E''s jaw dropped like shed berk hit with a stun gun. The air between us suddenly fell thick enough to cut with a knife.


    The Alpha King?" she whispered, eyes


    wide as saucers.


    "He has happened to be around," 1 shugged, trying to sound casual. "Part of the job description, I guess."


    E gave me a long look, then shook her head. "Whatever you say. Just d you''re okay. But if Steven shows his face around here again, I''ll knock some sense into him myself."


    lled, relieved she was letting it slide. Some things are better left unsaid, even to your bestie.


    "Forget about me," I said, smoothly changing the subject. "You should see Lucas these days. Kid''s on fire. Might end up the youngest elite fighter the pack''s ever had.


    E took the bait, though I might the skeptical nces she kept throwing my way. Crisis averted-for now.


    After wrapping up afternoon training, I did a quick sweep of the grounds as the sky turned dusty purple, Lucas had crushed it today, making me both proud and worried. What would happen to him if people found out about me and his dad? Lost in my head, I almost missed the ordinary car parked in the shadows until the window rolled down, revealing those storm-gray eyes I''d know anywhere-


    My pulse jumped. No fancy pack carriage with the Silverpeak emblem-st a regr human vehicle that wouldn''t catch anyone''s eye. Smart move.


    "Hop in,” ke said quietly.


    After a quick check for familiar faces, I slipped into the passenger seat.


    "Talk about ying with fire," I said, my body humming with the forbidden thrill of


    it


    God, I shouldn''t love this dangerous game so much, but the rush


    was addictive. "Could''ve just sent a mind-message instead of showing up."


    Needed to see you," he said, eyes on the road but voice soft around the edges. "Been thinking about you all day."


    His words hit me right in the chest. ying boss and employee whenever we crossed paths was worse than any training session I''d ever ren


    *Wah, me too," I admitted quietly,


    ke steeted us down a forgotten dirt path. "Human cars have their perks," he said. "Nobody looks awice at this thing"


    "Good thinking." I said, admiring how careful he was being about our secret meetings.


    "Found us somewhere," he added. "Somewhere safe."


    My heart did a little dance. Somewhere we could just be us, even for a little while. Over the past month, we''d gotten pretty good at stealing moments when nobody was looking, then snapping back into our roles. Exhausting, but worth every second.


    The car pushed deeper into the woods along a barely-there trail. Through the trees, I spotted a small cabin. Nothing fancy, nothing like the massive ckwood Manor, but it had that unmistakable feeling of security that followed ke everywhere,


    "What''s this ce?ked.


    "My hunting cabin." ke said, killing the engine. "Only Tyler knows about it."


    A warm feeling spread through me. Sharing his secret hideaway meant more than he probably realized.


    Before we reached the door, he pulled me against him, kissing me like a man who''d been drowning. Every muscle in his body was tight, ready to inap.


    watching you with Lucas very day, he murmured against


    Gozell me about it,, Fauld, ineliung inle him. Evity time there the wolven look at you like you''re dinner


    "Jealoun?” His mouth curved into that rocky smile I secretly loved.


    "Maybe, I nipped his bottom lip. "But mostly scared that someday you''ll wake up and wonder what you''re doing with someone like me?


    His face tormed serima, hands framing my face. ''Don''t ever think that. You''re everything, Ava. If i could, I''d tell the whole damn world you''re not? tomorrow." We Liced again, slow and deep, saying everything we couldn''t put into words,


    Inside, the cabin was simple but rury, with a crackling fler that filled the space with warmth. In the corner, I spotted my favorite clothes, even my forky training knife.


    "How long have you been setting this up?" I asked


    "Since we decided to keep things quiet; he said. “Needed somewhere we could just be ourselves."


    Looking around our little sanctuary, something swelled Th my chest. Here, we weren''t Alpha King and Shadow Creek warrior-just ke and Ava, two prople who found each other against all odds.


    His fingers traced my cheek, eyes darkening. "We''ve got two hour."


    I wrapped my arms around his neck, smiling. "Better make them count, then."


    Third Person POV


    A month slipped by, bringing autumn''s first bite to ckwood Manor. Red and gold leaves dotted the grounds like nature''s way of saying nothing stays the same forever.


    Life at the manor looked normal enough, but anyone paying attention could spot the changes. ke moved through his duties with sharper focus, yet sometimes drifted miles away in his thoughts. Ava pushed harder in training, taking unusual pride in Lucas''s achievements. And Wilson''s knowing en flickered between them, face nk but missing nothing.


    In Jackson''s bedroom, tension hung in the air like sake. Sophia perched on the bed, hands twisted together, eyes red-rimmed.


    "Just disappeared," she said for the hundredth time that month. "Not even a goodbye note. Just packed up and left for the Northern Pack."


    Jackson rubbed her back automatically, barely listening to the familiarint about Steven''s sudden exit


    *Probably had his reasons," he repeated his standard line. "Pack stuff. He''ll reach out when he''s ready."


    But his mind was elsewhere. Something weird was happening with Ava. She''d changed since the Moon Festival-walked different, talked different, carried herself like someone who''d found something worth having.


    Even stranger was how ke looked at her. Not like an Alpha watching a subordinate something else entirely. When he thought nobody was watching, his yes followed her everywhere. And sometimes, shed nce back, just for a second.


    Mt Girst, Jackson chalked it up to imagination. No way would the Alpha King be into some warrior from Shadow Creek. But the pattern kept repeating until he couldn''t ignore it anymore.


    "Are you even listening?" Sophia''s voice snapped him back.


    "Sorry," be forced a smile. "Long day."


    Sophia frowned but let it go "Whatever. I''m going to talk to Dad about the wedding. We can''t keep putting it off with everything


    so tense between packs."


    Jackson nodded, watching her leave. The second the door closed, his face darkened. The wedding. The alliance. His carefullyid path to power, Sophia was pter 124


    his ticket up, and impressing ke was how he''d rán


    He wandered to the wimbo just in time to ter a in cat pull aimund ta cknooda ride entrance. Ift ever permed as te mapped out hone the driver''s side and Ava from the passengers. They immediately moved spuit, pretending to be strangers, but


    between them.


    "Well, well," he murmured, a dangerCous smile spreading across his face. "The Alpha Ring and my leftovers. Time this is getting


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