A WARRIOR'S HEART

CHAPTER FIVE

WILLOW'S POV.

The first thing I felt was pain, even before I opened my eyes. A sharp, pounding headache throbbed behind my eyes, and for a few seconds, I couldn’t even move. My head felt like it was under a rock. The morning light slipped through the curtains, cutting across the floor—too bright for how I felt.

I groaned and turned my face into the pillow. My body ached like I’d been in a fight. My mind was foggy and slow, refusing to wake. For a moment, I didn’t remember what had happened yesterday—why my chest felt so heavy, why my wolf stirred uneasily inside.

Then everything came rushing back at once, like a flood.

Atlas.

My ex-mate.

The rejection. The pain. The years I’d spent trying to bury it. And now—after three long years—he was back. Not only that, I was being forced to return with him to his pack, the Obsidian Crescent, to work with him. For how long? Goddess only knew.

It had all happened too fast. Too suddenly. Too cruelly.

“Moon Goddess,” I muttered, pressing a hand to my forehead, “please tell me it was just a nightmare.”

But my wolf’s quiet presence in my mind told me it wasn’t.

“No dream, Willow,” Lily whispered. Her voice was soft, but there was no comfort in it. “You saw him. You smelled his scent. It was real.”

I groaned again, sitting up slowly. My head spun. I rubbed my temples and tried to breathe through the pain. The events of yesterday replayed in fragments, leaving my stomach twisted in knots.

Dragging myself out of bed, I stumbled toward the bathroom. I had planned to take a quick shower, but when I saw the tub sitting there, I changed my mind. A soak was what I needed—something warm to melt away the ache in my muscles and maybe, just maybe, quiet the storm inside me.

I turned on the tap and watched steam rise into the air. The soft hiss of running water filled the silence. My hands moved automatically as I poured in bath salts, but my thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Three years of avoiding him, and now I had to face him again. Work beside him. Pretend none of it mattered.

Lily shifted inside me, restless.

“We don’t have to pretend, Willow,” she murmured. “We can keep our distance. Focus on the mission. It’s not that hard.”

“That’s easier said than done,” I replied, stripping off my sleep clothes. “You saw his face yesterday. He didn’t look like he was going to make this easy, Lily.”

“He doesn’t remember much after the accident,” Lily said gently. “It’s not his fault if he’s acting a little lost.”

“He wasn’t acting lost, Lily—he was being unnecessarily annoying,” I rolled my eyes, stepping into the tub. The hot water closed around me like a soft blanket. But that didn’t make it hurt any less.

I sank deeper, letting the warmth seep into my skin. The ache in my shoulders eased, and I leaned back with a quiet breath. For a few blissful moments, I just sat there, eyes half-closed, listening to the steady drip of water and my wolf’s thoughts.

Part of me wished I could stay like this forever—safe in the quiet, away from Alpha orders, away from duty, from Atlas, from all of it. But peace never lasted long in my life.

A sudden knock on the door pulled me out of the quiet.

“Willow?” My mother’s voice came through. “Are you all right in there, dear? You’re normally up and about by this time. Alpha Tyler’s downstairs with your father—he’s asking to see you.”

I sighed. “I’m fine, Mom,” I called back. “I’ll be out in a minute!”

“All right, sweetheart, hurry up. Don’t keep the Alpha waiting too long,” she said, her voice fading as her footsteps retreated down the hall.

I let out a long sigh, water rippling around me. Of course he’s here already, I thought bitterly. Couldn’t even let me have one quiet morning.

Reluctantly, I pulled the drain plug and climbed out of the tub. I wrapped a towel around myself and dried off quickly. My thoughts ran circles around my head as I moved—about what would happen once I got to Obsidian Crescent.

I dressed in black jeans and a fitted dark shirt, brushing my hair back with my fingers. The mirror caught my reflection—tired eyes, pale skin, and a woman who didn’t look ready for anything. But there was no choice. I had to be.

As I stepped into the hall, the sound of voices drifted up from downstairs. My father’s deep tone mixed with Alpha Tyler’s smooth, commanding voice. I could already imagine the topic: warriors, patrols, borders, politics—always politics.

I straightened my shoulders and headed down the stairs. Both men looked up as I appeared.

“Morning,” I said, trying to sound composed.

“Willow,” Alpha Tyler greeted with that practiced smile. His dark hair was neat, his suit pressed, as if he had woken up perfectly ready to control everyone’s day. My mother appeared from the kitchen doorway, wiping her hands on a towel.

“Breakfast’s ready,” she said brightly. “Come, everyone, before it gets cold.”

Alpha Tyler lifted a hand. “You two go ahead. I just need a quick word with Willow first.”

My father hesitated, his eyes flicking between us. He looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only nodded and followed my mother out of the room, leaving me alone with the Alpha.

Alpha Tyler turned to me, his polite smile fading. “I trust you haven’t forgotten our conversation from yesterday,” he began. His voice was smooth, but there was weight behind it—an order hidden inside the words. “You leave for Obsidian Crescent later today. I trust you woke up prepared.”

I crossed my arms, trying to push down the irritation flickering inside me. “I don’t need the reminder, Alpha. I remember perfectly.”

His jaw tightened. “I’m just making sure we’re still on the same page, Willow. This mission is too important to mess up for any reason.” He stepped closer, his eyes narrowing slightly. “And one more thing, Willow—while you’re there, I want you to keep an eye on things. Their borders, their warriors—anything that might be of importance to us in the future. You know, just for security purposes, of course.”

I stared at him, unimpressed. I knew him too well. “Security purposes,” I repeated flatly. “Or you mean you want me to spy for you.”

Tyler’s mouth curved into a small smile, one that didn’t reach his eyes. “I wouldn’t call it that.”

“I would,” I said simply. “And I’m not doing it, Alpha Tyler. I’ll go. I’ll serve my duty. But spying on Obsidian Crescent pack—that’s not part of that duty. I’m a warrior, not a spy.”

Silence hung between us. For a few tense seconds, neither of us looked away. The Alpha’s authority pressed faintly against me—like the warning edge of a growl—but I didn’t flinch. I knew Alpha Tyler well enough to know what he was truly up to, and he wasn’t going to achieve that through me.

Finally, Tyler inclined his head slightly, though the muscle in his jaw twitched. “Very well, Delta,” he said. “Do as you see fit.”

“I always do,” I replied calmly.

His eyes lingered on me for a moment longer, as if searching for a crack, then he gave a curt nod and turned toward the window. “Have Lyra ready before you leave.”

Without waiting for my answer, he walked out.

When the door closed behind him, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. My whole body felt tight, wound up like a spring. I hated the way he spoke to me—like every word was a command dressed as a suggestion.

“You handled him well,” Lily murmured, approval in her voice. “He can’t control us, no matter how hard he tries.”

“He thinks he can,” I said, moving toward the kitchen. “But he doesn’t understand that I answer to myself first, before anyone else.”