Chapter 4
Gracie
The balcony doors swung open silently as I stepped out into the bright morning sunlight.
A cool wind brushed over my skin, and I tugged my robe tighter around me. The sky was a brilliant shade of cornflower blue, white clouds drifting lazily over the mountains, and the crisp, clean air was something I would probably never fully get used to.
For a moment, I just stood there before stepping to the railing.
Unlike the first time I’d woken here and came to stand on the balcony, I felt no confusion or panic. No fear. No unease. Just awe and a steady sense of growing calm as I got used to living in Ironsun’s territory.
My fingers wrapped tighter around the tea mug I’d found next to my bed as I took a long sip, peppermint blooming across my tongue. I knew we would have to leave soon, but every part of me was pushing back.
I was finally comfortable, and that wasn’t something I was ready to sacrifice so easily.
I hadn’t realized, until I started living in the world—truly living in it—how numb I’d become. The silence that had infiltrated our pack when the Cold Moon Pack invaded was oppressive and harsh. Here, it was a peaceful luxury I’d never expected from life.
I hadn’t expected them either. It would take time for me to fully come to terms with all of this—my mates, this new life, the idea that it could truly be mine. Still, I was adjusting faster than I would have expected.
My gaze drifted downward, drawn to movement below. A small group of soldiers trained in the courtyard, their motions sharp and controlled, while civilians moved through the yard with easy conversation and quiet laughter. No one hesitated. No one waited.
They just…lived.
My fingers tightened around the mug once more as the realization settled in. A slow breath left me as my shoulders eased, something deep in my chest loosening.
No one was watching me.
…well.
Except for maybe Basir.
And somehow, that didn’t make me nervous at all.
I didn’t need to turn to know he was there. I could hear him, feel the brush of his wolf against mine as he moved in close behind me. His right hand rested on the balcony railing, somehow completely taking over my space without even touching me.
Tilting my head up, I stared into his emerald gaze as he studied my face intently, seeming to gauge my emotions before dropping his eyes to the tea in my hands.
“I’m glad it was still warm.”
Had he gotten it for me? I turned slowly to face him. “It’s perfect. Although I may have slept a bit longer than planned.”
It had to be almost ten at this point.
He nodded slowly before looking out toward the mountains, his expression tinged with frustration. “We don’t need to leave before you’re ready, glow. Take your time.”
My pulse quickened with a sudden rush of tension flooding my body. “Leave?”
Basir’s gaze moved back to mine as he spoke in a quiet, relaxed tone—as if trying not to worry me. “We received intel about Ivan’s plans and the steps he’s been taking.”
“Yeah?” I whispered, anxious about what he’d say next.
“They’ve pulled most of the territory into the Northgrove compound and started moving people out of Grimfur Skulk territory. Our soldiers think the numbers are well into the thousands.”
At first, Basir’s words didn’t fully register. Then my eyes widened, my mouth dropping open. “From the other territory as well?”
“Continuously bussing people out,” Basir confirmed sadly. “Gracie?”
My chest felt like it was going to explode, and my hands shook around my mug. Somehow, the fact that Ivan was pushing beyond the Cold Moon Pack territory made it all so much worse. It wasn’t just isolated to his current victims. He was expanding, and it would never be enough for him.
Ivan would take and take, and my newfound safety and security would end up as dust. I was spiraling, panic clawing its way up my throat.
But what about all those people? What would we do when he came here and spread his blight on the land?
This was supposed to end where it had started—the Cold Moon Pack.
“Ivan will never let me be free,” I whispered. “I can’t be safe in a world with him in it.”
Basir’s reaction was immediate, a deep rumble breaking from his chest. I wanted to press my ear to it—to listen to the comforting sound and absorb the protective aura he presented.
But he hadn’t touched me, and I didn’t want to assume—
Basir’s hand came up to my cheek, his thumb brushing just beneath my eye before his grip shifted, steady but careful, to pull me closer.
There wasn’t any hesitation.
Just certainty.
Even if the look in his eyes said he wasn’t sure how to handle what I was feeling, the way he touched me didn’t. One of his hands slid to the back of my neck, not forcing—just there—as his forehead pressed to mine.
That deep rumble didn’t stop. If anything, it strengthened.
When I’d been with Thornar in the kitchen yesterday, it felt easy to express my thoughts—almost as if his warmth had coaxed it out of me.
With Basir, it was different. His quiet restraint and cool distance pulled answers from me because I felt like I had to tell him.
The pure intensity of his will through our bond tugged the words from me.
“I just started to feel safe.” My voice seemed weak even to me, and I kicked myself internally. The last thing I wanted was for my mate to see me like that. “Now he’s going to spread through all of Thornfell, and what we’re trying to do just feels…impossible.”
Basir didn’t interrupt. His thumb brushed beneath my eye again, slow and deliberate, before settling against my cheek, steady and grounding.
“I don’t want to face him. I don’t want to have to feel that fear again…” My breath hitched. “And I feel guilty about that, because it’s the only way to stop him. To save everyone he’s trapped.”
The moment the words were out there, something in me eased. Relief and guilt tangled together, impossible to separate.
“I could tell you to stay here while we handle it, but I know you won’t.” Basir’s voice stayed low and steady, his breath cool against my skin. “You’re going to face it head-on. I can’t promise it will go the way we want—”
I swallowed, dread curling in my stomach.
“But I can promise you this.” His thumb brushed along my cheek again. “We’ll do everything we can to make sure Ivan doesn’t survive this. He won’t be there to be something you fear…and we’re never letting you be a prisoner again.”
I didn’t move for a long moment, soaking and savoring in his promise. I so badly wanted to believe him, even if my hope still felt fragile.
“I can also promise you that we won’t leave until you are ready.”
Having that control over my future, even knowing we had to leave, meant everything.
“He’s right.” Ravik’s rough voice broke through the quiet, cutting the fragile stillness. Still in Basir’s arms, I turned my head to look at him. “Everything else can wait.”
I appreciated the sentiment, I really did…but I also knew the truth. Time was everything when it came to stopping Ivan.
“Where exactly are we going? All of the territories?”
“Nearly,” Ravik said. “Everywhere except for the Grimfur Skulk and Cold Moon Pack. We’ve sent word ahead of us, so they’re expecting our arrival. I’m hoping it’ll make convincing and negotiating easier.”
“I think your testimony, glow, will be the most important,” Basir said seriously.
I swallowed, feeling a prickle of pride at his words. Unlike with Ivan, I wasn’t being brought along to be shown off or bargained with—I was going because I played a part in this.
“That is a lot of travel,” I murmured. “Where first?”
“Nightstar Flight.” Ravik approached, reaching out to tilt my chin up and examine my expression fully. “West coast. It holds the archives that Thornar mentioned.”
I nodded, a surge of hope moving through me as Thornar joined us, leaning in the doorway. “The Solkaran Archive. My sister plans on coming with us.”
“And Banthor.”
That made me smile. I didn’t fully understand the dynamic between Thornar’s sister and Ravik’s brother yet, but I had a feeling it would be interesting to travel with them.
The lighter moment lingered for a second longer before reality settled back in, the weight of what was coming next pressing in on me.
I drew in a slow breath and stepped back from Basir’s hold. “I should get ready.”
“Take your time, little flame,” Thornar said as I passed him.
Somehow, their relaxed attitudes as they broke into quiet conversation only made me want to go faster. Probably because I knew they were doing it for me.
Knowing that we would be traveling, I made sure to take a long shower, savoring it, unsure what conditions would be like on the road.
I even took the time to dry my hair and apply some light skincare products that had been left out for me.
I didn’t know what half of them did, but after not using anything on my face for so long, it felt good.
It reminded me of the tinctures my mom used to keep in our bathroom—ones she’d handmade from the herbs in our garden.
After my shower, I pulled on a fitted long-sleeve shirt in a muted purple, the fabric soft against my skin as I tucked it into high-waisted black trousers. Practical boots followed before I pulled on a light, tailored jacket that would keep me warm.
When I left the bathroom and stepped into the closet, I realized pretty quickly that my mates had already packed. A good amount of the clothing was absent from the shelves.
“Already packed your stuff,” Ravik said.
I smiled up at him. “You mean the stuff I’m borrowing,” I said, a hint of teasing in my tone that had him narrowing his eyes.
I couldn’t help it, though. There was no way I would admit to owning any of these clothes. They were far nicer and more expensive than anything I’d worn before.
Instead, I was choosing to see them as a gift. Or something I was just borrowing.
I stepped out of my room, the door clicking softly as Ravik and I moved down the hallway. For a brief second, the memory hit me—being marched through a different set of halls, wrapped in stiff clothing, my body already bracing for Ivan’s cruel words on the way to the Thornfell Trade Conference.
This felt nothing like that.
I turned into the foyer, my gaze lifting instinctively to the stained-glass ceiling. Light filtered through it in fractured colors, spilling across the stone floor and softening the space. The hall stretched out ahead, lined with doors I now knew led to bedrooms.
I glanced left as the other two joined us, my gaze drifting back to the main living area. The wall of glass poured light into the space, the polished wood and soft seating giving it that same lived-in warmth I’d noticed before.
“Ready to go, little flame?” Thornar asked.
My hand paused on the handle as I considered his question. I wasn’t sure if I was ready…but I was the one choosing to walk out that door.
No one was dragging me.
“Yes.” I pushed the door open and stepped forward, ready to face Ivan head-on.