19.2

“Yes, actually,” Nuri said, twirling noodles around her fork. “Temp wanted to know how she’s supposed to prove her strength. Is it anything like what we did in high school?”
“I told you it wouldn’t be months, so how about eight weeks?” Kalmin offered. “As for Tempest... her speed will help, but the academy’s testing makes high school look like recess. Moira had you shift, right?”
“She poked at Temp with a pen for a minute, then told us to shift back.”
Kalmin’s expression darkened. “That’s all she did?”
Nuri nodded, cautious now. “Was she supposed to do something else?”
“Yes,” Kalmin said, flatly. He didn’t elaborate. His food sat untouched, his eyes hardening by the second.
‘Looks like we’ll have to pay Moira a visit,’ he said, ice-edged, in Rian’s mind. ‘I warned her. If she didn’t hold Nuri to the same standards, there would be consequences.’
‘Well then,’ Rian said, just as furious, ‘time for consequences. When are these people going to learn we mean what we say?’
“Kalmin?” Nuri asked, voice low.
He blinked and looked at her again, softer now—but still intense. “When you’re done, head home and keep studying the bylaws. Rian and I have a... chore to take care of. Once we’re back, we’ll answer any questions you have.”
He stood, pulled out a few bills, and laid them on the table. Then, without another word, he leaned down and kissed her forehead—warm and gentle, completely at odds with the storm brewing behind his eyes.
Then he left.
“Okay,” Nuri whispered. She knew exactly what the chore was. And even though Moira brought it on herself, the guilt snuck in anyway.
‘It’s not your fault,’ Tempest said gently. ‘Moira went against Kalmin’s direct orders. She made her choice. You couldn’t have known.’
“I know.” Nuri exhaled as she pulled onto the road. “But I still feel awful.”
‘That’s normal. But we’ve got eight weeks to tackle that mountain of books,’ Tempest said, her focus sharpening. ‘He wasn’t kidding when he said this wouldn’t be easy.’
“Difficult,” Nuri muttered as she parked in front of the house and eyed the tower of books in the passenger seat, “but advantageous?”
‘Exactly.’
She laughed. “You really went with advantageous, huh?”
‘No other word fit quite as well,’ Tempest said, amused.
Nuri rolled her eyes fondly and made three trips inside—books, laptop, and the soft pink notebook Kalmin had quietly left for her.
‘The phone and laptop were practical. But the notebook... that was personal,’ Tempest murmured. ‘You were wondering if Kalmin would show you the same affection he shows Rian, weren’t you?’
“I was,” Nuri admitted, flopping onto her bed with a relieved sigh. “But I thought I kept that to myself.”
‘You did. But I’m you, remember?’
Nuri laughed again, sitting up and flipping open the laptop. “Alright, Temp. Let’s get to it.”
‘Ready when you are,’ Tempest said, settling in, watching as the screen flickered to life.
∞∞∞

"Do you think she's still awake?" Rian asked as Kalmin parked behind Nuri's car.
Kalmin grabbed his spare key and moved Nuri’s car into the garage, then returned to park his own in her spot. "I don't know. It's pretty late," he murmured, checking the time—just after one a.m. "We can check."
‘Yes, and after we check, I’ll take over. I know you're tired.’
Kalmin knocked gently on Nuri’s bedroom door. “Nuri?” he called softly. No answer—just a faint whimper. That was an invitation enough.
He pushed the door open and found Tempest curled in the middle of the bed, half-buried under a nest of books. Her laptop lay discarded on one side, her notebook on the other.
"Oh, Tempest. Did I wake you?" Kalmin asked, stepping quietly into the room.
Tempest shook her head and watched as he crossed the room, sat beside her, and carefully picked the laptop up off the floor, placing it on the bedside table.
“Nuri must’ve passed out,” he murmured, sitting beside her. “So you’re studying while she rests.”
He extended his hand. A silent offer. Tempest closed her eyes and dipped her head toward it in acceptance.
“You’re a good wolf,” Kalmin said, stroking her head gently. “I’m glad she has someone like you—someone who’d give up sleep to help her.”
‘Hey!’ Rian barked inside him, disgruntled, as Tempest melted into the touch and let out a low, pleased growl.
She whimpered as he pulled back, eyes lifting to his with a pitiful look.
“Rian’s getting jealous,” Kalmin said, chuckling when she rolled her eyes and gave a sarcastic yip. “I was hoping you had a personality like Nuri’s. I’m glad to see you do.”
Tempest stuck out her tongue and nudged the pile of books, using her nose to search for a pen.
‘Sometimes I wish I could take over Nuri’s body. Opposable thumbs would be awesome.’
Kalmin laughed. “Here,” he said, opening the laptop and pulling up a blank document. “I’ll get you a keyboard like Rian’s. I know this must drive you crazy.”
"Very," Tempest typed, then immediately backspaced. Writing whole thoughts with a pen in her teeth on a cramped keyboard was already testing her patience.
"Moira?" she typed next.
"What about Moira?" Kalmin asked.
"Dead?"
Kalmin exhaled. “No. Moira’s one of the few people I can’t kill.” He placed a hand gently over the keyboard before she could type again. “The fact that you’re asking means you haven’t gotten far enough in your studies yet.”
He sat back, eyes narrowing in thought. “Moira’s last name is Gerard. Gerard is one of the founding five.”
Tempest blinked, stunned. She hadn’t known that. Now it made sense why Moira was untouchable. It was one thing to kill a pack member—another entirely to kill a descendant of one of the families who built the pack.
“Only one Alpha ever did it. Mitchel. Four Alphas before me—so, about a hundred years ago,” Kalmin said. “Do you know what death by the pack means?”
Tempest shook her head.
“It means every pack member takes a bite of your flesh. First the descendants, then the elders, then the betas, and everyone else in the hierarchy.”
He set the laptop on his lap and typed as he continued. “Show this to Nuri when she wakes up. She’s expected to know this.”
Tempest leaned against his shoulder, reading along.
‘I could listen to him talk for hours. His voice is like a lullaby. I wonder what Rian’s voice sounds like...’
“The five families are Gerard, Murphy, Hackett, Ravin, and Sikstone,” Kalmin said. “Gerards handle education—Moira runs the girls’ school, her brother runs the boys’. The Hacketts are hunters, Ravins are fighters, Sikstones build, and the Murphys… they’re the neutrals. Mediators.”
Tempest reached for the pen again and typed, "Thank you."
“You’re most welcome, sweet wolf,” Kalmin said, kissing the top of her muzzle. “Rian wants to help you study, but don’t stay up too late. Nuri starts training tomorrow, and if you’re exhausted, she will be too.”
‘Training?’ Tempest tilted her head.
Kalmin walked into the bathroom but left the door cracked so she could still hear him. “You’re not the only one being tested for fighting ability. Nuri’s never had formal training, so I’ll work with her during the day. Rian will work with you at night.”
He leaned around the doorframe. “Any other questions before I let Rian take over?”
‘No, give me my mate!’ She thought, but only shook her head.
She panted softly as the black wolf emerged and climbed onto the bed beside her.
‘Mind your manners, Rian. Don’t do anything Nuri and I will have to answer for,’ Kalmin warned from within. ‘She still needs to fight Gael. She can’t do that if you get her pregnant.’
‘I won’t,’ Rian said, exasperated, rolling his eyes as he climbed onto the bed beside her, his steps silent and careful despite his size. Tempest turned, ears perked, watching him approach. ‘Tempest and I already had that talk. We’ll wait until after Nuri graduates. Now go to sleep. Let me have my mate.’
Rian curled around her, nose tucked beneath her chin, and let out a low, contented growl that vibrated against her chest. Tempest responded with a soft whimper, brushing her muzzle along his jaw. He stilled, then leaned into her touch, eyes fluttering closed.
She shifted closer, tangling her legs with his, resting one paw over his heart. Rian’s breath hitched, and he pressed his forehead to hers, their noses touching—barely. His tail swept forward, looping around her back leg to hold her in place. Possessive. Protective. Tender.
Tempest licked the corner of his mouth, slow and affectionate. He answered with a deep nuzzle beneath her ear, his breath warm as it fanned across her neck. When she shivered, he didn’t pull away—he pressed in closer, draping a paw over her side and holding her there, cradled in his warmth.
Their bodies moved in quiet rhythm—breathing syncing, hearts steadying. Neither needed words.
She was his. He was hers.
And even though the moment didn’t cross the line Kalmin warned about, it felt deeper than anything physical. It was a promise. A claim. A quiet declaration sealed not with heat, but with trust.
As Tempest’s attention returned to her book, Rian remained still beside her, his body a barrier between her and the world. He didn’t sleep. He just watched her breathe, holding her like a secret he never planned to let go.