Casts 37_Crowned by Fate

Chapter 37 

 Skye’s POV

 The sun cast long shadows across–the orphanage courtyard as I supervised the pups‘ outdoor ytime.

 Nearly two weeks had passed since I’d officially joined Oasisborn Pack, and already the rhythm of pack life felt familiar–morningbat training with Nadia, days at the orphanage with Venus, and asional evenings studying herbs with Lydia.

 I smiled, watching the twins chase each other in circles, theirughter echoing against the adobe walls. These abandoned wolf cubs had quickly imed a piece of my heart.

 Mira, the silent girl who had lost her parents to hunters, now sat beside me on the bench, methodically braiding tiny desert flowers into a crown. She hadn’t spoken yet, but she’d begun seeking out mypany–a victory Venus assured me was significant.

 When the courier arrived, I barely registered his presence until he stood directly before me, an envelope extended in his hand.

 “Miss Skye? This arrived for you today.”

 I epted it with a distracted ‘thank you,” expecting it to be pack business–perhaps new protocols from Venus or training schedules from Nadia. But the handwriting that formed my name sent a jolt through my system.

 I would recognize it anywhere, having spent childhood summerspeting with its owner to produce the neatest lettering.

 Ethan.

 My fingers trembled slightly as I tore open the envelope, Mira momentarily forgotten beside me. The familiar scent of skan pine clung faintly to the paper, a ghost of home that made my throat tighten unexpectedly.

 Dear Skye,

 Your letter arrived on my birthday–perfect timing as always, little sister. I can’t tell you how happy I was to hear from you after all this time, to know that your wolf has finally emerged. I always knew she would. She just needed the right moment.

 Your news about joining Oasisborn Pack caught everyone by surprise. Mother cried when I showed her your letter (happy tears, she insisted). Father tried to hide it, but I saw how his eyes glistened. They miss you terribly, as do I.

 I should tell you that I’ve found my mate–Lily, from the Northern Ridge branch of our extended pack. Wepleted the marking ceremony </bst month. She’s gentle but fierce when needed, reminds me a bit of you, actually. I think you’d like her.

 But there’s something else you should know. Leon was with me when your letter arrived. He opened it first, believing it to be pack busines When he saw your name, Skye… I’ve never seen our Alpha so affected. He was angry–furious, really–that you’ve pledged yourself to another pack. N

 ise he rejected you as his mate, but because he never intended for you to leave Frostshadow permanently. He expected you would return eventually.

 I have to ask–is there a reason you chose Oasisborn specifically? Have you found a Second Chance mate there? If not, I beg you to reconsider your decision. Qasisborn is a fledgling desert pack with little standing or resources. Compared to Frostshadow, they’re practically valueless in the werewolf hierarchy.

 Mother and Father are well and happy, though they would be happier if you came home. Leon would wee you back–he would forgive your absence. Think about it, Skye. Think about where you truly belong.

 Your brother always, Ethan

 I read the letter twice, conflicting emotions surging through me with each word. Joy at hearing from my family warred with indignation at Leon’s presumption.

 He was angry that I’d joined another pack? 

 After publicly humiliating me, rejecting me as his mate, and effectively forcing me to flee? 

 What right did he have to feel betrayed when he was the one who had shattered our bond?

 And Ethan–my own brother–still defending him, still prioritizing Leon’s feelings over mine. Still trying to guide me back into the fold like a wayward sheep. His dismissal of Oasisborn as “practically valueless‘ made my blood boil,

 He had no idea what Adrian and the others had built here, themunity they had created from nothing, the home they had offered to those other packs had discarded.

 Mira tugged at my sleeve, her solemn eyes questioning. I hadn’t realized how tightly I was gripping the letter, nearly tearing it in my anger. I forced a smile, gently epting the flower crown she had finished and carefully cing it atop my silver hair.

 “It’s beautiful,” I assured her, tucking the letter away. “Thank you.”

 Later that evening, after the pups were settled in their beds, I retreated to my hotel room and reread Ethan’s letter, trying to process my feelings more rationally.

 The fact that Leon had been upset by my joining Oasisborn was… unexpected. During those long, painful nights after fleeing Frostshadow, I’d imagined his reaction to my disappearance would be indifference, perhaps even relief–one lessplication in his perfectly nned path to bing Alpha King.

 To learn that he’d expected my eventual return, that he considered forgiving me–as if I were the one who needed forgiveness–ignited an anger I thought long extinguished.

 In a fit of petnce, I nearly crumpled the letter and tossed it away.

 But I couldn’t bring myself to destroy this connection to my family, no matter how frustrating parts of it might be. Instead, I carefully refolded it and ced it in the drawer beside my bed, resolving not to respond immediately. Better to wait until I could write without the heat of emotion coloring my words.

 I regretted sending that letter to Ethan in the first ce.

 It had been a moment of weakness, of homesickness–a childish reach forfort from the brother who had once been my greatest protector. 

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Casts 37