<h4>Chapter 7 - 7: The Wild Brother''s Heart</h4>


    "We need to move," Kael ordered, pulling ra toward a hidden door behind one of the bookshelves.


    "This passage leads to the safe room." Ronan wiped blood from his eyes.


    "There''s no time. They''re already inside." As if to prove his point, shouts and crashes echoed through the halls, getting closer.


    "How many?" Kael demanded.


    "At least ten hunters, plus Celeste and three pack traitors," Ronan growled.


    "They have wolfsbane weapons." ra''s heart pounded. Wolfsbane could kill werewolves. Even Alphas.


    "Why would Celeste work with hunters?" she asked, her voice shaking.


    "They''re enemies to all wolves!"


    "Jealousy makes people do crazy things," Ronan said darkly.


    Heavy footsteps thundered down the hallway. Kael pushed ra behind him, facing the door. His body tensed, ready to fight. "Go with Ronan," hemanded. "I''ll hold them off."


    "But—" ra began.


    "Now!" Kael roared, his eyes shing Alpha gold.


    Ronan grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the secret door. Thest thing she saw was Kael shifting, his human form blurring as a massive ck wolf took his ce. Ronan led her through dark, narrow passages.


    "Kael will be okay," he said, sensing her fear. "He''s stronger than he looks."


    They emerged outside, the cold night air hitting ra''s face. Distant howls and gunshots made her flinch.


    "The pack is fighting back," Ronan exined, pulling her toward the forest. "We need to get you somewhere safe until it''s over."


    They ran until ra''s lungs burned. Finally, they reached a small cabin deep in the woods. "My hideaway," Ronan said, unlocking the door. "No one knows about it except Darian."


    Inside was simple but cozy—a bed, a small kitchen, and a firece. Ronan immediately checked the windows and doors, making sure they were secure.


    ra sank onto a chair, her legs trembling. "This is all my fault."


    "No," Ronan said firmly.


    "Celeste made her choice. She betrayed the pack."


    "People are getting hurt because of me."


    Ronan knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his.


    "Listen to me, ra. You didn''t ask for any of this. But now that it''s happening, we have to be strong." His touch was warm,forting.


    Unlike Kael''s cold distance, Ronan radiated heat and life. "What if Kael—"


    "Is too stubborn to die," Ronan finished with a small smile. "Trust me."


    They waited through the night, jumping at every sound. Dawn finally broke, painting the forest gold. Ronan''s phone buzzed.


    "It''s Darian," he said, reading the message. "The hunters are gone. Celeste escaped with them. Three pack members died."


    ra covered her mouth, tears spilling down her cheeks. "No..."


    "It''s not your fault," Ronan repeated, pulling her into his arms.


    "We''re at war now, but not because of you. Because Celeste chose power over loyalty."


    They returned to the pack house to find it damaged but standing. Alpha Marcus was organizing search parties to track Celeste. Luna Evelyn was treating the wounded. And Kael... Kael stood in the courtyard, covered in blood but alive.


    When he saw ra, something flickered in his eyes—relief, quickly hidden. "You''re safe," he said stiffly.


    "Thanks to you," she replied.


    He nodded once, then turned away to help with repairs.


    The next days were tense. Pack members whispered when ra walked by. Some med her for the attack. Others were simply afraid of what she might be.


    "Ignore them," Ronan told her as they walked through the main pack grounds. "They''lle around."


    But the whispers hurt. One morning, as ra got breakfast in the pack house kitchen, a group of young wolves blocked her path. "Look who it is," one sneered.


    "The omega who thinks she''s special."


    "My cousin died because of you," another spat. "The hunters shot him with wolfsbane bullets."


    ra tried to move past them, but they surrounded her. "Maybe we should show her what happens to omegas who forget their ce," thergest one suggested, grabbing her arm.


    A growl ripped through the room. Ronan appeared, his eyes glowing dangerously. "Take your hands off her," hemanded, his voice deadly quiet.


    "She doesn''t belong here," the wolf argued. Ronan moved so fast ra barely saw it. Suddenly the bully was pinned against the wall, Ronan''s hand around his throat. "She is my mate," Ronan snarled. "Disrespect her again, and you''ll answer to me. Understood?" The wolves scattered, mumbling apologies.


    Ronan turned to ra, his face softening. "Are you okay?"


    She nodded, though her hands shook. "Why do they hate me so much?"


    "Fear makes people cruel," he said.


    "Come on, I want to show you something." Ronan took her deep into pack territory, away from the judgmental eyes.


    They hiked uphill for an hour until they reached a stunning overlook. The entire valley spread below them, mountains rising in the distance.


    "Wow," ra breathed, the beauty momentarily making her forget her troubles.


    "Ie here when I need to remember what''s worth fighting for," Ronan said, sitting on a boulder.


    "Thisnd, our pack... it''s bigger than any one person''s fears or grudges." ra sat beside him.


    "Even Kael''s?" Ronanughed.


    "Especially Kael''s. My brother spends so much time worrying about being the perfect Alpha that he forgets to live."


    "And you don''t worry?"


    "About being perfect? Never." His eyes twinkled.


    "Life''s too short for that." For the first time since arriving at the pack house, ra felt herself rx. Ronan had a way of making everything seem simpler.


    "Tell me something about yourself," he said. "Something no one else knows." ra thought for a moment.


    "I used to make up stories about the stars. I pretended they were watching over me when I felt alone."


    "You''re not alone anymore," Ronan said softly. He told her funny stories about growing up as a triplet, about the pranks he yed on Kael, about the time he shifted into his wolf form for the first time and got stuck halfway. raughed until her sides hurt. She couldn''t remember thest time she''dughed like that.


    "There it is," Ronan said, his eyes warm. "I''ve been waiting to hear that sound."


    They spent the day exploring his favorite ces—a hidden waterfall, an ancient oak tree, a meadow full of wildflowers. With each step, the pack house and its problems felt further away.


    "Why are you so different from Kael?" she asked as they walked back.


    "We may share the same face, but we don''t share the same heart," Ronan replied.


    "Kael sees duty. I see possibilities."


    "And Darian?" "Darian sees everything but shows nothing," Ronan said with a shrug.


    "He''s always been the mysterious one."


    When they returned, Alpha Marcus was waiting for them. His face was grim.


    "The council is meeting tomorrow," he announced.


    "They want to see ra... and decide her fate."


    "What do you mean, decide her fate?" Ronan demanded.


    "She''s our mate!"


    "Not everyone epts that," Alpha Marcus replied.


    "Some believe she''s a threat, especially after Celeste''s attack."


    "This is ridiculous," Ronan protested. "She''s done nothing wrong!" Alpha Marcus''s eyes narrowed.


    "It''s not about right or wrong anymore, son. It''s about power. And there are those who will do anything to get it."


    That night, ra couldn''t sleep. The council meeting loomed over her like a storm cloud. Would they force her to leave? Or worse? A soft tap came at her balcony door. Startled, she looked up to see Ronan standing outside. She opened the door.


    "I couldn''t sleep," he exined. "I was worried about you."


    "I''m scared," she admitted.


    "Don''t be," he said, taking her hands. "I won''t let anything happen to you." His closeness made her heart race.


    Unlike with Kael, whose presence made her nervous, Ronan made her feel safe. He gently lifted her chin. "Whatever happens tomorrow, remember you''re not facing it alone."


    Just as he leaned closer, the bedroom door burst open. Darian stood there, his face pale. "Tobias Grey has escaped," he announced. "And he left a message... written in blood." Ronan tensed.


    "What message?" Darian''s eyes met ra''s. "It said, ''The silver-eyed one must choose before the next full moon, or all three brothers will die.''" ra''s hand flew to the moon pendant around her neck as Ronan''s words echoed in her mind. Not facing it alone. But the prophecy''s warning was clear—her choice could mean life or death for all three brothers.