After the claiming,Elara worked relentlessly,handling negotiations and protecting the Pack’s wealth.She hoped that if she proved her utility and strength,he would finally see her differently—not as the small girl he felt responsible for,but as a strong,capable woman worthy of his Alpha’s respect.
But Ryder remained perpetually distant.Even when they performed the intimacy ritual,it felt like nothing more than a routine—a necessary action to quiet the suspicions of the guards outside the chamber.
Later,she discovered the wound that led to her claim.
The only reason Ryder had initiated the bond that night was because his heart was shredded.The woman he truly desired,Lyra,a wolf from a rival Southern Pack,had mated with someone else.
Lyra Thorne was once an adopted wolf pup in his household.Ryder couldn’t endure her mating.He almost lost control and Shifted in public,so to calm the Elder’s concerns about his instability,he hastily claimed Elara.
At first,Elara had been devastated.But she still clung to the belief that,over time,she could win his Alpha’s devotion.Then,just a few days ago,she saw a message on his comm-link that crushed that fragile hope completely.