Page 109 of The Cursed Wolf King

“That ends now,” he said. “You are not broken. You are not powerless. You are wolves—strong, proud, and capable of so much more than what you’ve been allowed to believe.”

The murmurs started softly, hesitant. He paused and the connection between us pulsed, his belief reaching through the bond and grounding me in a way nothing else could. But I felt he didn’t know what to say next. I gently pressed words toward him.

Logan lifted his head higher, his next words carrying a promise the Heraclids needed.

“I’m not here to dominate you. Orion isn’t here to take over. We’re here to build something better. For too long, the Shadow Moon packs have been splintered, driven by fear and greed. It doesn’t have to stay that way.”

The atmosphere in the crowd changed, ever so subtly. A few wolves stepped forward, tentative but intentional, their heads dipping slightly in acknowledgment.

Logan turned to me, his expression open and vulnerable in a way only I could see. “To fulfill our fate, we must abandon the notion that we alone can control our destiny. Instead, we need to give up that false sense of control and become so much more through our connection to each other.” The truth he spoke was for the Heraclids, but it resounded through our connection, the eternal truth of our fated-mate bond.

I found freedom through him. He found victory through me. There was no other way.

My chest tightened as the eyes of the pack turned to me. My wolf surged within me, composed and sure, urging me on.

His hand found mine, enveloping me as the pack watched.

Address them, my love,he said through the bond, gesturing me for me to move in front of him.

I thought I’d be petrified. These were the shifters who had ostracized me, hated me, feared me, used me.

Standing in front of them, I realized how deeply they had also been used. And many of them had been forced into a situation they’d never wanted in the first place.

“Heraclid pack,” I called out, with so much assurance it surprised even me, “I forgive you.”

A wash of relief overtook the pack, and I heard a sob in the crowd.

I didn’t have to say another word.

I looked at Logan, pride evident in his eyes, and I stepped back to his side. My heart pounded, my breath catching as he leaned in, his lips brushing against mine.

Logan’s breath mingled with mine, the bond between us beating like a pulse that wasn’t just ours. I turned toward the wolves, their faces expectant.

That was when the first wolf dropped to one knee, his head bowing low. Another followed, then another, until the clearing was filled with wolves kneeling. The first crack of dawn was breaking over a long, dark night.

My wolf stirred, brushing against theirs in a way I had never known was possible. Heraclid would indeed rise again, piece by piece, from the ruins of everything Grayson had crushed.

This was rebirth.

Logan’s eyes bored into me, and my entire being responded. It was also the true beginning ofus.

Logan stood tall, the lines of his body sharp in the light of dawn, his hand extended toward me. His eyes burned with something more than strength, more than resolve—they burned forme. Forus. And I felt it, every part of me answering that silent call.

He intertwined our fingers, pulling me close.

He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. His hand tightened around mine, his silent command as clear as if he’d shouted it to the skies. And I followed him, my heart racing as he led me away from the murmurs of the pack, away from the crowd. Away from everything but him.

Rhys, Kenza, and Anwen whispered their support that we should take a moment for ourselves.

And we were too happy to oblige.

The world narrowed to the feel of his hand. Around us, the Heraclid lands, which had once loomed like a nightmare,shifted. Trees that had been suffocating now felt protective, their canopy arching over us like a blessing.

The first drops of rain fell, cool against my flushed skin. Renewal. That was what it felt like, every droplet washing away the darkness that had clung to this place.

Logan glanced back at me, his lips curving into the faintest of smiles before he picked up the pace. I matched his stride, the adrenaline coursing through me almost too much to contain. Faster. Faster still. And then we were running, our steps matching, our laughter breaking free into the night as the rain fell harder.

He pulled me closer, his arm sweeping around my waist as he lifted me effortlessly, and I gasped, clutching his shoulders as he carried me deeper into the forest. I could feel his wolf beneath the surface, his need for me as primal as my own. The bond pulsed between us, a living, breathing thing that felt ready to consume us both.

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