Page 28 of The Cursed Wolf King

“You,” I snarled. “What do you want?”

“Don’t follow her,” she snapped, holding her ground.

I scoffed, crossing my arms, forcing myself to keep calm as my wolf rumbled beneath my skin. “And why would I listen to you, Heraclid?”

“You don’t know anything about me,” she bit out, eyes flashing as she stepped closer. “But I know more about Eve than you do, and I’m telling you—she’s better off alone. Go back to your pack.”

Her words hit like a slap, setting my anger ablaze. “Is that a threat?” I roared, my muscles tensing as the scent of her pack’s rancid loyalties mingled with the night air. “Because if you think I’ll let you or any of your kind tell me what’s best for my pack?—”

She raised her chin, and I caught something unexpected in her stance. Something that didn’t quite match the bite in her words. It wasn’t fear or loyalty, and she didn’t look like she was ready to fight. Her stance wasn’t aggressive; it was guarded, almost cautious. Reluctant.

Before I could respond, she whispered, “Listen to me, Orion. You don’t know the half of what you’re dealing with. Right now, you’re in a human city. One wrong move, and you’ll end up in a human jail, while your pack is left without an alpha. You really want that?”

The threat of human authorities was a risk I couldn’t afford—not with the consequences of tonight’s fight looming over Orion like a shadow. And damn her if she didn’t know it. She was right, but it didn’t make my anger simmer any less.

“Take my advice, Orion,” she muttered. “Eve is on her own path, and so are you. It’s best if they don’t cross.” She turned and disappeared, leaving my questions echoing unanswered in the empty street.

I lifted my nose to the air, seeking Eve out, searching for an answer about what to do next.

Instead, the decision was made for me.

I had lost all trace of her.

And so I headed to my bike to go home. The winds were changing, and the Orion pack was going to need me more than ever.

Find her.My wolf rose within me, but sometimes the man knew what was best for us both.

Damian had to die. And I would have to face the consequences.

14

EVE

Hours had passed while I crouched in the shadows of a neglected alleyway, huddled close to a rusting dumpster that reeked of rotting vegetables and damp cardboard. The scent was overwhelming, putrid enough that no one would catch my trail here, especially as night descended and supernaturals would be roaming the streets. As for the humans who passed this part of town, they didn’t care who you were or what you’d done—they had their own secrets, their own problems. The spot was perfect.

Because I was going mad.

The wolf of my visions wasn’t just any wolf, not even any shifter from Orion.

His intensity, the way he’d commanded attention even in chaos. The way he’d stepped in with no hesitation, like he was compelled to protect me.

Orion, I thought again, the pieces finally clicking into place.He isLogan, the alpha of Orion.

Iinhaled sharply, my mind spinning with flashes of the visions that had plagued me over the years. I’d always seen one figure standing tall, fierce and unwavering, even as those around him faded and blurred. A lone protector, keeping watch over his pack despite the odds stacked against him. And he’d always been strong, defiant, as if fighting the weight pressing down on him.

And now I knew why—it was him. Logan. The alpha of Orion.

The few strangers who moved past kept their heads down, jackets pulled tight, not sparing me a glance. For once, there was no one hovering, no whispers of orders to fulfill, no demands for visions I didn’t want to see.

I stared down at my scraped hands, my dress torn and dirt-streaked, my skin prickling under the night’s cold. I should have thought ahead, should have seen this coming. But in every vision, every plan I’d ever managed to craft to be free of Damian and the Heraclids, I’d never pictured what would happenafter.

I still felt the eyes of that wolf—Logan—tracing over my wounds, his anger simmering beneath the surface, the way he made my heart pound with overwhelming emotion. He had been the first person to look at me like I was something more than a tool, something worth fighting for. And for one wild, foolish moment, I’d almost let myself believe I could… belong.

To him.

Impossible. I wouldn’t be anyone’s captive again. They had done their worst to me, and now I was on my own. That had to be better than my condition before.

It had to be.

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