady but my hands trembling slightly with the memory. I can still feel the pressure of it, how severely outnumbered we were, but we fought through. We succeeded, but not without a cost. I tell them about the pull—the tugging on the tethers that connect all of us, the invisible bonds that bind our lives together. Griffin’s tether had felt wrong, like pulling on a rubber band stretched too thin. Panic gripped me when I realized I couldn’t sense where he was. The fear had been paralyzing.I was terrified.

“I couldn’t feel him, and it felt like I was losing him.” My voice falters for a moment, but I push through. “I was scared out of my mind. Then, I heard the ember wolf’s voice. She was so certain she could find him.”

I take a breath, trying to keep my emotions in check as the memory of that moment surfaces. “I accepted her help. I didn’t hesitate. I would do it for any of you. You are my love, my life, without you...” I trail off, my voice cracking. I don’t know how to finish that sentence because the thought of losing any of them is something I can’t even begin to process.

Silence fills the space, heavy and tangible. My story picks up again after I accepted the ember wolf’s offer. “The second I agreed, I could feel Griffin again. Like a spark that reignited.” My heart races as I recall the mad dash through the cavern, Nic, Ethan, and I tearing through anything in our path, driven by the need to reach him. The scent of blood, the crunch of bone—it’s all too fresh. “The carnage in that cavern … it was brutal. But we got him out.”

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Honestly, I feel better now. My instincts, they’re not all over the place anymore. It’s like everything finally settled inside me.”

“You seem more at ease,” Barrett chimes in, offering a small smile that reaches his eyes. His gaze shifts past me, something curious sparking in them. “Where are you? That looks like my nest.” His eyes dart across the screen, scanning every corner.

A small laugh escapes me as I adjust the camera. “I’m in your nest, the one in the new house. I took pictures of your old room and recreated everything, down to the last detail. Ethan and I moved it ourselves. I didn’t want the movers’ scents in your space.” I climb out of the nest, moving to a nearby door. “This door,” I open it slightly, “leads to Conrad’s room, so you two can pass between each other’s spaces as much as you’d like.”

Barrett squeals, grabbing Conrad’s face and kissing his cheek with pure, unfiltered joy. “We have the best mate ever!” he exclaims, pulling Conrad into a tight hug.

A warmth spreads through me as I watch them. “I love you both so much. I just want you to be as happy as I am.” My smile widens, a genuine laugh bubbling up. “Remember, we all love and support you.”

I crawl back into Barrett’s nest, sinking into the familiar comfort of his space, inhaling his scent that’s now mixed with my own. It’s a small but powerful reminder of our bond.

“We...” Conrad begins, his voice faltering as he motions between himself and Barrett. He looks down, and I see the weight of his words pressing on him. “We realized that we’ve been so wrapped up in planning the wedding and thinking about the children that we’ve drifted away from you. And we’re sorry.” His voice breaks,eyes filled with remorse. “We’ve been so lost in each other that we forgot to look outward.”

I nod slowly, meeting his gaze. “I didn’t want to say anything because you two have been so happy.” A soft chuckle escapes me, but there’s a bittersweet edge to it. “Between the babies and six mates, it’s hard to juggle everyone’s needs, but I’ve missed you both.” I pause, my eyes softening as I see the pain mirrored in theirs. “I’m just glad we’re talking more now. It’s all I wanted—to feel connected again.”

“We miss you too.” The words are whispered, but the emotion behind them is anything but small.

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