Chapter 1 The Return
POV: Emma
“Emma!”
My mother’s exasperated voice rang out the moment I stepped foot inside the packhouse. She stood at the center of the bustling kitchen, flour dusting her apron, a wooden spoon in her hand like a weapon.
I winced, clutching a small basket overflowing with plump, juicy blackberries to my chest.
“You’re late, Emma,” my mother scolded, hands on her hips.
I glanced at the half-frosted cake she was working on.
“Sorry. Lost track of time...”
She sighed, shaking her head. “You know I have a million things to do today.”
I placed the basket on the counter. “But look at them. Only the best for you, Mom.”
She narrowed her eyes at me but couldn’t hide the small twitch of a smile on her lips. “Flattery won’t save you, young lady. Wash your hands and start chopping.”
I smirked, quickly scrubbing my hands before grabbing a knife.
Today, Jayden, the Alpha heir to our pack, was returning home after four years of college, ready to take over the pack, and Luna Marilyn had the entire packhouse busy preparing an elaborate celebration for his return.
“Daddy, nooo!”
From the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of golden curls.
Neah, the six-year-old daughter of Alpha Aron and Luna Marilyn, darted through the kitchen, looking for a place to hide. She was the unexpected joy of the pack—A late-in-life surprise for our Alpha and Luna.
Alpha Aron, towering and broad-shouldered, entered the kitchen close behind her, a mischievous grin on his face. His usually authoritative demeanor was nowhere to be seen as he swooped down, effortlessly scooping his daughter into his arms.
“Gotcha, little troublemaker!” he chuckled, throwing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
Neah erupted into giggles, kicking her feet in protest. “Put me down, Daddy!”
“Not a chance,” he teased, patting her back. “You still need to wash up and get ready before your brother comes home. We can’t have him thinking his baby sister turned into a wild pup while he was gone.”
I snorted, exchanging a glance with my mother, who shook her head with an amused smile as Neah giggled in defeat.
As soon as they left, my father walked in, kissing my mother quickly on the cheek before grabbing a handful of leftover berries from the basket and popping them into his mouth.
“Need help with anything, Esme?” he asked, his words slightly muffled as he chewed.
My mother scolded him immediately, swatting his hand when he reached for more. “Keep your dirty hands away from my counter,” she snapped.
He only smirked, pulling her by the waist until she was pressed against his chest. “But you love my big dirty hands,” he replied with a wink.
She blushed, pushing him away. “Don’t you have tables to move around or something?”
I watched their little exchange with a half-smile.
“Out,” my mother ordered, trying and failing to look stern.
“Fine, fine,” my father muttered, giving her a quick peck on the lips before walking off.
I watched him disappear into the main hall.
Excitement buzzed through the air as wolves moved around, setting up decorations and adjusting tables. Laughter and constant chatter filled the space—the energy in the packhouse infectious—yet my thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Tomorrow was my eighteenth birthday.
Not that it mattered much. Even though I knew my parents and friends would celebrate with me, it had faded into the background, completely overshadowed by Jayden’s return.
Everyone was treating his homecoming like a royal event, which, in a way, it was. He was the future Alpha, strong, smart, and devastatingly handsome—the pride of the pack.
I used to have a huge crush on him, but he never even glanced my way.
Jayden was four years older and left for college when I was still a kid. Even though we lived under the same roof, we barely crossed paths. When he came home during the summers, I was usually away at academic camps or school programs.
I’d done well at school.
Well enough to be chosen to the prestigious school math club, earning my escape one competition at a time. I loved those summers living in the human world where ranks didn’t matter, and I’d dreamed of going to college.
I’d earned scholarships to some of the best schools, but my parents refused to let me go. They were too afraid I’d grow detached and never come back.
Afraid I’d go rogue.
And I hadn’t had the heart to fight them on it.
I took a deep breath, pushing the thoughts aside. I wasn’t going to college. That was a fact. But I wouldn’t be useless either. Helga, the pack healer, had promised to train me.
It wasn’t official—there were no schools for werewolf medicine—but she would teach me in the small pack clinic, where the sick were treated and, in times of battle, the wounded warriors.
Not that we had much conflict. Our territory was peaceful, but warriors still trained, and we still needed to be prepared.
At least this way, I’d have a role. Until, of course, I found my mate. That was how it worked, right?
I was lost in my thoughts, absently wiping down the counter, when my mother’s voice snapped me back to reality.
“Emma, can you go upstairs and prepare Jayden’s room? I don’t have time to get to it.”
I blinked, turning to look at her. “Me?”
She barely spared me a glance as she focused on cutting the vegetables in front of her.
“Yes, you. I have too much to do down here.”
I hesitated.
My mother had never let me go upstairs before. That was her domain, her responsibility. I was always expected to help in the kitchen. The idea of stepping into the upper levels, where the ranked wolves lived, felt almost surreal.
Still, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the task. I liked the kitchen. I liked the idea of training with Helga, even if it was just as a backup assistant at the barely used clinic.
Maybe I was just fooling myself, pretending that being a healer would mean something when there was barely any need for one.
I sighed, taking off my apron. “Okay, I’ll do it.”
Grabbing fresh linens, I made my way up the grand staircase.
The upper floors felt different. Quieter, more refined. Unlike the lively, bustling lower levels, this space was sleek and private.
Jayden’s room was near the end of the hall, the door slightly ajar. Pushing it open, I took a moment to take in my surroundings.
The room was… big. Neat. Masculine.
A king-sized bed dominated the space, dressed in dark grey sheets. The walls were lined with sports memorabilia—framed jerseys and a couple of trophies. A sleek wooden desk sat against the far wall, empty except for a single notebook and a pen.
I stripped the old bedding and replaced it with the fresh linens I’d brought, humming as I cleaned the space.
When I finished, I stepped back and surveyed my work. The room was spotless, the bed neatly made, and I had even tackled the bathroom attached to Jayden’s room.
My mother would be proud.
When I went back downstairs, the pack had already gathered in the courtyard, anticipation thickening with every passing moment while they waited for their future Alpha.
Then a sleek black SUV rolled into the driveway. Around me, wolves straightened instinctively, attention snapping into place while the ranked members stepped forward to receive him.
Every gaze locked onto the vehicle, the air tightening with expectation as the door swung open.
For a moment, the entire packhouse seemed to hold its breath while Jayden stepped out.
He was taller than I remembered, his presence commanding attention without even trying.
His broad shoulders stretched against the fabric of his shirt, muscles shifting beneath it as he moved. His jawline was clean-shaven, sharp and defined, his skin smooth, sun-kissed, making the color of his eyes even more distinctive.
A deep, stormy blue, like the sky before a summer storm.
Intense. Piercing.
The kind of eyes that could see right through you.
His dark hair, thick and tousled, made him look effortlessly rugged, the strands falling across his forehead in a way that was almost too perfect.
Every inch of him radiated power, every inch of him Alpha.
He looked around at his packmembers—smiling, but before he could even take a proper step forward, a blur of blonde launched toward him.
“Jayden!”
Luna Marilyn threw herself at her son, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace.
He let out a deep sigh. “Mom, let go,” he muttered, voice low and embarrassed.
She ignored him completely. “Look at you! My handsome boy graduated and finally returning home. I missed you so much!”
He groaned.
“Mom—seriously.”
Alpha Aron, standing with his arms crossed, let out a booming laugh. “Marilyn, the boy is an Alpha now. You can’t cradle him like a pup in front of his pack.”
Luna Marilyn huffed but finally released Jayden, smoothing out his shirt. “Fine, fine,” she muttered. “But you’ll always be my baby.”
Jayden grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Welcome home, son,” Alpha Aron said, clapping a heavy hand on his son’s shoulder. “Your pack has been waiting for you.”
The pack erupted into cheers when Jayden stepped forward. His future Beta, Carl, the first to greet him.
“Finally, man,” Carl said, grinning as he pulled Jayden into a brief hug. “I was starting to think you were going to stay in the human world forever.”
Jayden smirked. “You wish,” he chuckled, shaking his head while more of his friends and ranked wolves surrounded him, welcoming him home with handshakes, shoulder pats, and laughter.
I stood in the background, watching. Like the other packhouse staff, I bowed respectfully when Jayden passed by.
He smiled politely at us, but his focus was solely on his friends. Clearly, he had more important people to acknowledge.
The celebration moved inside, where a long banquet table had been set for the feast. The pack members all took their designated places, sitting in ranks as tradition dictated.
The Alpha’s family sat at the head of the table, the ranked wolves beside them, the warriors and other pack members further down, and finally, the staff at the end near the kitchen.
It wasn’t unfair.
It was just how a pack worked.
We were wolves in essence after all, and ranks did matter in our world.
The feast began, and when the cake was brought in, Luna Marilyn gasped dramatically, clapping her hands together.
“Oh, it looks perfect!” she beamed, giving my mother a thankful nod of approval.
The staff carefully carried the large cake toward the head of the table.
Jayden arched an eyebrow. “Did we really need a cake?”
“Of course!” Luna Marilyn scolded.
“You only graduate once!”
The pack cheered, and the air filled with the sounds of laughter and clinking glasses.
It was a good moment. Yet exhaustion settled deep in my bones, the long day finally catching up with me.
I leaned toward my mother. “Mom, I think I’m going to head down. May I be excused?”
She looked at me with understanding and nodded. “Alright, sweetheart. Get some rest.”
I pushed back my chair and stood.
The moment I straightened, the air shifted—subtle but unmistakable.
I lifted my head instinctively, my gaze drawn across the room as if pulled by an invisible thread.
Jayden’s head snapped up, his eyes locking onto mine.
His gaze cut straight through me, and a sudden wave of heat crashed over my skin—
His blue eyes darkened—something unreadable flickering across his face.
I gasped softly, my cheeks flushing, as the rest of the pack seemed to fade into the background.
For a single, suspended heartbeat, there was only him.
His grip tightened around the knife, his eyes fixed on mine with an intensity that made my breath catch while the pack around us continued cheering, urging him to cut the cake.
My chest tightened, my entire body frozen in place—unable to move, unable to look away as his piercing blue eyes pinned me in place...
