My gaze drifts from the window, drawn by something or someone. Fury.
He’s too quiet. His broad shoulders are tense, arms crossed, brows furrowed as if wrestling with thoughts only he can hear. His body is here… but his mind? It’s clearly somewhere else.
“Fury?” I ask gently, stepping out of Jack’s embrace. “Are you alright?”
Jack’s arm drops from around my waist, but not before I feel the subtle shift in his body–the quiet tension he thinks no one notices.
Fury finally turns, his eyes flicking to Jack before settling on me. “una,” he says, his voice steady but slightly off. “Can I talk to you for a moment? Outside. We won’t go far.”
It isn’t a question–it’s something he’s been holding in for too long, and now it needs to be said.
Jack scoffs, the sound low and warning. I can practically hear the territorial edge in it. Still, he shrugs and says, “Yeah, you’re both free to go. Kali’s the danger here–so I’m not worried.”
I laugh softly, reaching back to slap his chest playfully. “Easy, Alphia. I’ll be right back.”
He catches my wrist, pressing a kiss to my knuckles before releasing me. I follow Fury out the door.
The air outside is crisp and cool as we walk just a few steps away from the house. Even now, I can feel Jack’s presence like a shadow clinging to my back.
“You seem… off,” I begin, breaking the silence. I tilt my head, carefully choosing my words. “A lot has happened… and even if you’re trying to hide it- is it because of her? Lady Celestia?”
His nostrils flare slightly as he stares into the trees, lips pressed into a firm line.
“I mean,” I continue gently, “you can still smell her, right? Even after she rejected you… even though the bond’s broken. Is she still affecting you?”
He lets out a sharp scoff, turning to look me in the eye. “I swear on my life, Kali–I don’t and never gave a fuck about her. Not for a moment.”
And I believe him.
“So then… what is it?” I narrow my eyes at him, watching the tension that still coils in his shoulders. “Wait. Fury… are you still intimidated by my wolf?”
His brows lift slightly.
“I knew it!” I laugh softly. “That shocked look on your face before disappeared into thin air? Right before all hell broke loose? Yeah, this is the first time we’re talking since then. I bet you’ve got a lot to say.‘
“Well,” he exhales, a crooked smile pulling at the corner of his mouth, “you’re not far from the truth.”
I raise a brow. “Do tell.”
Fury pauses, running a hand through his dark hair, the moonlight catching in the sharp angles of his face.
“It makes sense now,” he says slowly. “The fact that you’re the Alpha King’s daughter. It all makes sense.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, genuinely curious.
He hesitates, then looks at me fully. “Ever since I met you… I’ve been having these weird dreams. Dreams of a palace. A huge one, with golden banners and marble halls. And there’s this little girl–playing with me in the sand.”
My eyes widen in disbelief. He’s been having the same dreams as me?
He keeps going, his voice lowering, thick with memory. “They kep happening. For weeks, Months. The same dreams, over and over. And then today… I woke up and remembered everything. Like someone took the fog off my brain.”
I stare at him, breath caught in my throat.
“Do you remember a boy named Tom?”
My hand flies to my mouth. “Don’t–don’t tell me…” My voice breaks.
He nods once, slowly. “Yeah. I’m Tom.”
Tears sting my eyes before I can stop them. “M… that’s what you used to call me…” I whisper.
He steps closer, and I throw my arms around him, crushing him tone.
“I can’t believe it,” I sob against his shoulder. “I can’t believe you’re Tom. It makes so much sense now… why I always felt safe around you. Why I could tell you anything. Why it felt like I’d known you forever.‘
“I know.” His voice is thick, his hand gently rubbing my back. “It was weird at first. Feeling so connected to you when you were Jack’s mate. But now? Now it all makes sense. Fate brought us back together. Not the way we expected… but still.”
We stay like that for a while, wrapped in the warmth of a shared past, until-
Grrrrr.
A low, territorial growl vibrates from somewhere behind us.
I sigh and roll my eyes. “Really, Jack?”
Fury chuckles. “Someone’s jealous.”
“He probably has his ear pressed against a tree,” I mutter, laughing.
We finally pull back, and I swipe the tears from my cheeks. I take a good look way his hair falls into his eyes.
at him now–his height, his broad shoulders, the
“Damn,” I say with a soft laugh. “You’ve changed. I never would’ve recognized you. You’re… huge.”
He grins. “You too. Except, you know, your glow–up is mildly terrifying.”
“Remember when we chased that rabbit near the west garden and you fell face–first into the mud?” I tease.
Fury groans. “Gods, don’t remind me.”
“Oh, I’m going to bring it up every chance I get, little warrior.”
