Page 59 of The Cursed Wolf King

Eve hesitated, as if her pride was warring with her obvious frustration. Then she handed Saul the knife, stepped aside, and let him take the lead. He picked up the knife, his hands moving with practiced ease as he made a clean incision along the rabbit’s belly.

“It’s all about the angle,” Saul said, gesturing for Eve to come closer. “Hold the knife like this. You don’t want to hack at it; you want to glide.”

Eve leaned in, watching Saul’s every move like her lifedepended on it. I found myself observing her, the way her focus sharpened. The pack bond whispered around me, faint impressions from the kitchen workers filtering through. Curiosity. Skepticism. A twinge of approval.

“You listen well,” Saul said, handing her the knife. “Now you try.”

Eve nodded, her hands steadier this time as she followed his guidance. The cut wasn’t perfect, but it was better. She didn’t look at me, her attention locked on the task.

I felt a strange pull watching her, which I tried to put aside for the sake of playing my role as alpha in front of the pack.

My wolf, on the other hand, had no such reservations.She belongs here, he whispered, the smug asshole.

28

EVE

The smell of roasted meat and a bonfire greeted me before I even reached the Moonstone Plateau. The sounds of laughter and clinking mugs echoed through the crisp evening air, so different from the somber, tense gatherings I’d grown used to among the Heraclids.

Here, the energy was lighter, warmer, alive with a sense of belonging.

Still, I hesitated at the edge of the clearing, pulling my cloak tighter around me. My footsteps faltered as I took in the sight: dozens of shifters mingling in easy fellowship, plates piled high with food, children darting between the legs of adults who didn’t mind their antics. The bonfire crackled at the center, casting golden light on faces lit with genuine smiles.

This was nothing like the Heraclids. Their feasts were cold affairs, more about posturing than connection. I felt like an alien here, unsure of how to step into the orbit of something so…

Pure.

Logan appeared at my side. A wash of calm came over me at the sight of him. Which was kind of ironic, considering how he put me on display in the kitchen. As if I’d ever cut an animal in my life.

“Tonight is to welcome you,” he said, quiet enough that only I could hear.

I swallowed hard and forced a smile. “A feast in my honor? That’s a first.”

“You’re not a prisoner here, Eve,” he said, his tone firm but not unkind, “even if your place here remains a question. Enjoy it.”

Enjoy it. Right.

As I followed him into the crowd, heads turned. Curious eyes swept over me, some kind, some guarded. I caught snippets of conversation: whispered words, soft laughs, murmurs that stopped as I passed. My skin prickled under the weight of their attention.

This felt an awful lot like the gathering for visions on Heraclid lands, except I sensed no bitterness or menace. And no one was blowing in my face.

Logan walked with purpose, nodding and clasping hands with his packmates, exuding the calm authority of a leader among family. The pack bond between them pulsed in the air.

We stopped near the fire, where a group had gathered to greet me. One by one, they approached Logan, exchanging formal handshakes and beating each other’s chests, their faces lighting up with smiles. It was simple, familiar, yet filled with meaning.

The sharedheart of Orion.

A young woman with chestnut hair stepped forward, her eyes warm as she repeated the gesture with me. Her grip was firm but not forceful, and when her hands brushed mine, a fleeting thought went through my mind. I suddenly realized it wasn’t my thought.

It was hers.She’s stronger than she looks. Brave, too.

My breath caught.How am I hearing this?

I shouldn’t have been able to. I wasn’t in their pack, and moreover, she was talkingaboutme, nottome.

As another shifter greeted me—a man with sharp eyes and a stiff posture—something darker seeped into my awareness.She’s a two-faced betraying piece of shit. A Heraclid in our lands? Logan’s out of his mind.

The words hit like a blow and I pulled my hands back too quickly, earning a raised brow from the man before he turned away.

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