Leaving home at such a vulnerable time was unthinkable, and Daniel had still done it. But he hadn't had a choice. With his father growing quieter and weaker every day, sometimes not even leaving his room at all, and his mother crumbling too under the weight of the ever-present grief and the fatigue that came from fighting it alone without the strength of her mate, it was up to Daniel to lead the Heether pack. But at least they were still there - at least there was still a spark in the Alpha and Luna. Soon, there would be no more faith in the pair, and then Daniel's presence would truly be indispensable. Before that happened, he had to do what needed to be done, which was why he had come to Gold Nation with this brash plan of infiltrating their army.But at least Beth was holding the line. Despite not having the Heether blood and only being known to the pack as the widow of the late eldest son - and being so young! - she had earned the respect of many. For holding the pack together

Beth was here again. The past in the future, almost ten years hence. She had eloped with Matthew Catii, leaving behind her loyalty to the Iron Nation and rejecting the mate chosen for her among the Heether pack. From then on, she became Matthew's most faithful companion, besotted with him and the miracle that had made it so they were each other's fated mates.Silver Nation had been at its peak then, of course. Not long after, clouded by marital bliss and the fact that Matthew was loathe to share too many political business details with her, a mere woman, she had heard some news about Silver Nation being in grave trouble, but she hadn't known exactly what had happened then.But what happened a month after that had reached every corner of the werewolf world. Daniel, not only having lost his brothers but both of his parents as well to the grief, took on the mantle of sole Alpha of the Heether pack, and Alpha King of the mangled Silver Nation, and somehow gathered up a ferocious, reveng

Ms. Rokley? Who was calling her that? She hadn't been called by that name since before the wedding. Even as a widow, she carried herself as the bride of the late Warren Heether, so custom demanded others name and treat her the same way. So what was this? Someone who had no idea who she was? But then, how would they have found her here past the hectic party and recognized her on sight? They had to know her face to be able to call to her by name, which meant they should know who she was and all the trouble that surrounded her as of late.But when she spun to see who it was, all questions were answered.There, moving over the grass to join them in the patio before the doors, was the man who had called out to her - and accompanying a woman with an all too familiar face.Annalise."This is my fiance, Noah White," Anna announced when they came to a stop. "And this is my sister, Elizabeth Rokley. I'm glad I saw you when you ran out here. I didn't want to miss my own sister! You've come so

Noah stared at Daniel, unable to respond to the biting criticism. It was probably the first time anyone from a 'lesser' nation had dared speak to him like that, even if it was an Alpha who did it. He was still an influential Beta of a powerful Gold Nation pack, and to be chastised in public by someone of the now-weak Heether pack of Silver Nation, even if it was the heir-apparent, had forced him into an incredulous and embarrassed silence. Everyone was still around and listening in while pretending not to, after all. They had probably heard every word.It had been gratifying to hear almost exactly what Beth had wanted to say but from Daniel's mouth instead. There was something particularly satisfying about someone else agreeing and speaking the same thoughts she held. But this was shaping up to end badly. They still had an audience even if the other guests were pretending not to eavesdrop from where they sat on the various benches and around fire pits. No doubt word of this would spr

Deja vu. Or was it? The question sent a chill of grim awareness down Beth's spine, but she had never been asked the question before. So maybe it wasn't deja vu so much as the dread of inevitability.In the other life, Daniel Heether and Matthew Catii had worked together for a time too, until it devolved into a mess of bloodshed and carnage that no one could stop once it gained momentum.Was this something that had to pass no matter what? Was Beth powerless to stop it? She had all the knowledge of the future but every time she tried to steer the present away from what it would become, it only reared up harder."Why do you want to work with Matthew Catii?" she asked casually, affecting general skepticism to cover over the instant bristling that raised her every hair. "I thought you didn't get along with him. If he's already riding your nerves as just acquaintances, you might have a hard time tolerating him when you're working more closely together.""I don't like him, but I was hoping I