-ISABELLE-

The Alpha’s piercing gaze bore into Isabelle as she stood before him, her arms crossed defiantly. Despite her confident stance, the air between them crackled with unspoken tension.

“Why were you on the border?” the Alpha demanded, his tone calm but edged with steel.

Isabelle hesitated, her blue eyes flickering. “I told you,” she said, her voice softening slightly. “I was gathering herbs for Mum. She wanted fresh supplies.”

The Alpha leaned forward, his hands resting on the desk. “Don’t lie to me, Isabelle. You crossed the border. Do you know what could’ve happened if the rogues caught you?”

Isabelle’s lips tightened, her frustration bubbling to the surface. “I’m not lying, Dad!” she snapped. “Why don’t you ever trust me?”

The Alpha’s eyes narrowed, the muscles in his jaw tightening. “Because you’ve given me every reason not to,” he said coldly. “Sneaking across borders without permission, putting the pack at risk—how is that supposed to inspire trust?”

Isabelle faltered, her shoulders slumping slightly under the weight of his words. She lowered her voice, adopting a softer, more placating tone. “I wasn’t near the rogues, I swear. I know what I’m doing.”

The Alpha studied her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he leaned back in his chair, his voice dropping to a dangerous calm. “If you’re lying to me, Isabelle, I’ll find out. And you’ll regret it.”

“I’m not,” Isabelle insisted, her gaze steady but her pulse racing. “You always assume the worst of me.”

The Alpha’s eyes softened, just for a moment, but the hard edge in his voice remained. “I assume the worst because I know what’s at stake. This pack needs strength, not recklessness.”

Isabelle held his gaze, her jaw tightening as she nodded stiffly. “I understand, Dad.”

“Good,” he said, his tone final. “You won’t go near the border again. Do you hear me?”

“Yes,” she replied, her voice clipped. She turned sharply on her heel, her heart pounding as she strode out of the office. The weight of her father’s mistrust pressed down on her, but a sly smile tugged at her lips as she reached the hallway.

He doesn’t trust me, she thought, but he doesn’t suspect what I’m really up to. Not yet.

-FREYA-

The heavy door creaked open as Freya stepped cautiously into the dimly lit holding cells, Tobias and George flanking her protectively. The air was damp and cool, the faint scent of wolfsbane lingering in the enclosed space. Lyra sat on the lone bench in her cell, her hands loosely bound with wolfsbane-soaked rope. Her sharp green eyes lifted as Freya approached, softening slightly at the sight of her.

“Freya,” Lyra said softly, a faint smile playing at her lips. “You’re safe.”

Freya stopped just outside the bars, her hazel eyes shimmering with gratitude. “Because of you,” she said earnestly. “If you hadn’t helped me, I wouldn’t have made it out of that camp alive.”

Lyra’s gaze flickered to Tobias and George before returning to Freya. “It was the right thing to do.”

Tobias growled low in his throat, his arms crossed tightly over his broad chest. “The right thing? You dosed her bread with wolfsbane and handed her a shard of glass. That doesn’t exactly scream ‘trustworthy.’”

Lyra met his glare without flinching. “And yet, she’s here, isn’t she? Alive. Free.”

George’s dark eyes narrowed as he stepped closer to the cell. “Why did you help her? What’s in it for you?”

Lyra sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. “What Magnus is planning—he won’t stop until he gets what he wants. Freya is better off far away from him.”

Freya placed a gentle hand on Tobias’s arm, silencing his growl. “She risked her life to help me,” she said firmly. “Whatever her reasons, I wouldn’t have escaped without her.”

Tobias’s blue eyes flicked to her, his wolf pacing beneath the surface. “Freya, you don’t know what she’s capable of.”

“I know she didn’t have to help me,” Freya countered, her voice steady but kind. “She could’ve turned a blind eye. She could’ve handed me over to Magnus herself. But she didn’t.”

Lyra’s green eyes softened, her voice quiet. “I don’t want to see you hurt, Freya. Or worse.”

Freya took a step closer to the bars, her expression earnest. “I believe you. And I’ll vouch for you.”

Tobias stiffened, his jaw clenching. “Freya—”

“She helped me,” Freya said firmly, turning to face him. “She didn’t have to, but she did. And I trust her.”

George sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he exchanged a wary glance with Tobias. “Trust is earned, Freya. We still don’t know the whole story.”

Lyra’s lips pressed into a thin line, her gaze unwavering. “I’ll tell you what I know,” she said quietly. “But Magnus isn’t the only one you need to worry about.”

Tobias growled again, his frustration barely contained. “Then start talking. What does Magnus want with Freya?”

Lyra hesitated, her green eyes darting to Freya. “He thinks she’s the key to a prophecy. A white wolf who can unite—or destroy.”

Freya’s chest tightened, the weight of Lyra’s words settling over her. “What does that mean?”

Lyra shook her head. “It means you’re more powerful than you realise. And if Magnus gets his hands on you…” Her voice trailed off, the unspoken warning hanging heavy in the air.

Freya met Lyra’s gaze, her resolve hardening. “He won’t,” she said quietly. “I won’t let him.”

—-

Freya sat at the dining table beside Tobias, the faint tension in the room palpable. Whispers had spread about the rogue woman in the cells and Isabelle’s recent behaviour. The omegas moved around, serving the evening meal, their hushed murmurs barely audible over the clatter of dishes.

Tobias’s jaw tightened as he glanced at Freya, his frustration barely masked. Her earlier defence of Lyra had clearly unsettled him. He wanted to trust her instincts, but his wolf roared with protectiveness and suspicion. Freya, for her part, avoided his gaze, her focus on her untouched plate.

Across the hall, Isabelle sat with her mother, her head tilted toward the Luna as they exchanged quiet words. The Alpha’s absence left the room with an undercurrent of unease.

Suddenly, the faint clatter of dishes and low murmurs of conversation were shattered by the sound of a loud crash from the entrance. A young warrior stumbled through the doorway, his chest heaving, blood dripping from a shallow wound on his arm. “Rogues,” he gasped, his eyes wide with alarm. “They’ve breached the southern perimeter.”

The room erupted into chaos as warriors sprang to their feet, chairs scraping against the floor, all rushing out of the main doors towards the southern quadrant. Tobias was on his feet instantly, his wolf surging to the surface. “Freya, stay here,” he ordered, his voice firm, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Freya stood as well, her hazel eyes narrowing. “I’m not hiding.”

Tobias turned to her, his blue eyes flashing with frustration. “This isn’t the time for stubbornness, Freya.”

Before she could respond, another crash echoed, this time behind them, from the kitchen. The air grew heavy, a strange static charge pressing against the walls. Freya’s wolf stirred uneasily, and her pulse quickened. Something wasn’t right.

-FINN-

Finn sat on the edge of his bunk in the warrior barracks, his head bowed as he polished his practise dagger. He had been restless all evening, an unease gnawing at him that he couldn’t explain. The whispers started faintly, almost like the rustle of leaves in a breeze. He froze, the blade slipping from his hand as the whispers grew louder, their cadence insistent.

“Go to her. She needs you.”

Finn’s heart raced as he stood abruptly, his instincts pulling him toward the main house. “What the hell?” he muttered under his breath, but he didn’t hesitate. The whispers weren’t just a sound—they were a feeling, a tug deep in his chest that left no room for doubt.

He broke into a sprint, his wolf surging just beneath his skin as he followed the pull. The whispers grew louder as he approached the dining hall, and when he burst through the doorway, he stopped cold.

The kitchen door burst open, two rogue wolves lunging into the hall. Tobias and George shifted instantly, their forms colliding with the intruders in a blur of fur and teeth. Freya backed away, her breath quickening as she tried to keep track of the chaos.

A third rogue stepped in behind them, a twisted grin on his face. His eyes locked onto Freya. “Ah, the white wolf,” he sneered. “Magnus sends his regards.”

The whispers roared in Finn’s mind as he burst through the doorway. The rogue lunged at Freya, blade in hand. Finn’s hands raised instinctively, a shimmering barrier erupting between them. The rogue’s silver blad he carried struck with a loud clang, sending him staggering back.

Freya gasped, her wide eyes locking onto Finn. “Finn?”

Finn’s hands trembled as he held them out, the shimmering shield flickering but holding firm. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” he admitted, his voice shaky. “But…I’ve got you.”

The rogue snarled, his fists pounding against the shield as Tobias, now in wolf form, lunged at him, the shield not impeding his way at all. The rogue barely had time to turn before Tobias’s massive jaws clamped down on his shoulder, dragging him to the ground.

The shield flickered and disappeared as Finn lowered his hands, his breaths coming in sharp gasps. He stared at his palms, confusion and awe warring in his expression. “What…what was that?”

Freya moved to him, her voice trembling but steady. “I don’t know,” she said softly.

George and Tobias shifted back, his chest heaving as he strode to Freya. His hands gripped her shoulders, his blue eyes searching hers. “Are you hurt?” he demanded, his voice low and urgent.

“I’m fine,” Freya assured him, her gaze flicking to Finn. “Thanks to him.”

The Alpha burst into the hall, his dark eyes sweeping over the scene. “What the hell just happened here?” he barked.

Tobias turned to Finn, his brow furrowed. “That’s what I’d like to know.”

Finn ran a hand through his hair, his voice unsteady. “I don’t know. I just…reacted.”

Tobias’s gaze narrowed. “You created a shield. That’s really not normal, Finn.”

Finn swallowed hard, his mind racing. “I swear, I didn’t know I could do that.  Voices told me I was needed and I came… that is all I know” his voice trailed off and he looked down at his feet

Freya stepped closer to Finn, her hazel eyes filled with gratitude. “Whatever it was,” she said softly, “you saved me. Thank you.  You have a power, Finn!”

The room fell silent as the weight of what had just happened settled over them. Tobias’s hand tightened on Freya’s shoulder, his wolf growling softly in his mind. Whatever Finn’s role was in all this, one thing was clear: the bond between Finn and Freya was growing stronger, and Tobias wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

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