Beyond The Pack's Judgement

Sparks and Splinters

Declan’s POV

My boots felt like they were filled with lead as I walked toward my father’s study... or as everyone called it, the throne room. My heart was doing a frantic drum solo against my ribs. I could already hear his voice, that low, rumbling thunder that promised a storm of disappointment.

Deep breath, Ramsey. You’ve faced worse.

Yeah, right. The only thing worse than facing down a rival Alpha was facing my dad after wrecking his favorite toy.

I pushed the heavy oak doors open. The room was all dark wood and intimidation, just like him. And there he was, Alpha Victor Ramsey, behind his massive desk. He looked up and those piercing eyes locked onto me. I braced myself.

“Father, I am so sorry about the car,” the words tumbled out in a rush. “It was a moment of stupid, reckless judgement and I take full responsibility. The repairs are being handled and I will pay for every... ”

He held up a hand. I shut up instantly.

And then… he smiled? It was a small one, barely a twitch of his lips, but it was there. My brain short-circuited.

“Declan,” he said, his voice surprisingly calm. “It’s a car. Metal and glass. It can be fixed. I’m just glad you and Rhys are unharmed.”

I could have sunk into the floor with relief. This was not the reaction I’d prepared for. The tension drained from my shoulders so fast I almost swayed. Maybe he’d mellowed out while I was away.

“Really? I mean… thank you, sir. I promise it won’t happen again.”

He leaned back in his chair, studying me.

“Good. Now, there’s something far more important to discuss. A matter of your future.”

My future. My heart gave a completely different kind of jump. This was it. This was the perfect opening. The image of a certain mechanic with grey eyes and a stubborn set to her jaw flashed in my mind. I could barely contain the grin.

“Actually, Father, that’s… that’s something I wanted to talk to you about. I think… I mean, I’m almost certain that I’ve found…”

The doors opened again and Beta Jensen stepped in. And he wasn’t alone.

A woman walked in beside him. She was tall, athletic, with long blonde hair and sharp green eyes that scanned the room before landing on me. She carried herself like a warrior... poised, confident, like she owned any space she walked into.

“Ah, perfect timing,” my father said, his voice booming with genuine warmth now. “Declan, I’d like you to meet Vanessa Langford. Her family has just arrived from the Northern Ridge pack to formalize our new alliance.”

I just stood there, my mouth slightly open, my sentence about my fated mate dying on my tongue.

Vanessa offered a confident smile and extended her hand.

“Declan. I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s a pleasure.”

I shook her hand automatically, my mind racing. Alliance? Northern Ridge? What was happening?

My father’s next words hit me like a physical blow.

“Vanessa is going to be staying with us for a while,” he said, like he was announcing the weather. “It will give you two a chance to get properly acquainted. After all, she is to be your Luna.”

The world screeched to a halt.

“My… what?”

“Your mate, Declan,” my father said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “It’s been arranged. A union between our packs will make us the strongest territory on the continent. It’s a brilliant match.”

I stared at him, then at Vanessa’s polite, unwavering smile. My stomach twisted into a cold, hard knot. This wasn't happening.

All I could see was Freya’s face.

***

Freya’s POV

I wiped the grease off my hands for the hundredth time that day, but the smell always lingered. Just like the memory of him.

Declan Ramsey. Back in town and looking like… well, like that. All tall, dark and stupidly handsome, like he’d just walked out of some fantasy novel instead of a wrecked sports car.

I slammed my locker shut a little harder than necessary.

“Stop it, Freya,” I muttered to myself. So what if his smile made my stomach do a silly little flip? So what if his blue eyes seemed to see right through the walls I’d spent years building? He was still a Ramsey.

I could still see him as a boy, his face in that hateful crowd, his voice…

I shook my head, trying to dislodge the bitter memory. It was no use. He was the future Alpha. I was the traitor’s daughter. Our worlds were oil and water. They didn’t mix.

The garage was closed, the lights off. Where was Leni? She was never this late. I waited outside for twenty minutes, the cold drizzle starting up again, soaking through my thin jacket. No sign of her. Probably got held up with some college thing.

Sighing, I pulled my hood up and started the long walk home to my side of the tracks. The part of town where the streetlights were always broken. Just my luck.

I’d only made it a few blocks when I heard it... the familiar sound of footsteps falling in step behind me. Too many to be a coincidence. My wolf stirred, a low growl of warning in my mind.

I picked up my pace.

They picked up theirs.

I ducked into a narrow alley, a shortcut I usually avoided. Bad idea. The footsteps closed in and then they were there, blocking both ends. Brett and his two lackeys. Again.

“Well, well, look what we have here,” Brett sneered, stepping into the dim light. “The dirty-blood b***h, all alone this time. No human friend to save you.”

I kept my voice steady, even as my heart hammered.

“What do you want, Brett? I’ve got no money. Nothing you’d want.”

“Oh, I disagree,” he said, his friends fanning out to circle me. “We’ve got unfinished business from this morning. You embarrassed me in front of my crew. Nobody does that.”

One of them grabbed my arm from behind. I jerked away, but another shoved me hard against the damp brick wall. The air rushed from my lungs.

“Let’s see how high and mighty you are without your little human shield,” Brett growled, grabbing the front of my jacket.

Panic, cold and sharp, sliced through me. This was different. This was worse than the usual shoves and insults. Their intentions were dark, written all over their ugly faces.

“Get off me!” I snarled, pushing against Brett’s chest with all my human strength. It was like pushing a mountain.

He just laughed.

“Feisty. I like it.”

One of his friends pinned my arms behind my back. Brett’s hand went to the waistband of my jeans. This was it. This was really happening.

A roar shattered the night.

It wasn’t human. It was pure, primal fury. A blur of motion slammed into Brett, sending him flying across the alley into a pile of trash cans with a deafening crash.

The guy holding me let go in shock. I stumbled forward, my eyes struggling to make sense of the chaos.

Another wolf... massive, with dark fur and blazing blue eyes... was on the second lackey. I heard a sickening crack followed by a yelp of pain. The wolf didn’t stop. It was brutal. Efficient. Terrifying.

Brett scrambled to his feet, his eyes wide with fear. He didn’t even try to fight. He shifted in a flash of light and fur, his smaller, scrawnier wolf scrambling to get away. His injured friend followed, limping badly, leaving their third buddy unconscious on the ground.

The massive dark wolf turned towards me. I froze, breath caught in my throat.

Then, the air shimmered around him. The fur receded, the form shrunk and in seconds, Declan Ramsey was standing there, chest heaving, his knuckles bloody.

“Freya,” he breathed, his voice rough with adrenaline. “Are you hurt? Did they…”

He took a step toward me, his eyes scanning me frantically for injuries.

I took a step back, hugging myself. The shock was wearing off, leaving me trembling.

“I’m fine,” I whispered, my voice shaky. “Why… why are you here?”

“I was… walking,” he said, which was the dumbest, most obvious lie I’d ever heard. This wasn’t his neighborhood. “Lucky I was. Are you sure you’re okay?”

I just nodded, unable to form a proper sentence. My heart was still trying to beat its way out of my chest.

“Come on,” he said, his tone softening. “I’m walking you home.”

“No,” I said instantly. “That’s not necessary. I’m fine.”

He just looked at me, that infuriatingly stubborn look on his face.

“Freya. It’s either me walking you, or I carry you. Your choice.”

I glared at him. He wasn’t bluffing. I could see it in his eyes. With a sigh of defeat, I turned and started walking, ignoring the way my legs felt like jelly.

He fell into step beside me, not saying a word for a block. The silence was louder than any conversation.

“So,” he finally said, “Tough day at the office?”

I almost laughed. It was so absurd.

“You could say that.”

“You’re welcome, by the way.”

“I didn’t thank you.”

“You will,” he said and I could hear the smirk in his voice.

We walked the rest of the way in more silence, him seemingly comfortable, me a tightly wound ball of nerves. Finally, we reached my street. My shack of a house sat at the end, looking even more pathetic than usual under the lone, flickering streetlight.

“This is me,” I said, stopping at the broken gate. “You can go now.”

He just looked past me at the rundown house, his expression unreadable.

“You live here?”

“It’s home,” I said defensively. “Goodnight, Declan.”

I turned to walk up the rickety wooden steps to my door, desperate to get inside and away from him. My foot caught on a loose board. I gasped, my arms flailing as I started to fall.

He moved faster than I thought possible. His arm shot out, wrapping around my waist to catch me. But my momentum was too much. I crashed into him and we both tumbled onto the damp, overgrown grass in a tangled heap.

For a second, we just lay there, stunned. Then I became hyper-aware of his body under mine, the solid warmth of him, the scent of rain and forest and him.

I pushed myself up, my hands on his chest.

“I’m so sorry, I...”

He was looking up at me, his blue eyes dark and intense in the moonlight. All the humor was gone from his face, replaced by something raw and hungry.

My apology died in my throat. The world shrunk to the space between us. My heart was hammering again, but for a completely different reason.

I tried to get up, but his hand came up to cradle the back of my head, his fingers tangling in my hair.

And then he pulled me down and our lips met…!