Alpha MANUEL POV
"Fucking Blackwaters."
I was still pissed from the council meeting. Nero had grabbed me by the throat in front of everyone. Called my pack poor.
I hated him and his whole family.
Especially after what they did to Elena.
My Elena. The fourth bride. She was forced to marry him
She died soonest But I’d seen her body.
That wasn’t a curse. That was murder.
I’d sworn to destroy them. All of them.
I walked faster through the forest. Trying to burn off the rage.
Mitch followed silently behind me. He’d been my guard for the council meeting. The only wolf I could afford to pull from the hunt.
The pack needed everyone else. But Mitch wasn’t good at hunting.
His hands shook too much. The sounds overwhelmed him. The other wolves moved too fast and he couldn’t keep up.
But he was intelligent. Saw things other wolves missed. Patterns. Details. Connections.
So I brought him.
Then I heard it. A voice. Female. Talking to herself. "Shut up, Parrot. I preferred when you were silent."
I stopped walking.
Parrot?
I pushed through the trees.
And saw her.
Remi. Nero’s Mad Bride.
She looked nothing like the mad wolf his mother described. She was beautiful. Alive. And very much NOT insane.
Which meant Nero had lied.
Just like he’d lied about Elena.
History repeating.
Not this time.
What was she doing all the way out here? Nero said she was in the palace.
Which meant he didn’t have her under control.
Good.
"Mitch," I called quietly. "Come out."
Rustling in the bushes. But he didn’t appear.
"It’s just a girl," I said. "Talking to herself. Nothing dangerous. Come out."
More rustling. Then he emerged. Slowly. Still wouldn’t look at me.
His hands were pressed against his thighs. Fingers tapping. One two three. One two three. He did that when he was nervous.
"You’re supposed to guard me, not the other way around," I said.
Mitch didn’t answer. He was studying Remi’s breathing. The pulse at her neck. Her fingers twitching.
"She fainted," he said. His voice was flat. "Heart rate elevated. Skin clammy. Bond sickness."
"How do you know?"
He pointed at her neck. "Fresh mark. Less than forty-eight hours. Scent is mixed. She’s been separated from mate."
I knew what that meant. "Another Nero baggage."
"What?" Mitch looked confused. He didn’t get the reference.
"Nothing." I turned to leave. "Let’s go."
"You’re not leaving her." Mitch stood. Stepped in front of me. Still wouldn’t meet my eyes but his body blocked my path.
"She’s not my problem."
"She’s from our pack." Mitch’s voice was louder now. "You’re the Alpha. You owe it to her to protect her."
His hands started flapping at his sides. Small movements. Stress response.
"I don’t owe Nero’s bride anything."
"You’ve always taught us to be right." Mitch’s hands flapped faster. "Don’t change now because it has Alpha Nero’s stamp on it."
I hated when he was right.
"Fine." I sighed. "Wake her up."
Mitch disappeared into the trees. Came back with a bucket. He must have found the creek.
He stood over Remi. Held the bucket. Hesitated.
"Do it," I said.
He dumped it on her. Then immediately stepped back three full steps. Away from the water and her.
Remi shot up screaming. "WHY DID YOU POUR SO MUCH WATER?!"
Mitch covered his ears. It was too loud for him. He turned away from her. Humming quietly. Trying to regulate.
"You’re welcome," I said. "You were unconscious."
"So you DROWN me?"
"You’re breathing, aren’t you?"
She glared at me. Then seemed to realize where she was. Who I was.
"Alpha Manuel."
"Remi."
"What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing. Nero claimed you were in the palace. Under his control." I watched her face. "Looks like he was lying about that too."
"Too?"
"He said you were mad. That the curse took your mind." I crossed my arms. "You don’t look mad to me."
Her expression went cold. "He said WHAT?"
"To the entire council. This morning."
She stood up. Swayed. Mitch moved closer, hands hovering but not touching. Ready to catch her if she fell.
"I’m fine," she said.
"You’re not," Mitch said. Still not looking at her face. "Bond sickness. Two hours. Maybe three before death."
Remi’s face went pale.
"I can leave," I said. "Let you die out here. It’s not my problem."
Mitch looked at me. That look.
"Fuck." I walked over. "What am I supposed to do? Piggy ride you back?"
Remi looked up at me. Blinked.
Then smiled. It was Weak and Manipulative.
"Actually, I wouldn’t mind."
Oh, she was playing me.
"I’m weak," she said.her was Voice soft now "The bond sickness. I can barely stand."
She was Faking her whole Damsel in distress act.
But she was right about one thing. She couldn’t walk.
And Mitch was still giving me that look.
"Fine." I turned around. Crouched down. "Get on."
She climbed onto my back. Her arms wrapped around my neck. Legs around my waist.
She was light.
"Thank you," she whispered in my ear. "I owe you."
"Yes. You do." I stood up. Started walking. "And I’ll collect. I always do. Especially if you’re connected to Nero."
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"Where do you want to go?"
She pointed. Opposite direction of the Moonstone palace.
"You’re running away," I said. "That’s funny. Nero’s herald of runaway brides continues."
"I’m not running. I’m escaping."
"Same thing."
"Comfortable?" I asked after a few minutes.
"Very." Was she smirking? "You’re surprisingly muscular for someone from Riverside pack."
"Careful. I can drop you."
"You won’t. Mitch would make you pick me back up." Behind us, Mitch made a small affirming sound. True.
Mitch walked beside us. Silent. Watching. He stayed to my left. Always the same distance. Three feet. No more. No less.
Her fingers splayed across my chest. For balance. "You smell good," she said. "Like pine and rain."
"And you smell like Nero."
"Is that a problem?"
He didn’t answer.
We’d been walking for maybe twenty minutes when Mitch spoke.
"She’s bleeding."
He was staring at my back. Not blinking. Focused on the blood trail.
I stopped. "What?"
"Her leg. She’s bleeding. It’s getting worse." He pointed at the ground. At the drops. "Every twelve steps. More blood and Pattern."
I looked. He was right. Blood was dripping down my back.
"Remi—"
"I’m fine," she said. But her voice was weaker.
We kept walking. Away from the palace.
But she was getting worse. I could feel it. Her grip loosening. Her breathing shallow.
Mitch kept counting under his breath. Numbers. Tracking the blood drops.
The bond sickness was killing her.
If I kept going this direction, she’d die.
Fuck.
I changed direction.
"What are you doing?" Remi asked.
"Saving your life."
"No. No, we can’t go back—"
"You’re dying. The bond won’t let you leave."
"I don’t care—"
"Well I do." I adjusted her weight on my back. "I’m not letting you die in the woods. That’s not how this works."
"You said you’d help me—"
"I said I’d collect. Can’t collect from a corpse."
She went quiet.
Then I felt it. Her grip getting stronger. Her breathing easier.
The closer we got to the palace, the better she felt.
Mitch noticed. Stopped counting. Nodded once to himself. Confirmed his theory.
"You can’t run away," I said. "You’ve been marked. The bond won’t let you."
"Then what am I supposed to do?" Her voice was bitter.
"You could help me."
"Help you what?"
"How did you survive?" I asked. "The curse. All the other brides died. You didn’t. How?"
"I don’t know. Luck?
"Help me bring down the Blackwater family," I said. "Save our pack. Avenge the brides."
"How?"
"I don’t know yet. But you survived. That means something."
She was quiet for a moment. Then: "Why do you care so much?"
"The fourth bride," I said. "Elena. She was mine."
"Yours?"
"My lover. Her family forced her to marry Nero. Political alliance. She didn’t want to." My voice was rough. "She died. Just like the others."
"I’m sorry."
"Don’t be sorry. Help me make them pay."
She was about to answer when Mitch stopped.
"Alpha...Body," Mitch said. Pointing.
I looked.
There was a body. Lying beside a tree. Naked. Bleeding. Unconscious.
"Nero," Remi breathed.
She ran.
I followed. Mitch stayed back. Too many sudden movements made him anxious.
Remi dropped to her knees beside Nero and Touched his face.
And Nero’s eyes snapped open.
Just like that.
No one could break the sleepwalking curse. It had to run its course.
But she’d done it with one touch.
And for just a second, I saw them. Black runes flickering across her skin.
She wasn’t just Nero’s weakness.
She was a weapon.
Nero’s eyes focused on Remi. Then shifted to me.
"Get away from her," he snarled.