Page 62 of The Cursed Wolf King

“Our bloodline carries the legacy of strength, of leadership. Once, the Orion pack stood among the greatest. We didn’t just protect our lands—we set the example for what apack could be. Others looked to us for guidance, for wisdom, for hope.”

I watched him, caught between awe and an ache in my chest as his passion poured out, filling every corner, reaching every soul. The bond hummed, his connection to them palpable.

“That legacy was fractured. Torn from us.” He paused, his eyes darkening. “And while some would say it’s too late, that Orion will never rise again, I say they arewrong.”

A rumble moved through the crowd, low and growling. He stepped closer to the crowd, commanding. “This is not the end. It is a new beginning. A new birth. I will raise this pack from the ashes. I know many of you believe them dead, but I will find my brothers, and together we will lead Orion to the place it wasalways meant to be.”

The bond surged, a roaring tide of energy that nearly knocked the breath from me.

Logan raised his hand, and silence fell, as though the entire pack were holding their breath. “We will reclaim our power, rebuild what was stolen from us.” The fierceness in him made me quake. I had never heard or seen him like this. “We will stand among the Shadow Moon packs as leaders again. Not because of what we once were, but because of who we’ve become.”

The plateau erupted into noise—cheers, shouts, a cacophony of celebration. Wolves clasped each other’s shoulders, their bond alight with a shared purpose so powerful it seemed to thrum in the very mountains around us.

I watched it… but I felt none of it.

Their bond pulsed with pride and joy. It was a wall Icouldn’t penetrate, a language I didn’t speak. Some wolves shifted, filled with the spirit of Logan’s call, running around the surrounding rocks, nipping and howling with reckless abandon.

Logan led me to the side of the plateau. “I’m not angry,” he said. “My pack needs me now. You’ll understand if I keep my distance for a bit.”

I nodded, hands trembling at my sides as I took a small step back. Whatever hope I’d had of finding my place here felt like it was slipping through my fingers, and I had no idea how to get it back.

I wasn’t sure I could.

Worse—I didn’t know if they would let me live once they knew the vision I had seen.

The death of Orion.

29

LOGAN

Before I even stepped out of my cabin, a low hum of unease rippled through the pack bond we shared. While the crisp air of morning was refreshing, I felt discomfort growing among us. A division I’d never experienced as the pack’s alpha.

By the time I reached the center of the village, a small group had already gathered. Their voices carried over the quiet, their tones accusatory, their postures tense. My wolf growled low in my chest as I approached, the primal instinct to dominate rising unbidden.

“Alpha,” someone called out, and I immediately recognized Garrett, a wolf coming into his own and demonstrating excellent leadership skills. “We need to talk.” He said it respectfully, but there was no mistaking the confrontation in his eyes.

I raised a brow, letting the weight of my silence settle over him. Garrett shifted uneasily, his shoulders straighteningin an effort to stand firm. Around him, the others murmured, feeding off the shared discontent.

“About?” I asked, trying to stay calm, though I was on the brink of making it an alpha command.

“You brought her here,” said Athena, a seasoned hunter known for her sharp tongue and sharper instincts. She crossed her arms. “TheHeraclidoracle? Don’t you think we deserve to know why?”

A murmur of agreement rippled through the group. My wolf bristled, pushing against my control, but I held back. This wasn’t the time to snap.

“I’m the alpha,” I said simply, letting the words land with quiet authority. “I don’t owe you an explanation.”

“You may not owe us one,” Athena pressed, “but the packneedsone. We’ve suffered enough. We’ve lost enough. And now you’ve broughtherinto our home—intoourlives—without so much as a warning.”

I had to give her credit for her courage, even if it grated against every instinct I had.

“How can you trust her?” Garrett added, his voice rising. “After what her pack has done to us? To our families? She’s one of them, Logan!”

“Enough,” I snapped, the alpha command silencing the group instantly. “You think I’d risk the safety of this pack without reason?”

The silence that followed was heavy, but it wasn’t submission. Not yet.

Athena tried again, and she wasthis closeto crossing a line that a pack mate shouldnevercross. “Then tell us, Alpha. Help us believe you.”

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