Page 53 of The Cursed Wolf King

The pack was going to lose it.

And yet, as the scent of the evergreens filled my lungs, I was overcome with the sense that all things would fall into place. Not easily, perhaps not peacefully. If the Shadow Moon Goddess brought Eve to me, she must have had her reasons.

I just had to figure out what the fuck they were.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”Rhys’s voice cut through the room like a whip. He paced in front of me, his boots scuffing against the floorboards of the office. “You brought herhere? ToOrion lands?”

I leaned against the edge of the desk, arms crossed, keeping my face neutral. It was the only way to keep fromsnapping at him. He wasn’t wrong to question me—not entirely—but I didn’t have the energy to explain myself again.

Not when my attention was drawn elsewhere.

Through the window, I could see Elder Raina standing with Eve in front of the building. Eve’s posture was stiff, her arms folded tightly across her chest. Raina’s calming presence seemed to be doing little to soothe her, even though the elder was speaking in that measured, patient way she had. I caught a glimpse of Eve’s face when she glanced toward the forest—her lips were pressed together, and she was scanning the tree line like she was still trying to find her bearings.

Or plotting her escape.

“She’s not what you think she is,” I said finally.

“Oh, really?” Rhys stopped pacing. “She’s not the Heraclid oracle who might have cursed us into oblivion? The one who grew up under Grayson’s thumb? You think the pack doesn’t know who she is, Logan? They’ve been whispering about it since the moment you crossed the boundary with her.”

I tore my eyes away from the window and met his glare. “I didn’t say they were wrong to wonder. I saidshe’s not what you think she is.”

Rhys threw up his hands, exasperated. “Thenwhatis she?”

I didn’t answer right away. My gaze drifted back to Eve, and I watched as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, clearly uncomfortable. The afternoon light caught the curve of her profile, the faint bruises along her jaw, and my wolf snarled. She was too thin. Too pale. Too broken.

My mate.

“She’s not our enemy,” I said finally. My tone was sharper than I’d intended, but it got Rhys’s attention.

He let out a tense sigh. “And how do you know that? Did she give you a detailed resume while you were dragging her through the woods? Or are you going on instinct? Because, Logan, instinct alone is how you end up dead in situations like this.”

“Enough.” The alpha command erupted from me. I never liked to use that tone with Rhys, but he was crossing a line.

Rhys blinked. And—thankfully—shut up.

“She may be a risk,” I said, “but not in the way you think. She’s a key.”

“To what?” Rhys asked earnestly, calm now. “To us surviving? Or to us finally falling apart?”

I didn’t answer, because I had no answer. All I knew was that she didn’t belong in Heraclid hands.

And I couldn’t let her go.

26

EVE

The bungalow smelled faintly floral, like lavender had been dried and forgotten in a corner. The walls were lined with weathered wood and afternoon light filtered through a curtain edged in delicate embroidery. It felt so homely, even if there was a gentle layer of dust over everything. A bedroom and a kitchen were off to the side, while the living room was cozy and bright with several windows. A rocking chair in the corner swayed slightly, nudged by a phantom breeze, and a stack of books leaned precariously on the side table next to it. A small sofa, beige and worn with time, was by the fireplace.

Simple, sturdy, a place well-loved. And that alone was a world away from my former abode on Heraclid lands.

“Here.” Isabelle held out a bundle of neatly folded clothes, her smile tentative but genuine. Raina set a few more on the table. “These should fit.”

They were practical pieces made of cotton and canvas, rough and durable. I’d only ever worn long dresses in lightfabrics that protected me from wandering eyes. Here was a tunic, a few shirts, leggings—things meant for a life I’d never had.

“Thank you,” I said, the words awkward on my tongue.

She waved it off like it was nothing, though she hesitated, as if looking for a reason to stay. “If you need anything else, let us know,” she said.

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