129- Winter Hunger, Burning Resolve
POV Edric Eldoria:
They were laughing and talking, warming themselves around the tall fires they had built. Though the nearby towns offered shelter, none of them wished to go. They preferred the wild, the nature they were accustomed to, however primitive it might be.
And like them, I too preferred the forest. I didn’t mind going into the city when necessary, but some habits never changed. We were creatures of the wild; no matter how uncomfortable the ground was, this was our natural habitat.
I lifted my face and stared at the high leaves swaying in the wind, admiring the gray sky. Winter covered the forest with a mantle of ice and snow. The air was heavy with cutting cold, seeping into the bones. Every breath turned into a cloud of vapor. I rubbed my hands together, warming them before holding them out toward the fire.
Around us, the silence was deep and solemn, carrying a strangely comforting weight.
Where was my wolf? Was Alessio keeping her in the forest, or had he taken her to one of the small nearby towns?
I would rip the bastard’s head off the first chance I got. Whatever deal he had made with her father had been invalidated the moment we mated and she became mine.
Mating bonds were above everything for us, and he knew it. Forcing her to remove the mark would not lessen the horror of what he was doing—an act of treachery against the customs of our species.
I rose, unable to stay still any longer. My gaze swept over my men, noting the exhaustion carved into their features.
I needed to act—to go after Lunara. Standing still was a waste of time, but I couldn’t force them to continue without rest. They needed it, even if I wished to search for her without pause.
“Want some raw meat, Edric?” one of the wolves offered, lifting a piece toward me.
I shook my head, then walked over to them.
“A fine hunt,” I praised, examining the size of the deer.
“The forest is denser here, so there’s a higher concentration of them. It’s a good place to hunt,” he replied, glancing around us.
I took the piece of meat and shoved it into my mouth, smearing my chin with the animal’s blood. It tasted good, though it always tasted better when we ate in our shifted forms.
I forced myself to eat, even without hunger. I needed nourishment—to be ready for the battle drawing near.
I thanked them for the food and pulled away, walking farther into the forest. The trees intertwined around us, ancient and filled with endless secrets. I pressed my hand to one of their trunks, leaning against it as an exasperated sigh escaped me.
“Where are you, little wolf?” I whispered, letting the words drift into the wind, as if the forest itself might answer me and ease my desolation.
My beast was uncontrollable—my wild instincts ready to seize command and go after Lunara, no matter who I had to kill to reach her.
For the first time in a long time, I felt… lost, uncertain of what to do.
Everything had slipped from my control, and the realization disturbed me. As alpha, as leader of an entire pack, I had believed nothing could shake me like this, but I had been terribly wrong.
I returned to my men, unable to stay still for long.
“Edric is far too restless,” I heard one of them say. I stopped, staying hidden behind one of the trees.
“He needs to rest,” another argued.
“If he keeps going like this, we’ll walk right into a trap,” a third commented. “We can’t move forward without a plan. They struck Anton with silver arrows—they’ll kill all of us if they get the chance.”
“I agree. He doesn’t want to rest, doesn’t want to stop until he reaches the girl,” replied the first.
“They’re mated. It’s normal for him to feel like this. If she dies, he dies,” said the second.
“I think it’s more than that. He fell in love with her,” concluded the third. “He didn’t act like this when Catalina died.”
My eyes narrowed, my fangs lengthened, and my nails shifted into claws as rage ignited within me.
“Nothing will happen to us,” Andrei growled. “Edric is going through something none of you understand yet. He needs this—leave him alone.”
I stomped forward with heavy steps, my boots sinking into the snow as I distanced myself from them, irritated. My claws scraped the bark of the trees, ripping off chunks of wood.
I bared my teeth and snarled.
I had been an immature fool when Catalina died. I had been satisfied with killing the bastard who murdered her on my lands and accepted the elders’ instructions to avoid war with the other alphas.
And yes… they were right. Things were different now. I was no longer that young alpha—an egocentric, directionless wolf unsure of what to do. I was a full-grown male, and my female had been taken—dragged away from me.
I would not allow that to happen again—not a second time. I would not fail again as a mate.
Twice—twice within my lands, under my protection.
The gold in my eyes ignited. I inhaled slowly, filling my lungs with the icy air.
I was no longer young, nor the same leader who watched his territory be attacked and settled for a single death. Things had changed—I had changed. I did nothing for Catalina; I didn’t avenge her death properly. For years, I lived beside Thalira—the one responsible for everything.
I had failed my people, my mate… myself.
If I allowed myself…
I shook my head fiercely, as if refusing to even consider the possibility.
If I allowed myself to fail again—to lose Lunara…
No.
None of that would happen. It couldn’t happen.
I had claimed her as mine. I had promised to protect her. I had given my word and my honor; my heart and my life depended on it.
I may have failed Catalina—and that was a mistake I would carry forever—but not Lunara.
Never Lunara.
I would rescue her no matter what, even if I died trying.
If anything happened to her—if Alessio somehow succeeded in removing the mark—I would be dead, even if only on the inside.