Chasing Feyre: Cold Alpha's Beta Mate | Night Vow Books

CHAPTER ONE

Opening Chapter

FEYRE

FEYRE

The scratch of pen on paper fades into a hum as I stare at the battle plans spread across the oak table.

My fingers trace the inked formations, and a voice cuts through my focus.

“What do you think about that, Feyre?”

Asher’s question pulls me back to the council room.

I lift my head, meeting the gazes of every warrior and advisor seated around me.

Their eyes hold expectation, the kind that comes with relying on the only female beta in our territory’s history.

I give a single, firm nod.

“It’s solid. If our warriors shift their formations mid-fight, they’ll throw any enemy off balance before they can react.”

A low rumble of approval rolls through the room.

Heads bob in agreement. One warrior adds a tweak to the strategy, another builds on it, and the tight tension that clings to every pack meeting melts away just a little.

Satisfaction never lasts long in the Midnight Pack.

We clawed our way back from the brink of extinction once, and peace has always been a fleeting visitor here.

One by one, the council members file out, their steps lighter now that a plan has been set.

Beneath my skin, my wolf Naya stirs.

The feeling coils tight in my chest, watchful and patient.

There must be something unusual.

I noticed, then I tried to push the feeling down: Leaders do not waste time on shadows.

Soon, only Asher and I remain.

Staying behind after council meetings has been our habit for years.

It started when we were too young and too stubborn to believe the pack would hold without one last check.

Now it is just us, two wolves who rebuilt a home from ash.

Asher leans back against the table, arms crossed, his gaze studying me with a mix of authority and soft concern.

At twenty-five, he is the Alpha of the Midnight Pack, and my oldest friend. Titles have never been able to define what we are to each other.

“I trust you to handle the territory exchanges,” he says. “You always see the details everyone else misses.”

“I’ll go over the rookie rosters tonight,” I reply, closing my folder with a soft click. “Some of those kids belong in support roles, not on the front lines.”

A faint smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “That’s exactly why you’re my beta.”

The word still carries weight, even after seven years.

I became beta at sixteen, a choice that made every neighboring pack whisper.

Too young, they said.

Too female, they sneered.

They watched us wait for the day our inexperience would destroy everything.

They never got that day.

I am twenty-three now, a female beta who stands beside her Alpha without flinching.

Asher and I built this pack back together, piece by piece, after the attack that killed his parents and our strongest warriors.

The memory hangs between us, unspoken but ever present.

He stepped into leadership too soon, and I stepped at his side without a single moment of hesitation.

Not because fate told me to, just because someone had to.

Asher slips into the role of overprotective sibling more often than I like, but I tolerate it because it comes from love.

His mother, the late Luna of our pack, took me in when I was four years old.

A rogue wolf had torn through my home, leaving my parents dead in the forest and me alone.

She gave me a new family when mine was burned to the ground.

The rogue was never found.

The elders closed the case, called it a random attack, a tragedy we had to move past. Their words never quieted my grief.

Some nights, when the moon hangs low and the woods go still, I wonder if the beast that killed my parents still breathes under the same sky.

That thought sharpens every instinct I have, every strike I land, every choice I make as beta.

Asher’s gaze flicks to me, catching the distant look in my eyes. “You’re overthinking again.”

I huff softly. “Occupational hazard for the pack’s beta.”

He chuckles, but his expression softens into seriousness. “You’re doing good, Feyre. The whole pack knows it.”

I nod, but my chest tightens.

Respect among wolves is earned every single day, never given freely.

We do not survive on trust alone.

The conversation shifts to logistics and training schedules, but my mind drifts.

Twenty new graduates, all eager to fight, all desperate to prove their loyalty.

Fighting is in our blood, a instinct woven into every wolf’s soul.

We protect the pack, or we lose everything.

Fate has a way of weaving itself into our lives, whether we welcome it or not.

Every werewolf has a mate, chosen by the moon long before we learn to shift.

Most find their bond at eighteen, a sudden, overwhelming pull that changes their lives forever.

I shifted for the first time at fifteen.

The pain seared through me, hot and unrelenting, and I still remember the scent of blood and dirt when it ended.

Naya woke inside me fierce and unyielding, a part of me I had never known but always recognized.

The mate bond never came.

At eighteen, nothing.

No pull. No recognition. Just silence.

Back then, I was grateful.

The pack needed me focused, and love felt like a weakness I could not afford. Part of me still believes that.

But as the years pass, the uncertainty grows.

If I ever find my mate, I want him to be kind. Steady.

I want him to be someone who sees me, not just the beta of the Midnight Pack.

I want him to choose me, not because the moon demands it, but because he wants to.

The thought feels foolish, a fragile dream I keep locked away.

Naya stirs again, sharper this time, a jolt of warning that races down my spine.

Something is coming.

I straighten my posture, forcing the instinct down as Asher gathers the last of the files. I turn to him, my tone low and firm, leaving no room for delay.

“I’m going to find Cami. I have to speak with her at once.”

Asher’s jaw tightens faintly. He catches the unspoken urgency in my tone and does not waste words on needless questions.

Outside the council room, the pack goes about its day, completely unaware of the danger creeping toward our borders.

I have never ignored my instincts.

Right now, they are screaming that the fragile peace we fought so hard to build is about to break. And this time, the threat may be closer than I ever could have imagined.

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CHAPTER TWO

The Story Continues

FEYRE

I’m practically jogging to keep up with Cami.

The forest’s hush isn’t peace, it’s a lull.

I can’t help glancing at her every few seconds, Naya pacing restlessly in my head.

Cami is a healer, rare and vital, but she can’t mend her own wounds.

She is soft, too trusting, and this border’s been twitchy lately.

I should’ve insisted she bring backup.

Cami glances over her shoulder, a teasing smile tugging at her lips. “Chill out, Feyre. You’re acting like a mama wolf guarding her pup.” She slows her steps so we’re walking side by side, her tone softening. “I know you’re worried, but I’ve patrolled this border a hundred times. I can handle myself.”

I snort, but my shoulders relax a little.

“Handle yourself? You once tripped over a root and sprained your ankle while gathering mint. If a rogue showed up, you’d be defenceless.”

Cami laughs, swatting my arm playfully. “Hey, that root was evil! Besides,” she says, her eyes lighting up with that familiar hopeful glint, “I’m still holding out for my mate. He must be tall and kind, and he will protect me.”

I roll my eyes, but there’s no bite to it.

“You’ve described half the pack. Good luck narrowing it down.”

“Hey, a girl can dream,” she says, swinging her herb pack gently. “What about you? Still pretending you don’t care about finding your mate?”

I shrug, shoving the thought aside like I always do. “I have a pack to help run. Mates are the last thing on my mind.”

It’s only half a lie. I’m not opposed to the idea, not really.

Cami bumps my shoulder, her smile softening. “You’ll see. When it happens, you won’t be able to deny it. It’s not just fate, it’s feeling.”

I shake my head, but before I can retort, she points to a cluster of green leaves just off the path. “Look, those are feverfew. I need a few sprigs for the infirmary. Wait here, I’ll be two seconds.”

I nod, my unease creeping back as she veers toward the undergrowth. “Hurry. And yell if you see anything weird.”

She waves a hand over her shoulder, already bending to pluck the herbs.

“Relax! I’m a healer, not a target.”

Five minutes pass, and I’m about to call out to her when Naya suddenly freezes.

A sharp jolt of panic shot down my spine.

The mindlink bursts open before I can even think, Cami’s voice thin and broken.

“Feyre.” My heart lurches. I’ve never heard her sound so weak, so scared. “Help me. Please.”

Fear slices through me so sharply my vision blurs.

I’m moving before I can process the words.

“What happened? Where are you?”

“I… I was attacked,” she gasps, each word a struggle. “A rogue. It came out of nowhere. I’m hurt, Feyre.”

The whole world narrows to her voice, to the sound of her labored breathing.

“Don’t fall asleep,” I snarl, pushing my legs harder, ignoring the burn in my lungs. “Tell me where you are. I’m coming, I promise.”

“I don’t know,” she sobs. “North. Dense trees. Everything’s spinning. I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

Her link flickers, weakening by the second.

I let instinct take over, my senses stretching until I lock onto her scent.

I find blood before I find her.

Her chest rises in shallow, uneven breaths, and my throat tightens until I can barely breathe.

“Oh, Cami,” I choke, dropping to my knees and carefully lifting her head into my lap.

Just then, I feel them before I hear them.

Five, maybe six heartbeats, steady and alert, closing in behind me like a wall.

Their presence presses against my back, heavy with authority, and I straighten instinctively, keeping Cami cradled in my arms, refusing to turn.

These aren’t my wolves.

A moment passes, and the air shifts.

Footsteps approach from the side, slower than the others, deliberate.

Black boots stop just in my peripheral vision, polished and sharp, and I force myself to look up.

His frame is broad, and his grey eyes cut through me like shards of ice.

He’s definitely the Alpha.

“You’re a Beta,” he says, his voice is deep, cold, no warmth at all.

“Yes,” I reply. “Beta Feyre of the Midnight Pack. A rogue attacked my friend near your territory. She needs immediate medical attention. Now.”

His gaze flicks briefly to Cami, then back to my face.

Something unreadable settles in his expression, curiosity, maybe, but not concern. “I’ve heard of you. The girl who became Beta at sixteen.”

Then it hits me. The scent.

Cedarwood, cold mountain air, and raw, unyielding power.

It crashes into my senses so hard my breath stutters, my heart stalling for a split second before slamming against my ribs.

Naya howls in my head, warm and urgent, a sound I’ve never heard from her before.

Mate.

Mine.

For one terrible, hopeful heartbeat, I wait for recognition.

For his eyes to soften, for him to feel it too.

Relief floods me, here, a strong Alpha, my mate.

He’ll help Cami. He’ll understand.

He’ll be the steady presence I’ve quietly hoped for.

But the moment passes. He looks away without hesitation, like whatever just passed between us was nothing, a trick of the wind.

The spell shatters, leaving me breathless and off balance, my chest tight with confusion and something dangerously close to hurt.

“Which direction did the rogue flee?” he asks, his voice as cold as before.

The question catches me off guard, and I blink, still reeling.

“I don’t know. My priority was getting to her. She was dying.”

Surely he felt it, that bond wasn’t one-sided.

But he’s acting like I’m just another inconvenient someone.

His brows knit together slightly. “You crossed into another pack’s territory seeking assistance without knowing where the attacker went?”

The words land like a punch to the gut.

My grip tightens around Cami, anger flaring hot in my chest. “She was bleeding out!” I snap, my voice cracking with frustration. “You expect me to grill her about where the rogue went while she’s fading in my arms?”

His eyes harden, the air around him turning colder. “When you request help, you provide what you can to help us neutralize the threat. That is common sense.”

Common sense.

The phrase slices deeper than I expect.

“My friend’s life comes first,” I retort, my voice rising. “If that means I don’t have the luxury of mapping out a rogue’s retreat, then so be it.”

“Then perhaps,” he replies evenly, “next time your pack should avoid splitting up near contested borders.”

He turns away before I can respond, already issuing orders to his wolves. “Check the borders. Don’t stop until you find the rogue. Double the patrols, no one gets in or out without clearance.”

Then he gestures sharply to two of his warriors. “Take her friend to the infirmary. Make sure she’s stable. Then send a runner to inform her Alpha.”

“He shouldn’t let his members stray so far from their nests. Especially ones who can’t even protect a healer.”

The insult hits home, and I’m on my feet before I can stop myself, my fists clenched so tight my nails dig into my palms.

“You watch your mouth,” I snarl. “I didn’t come here for your judgment. I came here for help.”

He pauses, glancing over his shoulder.

“Help was given,” he says, his voice final. “Now stay out of my way.”

As his warriors lift Cami carefully, I call Asher.

Just staring at the cold Alpha's back, my blood boiling.

He felt it. I know he did.

The bond, the pull, the way everything inside me snapped into place when our eyes met.

But he chose to ignore it, to treat me like a careless beta, my friend like a burden.

Naya growls in my head, fierce and unyielding.