The door slammed open just past dawn, jarring the silence in the Alpha’s quarters. One of Ronan’s trackers staggered inside, blood smeared across his chest, eyes wide and unfocused.
“Alpha,” the scout gasped, gripping the doorway. “We found something.” Ronan crossed the room in seconds. “Speak.”
The scout dropped to one knee, wincing. “She’s in rogue territory. Deep south. Past the frostline. She’s protected.”
Ronan’s eyes narrowed. “Protected by who?”
“He’s male,” the scout rasped. “Scarred. Strong. Fought off two of ours without shifting. And he didn’t run. He stood his ground like he owned the forest.”
Ronan’s voice went colder. “I already know he’s a male, weakling, do you have a name?”
The scout hesitated, then nodded. “Thorne Rhygar.”
A heavy silence fell. Then Ronan’s fist slammed into the stone wall, a deep crack splitting the surface.
“Thorne Rhygar,” he repeated, voice full of venom. “He was exiled. For challenging council bloodlines. For defying arranged bonds. He spat in the face of our laws.”
The scout flinched. “He didn’t look like someone living in exile. He looked like... an Alpha.”
“He’s not an Alpha,” Ronan snapped. “He’s a traitor. He’s nothing.”
The scout swallowed hard. “He’s protecting her. And the twins.”
Ronan froze. “Twins?”
The scout nodded. “Your sons. They followed him like they knew him. One of them called him ‘Da.”
Ronan’s jaw clenched. “She let another wolf raise my blood?”
“She didn’t resist,” the scout added. “She stood beside him. She looked... content.”
“She chose him?” Ronan whispered, voice cracking.
No one dared respond.
“She chose an exile over her bonded mate?” he growled louder, voice rising.
A second guard spoke quietly. “Alpha, her eyes… they didn’t flinch when she saw us. She didn’t hide. She stood taller.”
Ronan turned away, pacing. His hands trembled.
“She was supposed to need me. She was supposed to come back.”
“Alpha—”
“She promised,” Ronan interrupted. “She looked me in the eye and swore she’d never leave. And now she’s lying in someone else’s den with my sons at her side.”
Silence followed, heavy and awkward. He squeezed his eyes shut. The bond burned inside him, reaching for her. Empty. Hollow. Nothing reached back.
“She’s gone,” he whispered. “Her side of the bond... it’s gone.”
A younger scout stepped forward, nervous. “Could it be broken? Could she have... severed it?”
Ronan opened his eyes, full of fury. “No one severs a mate bond. Not unless they have help.”
“Thorne,” the guard said softly.
Ronan’s head snapped toward him. “He taught her how to cut me off. He took what was mine.”
One warrior dared to speak. “He didn’t take her. She ran to him.”
Ronan strode forward. “And he let her. He let her stay. He made her feel safe. Like I never did.”
“She looked strong,” the scout said. “Healthier than we ever saw her here.”
Ronan’s eyes flared gold. “Because he let her forget what she is.”
he stepped into the center of the room, fury boiling over.
“He doesn’t get to keep her. He doesn’t get to raise my sons. I don’t care what she wants.”
The guards shifted uneasily. One finally asked, “What do we do, Alpha?”
Ronan stared into the fire. “We go after them.
“And when will we find them?”
His voice came sharp and dark.
“He dies. She returns as my mate. The children come home.”