Page 97 of The Cursed Wolf King

The world was sharper, clearer, in this form. Every sound, every scent, every movement in the shadows seemed amplified, alive. My paws pressed into the soft earth, the sensation grounding me as I ran alongside Kenza and Anwen. They flanked me like a shield, a silent reassurance that I wasn’t alone.

This was right. This was who I was meant to be. My wolf was free, I was free, and all because of a calling more primal than I knew—a call to protect the man who had set us free. Without him—his presence, his soul, his everything—this sense of freedom would be short-lived.

It had taken this journey for me to understand that I was only free because I accepted that I could not live this life alone.

And now, Logan needed me. Whether or not he knew it.

The hum of connection with my wolf wasn’t a whimper anymore; she flowed through my veins. It was her andme, together in a way I’d never experienced before. I felt her joy, heard her thoughts, relished in our mutual connection.

My wolf wasme, wholly and completely.

Kenza’s wolf brushed against mine briefly, her fur warm and familiar. It was a silent gesture, but her emotions rippled through me—a fierce determination and a quiet faith. By coming to find me, she had put a lot on the line. Kenza had always defended the Heraclids, believing in the spirit that was the origin of the pack, despite Grayson’s oppression.

Anwen’s wolf, larger and more imposing, moved with a grace that came with age, calm and constant as we approached the edge of Heraclid lands.

The air changed as soon as we crossed the invisible boundary. The scents were heavier, coated with tension, sour. My wolf’s ears twitched, catching the faint rustle of leaves and the murmur of distant voices. Anxiety began to take me over, but my wolf was cool, resolute. She knew we had to keep moving, and she wasn’t afraid of what we would face.

A faint shift in the wind made my wolf’s ears twitch again, though neither Kenza nor Anwen seemed to notice. It was fleeting, and felt like I was being watched from a distance—a presence just out of reach. I sniffed the air instinctively but caught nothing distinct. My wolf didn’t sense any aggression—quite the opposite. It reminded me of when I was hiding behind the dumpster in Seattle and my world changed with the appearance of Dahlia and her story of the Crux pack.

Another Crux?

Kenza’s wolf brushed against mine, a not-so-subtle message to go faster.

As we moved deeper into the territory, the signs of Grayson’s rule became clearer. Wolves worked in silence, their heads low and their movements stiff. A pair of enforcers patrolled a narrow path, while an undercurrent of terror infected the land and the shifters who worked it. My wolf growled, the sound rumbling low in my chest, but she knew this wasn’t the time for any action on their behalf.

We were playing a bigger game. And it started with Logan.

I was hit by a wave of emotions so intense it nearly stopped me in my tracks.

I froze, my paws digging into the earth as the flood of emotions overwhelmed me. Kenza and Anwen slowed. I couldn’t move. I wasn’t feeling just my emotions—I was feelingtheirs.

The Heraclid wolves.

It wasn’t vague the way it used to be. No, this was piercing.

My wolf whined, and I felt her pushing back, trying to sort through the chaos. I stumbled forward, my wolf’s legs trembling under the weight of it all.

I could feel them—the wolves who wanted to fight, the ones who wanted to flee, and the ones who didn’t know what they wanted anymore. It was like being caught in a tornado. There was no way out. Among the feelings of fear and reluctance, there wasresentment. A bitter anger directed at Grayson and at everything he’d built.

What I had always thought was a united front ofHeraclid pride was cracking and crumbling, held together only by the chains of fear of the masses and the greed of the elite.

Kenza nudged me.We’re close, she seemed to say, her urgency cutting through the fog in my mind. I nodded, shaking off the lingering emotions as best as I could. She didn’t sense what I sensed.

Where Orion was alive with warmth and unity, this place felt hollow, broken. The houses were close together, their walls dark and worn. Wolves moved through the streets, their eyes darting around nervously, as if expecting punishment for every misstep.

This wasn’t a pack. It was a prison.

Logan.

The bond came to life, a spark that shot through me like lightning. Every other thought faded, relief flooding me. He was here, close.

The relief was short-lived. Because I could feel his agony too.

It was an all-consuming ache that tore me up. I eagerly sought him out, trying to reach him through our bond. I hit some kind of emotional wall. As if he’d shut me out.

Kenza’s wolf let out a soft bark, drawing my attention. She and Anwen had stopped, their postures tense. I followed their gaze.

The village center loomed ahead, and a gathering of wolves. Grayson’s enforcers stood like sentinels, scanning the area with predatory intensity. And there, in the middle of it all, was Logan.

---