THORN
Afew hours earlier…
The trees blur past me, but I can’t outrun it. Not the sound of her voice. Not the look in her eyes.
I’d rather take a thousand claws to the gut than see her bloody, tear-streaked face so anguished again.
I sprint harder, paws tearing at the dirt, until my lungs burn and my ankle throbs.
It’s still not enough. The earth feels hollow beneath me, the forest feels impossibly empty.
I wanted to win her, claim her, keep her — and instead, she chose nothing at all.
When my ankle finally gives, I collapse at the base of an oak.
My blood-soaked white coat heaves with every breath, my fur sticky with my own blood.
I throw back my head and let out a howl, raw and broken, so deep it rattles the branches above me.
The sound carries far into the night, a sound of loss no Alpha should ever make.
Then I stop and collect myself.
Because an Alpha doesn’t wallow. An Alpha doesn’t mope about being heartbroken. No, they must always remain strong and lead.
I shift back to human form, pressing my forehead to my knees.
I sit there in silence, allowing my wounds (internal and external) to heal.
For a moment — just a moment — I allow myself to feel the hollow ache where Ember should be.
To feel the sting of betrayal, though I know she thought she was protecting someone else.
I still feel like less of a man, less of an Alpha, because the gods themselves handed me a mate... and she turned me away.
When dawn’s first light stains the horizon, I rise.
The temple grounds are buzzing when I return, wolves crowd the main entrance, some still rubbing sleep from their eyes, others strutting proudly with fresh mates at their side. The air smells of sex, victory, and futures decided.
The line of newly mated pairs gathers at the steps, waiting for my acknowledgement. My role as Alpha demands it.
My gaze flicks across the pairings. My eyes snag on Tala and Bane, hand in hand. Her dark eyes glow with triumph, her posture tall. At least she found someone worthy, someone strong enough to match her. For a moment, a spark of relief warms my chest — then the void returns, colder than before.
I force my voice steady. “Welcome to the Aurora pack. You’ve proven your worthiness in the trials, and the gods have seen fit to bless you with mates. May you bring strength, honor, and new life to our people.”
A cheer goes up, the sound loud and joyous. I smile faintly, because that’s what they need from me, expect from me. But inside, the words scrape raw against my throat.
From the crowd, I catch the snicker. Steele, his arms looped around a giggling female, smiling at me with malice in his eyes. He doesn’t even try to hide it. I killed two of his friends, two brothers in Scar’s lineage. The great Alpha Thorn, leader without a mate for yet another season.
For a heartbeat, rage flares through me. I could crush him, silence him. But instead, I let it go. A true Alpha doesn’t waste his power on petty fools. Instead, I lift my chin and sweep my gaze over the crowd. “We leave within the hour. The journey home is long and cold, so be ready.”
The road back is endless stone and dirt, winding through snow-capped mountain passes and valleys of pine that turn to snow-covered ice.
The wolves behind me chatter and laugh, basking in the glow of their coupling, while I stride at the front in silence.
Tala, once my only companion, now remains behind, traversing the journey with her mate.
Each crunch of paw behind me beats in rhythm with my thoughts. Ember’s face, her fiery auburn hair as she shook her head, her refusal. The way her blue eyes glistened under the moonlight as she stepped away from me. From us. The way it just…ended.
The ache is constant, sharp and deep. But with every mile, I bury it a little deeper. Not gone, but caged, locked inside where it belongs.
I’m Alpha. I’ve proven it twice now. I am Thorn Alpha of Aurora pack, and now my wolves need my strength, not my sorrow.
So I trudge on, jaw tight, the wind biting at my muzzle. Though my heart is shattered, my pack will never see me falter.