Chapter 25 Alaric Dawn hasn't broken yet , but sleep is impossible . My lycan paces restlessly , replaying yesterday's confrontation with Sage in the rain . The way her silver - blonde hair clung to her skin . The defiance in those violet eyes . The scent of her honeysuckle and rain and something that calls to every primitive instinct I possess . - " Mate , " Phantom growls . " Protect . " But how do I protect someone who sees safety as a cage ? " You look like shit . " Garrett strides into my office without knocking , dropping a stack of reports on my desk . I glare at him . " Your timing is impeccable , as always . " 1 " You're going to want to hear this . " All humor leaves his face . " Blue Moon Pack was hit last night . Three omegas taken . " The wood of my chair splinters under my grip . " Taken ? Not killed ? " " No bodies found . But the survivors reported the mutant wolves seemed ... selective . They ignored stronger wolves to target the omegas specifically . " Images flash through my mind - Sage alone in the healing wing , Sage wandering the grounds , Sage vulnerable and wolfless and mine to protect- " Call a pack meeting , " I growl . " Everyone . Now . " An hour later , I stand before my assembled pack in the great hall . Sage slips in late , trying to blend into the shadows at the back . Even from here , I can sense her discomfort at being surrounded by so many wolves . Phantom snarls at her distress , but I force myself to focus . " The threats to our borders are evolving , " I announce . " Our enemies are getting bolder , more strategic . Starting today , ALL pack members will participate in mandatory defense training . " My eyes find Sage . " Including omegas . ' Whispers ripple through the crowd . A warm body presses against my arm Eris , playing the supportive ex- girlfriend for the pack's benefit . I step away from her , my attention caught by the flash of hurt that crosses Sage's face before she masks it . " Training begins in one hour , " I continue . " Attendance is not optional . " I spend the next hour in the training field with Garrett , setting up practice dummies and mapping out basic defensive maneuvers . When wolves begin arriving , my eyes immediately find Sage . She's wearing borrowed training clothes that make her look even smaller , more vulnerable . Her hair is pulled back , exposing the delicate line of her neck . My lycan nearly loses it when I spot the scars thin white lines covering her skin . Memories of finding her in Blackthorn territory , broken and bleeding , make my vision bleed red . " Easy , " Garrett murmurs . " You can't kill everyone who's ever hurt her . " Watch me , " Phantom snarls . TI 1 pair more experienced wolves with beginners , deliberately keeping my distance from Sage . But my eyes track her every movement as she learns basic blocks and strikes . She's hesitant at first , but there's a natural grace to her movements that makes my mouth go dry . Chapter 25 +25 BONUS " The key to self - defense , " I demonstrate with one of my warriors , " is using your opponent's strength against them . Size doesn't matter as much as technique . " - Sage watches intently , her eyes following my movements . When she practices with her partner - a young beta female I specifically chose for her gentleness - I have to physically stop myself from growling every time they make contact . " You're hovering , " Iris appears at my side . " She's never going to trust herself if you don't give her room to try . " " There's a difference between giving her room and leaving her vulnerable . " " Is there ? " My sister's knowing look cuts too deep . " Because from where I'm standing , you're so focused on protecting her that you can't see how much she needs to protect herself . " 11 Before I can respond , Ms. Winters materializes beside us , clutching an ancient - looking book . " My King , about the prophecies I mentioned- " " Alpha ! " A scout bursts into the training field . " We found something at the border . Symbols carved into the heart tree . " Fuck . " Show me . " As I follow the scout , I catch one last glimpse of Sage . She's actually smiling as she successfully blocks an attack , a flush of pride coloring her cheeks . Our eyes meet across the field, and for a moment , everything else falls away . Then someone shifts too close to her , and the spell breaks . I force myself to turn away , even as my lycan rages against leaving her . The symbols carved into the ancient heart tree , named for the shapes gnarled into the trunk , make my blood run cold . They're old - older than any language I know - and they reek of dark magic . But it's the fresh claw marks beside them that truly worry me . Five parallel lines , too precise to be random . A message . A warning . A howl splits the air as I examine the symbols - the emergency signal from the training field . My heart stops for a split second before I'm running , faster than I've ever moved . I burst onto the field to find chaos . A young wolf lost control during training , his partial shift triggered by frustration . He's now cornering a group of omegas , his eyes wild with battle rage . Then I see her . Sage stands between the feral wolf and the other omegas , her small frame somehow taking up more space than should be possible . Her hands are raised in a calming gesture I recognize from our time in her cottage . " Focus on my voice , " she says softly , the same way she spoke to me when I was wild with fever . " You're stronger than the rage . " The young wolf's growls soften . His eyes clear gradually , returning to fully human . Around them , the pack watches in stunned silence . For a moment , she looks like something ancient and powerful , despite her lack of a wolf . Something that belongs in those old prophecies Ms. Winters keeps trying to tell me about . Then she sways slightly , the adrenaline clearly fading Before anyone else can move , I'm behind her , my hand steadying her elbow . She stiffens but doesn't pull away . Chapter 25 +25 BONUS " That was either very brave or very stupid , " I murmur , just for her ears . " Funny , " she whispers back , " I thought the same thing when I took in an injured stranger . " The reminder of my deception stings , but I deserve it . She pulls away , going to check on the other omegas , and I watch her move through my pack with a grace she doesn't even recognize . " Ours , " my wolf insists . " Always ours . " But first , we have to be worthy of her trust . And that might be the hardest battle of all . My phone buzzes , my thoughts fading away . It's a text from Garrett : Someone's tampered with the wards around the packhouse . Magic signature doesn't match any known packs . I look back toward the training field , where I can just make out Sage's silver - blonde hair glinting in the sunlight . She's so beautiful it hurts . She's my mate , and even if she never wears my mark , I'll never let anything hurt her again . " Mine to protect , " Phantom insists . Even if she hates me for it . Even if protecting her means letting her go . Even if it kills me .