Page 5 of The Cursed Wolf King

And that was why I had to save us.

We used to number in the thousands. The Orion pack was revered and respected among all packs of the Shadow Moon. We ran the show, led the Northern council, had a league of alphas who led the sub-branches of the pack. We brokered treaties between the eighty-eight packs from the Southern and Northern hemispheres, between shifters of various species and the occasional half-human who got ideas of grandeur.

The Orion pack was royalty, my ancestors the kings.

And now we’d been reduced to barely 150 souls.

Rhys passed the guitar to a younger wolf and stood from the log he’d been sitting on, heading in my direction. I never wanted my younger brother to be beta. I couldn’t bear the risk it exposed him to, but after I was betrayed by my last beta, I knew he was intended for this position. And I don’t think I could have stopped him from taking it up if I’d wanted to.

“My brother.”

Rhys extended his right hand to me, and I matched it, our palms pressing firmly together, fingers curling slightly around each other’s hands. We lifted our joined hands between us, a silent oath held in the shared weight of our grip. With a practiced motion, we thumped our joined fists first against his chest and then against mine, the impact resonating in the cool night air.

The greeting was old, a tradition woven deep into thefabric of our pack. It was a reminder of the pulse we shared as Orion, a bond of loyalty and strength that was as persistent as the constellations above us.

“Alpha,” Rhys murmured. “Will you address the elders tonight?”

I gave him a nod. I wasn’t much for speeches—never had been—but they expected me to say something, to honor the wisdom keepers as they deserved. I’d do it for them.

I stepped toward the fire, glancing at the pack gathered around, feeling the warmth of their trust. As I began to speak, I focused on the elders. They’d been through more than I could imagine. I took a breath, trying to find the words for this annual ceremony. Their eyes were all on me, filled with the questions they didn’t have to ask because I knew them already. My fingers found their way to the ink etched into my skin, outlining the marks that honored the brothers I hadn’t been able to find. Their absence, like a burn, branded my resolve and seared into my soul.

“To each of you, our wisdom keepers,” I began, “I owe a debt that can’t be repaid. You’ve stayed loyal through every betrayal, kept faith through losses most wouldn’t bear.”

The crowd offered me knowing nods as they listened.

“In the time of my great-grandfather, our thinning numbers seemed natural,” I said, feeling the ache in my chest as I spoke.

In the beginning, our numbers reduced due to marriages to other packs, pups born into new pack families—alliances built from blood.

Then things changed.

Wolves disappeared. Pups were just gone, stolen from their dens. And soon after, the attacks on our bordersstarted. Enemies hid in the shadows, waiting until we were at our weakest. Unexplained illnesses. No pregnancies. My great-grandfather fought to keep us alive, but alliances became few and far between.

“Our enemies tried to make us feel shame, to strip the honor my ancestors built.”

My throat closed up, my voice catching as I looked at the elders.

“This pack has endured more than any I know, and you’re the reason we still stand here today. You’ve taught us what it means to be strong. We haven’t always had it easy, but you showed us how to carry on. As your alpha, I will not—” The words were too much, the pain of our losses tightening my chest.

Elder Raina rose from her place by the fire, her long beaded silver hair tinkling a rhythm as she placed her hand on my shoulder.

“Logan,” she said, calm and certain. “You don’t carry this pack alone. We all do. You’re our alpha, yes, but the defense of Orion isn’t your burden alone.” Her grip was solid.

Murmurs from across the pack supported Elder Raina’s words.

“Remember who we are, Logan. We areOrion. Hunters by blood, by bond. And no enemy can take that from us. Keep heart, son. You lead us with honor. Perhaps it is unnatural that the hunter has become the hunted, but we shall face this as we have ever since the Shadow Moon Goddess created our packs.” She straightened, her chin high as she nodded. “Now swallow that sadness and lead these wolves on a run.”

Her words settled in me, bolstering the strength I’d nearly lost. I squared my shoulders and pulled off my shirt, the familiar shapes of the tattoos on my bare forearm grounding me.

My brothers always felt closer during a run.

“Orion pack,shift!” I commanded as I let the strength of my pack guide me. “We will run until the moonlight dies and into tomorrow.”

A low, united growl rose from the wolves around me as one by one, they let their human forms fall away, taking up their true selves, ready to run together beneath the stars. Our wolves came to the fore, the human counterpart ever present, allowing our instinctual nature to thrive in the land that nourished our souls.

Moments like these reminded me of what I wanted to build—torebuildfor our pack. A place where strength meant more than survival. It meant family, honor. Values I would protect to my last breath.

The wind cut through my fur, sharp and cold, yet it felt like fire in my veins. My paws struck the earth in a steady rhythm, each stride echoing through the woods as we ran together, a single pulse of pack unity.

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