– HELENA –
Helena paced across the packhouse courtyard, her emotions simmering just below the surface. Seeing Tobias so fiercely protective of Freya had reignited every bitter feeling she had buried since learning they were mates. He was supposed to be hers—her partner, her equal. Not some shy, stammering girl who didn’t even belong here.
Her thoughts were interrupted by voices, low and hushed, coming from near the weapons shed. She paused, her wolf alert, and stepped closer, staying hidden in the shadows.
“She’s a problem,” Isabelle hissed, her voice dripping with malice. “And we all know it. She doesn’t belong here, and she never will. Tobias is wasting himself on her.”
Helena’s ears perked. Isabelle’s tone carried the same venom Helena had felt earlier.
“She’s a liability,” another voice muttered, someone Helena didn’t immediately recognise. “The rogues came for her once. What if they come again? Or worse, what if she brings them here?”
Isabelle’s laugh was cold, calculated. “Then we take care of it. Quietly. The Alpha doesn’t need to know. A little push in the right direction, and Freya won’t be a problem anymore.”
Helena stiffened, her breath catching. “Take care of it”? Her heart raced. Isabelle couldn’t mean what she thought—could she?
“What are you suggesting?” the other voice asked, hesitant but not dismissive.
“I’m saying we make it clear she’s not welcome,” Isabelle said smoothly. “Maybe she gets hurt training. Maybe she wanders off into the woods and doesn’t come back. Accidents happen all the time. Tobias will come to his senses once she’s gone.”
Helena leaned back against the wall, her mind spinning. For a brief, fleeting moment, she considered stepping out and joining them. Isabelle’s words mirrored her own frustrations, her own desires to see Freya gone. Helena had spent days imagining ways to get back at Tobias for his betrayal, to stir up trouble for him and Freya. But this? This wasn’t stirring trouble. This was crossing a line.
Helena’s hands trembled as she clenched them into fists. She had wanted Tobias to see her again, to remember what they had. She had wanted Freya out of the picture, yes—but not like this. Not through manipulation and violence.
Isabelle’s voice cut through her thoughts. “You in?” she asked her companion.
Helena’s pulse quickened. She could almost hear herself stepping forward, agreeing, letting Isabelle’s plan unfold. It would be easy, wouldn’t it? Easy to let someone else take the blame while she got what she wanted. Easy to pretend it wasn’t her fault if something happened to Freya.
But as the words echoed in her mind—she doesn’t belong here—Helena felt a knot of guilt twist in her chest. The image of Freya’s wide, uncertain eyes flickered in her mind, and with it came the memory of Tobias’s fierce protectiveness. He would never forgive her if she let this happen. More importantly, she wouldn’t forgive herself.
“No,” Helena whispered to herself, shaking her head. She turned and slipped away from the shed, her steps light and silent. Her heart pounded in her chest as she put as much distance as possible between herself and Isabelle’s scheming.
She leaned against a tree once she was out of earshot, her breath shaky. What was she even doing? This wasn’t who she was. Yes, Tobias had hurt her, but he had never been hers to begin with. Freya hadn’t stolen him—she hadn’t even asked for this. She had been thrust into this mess just like everyone else.
For the first time, Helena felt the edges of her resentment begin to soften. Maybe Freya wasn’t the enemy. Maybe she was just another wolf trying to find her place in a pack that didn’t know how to accept her. Helena bit her lip, her thoughts swirling. She didn’t know what she was going to do yet, but one thing was clear: Isabelle was playing with fire. And Helena wasn’t sure she wanted to be anywhere near it.
-GEORGE-
The Alpha stood by the tall window in his office, hands clasped behind his back, his gaze fixed on the darkening forest. The orange hues of the setting sun streaked the trees, but the Alpha’s sharp green eyes remained cold, calculating.
George lingered near the door, his posture respectful but uneasy. He had always been loyal to his Alpha. It was his role as Beta, the second-in-command, to follow orders without hesitation. But lately, the Alpha’s actions felt…off. Subtler than before, but unmistakably different.
“She’s settling in,” George said finally, his tone measured. “As well as can be expected, considering everything.”
The Alpha tilted his head slightly, his smile faint but unsettling. “Good. She’ll need to adapt quickly.”
George shifted uncomfortably. “The pack isn’t exactly welcoming her with open arms. Tobias can only protect her so much without things boiling over.”
The Alpha turned to face him, his expression unreadable. “And what do you suggest?”
George hesitated. “Time, Alpha. The pack needs time to adjust. Freya’s presence here in the packhouse is…unexpected for most of them.”
The Alpha’s lips curved into a slow smile. “Time, yes. But we don’t have as much of it as you think. Freya is different, George. She doesn’t have the luxury of blending into the background like the others, not any longer.”
George stiffened. The words struck a strange chord, their meaning unclear but ominous. “What do you mean?”
The Alpha stepped closer, his tone soft but commanding. “Freya has potential—far more than you or Tobias realise. And when the time comes, we’ll need her to step into that potential.”
George frowned, the unease deepening. “She’s been through a lot, Alpha. Maybe we should let her decide what’s best for her.”
The Alpha’s smile tightened, though his voice remained calm. “Decisions are a luxury, George. The pack’s survival isn’t. She will find her place here, as she was meant to.”
As George left the office, the door clicking softly shut behind him, his mind churned with unease. He had known the Alpha for years, respected his leadership and his cunning, but this…this was different. There was something in the way the Alpha spoke about Freya, something that didn’t sit right.
George found himself wandering toward the training grounds, seeking solace in the familiar rhythm of warriors sparring. His gaze landed on Tobias, his closest friend, who was correcting the stance of a younger trainee. The memory of their first training session as boys flashed in George’s mind, vivid and bittersweet.
Tobias had been the cocky one, always grinning, always charging into challenges headfirst. George, by contrast, had been quiet, methodical, content to follow Tobias’s lead. They had balanced each other perfectly.
George smiled faintly at the memory of them sneaking out after their first gruelling training session to steal snacks from the pack kitchen. Tobias had joked about becoming the pack’s top warrior, while George had simply laughed, content in the knowledge that they’d face whatever came their way together.
That bond had only deepened over the years. George had been there through every victory, every loss, every fight that Tobias got himself into. And now, watching him with Freya, George felt a fierce protectiveness for his friend. Tobias deserved happiness. He deserved someone who saw him as more than just a warrior.
Tobias noticed George and jogged over, wiping the sweat from his brow. “What’s with the look?” he asked, grinning.
George shook his head, his lips twitching into a smile. “Just thinking how lucky you are I didn’t let you quit training after that first session.”
Tobias laughed. “Lucky? You mean stubborn. You wouldn’t let me hear the end of it if I had.”
They stood in comfortable silence for a moment before George’s smile faded. “Tobias, about Freya…”
Tobias’s expression hardened, his wolf stirring just beneath the surface. “What about her?”
George raised his hands in a placating gesture. “I’m just saying…be careful. The pack doesn’t see her the way you do. And the Alpha…” He trailed off, unsure how to voice his growing concerns.
Tobias’s eyes narrowed. “What about the Alpha?”
George hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “I think he has plans for her. I don’t know what they are, but something feels…off.”
Tobias’s jaw tightened. “Freya’s my mate. No one makes plans for her without going through me.”
George nodded, though the unease remained. He didn’t doubt Tobias’s determination to protect Freya, but the Alpha’s power and cunning were formidable. If he had his sights set on Freya, it would take more than resolve to stop him.
As George watched Tobias return to training, a heavy weight settled in his chest. Freya’s presence had already unsettled the pack, but her unmarked status and Tobias’s possessiveness were creating fractures. And then there was Finn—young, eager, and clearly smitten with Freya.
George rubbed the back of his neck, his loyalty pulling him in two directions. On one side was his Alpha, the leader he had sworn to follow. On the other was Tobias, his best friend and the one person he trusted completely.
For the first time, George wasn’t sure where his duty truly lay.
