Chapter 4
“Everly! Why are you leaving?”
I clenched my jaw and immediately severed the connection. The time for explanations and apologies had passed.
“Let’s get you home first before heading to the Alpha’s office, alright?” Evan said, his tone softer now.
I nodded, eager to see my mother again. “I can’t wait to see her.”
“She’s been cooking up a feast breakfast for you,” he said with a grin, easing the car toward the heart of Blazemane territory.
It was not long before we pulled up to the house where Evan and I had grown up.
As soon as I stepped out of the car, my mom rushed out, arms wide open. “Everly!” she cried; her voice thick with emotion.
“Mom!” I sprinted to her, collapsing into her warm embrace. Tears pricked my eyes,
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but they were tears of relief, of comfort. I
was home.
“I have missed you so much,” she murmured, holding me tightly as if afraid to let go.
“Me too!” Evan exclaimed, wrapping his arms around both of us in a bear hug.
We all laughed, and for the first time in at long while, I felt like everything might actually be okay.
Inside, I sat at the table and devoured my mom’s cooking. Each bite tasted like. nostalgia, like the love and warmth I had. been deprived of for far too long.
As we sat together, I told them everything, about the rogue attack, Jeremy‘ s betrayal, and Alexa’s role in it all. I did not hold anything back, letting the weight of my story flow out of me.
My mother cried softly, wiping her eyes as I finished. Evan, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to storm the Nightshade
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Pack and tear Jeremy apart.
I placed a hand on his arm, shaking my
ada
head. “It’s okay, Evan. I’m alive. That‘ s
what matters. There’s no need for
revenge.”
My mother sniffled; her voice steady but emotional. “Just having you home is more. than enough for me. You made the right choice, Everly. It’s no longer safe there. This is your home, and we will always be here for you.”
I smiled, feeling a profound sense of peace. “You are right, Mom. This is where I belong.”
But I noticed Evan‘ s brows furrow slightly, the protector in him still worried. However, he did not want to worry my mother further, so he leaned closer, his
voice low.
“What about the attack, Ev? You said it was a rogue incident, but… there are whispers that it wasn’t just a random attack.
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Something bigger might be at play.”
My heart skipped a beat, but I nodded in understanding. “We will talk more at the Alpha‘ s office, right?”
Evan nodded; his expression serious. “Yeah, let’s head there soon. But don‘ t worry, we have got your back now. You are safe.”
When I arrived at the Alpha‘ s office, nostalgia washed over me. Evan and I used to come there often as kids, bringing lunch to our father when he was Beta.
It was there that I first met Deryl, who back then was just the Alpha‘ s son, a boy running around the packhouse with us. So, seeing him standing tall and commanding at that moment felt surreal.
As I approached, Deryl‘ s face lit up with a warm smile. “Everly, you have finally come home,” he greeted me, his voice rich with the authority he now wielded as Alpha.
I smiled, teasing him. “Hi, Deryl. Oh,
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wait… sorry, I should call you Alpha Deryl now, right?”
Evan snorted beside me with his arms crossed. “Still a troublemaker, I see. Come on, Everly, let’s get to business. Tell us everything about the attack.”
Deryl’s demeanor shifted instantly, the playful ease vanishing as his face became serious. The shift was palpable, and for the first time since returning, I felt the full weight of his Alpha aura.
“It’s a concern for all the packs right now,” he said, his voice steady but grave. “The attacks have spread across multiple territories near Nightshade Pack. Even though Blazemane Pack hasn’t been targeted, it’s only a matter of time. What’s your take, Everly? Was it personal? Revenge? Or something bigger?”
I thought back to everything that had happened. “As far as I know, in my three. years as Luna, Nightshade never angered another pack. Our relationships with
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neighboring packs have been strong,
cooperative even.
“But these rogues… there was something off about the attack. I don‘ t know what their motive was, but it felt like more than just random violence. But, the more unclear the intention, the more strange it is, right?”
Deryl nodded thoughtfully. “I agree. Not knowing the intention behind these attacks is more dangerous than any declared threat. Evan, contact the other Betas. We need to arrange a meeting of our own as soon as possible.”
Evan’s expression grew serious, all traces of his earlier humor gone. “Understood, Alpha. I will get in touch with them right away.”
Watching the two of them work, I could not help but feel a sense of pride but also a pang of realization. It turned out, these two men had grown and changed in good ways.
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Evan shot me a glance, his lips curling into a smirk. “Be nice to Alpha Deryl while I’m gone, okay?”
I rolled my eyes, laughing softly. “Go on, I will be fine.”
As Evan left to handle the preparations, Deryl and I wrapped up the final steps of my transfer back to Blazemane.
We chatted idly after that, mostly about my future job as a mentor at the academy and how I had been handling things since the attack.
His tone softened as we veered away from the serious topics, making the conversation feel lighter, easier.
When we were done, I stood to leave, planning to head home and rest. But as I stepped outside, my phone rang.
Glancing at the screen, I hesitated. It was
he screen, I hesitated. It
Ericka, Jeremy’s sister. A part of me did not want to answer, but I knew if I did not, she would just keep calling.
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I sighed and answered. “Hey, Ericka.”
Her voice came through, frantic and on the verge of tears. “Everly, you need to come back to Nightshade right now!”
My stomach tightened, but I forced myself to stay calm. “Why?”
“It’s Jeremy,” she choked out. “His wolf went mad last night. He shifted and destroyed half the packhouse. He is out in the woods now, and we can’t find him. He’s completely out of control.”
For a moment, I was silent. I had not expected my departure to affect Jeremy‘ s wolf so strongly. A part of me wanted to feel sorry for him, but another part of me felt satisfaction.
After everything, he deserved to feel some of the pain he had caused me.
I took a deep breath. “Listen, Ericka. I‘ m not coming back. Besides, I have already transferred to Blazemane Pack. Please don‘ t call me again.”
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Her shocked silence was palpable, and when she spoke again, her voice was barely a whisper. “How could you say that? Jeremy is still your husband!”
“Not anymore,” I replied coldly. “From what I hear, he is already bonded with his true mate. Maybe you should go find her.”
Before she could protest further, I hung up, slipping my phone back into my bag with a sigh.
I felt Keena, my wolf, stir in
stir in my mind.
Despite everything, she was still connected to Jeremy’s wolf, and his pain was her pain.
“Don’t worry, Keena,” I whispered to her in my mind. “We will find a new path. We deserve better.”
“I know,” she replied softly. “It just hurts. After all these years.”
I was still trying to comfort her when I felt a presence behind me. My heart rate quickened as I reached for my bag,
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pretending to search for something, all while keeping my senses sharp.
Someone was following me.
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