Derick’s POV

"Okay, Dad, Mom, you’re freaking me out," I said, folding my arms and narrowing my eyes at both of them. "What’s the matter? Is my brother okay? Why can’t I go into his room?"

Dad opened his mouth to speak, but Mom beat him to it. “He’s sleeping, sweetheart. That’s all. We don’t want to disturb him.”

She gave Dad a sharp glance—one I didn’t miss.

Dad nodded stiffly. “Right. He needs rest.”

I stared between them. Their shoulders were tight, voices forced. The way Mom clutched the edge of the couch with white knuckles, the way Dad wouldn’t meet my eyes, I knew something was off.

“You sure about that?” I asked cautiously. “You’re both acting weird.”

“We’re just... worried. That’s all,” Mom said, forcing a tight-lipped smile. “Yesterday was stressful. Rage taking over Liam’s body like that—it’s not like him.”

“That’s exactly why I need to talk to him,” I said, my jaw tightening. “He always has control. Something’s wrong.”

“Derick,” Dad interjected, trying to sound calm, “let us handle this. Your brother needs space.”

“Space? Are you serious? I’m his brother. I have a right to know what’s going on.”

“You do,” Mom said gently. “But please, just give him a little time.”

I hesitated. My gut screamed they were hiding something—something big—but I let it go… for now.

“If you say so,” I muttered. “I’ll be in my room.”

As I climbed the stairs, I cast one last look over my shoulder. Mom was wringing her hands. Dad stood stiff as stone.

They were definitely hiding something.

***

Liam’s POV

The sunlight slipping through the curtains was too bright, too loud.

I groaned and dragged myself out of bed. My muscles ached, but I welcomed the pain. It was easier to deal with than the empty burn of longing in my chest.

A quick shower. No breakfast. Straight to the training grounds.

I needed the distraction.

I threw myself into training with savage intensity. Every punch, every kick, every spar was laced with fury. The warriors couldn’t keep up—half of them were gasping for breath while I was still throwing hits like a man possessed.

Greg finally stepped in, sweat dripping down his brow.

“Alpha,” he muttered, “you’re going to kill them if you keep this up.”

“Let them toughen up,” I replied coldly. “They’ll thank me later.”

But I wasn’t fooling anyone. Least of all Greg.

My wolf, snarled beneath my skin, pacing restlessly. He was always near the surface now, clawing to get out, desperate to find her. Our mate.

After the session ended, I kept my head down and started back toward the house. That’s when I saw him—Derick.

I quickened my pace, heart pounding. Rage growled in my ears.

Stay away from him. He’s too close to her.

My brother. My blood. The one person I was supposed to protect.

But all I could think of was Macy in his arms.

“Liam,” Derick called, catching up. “I’ve been trying to talk to you. You blocked the mind-link since this morning.”

“I’m just not feeling good,” I muttered, not slowing down.

“You’ve said that for two days now. Mom and Dad won’t tell me anything, and I feel like I’m the only one in the dark here. What’s going on?”

“There’s nothing to know. Just leave me alone.”

I didn’t wait for a response. I brushed past him and stormed into my room, slamming the door hard enough to make the frame tremble.

Rage howled in my chest.

She’s ours. Why can’t we have her?

I gritted my teeth and marched into the bathroom, needing cold water, needing silence, needing Her.

No, not silence. Not water. Her.

I closed my eyes under the hot stream of the shower, but that only made the images clearer.

Macy. The way her lips had parted when she smiled. Her laugh. Her skin. Her scent that still haunted me like a phantom. Her perfect, slender neck that was made to carry my mark.

My hand gripped my cock as I thought of her on her knees, those wide eyes looking up at me. I imagined her mouth stretching around my size, her breath hitching as I guided her, praising her, claiming her in every way that mattered.

I groaned and gave in, stroking harder, faster, until I came with a sharp breath, spilling over the wall.

Afterward, I leaned my forehead against the tile.

“This is what you’ve become,” I whispered to myself, “a damn Alpha falling apart over a girl he can’t have.”

I dried off, dressed quickly, and went to meet Greg. We had patrols to check, traps to reset. Anything to keep my mind from drifting back to her.

We walked in silence through the woods, the earthy scent of pine and damp soil grounding me.

“You look like shit,” Greg said flatly.

“I’m fine.”

He snorted. “No, you’re not. And the way you exploded at training? You’re losing it.”

“How many times do I have to say I’m fine?” I snapped. “Just drop it.”

“You spent years learning to control Rage, Liam. Years. And now he’s clawing his way out every five minutes. You want to tell me that’s nothing?”

I didn’t answer.

Greg stopped walking. “This is about Macy, isn’t it?”

I froze.

Then I turned slowly, eyes glowing. “Shut the fuck up, Greg.”

“There it is,” he said, unflinching. “I knew it.”

“I said drop it.”

“She’s your mate.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

I looked away. My voice broke when I spoke. “Why her, Greg? Why did it have to be her?”

Greg didn’t answer. He just sat down on the grass beside me like it was the most normal thing in the world to see his Alpha fall apart.

I collapsed onto the ground, my chest heaving, my strength drained—not from battle, but from the war inside me. It wasn’t every day you saw an Alpha like this, broken and bare, but Greg didn’t flinch. He didn’t judge me. He just sat down quietly beside me, like he understood.

“Liam,” he said gently, “the Moon Goddess doesn’t make mistakes. I know it hurts like hell right now, but you’ve got to stay strong. For your family. For the pack. If this breaks you… it’ll break all of us.”

I dragged a shaky hand through my hair, gripping the back of my neck. “I’m trying, Greg. But Rage—he’s losing control. He wants her so badly it’s driving us both insane. He wants to challenge Derick… and he’s getting harder to contain.”

Greg’s voice dropped, steady and firm. “We’ll figure it out. One way or another, you won’t go through this alone. And if Macy’s truly your mate… she’s already feeling the pull. The bond doesn’t lie.”

I stared ahead, jaw clenched, heart aching. My wolf paced behind my eyes, restless and wild.

“Come on,” Greg said, nudging my shoulder. “Let’s go for a run. Burn some of that rage out. It’ll help.”

Rage perked up instantly, his energy surging in my veins.

Run. Hunt. Chase.

I nodded. “That’s actually a great idea.”

Greg gave a crooked smile. “I figured. I can practically hear Rage wagging his tail.”

Despite everything, a breath of laughter escaped me.

We stripped off our clothes and shifted, bones cracking and stretching as fur overtook skin. My wolf exploded forward—massive, sleek, black as midnight—towering over Greg’s smaller brown form.

He took off through the trees, agile and fast. I followed, hot on his trail, Rage howling with exhilaration. The wind whipped past us, the ground blurred beneath our paws. For a few fleeting moments, there was no pain. No anger. No impossible love.

Only instinct. Speed. Freedom.

But even as the wind roared in my ears and the trees melted into shadows, I couldn’t outrun the bond tethered to my soul.

Only the Moon Goddess knew what fate she’d written for us.

And I feared the ending.