Broken Vows

The day I dragged a dying Alpha through enemy woods with blood on my hands was the day my whole life changed forever. Six years ago I was just sixteen and terrified. Arrows whistled past my ears as enemy wolves crashed through the trees. Alpha Viktor lay half dead on the ground, his chest torn open from claws. I did not think. I grabbed his arm, threw it over my shoulder, and ran. My legs burned. My lungs screamed. When one attacker leaped at us from the side I snatched a fallen dagger and drove it straight into his throat. Hot blood sprayed across my face. I kept pulling Viktor until we reached our pack borders, screaming for help until my voice gave out. Now at twenty two I still carry that memory like a scar I touch every day. I walked through the bustling Silverfang Pack grounds this morning with the sun warm on my skin. Wolves nodded at me with respect. Children ran past laughing. The air smelled of fresh bread and pine. This was home. My home. A loud voice boomed across the main square. “Astrid! Come here my girl.” Alpha Viktor stood tall on the raised platform surrounded by the pack. His broad shoulders filled out his dark tunic. Gray touched his temples now but his eyes still burned with that same strength I remembered from the forest. He waved me forward with a big grin. I stepped up beside him and smiled. “What is all this for?” He laughed deep and warm. “You know exactly what this is for. Six years since you saved your old Alpha’s life. The pack never forgets.” He reached into a small wooden box and pulled out a beautiful moonstone necklace. The stone glowed soft blue in the light. “This belonged to my late mate. Today I give it to you.” Gasps rose from the crowd. I touched the cool stone as he fastened it around my neck. It felt heavy and important. “Thank you,” I said quietly. “I do not know what to say.” Viktor turned to the pack and raised his voice. “Let everyone hear this again. Astrid is my adopted daughter. She proved her loyalty with blood. When the time is right she will marry one of my sons. Kieran or Draven. That is my vow and it stands.” Cheers broke out. Some wolves clapped hard. Others whispered but I ignored them. My heart beat faster at the words I had heard many times before. Viktor squeezed my shoulder. “You deserve this and more. Now go enjoy the day. We will talk more at dinner.” I stepped down from the platform feeling eyes on me. The moonstone rested cool against my collarbone as I walked toward the training grounds. My steps felt lighter. Kieran was already there swinging a practice sword against a wooden post. Sweat glistened on his strong arms. His dark hair stuck to his forehead. At twenty six he looked every bit the future Alpha. Tall. Confident. Dangerous in the best way. He spotted me and his face lit up. “There she is. Come to finally beat me today?” I picked up a wooden staff and twirled it once. “Only if you stop going easy on me.” He laughed and stepped into the ring. “Easy? Never. You saved my father. You get the real version.” We circled each other. Our weapons cracked together hard. I blocked his swing and pushed back. “You have been training harder,” he said between strikes. His voice carried that teasing tone I loved. “Planning to protect me one day?” “Maybe,” I answered with a grin. “Someone has to keep the future Alpha alive.” He dodged my staff and tapped my side lightly. “You already did that for the current one. Now you get to stand beside me. Father made that clear today again.” My cheeks warmed. We traded blows faster. Each clash sent vibrations up my arms. Sweat ran down my back but I did not care. Being close to him like this always felt right. Kieran lowered his sword after a few minutes and wiped his forehead. “You looked happy up there with Father. The necklace suits you.” I touched the moonstone. “It feels special. He keeps reminding everyone about the vow. Does that bother you?” He stepped closer. Our eyes locked. “Bother me? Astrid you have been part of this family since the day you dragged him home bleeding. I remember the stories. You were fierce even at sixteen.” I smiled. “I was scared mostly.” “But you did it anyway.” He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from my face. His fingers lingered a second longer than needed. “Soon everything will line up. The pack will see what I already know.” My heart skipped. I wanted to ask what he meant exactly but Draven appeared at the edge of the training ring. “Training again?” Draven said. His tone stayed polite but his eyes looked distant. At twenty four he kept his words careful around me lately. “Father is still talking about the vow in the square.” Kieran nodded at his younger brother. “Good. It needs repeating.” Draven shrugged lightly. “Some wolves are asking questions. Bloodlines and all that. You know how it goes.” I straightened my shoulders. “Your father decides these things. He made a promise.” Draven gave a small nod. “Of course. Just stating what I hear.” He turned and walked toward the armory without another word. Kieran watched him go then looked back at me. “Do not mind him. He has been in a mood lately. More border reports coming in.” I leaned on my staff. “Is something wrong out there?” “Nothing we cannot handle.” Kieran smiled again but it did not reach his eyes completely. “Father wants us all at the gathering tonight. He will probably remind everyone about you once more.” I laughed softly. “He does love reminding people.” “He loves you,” Kieran said. His voice dropped lower. “We all do in our ways. You saved him. You saved the heart of this pack.” We stood close. The air between us felt charged like before a storm. I could smell the pine on his skin mixed with sweat. My pulse quickened. “Tell me something,” I said. “When you think about the future what do you see?” He tilted his head. “I see the pack strong. Borders secure. And you standing right where you belong. With us. With me if the Goddess wills it.” My breath caught. Those words wrapped around me warm and hopeful. I had loved Kieran for years. Not because of any mate mark. Just because of who he was. The way he fought. The way he listened. The way he looked at me like I mattered. “Careful,” I teased to hide how much his words meant. “People might think the elder heir has gone soft.” He grinned wide. “Let them. I know what I want. And soon everything will fall into place.” We sparred a little more after that. Our laughter mixed with the sound of wood hitting wood. The sun climbed higher. For those moments everything felt possible. The vow. The future. Him. I pushed away the small worries at the edges of my mind. Draven’s cool distance. The whispers from some wolves. None of it mattered. Alpha Viktor had my back. Kieran saw me. The pack was my family now. As we walked back toward the main grounds side by side Kieran bumped my shoulder playfully. “Tonight at dinner we sit together. Like old times.” “I would like that,” I said. He stopped for a second and looked at me straight. “Soon everything will fall into place Astrid. I promise.” His words settled deep in my chest full of light. I believed him. The moonstone necklace felt warm now against my skin like it carried hope too. The day stretched ahead bright and full of possibility. Whatever came next I was ready.