Feral Bonds: Claimed By Rogue Alpha Brothers

Evaline:

I let out a long, silent sigh as I stood near the back of the grand hall, letting my gaze drift across the crowded room. Every corner of the majestic space was buzzing with movement and murmured conversations.

Clusters of Alphas and their entourages were moving with careful ease, cloaked in power and political poise, exchanging calculated smiles and shallow words.

It was Saturday afternoon, and I found myself in the heart of the Nightshade Pack's territory, surrounded by some of the most powerful and politically influential wolves in the region.

Tonight was the Alpha selection ceremony. It was no ordinary gathering, but a battlefield made of polished floors, custom suits, and veiled intentions.

I was here as part of River's team - his eyes, his ghost in plain sight. I knew what I had to do... but no idea why I had to do it.

The hall was breathtaking - massive crystal chandeliers were hanging from vaulted ceilings, shimmering with the kind of quiet grandeur only old money could afford. Velvet-lined banners bearing the Nightshade crest were draped along the walls. The entire space had been transformed into a show of power, wealth, and tradition.

But even with all the glittering detail, my attention was elsewhere. I wasn't looking at the gold-plated grandeur or the elaborate table spreads. I was watching the people.

After months of working with River, I had already met most of the Alphas from the major and medium packs, their Betas and Lunas included. And even those I hadn't spoken to directly - I had learned their names, territories, alliances, and, more importantly, their games.

I was now almost an expert in using my eyes to see through masks, to read body language and subtle exchanges

River often pointed my observation skills. He said I could watch a room for ten minutes and come back with a political map more accurate than his advisors. I never knew if he was exaggerating, but I knew one thing for certain - I had always been good at noticing things others missed.

Even as a child, I could watch someone walk by and tell you who they were mad at that morning or if they were hiding something. Back then, I had used it occasionally to mess with my bullies, though it never ended nicely for me. Now, I was using it for River.

I had started identifying which packs were close allies - through blood, marriage, trade, or fear. Who bowed out of necessity and who out of true respect. Who leaned in when River spoke, and who clenched their jaws behind polite smiles.

And it didn't surprise me anymore to realize that none of them were loyal to him. They feared him. They respected him, yes. But loyalty? That was a luxury none of them could afford, not when everyone had their own empire to protect.

Another sigh escaped me before I could stop it. And this one caught River's attention. He was mid-conversation with the Nightshade Pack's Beta - a man with ambition carved into every line of his body.

His head turned slightly, his sharp eyes locking with mine for just a moment. There was a clear warning in them. A reminder. I immediately straightened my posture and composed my face into a blank mask of professionalism.

He returned to his conversation, and a second later, Jasper appeared at my side. His voice was quiet, but his words lingered. "Keep your eyes and ears open."

That was it. No further context. But I knew better than to dismiss his cryptic advice. Especially today. I still believed River was planning something. Something important. And I still had no clue what.

So I remained close, but not too close - watching, listening, blending into the background like a shadow dressed in formal navy blue. I didn't speak. I didn't move unnecessarily. But I missed nothing.

After nearly twenty minutes, River finally leaned slightly in my direction. "Go take a break if you want."

Thank the Moon Goddess.

I slipped out of the hall, the tension in my shoulders slowly easing the farther I walked from the thrumming nerve of power inside that room. The restroom was down a side corridor, and I took my time, enjoying the silence.

By the time I was making my way back, my mind had begun drifting again. I was halfway down the corridor, adjusting the fabric of my sleeve, when I came to a slow halt.

River was there. Standing in the corridor with his back resting against the wall. Alone.

I frowned and made my way to him. "What are you doing here?"

He looked at me then, and I knew he was about to answer - but his words never reached my ears.

Because everything around me stopped.

The air in the corridor shifted, thickening like smoke in my lungs. And my gaze, entirely on instinct, was pulled behind River - to the other end of the hallway where soft footsteps echoed against marble floors.

And that's when I saw him.

The world dropped out from under me.

No. No, it couldn't be.

But it was.

A tall figure was walking down the corridor, unhurried and assured. Familiar. Too familiar. That stride. That presence. That face etched into my memory like a scar that never faded. Even before I fully saw his features, I knew who it was.

My breath hitched. My chest seized. And the hallway started feeling too narrow, too cold.

My fingers curled into fists at my sides, nails biting into my palms. My heart thundered so loudly I could hear it in my ears, but the rest of the world? Silent. As if time itself had stopped just to mock me.

I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't think.

I could only watch as the man I had mourned - the man I thought I had buried in the ruins of what could have been - closed the distance between us.

And in that moment, my world fractured. Not with grief. Not with rage. But with a fear so vast it drowned every other emotion.

Because there he was.

Ethan.

Alive.

And walking straight toward me.