Page 93 of The Cursed Wolf King

“Raina?” I asked, my voice shaky as I followed her to the door. My wolf pressed against me, alert and uneasy.

The air changed.

Raina’s wolf stepped out of the bungalow, growling with the protectiveness of a mama wolf. I tried to call on my wolf, but she remained out of reach, surging beneath my skin like a tide that wouldn’t crest. Her energy crackled through me, hot and sharp, demanding action as Raina’s growls echoed in the air.

A low vibration built in my chest, almost like a growl of my own, as if my wolf was trying to merge with me, to force me to act. Every muscle in my body tensed as I gritted my teeth. It was more than an urge; it was a primal force screaming at me to protect, to stand beside Raina as more than just myself.

The sensations were visceral—a heat radiating from mycore, a pulse in my ears that matched the rhythm of Raina’s growl. I had a sharp awareness of every sound, every shift in the wind. My wolf’s emotions were vivid, a flood of protectiveness that eclipsed my own fears. This wasn’t just about me anymore—it was about the pack, aboutourpack.

“Come on,” I hissed as I clawed at the connection, feeling her, so near yet so far.

Her emotions poured into me like fire—fierce loyalty, unwavering protectiveness, and a love for this place, these people, strong enough to knock the breath out of me. My wolf wanted to rise. She wanted to defend what was ours.

And she wasso close.

Two figures emerged from the tree line, hesitant. Wolves. One was massive, her coat a rich, light brown streaked with darker shades, her piercing amber eyes scanning the surroundings with precision, like a scout. The other was smaller but no less imposing, her midnight black fur seeming to absorb the light.

I knew them before I recognized them.

“Anwen,” I whispered, my throat tightening as I stepped closer to the door. “Kenza.”

Raina let out a warning growl, her stance unyielding as she blocked the entrance. The two wolves stopped short of the bungalow, their heads dipping slightly, a show of respect but not submission. Kenza’s ears flicked, her posture tense but not hostile, while Anwen’s tail swayed in subtle, measured movements. They weren’t here for a fight.

“They’re safe,” I said quickly. “Let them in.”

Raina snapped her head toward me, her wolf clearly debating the intelligence of my request. I reached outthrough the bond, pushing calm and trust toward her, praying it would be enough. Slowly, her growl subsided, and she stepped aside, though her muscles remained tight, ready to react if necessary.

The two wolves advanced cautiously, their steps silent as I led them over the threshold, Raina following. Once inside, they paused, their eyes flicking between me and Raina before they shifted in perfect unison.

The transformation was as striking as their presence. Kenza emerged first, her lithe frame accentuated by the sharp lines of her face and the cascade of black hair that fell over her shoulders. Anwen followed, and the relief I felt at seeing my friends almost made me faint.

Their being here—crossing into Orion territory when they knew they would be tracked, possibly imprisoned—meant only one thing. They had come for me, and I had to know why.

“My friends.” Emotion threatened to overtake me, so I silently handed them some robes that were folded neatly on the nearby chair.

Kenza took a robe without a word, her movements precise as she draped it over herself, keeping her eyes on Raina as if waiting for an attack. Anwen, ever the steady one, nodded in thanks, though her expression remained grave.

“This is Raina, an Orion elder and…” I pressed my lips together before continuing, realizing this was one of the first times I’d said these words in my life. “And she has become a friend. A very close friend.”

Raina’s wolf sat beside me, her flank pushing into me as a sign of her protection over me, though it almost knocked me off-balance.

I looked at my friends from Heraclid, the only ones who had been there for me through it all. “If you’ve come here, I assume something is wrong.”

“It’s worse than wrong,” Kenza said, her voice low and cutting as she tied the robe’s belt. “It’s worse than I ever imagined it could be.”

A chill ran down my spine, and my wolf bristled, her energy rising at the edge of my mind. I sought her out, grounding myself against the dread. If Kenza, a dedicated Heraclid, was saying that, then it wasreallybad. “Tell me,” I said.

Anwen spoke directly. “Grayson is falling apart. He’s worse than when you left. He has gone mad with suspicion, lashing out against his close allies in the pack and taking out his rage on wolves who never did him harm. He’s beyond paranoid. And his power is slipping.”

Kenza cut in, “He’s planning something big. Some kind of meeting.” The meeting Logan had spoken about, the reason he was in Seattle. He’d been right—there was something going on behind his back. “A group of random alphas, betas, and traders have come for it, shady types, nothing like how the conclaves were in the past. And they are on Heraclid lands. Now.”

“What?” I glanced at Raina’s wolf, searching for some kind of answer. “They are supposed to be in the human city. That’s where Logan is.”

Raina’s wolf shifted back into human form and the elder’s silver brows furrowed as she considered the news. “That makes sense,” she murmured. “If your bond with Logan is suffering this much, then Logan probably foundout the truth about this meeting, and he’s likely gone there. Into their territory.”

Into danger.

“Why? He wouldn’t be that thick as to think he could face them?—”

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