Chapter 101
Skye’s POV
I knew we would encounter Leon at the Alpha King election. It was inevitable. But I hadn’t expected it to happen so soon and so suddenly.
The moment he strode through the grand entrance doors of Silver Moon Lodge, time seemed to slow. Four years had passed since I’d last seen him, yet I recognized him instantly.
Leon had changed.
Gone was the casual attire he once preferred. No more worn jeans and simple t–shirts that spoke of practicality. Now he wore an impeccably tailored charcoal suit that emphasized his broad shoulders. A crisp white shirt lay beneath, and an expensive watch glinted at his wrist.
Yet the essence of Leon remained unchanged.
His face was still clean–shaven without a hint of stubble. His golden hair, slightly longer than I remembered, was meticulously styled without a single strand out of place. His cold blue eyes still held that same detached calculation. They seemed to weigh everything against some invisible standard few could meet.
A strange sensation rippled through my body as I watched him. It wasn’t quite pain or recognition. It was something both familiar and alien that I couldn’t name. My wolf stirred restlessly beneath my skin. I forced myself to breathe evenly.
“Alpha Leon!” The hotel clerk’s voice cut through my thoughts. Her tone was suddenly warm and deferential. It was a stark contrast to the apologetic but firm dismissal she’d given us moments before.
“Your additional guests have arrived as expected. Would you like me to arrange an escort to their suites?”
Leon approached the desk. His entourage moved in perfect synchronization behind him like dancers who had rehearsed this entrance a thousand times. As he drew nearer, his gaze swept across our small group. He passed over Adrian with barely a flicker of acknowledgment before landing on me.
His step faltered slightly, just for a heartbeat, before his eyes narrowed in recognition.
Before either of us could speak, a familiar voice called out from the entrance: “Skye? SKYE!”
My heart leaped as Ethan burst through the cluster of Frost shadow wolves. His face was alight with disbelief and joy.
My brother looked nearly the same as I remembered. Perhaps his shoulders were a bit broader, his sandy hair cropped shorter than he’d worn it in our youth. But his green eyes, so like our mother’s, still crinkled at the corners when he smiled.
‘I can’t believe it’s really you!” He crossed the distance between us in three long strides and swept me into a fierce hug that lifted me off my feet. “Look at you! You’re even more beautiful than I remembered!”
I returned his embrace with equal fervor. Tears stung my eyes as I breathed in his familiar scent of pine and cedar, the woods of our childhood home. “I’ve missed you so much,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion.
Ethan set me down but kept his hands on my shoulders. He studied my face with undisguised wonder. “I heard you have your wolf now, is that right?” His smile widened. “My little sister, a true silver wolf. I always knew you had it in you.”
1
“Ethan.” Leon’s cold voice sliced through our reunion like a blade. “We need to confirm the room assignments. The Council members will be arriving within the hour.”
Ethan’s smile faltered, but he kept one arm protectively around my shoulders. “Of course, Alpha. Just give me a moment with my sister.”
Adrian moved to my side. His presence was warm and solid. “We should be going,” Lydia interjected softly. “We need to find alternative accommodations before nightfall.
“You haven’t booked a hotel yet?” Ethan asked, looking between us with concern. “But the election begins tomorrow!”
“We had reservations,” I explained, unable to keep the bitterness from my voice. “But apparently someone canceled them and rented the entire hotel.
Ethan’s expression cleared. “That’s easily solved! We have several extra rooms. You can stay in the suite next to mine. He turned toward Leon. His enthusiasm dampened slightly under our Alpha’s glacial stare. Right, Alpha Leon?*
“Your sister doesn’t belong to Frostshadow Pack anymore,” Leon replied, his voice devoid of emotion. “She has no right to our hospitality.
painfully reminiscent of that fateful night four years ago when I felt my cheeks burn with humiliation as Ethan stood awkwardly between us. The scene was Leon had rejected me publicly. Once again, my brother was caught in the middle. His loyalty to his Alpha warred with his love for me.
Adrian’s arm slipped around my waist in a deliberate display of solidarity. “I wouldn’t have agreed to Skye staying with you anyway,” he said, his voice carrying the quiet authority of an Alpha. “She belongs with us.”
Leon’s gaze dropped to Adrian’s arm around my waist. A flash of something crossed his features before his expression smoothed back into cold indifference. It might have been anger or disgust.
E
“I was wondering what pack you’d aligned yourself with,” he said, addressing me directly for the first time. “I expected something more substantial. Not some minor desert pack that can’t even afford decent accommodations.”
My spine stiffened.
‘Did you inherit only your father’s wealth and none of his virtues?” I asked, “Alpha James would never have been so petty.”
Beside me, Ryder snorted with surprised laughter. He quickly disguised it as a cough when Leon’s cold gaze swung toward him.
“Still sharp–tongued, I see,” Leon said, his voice dangerously soft. “That won’t help your Alpha win this election.” He turned away and gestured impatiently to his entourage. “Ethan, see to the rooms. The rest of you, prepare for the Council’s arrival.”
As the Frostshadow wolves dispersed, Ethan leaned close to me. “I’ll find you tomorrow after the North American Council meeting,” he whispered urgently. ‘Mom and Dad miss you terribly.”
The mention of our parents sent a complicated wave of emotions through me. Longing, fear, hope, guilt. “How are they?” I asked, my voice catching.
“Tomorrow,” he promised, squeezing my hand. “We’ll talk about everything.” With a final, wistful smile, he followed his pack toward the elevators.
Leon passed by me without another glance. As his shoulder brushed against mine, a strange electric current rippled through me. My heart stuttered, then raced. Warmth bloomed across my skin. The sensation was so unexpected and unwelcome that I had to fight the urge to gasp aloud.
I turned, watching him walk away. I searched for any sign that he’d felt it too. But his stride never faltered. His expression never changed. He remained as cold and unreachable as ever, but his coldness and arrogance couldn’t hurt me anymore.
Adrian’s hand found mine, warm and reassuring.
Are you okay?” he asked quietly.
“I’m fine, I lied, forcing a smile.
But inside, my wolf was restless. It paced with agitation for reasons I couldn’t or wouldn’t understand.
