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CHAPTER 76
Snow’s POV
I watched Tempest walk away quickly while keeping her shoulders stiff. Her entire frame radiated the turmoil she was keeping bottled up inside.
Even though she’d been brave and defiant, I could feel her pain like it was my own. The bond between siblings was strong, and seeing her like this–broken b the mate bond and by Koda’s indecision–made
something inside me twist uncomfortably.
My hands clenched at my sides, but I held back from intervening. This was her fight.
She needed to figure it out, and I’d learnt long ago that pushing Tempest when she was angry never led to anything good.
The moment she disappeared into the distance, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
Koda was still standing there, rooted in place, looking
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torn between regret and duty.
His gaze lingered on the spot where Tempest had
stood, and I saw the weight of the situation starting to
settle on his face.
“Take care of it,” I said more quietly than I expected. It wasn’t a command. It was a plea.
Koda didn’t answer. He just gave a faint nod while keeping a neutral expression.
Without another word, I turned and left, making my way toward the main house.
My mind was still swimming in the tension, the tangled emotions between Tempest, Aira, and Koda.
The mate bond was supposed to bring people together, not tear them apart like this. But here we were, all caught in the web of fate, trying to find a way out without causing more damage.
I walked briskly toward the council hall, reminding myself I had a meeting with the pack elders. Duty had to come first.
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The meeting dragged on far longer than I expected.
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Discussions about expanding territory, managing resources, and securing alliances filled the room, thankfully, my marriage wasn’t in question anymore, but my mind kept drifting back to Tempest.
Her stormy eyes, the defiance masking her hurt, haunted me. When I finally managed to excuse myself from the meeting after finalizing all that needed my input, the sun was setting, casting a warm golden light over the compound.
I made my way back to the garden, taking the training grounds. I didn’t expect to see Aira or Tempest after what had happened, but I wanted to check on them
anyway.
Maybe offer some kind of support, though I wasn’t sure what I could even say.
As I rounded the corner of the training yard, I froze.
Tempest was there, alone. Her hands wrapped around the wooden sword, she was slashing mercilessly at the training dummy.
Each strike was brutal, her movements filled with anger, precision, and frustration.
She made a great warrior and I nity any enemy who
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would ever cross her.
She wasn’t just training–she was venting. The cracks and thuds of wood against the dummy echoed in the otherwise quiet yard.
Her high length gown blew to the wind, but it did not deter her. Sweat glistened on her skin, her hair a wild mess, but her eyes… they burned with a fury that chilled me. Each swing seemed to carry the weight of everything she couldn’t say.
“Tempest…” I called softly, stepping closer, not wanting to startle her but knowing she already sensed my
.presence.
She didn’t stop. Another strike. Harder this time, as if the dummy were the source of her pain. The poor thing had no chance against her.
“Tempest, enough,” I said, a little firmer.
She spun around, her eyes flashing. “What do you want, Snow?”
I held up my hands in a placating gesture. “I’m just checking on you.”
“Well, I’m fine,” she spat, turning back to the dummy,
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her breaths ragged as she lifted the sword again.
“You’re not fine,” I refuted, taking another step toward her. “You’re angry, hurt-”
“And what do you know about it?” she snapped, spinning around to face me, her eyes blazing. “You think you know what it’s like? To stand there and watch your mate–your fated mate–pine after someone else? My sister?”
I clenched my jaw. “Tempest-”
“No, Snow. Just stop.” She dropped the sword, her hands trembling as she stepped away from the dummy. “It’s not fair. It’s not fair that he wants her and not me. It’s not fair that I’m standing here like a fool while he’s figuring out whether he wants to reject me or keep chasing after Aira.”
I could hear the crack in her voice, the raw emotion she was fighting to suppress. And it broke my heart to see her like this.
“I know it’s not fair. And you can’t blame this on Koda either. The dude just found out in a way that leaves him torn,” I said softly, stepping closer.
“You’re sliding him?” She scoffed, shaking her head.
BIF
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“Hey Temp, that’s not fair. You know I’m not.”
“Neither is my situation,” she retorted.
I sighed. “Tempest, please.
