PARIS’s POV

She was not answering my calls.


Truth be told, I don’t know why I was expecting something different. It’s not like I had given her a reason to be at my every beck and call. It was a surprise, that with everything I had done, she had simply not blocked my number. That was exactly what I deserved.

I stood in front of the stables as I considered the building Ember had put her back to way back when at the beginning.

“I may not have had any input as to how this house was built or decorated, but I want to have something to do with this.” She told me when she presented the layout to me.


I had thought she was crazy, but it amused me, and I promised to help her. She worked with the bricklayers and was relentless right until the day she got exactly what she wanted.

She got the horses right from when they were yet still babies and had tended to adulthood.


She even had a mare, called Gracie, that she would joke around and tell me was her spirit animal. Perhaps it was because even now, Gracie looked at me with expectant eyes as I made another call to Ember that was ignored.

I sighed and stuffed the phone in my pocket,

“Sorry, Gracie. But she seems bent on not picking up my calls as it seems.” I said and reached over to run my hand over Gracie’s mane.

Heartbreak was a curious thing, what was even more curious was one’s ability to leave everything behind once they decided that they were done with feeling all those spiraling emotions and wanted better for themselves.

If anyone had told me that Ember would ever be able to walk away from this packland and her beloved stables, I would have called them a liar. But she had. And Even now, she was hell-bent on not looking back.

I took Gracie for a ride, and she ran Wild and free, hinting at the fact that she had yearned for it when I returned, I found Jackson outside the stables waiting for me,

“Problem?” I asked as I led Gracie to pale of water,

“Not exactly, except the fact that I haven’t seen you in a while.”

I looked up from Gracie and made a face, “You make it sound as though we are in a union of some kind.”

“I am your beta.” He said and I nodded slowly,

“My beta. Not my wife. But let’s have it, what’s your problem?”

“My problem is you.”

“Me?” I asked, seriously outstanded, but he nodded, proving that he meant what he said.

“Well now, can I know what the matter is?”

“Let’s start with the fact that you missed today’s meeting with the elders of the pack.”

I froze once, before slowly running my hand down Gracie’s mane,

“I’m sure they were well capable of having that meeting without me this one time.”

“Perhaps they were. Surely they were. But you aren’t to exempt yourself from such matters. It will make them question your rule.”

“Question my rule.” I repeated, drawing my brows together, “I’m sure every leader’s rule has been questioned at one point at another. Even the best of the best is bound to be questioned at some point if you ask me.”

“Perhaps. But, it’s best not to give them

Reasons to, don’t you think, Alpha?”

I gritted my teeth and finally sighed, “I'm allowed to have off days, days to myself, am I not, Jackson?” I asked and looked at him and his brows came together in what I knew was worry,

“Is something the matter, Alpha?” He asked and I looked away,

“ what other problem does a man like me have lately, aside from the fact that the woman he loves won’t give him the time of her day,” I said and fed Gracie a carrot.

“Right.” Jackson said and sighed, “But did something else come up Alpha?”

“The roof of this stable is leaking,” I stated and watched his eyes dart to the roof, before looking back at me,

“We can call a repair guy.” He said and shrugged, “I can call him right now.”

“That’s beside the point, Jackson. I don’t want a repair guy. I want Ember. Ember was the one who put these Stables together. She’s the only one who can fix it.”

I probably sounded like an overly emotional withering fool. But I could not help myself.

Perhaps, indeed, that was exactly what I had become after all.

Jackson seemed to look at me that way,

“Ember? You want Ember to fix the roof?”

“Yes, Jackson. Yes, I do! And I’ve done nothing but call her all day, but she doesn’t want to pick up. Why won’t she just pick up?” I questioned and if sounded a bit as though I was whining, I couldn’t help it. I missed Ember.

“Would you like me to give her a call?” He asked and I eyed him,

“You think she’ll respond to you?” I asked and he shrugged,

“It’s worth a try, don’t you think?”

I nodded slowly, “alas, it really is.”

He dug into his pocket and got out his phone, dialed her number, and to my wonder and bafflement, Ember literally responded on just that first call.

I was astonished when Jackson got off the call and was beaming from ear to ear,

“There you have it. Shell repair it.” He said and placed his phone in his pocket,

“But how… how did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Charm her into coming?”

“She sounded really irritated at first. But I think she softened a bit when I brought up the accident with the metal. Plus, just like you said, she put her back into the building of this stables. Of course, she’s interested in its outcome.” Jackson said and yawned,

“Thanks, mate,” I said sincerely, but he waved it away,

“I fixed a new meeting with the elders for tomorrow. They might come pissed, but at least now you have the heads up. “ he said and I shook my head,

“Why would you do that?”

“Because it’s a monthly meeting. One that must be held, regardless of whether you want it or not. It’s tradition, it has to be held.”

“Bollocks to that.”

“Oh well.” He said and was turning away from me. “Pass on my love to Ember. I’m going to lie down. I’ve been on different phone calls all day, and I’m bloody tired.”

“Sure.” I said and turned to Gracie, “Hear that, sweet girl? Mummy’s coming.”

EMBER’s POV

I stared at the house with a heavy heart. Why was it that every time I told myself I would not be returning, something managed to always drag me back?

I didn’t have an answer to that. And I didn’t think I would like to know the actual answer to that.

So I walked through the gates and went straight to the stables. If Paris wasn’t there, I would call him. But my sole business was that stable.

But he was there, waiting for me, and for a moment, I just stood and watched him from where I was.

The man and the horse.

He was with Gracie. My Gracie and I felt a twinge.

He turned when he sensed me I suppose and a slight smile lifted his lips. Once again, I felt that twinge

“You came.” He said and I got closer,

“I did.”