Sleep did not co easily.
Even though Rowan had insisted I stay in one of the guest cabins near the edge of the settlent, my body remained tense long after the pack hall had grown quiet.
The night forest carried familiar sounds — wind brushing through branches, distant water moving sowhere deeper in the valley, the occasional rustle of nocturnal animals.
Normally those sounds would calm .
Tonight they reminded that I was surrounded by wolves who didn’t know .
Wolves who had every reason to distrust .
I turned slightly on the narrow bed, staring up at the wooden ceiling above .
A stranger inside another Alpha’s territory.
If soone had told two days ago that this would be my life, I would have laughed.
Two days ago, I had been part of the Blackthorn pack.
Quiet. Invisible.
Safe in the predictable rhythm of pack life.
Then Kael had spoken those three words. I reject you.
My chest tightened slightly at the mory. Even now the broken bond still lingered like a dull ache sowhere deep inside . Not as sharp as before. But still there.
My wolf shifted faintly, restless.
She had been unusually alert ever since we entered Rowan’s territory. Not frightened. Just aware. As if she sensed sothing important about this place that I couldn’t fully understand yet.
Eventually exhaustion pulled into a light sleep.
The sound of voices woke . At first I thought I was still dreaming. But then I heard it again. Low conversation. Outside the cabin. I sat up slowly.
Sunlight filtered through the small window beside the bed, casting pale gold across the wooden floor.
My body still felt sore from the rogue fight and the long night of walking, but curiosity pushed toward the door.
Carefully, I opened it.
Two wolves stood several ters away, speaking quietly near the path that led toward the main clearing.
They noticed imdiately. Their conversation stopped. Both of them straightened slightly. Neither looked particularly friendly.
One of them — a broad-shouldered man with dark hair — folded his arms.
"So," he said.
"You’re the stranger."
Direct. Not hostile. But not welcoming either.
"I suppose I am," I answered calmly.
His eyes studied carefully.
"You ca in with the Alpha last night."
"Yes."
"That’s unusual."
"I’m beginning to realize that."
The second wolf, a woman with sharp eyes and long braided hair, tilted her head slightly.
"You’re from Blackthorn territory."
The statent wasn’t a question.
"Yes."
Her expression hardened.
"Blackthorn wolves don’t usually wander this far from ho."
"Neither do rogues," I replied.
"But we ran into those too."
A brief silence followed. They exchanged a glance.
"You fought them?" the man asked.
"I survived them."
"That’s not the sa thing."
"No," I agreed.
"It isn’t."
The woman stepped closer.
"Why did you leave your pack?"
The question landed like a stone. I hesitated. Not because I didn’t know the answer. But because I knew exactly how it would sound.
"Mate rejection," I said finally.
Their reactions were imdiate. The man’s eyebrows shot up. The woman’s eyes widened slightly.
"Rejected?" she repeated.
"Yes."
"By who?"
I t her gaze.
"Kael Blackthorn."
Silence fell between us. Even the wind seed to pause. Then the man let out a low whistle.
"That explains a lot."
"Does it?"
"Blackthorn Alpha doesn’t make small decisions."
I shrugged.
"Apparently."
The woman studied more carefully now. Not with suspicion. With curiosity.
"You walked away from a mate bond."
"I walked away from humiliation."
She nodded slowly.
"That makes more sense."
Before either of them could ask another question— A familiar voice spoke behind us.
"That’s enough."
All three of us turned. Rowan stood a few steps down the path. His presence changed the atmosphere instantly. The two wolves beside straightened. Not out of fear but respect.
"Alpha," the man said.
Rowan’s gaze moved briefly between us.
"You’re interrogating my guest."
The woman crossed her arms.
"We’re asking reasonable questions."
"And she answered them."
"She’s still a stranger."
Rowan’s voice remained calm.
"Yes. But she’s here because I allowed it."
The man shifted slightly.
"No one’s questioning your authority."
"Good."
The word settled heavily in the air. Because it wasn’t a suggestion. It was a statent.
Rowan looked at .
"You’re awake early."
"I woke up to an interview."
A faint hint of amusent appeared in his eyes.
"That sounds unpleasant."
"I’ve had worse mornings."
Rowan nodded toward the path.
"Co with ."
The two wolves stepped aside imdiately.
I followed Rowan through the trees, leaving the tense conversation behind. After several minutes of walking, the sounds of the main settlent faded. We reached a higher ridge overlooking the valley where the pack lived. From here, the entire territory stretched below us.
Cabins. Training grounds. Smoke rising from cooking fires. Wolves moving through the morning routines of pack life.
I crossed my arms.
"Your pack doesn’t trust and want here."
Rowan stood beside .
"They don’t know you."
"They know enough to be cautious."
"That’s their job."
"And yours?"
"My job is deciding who deserves that caution."
I glanced at him.
"And you decided I don’t."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Rowan’s gaze remained on the valley.
"Because you crossed a border alone after being rejected by an Alpha."
"That sounds more reckless than trustworthy."
"Maybe."
He finally looked at .
"But wolves who run from sha usually run toward sothing else."
"Like what?"
"Power. Revenge. Control."
His eyes held mine.
"You didn’t."
I frowned slightly.
"And that ans?"
"It ans you left because you refused to be small."
Sothing about that answer made my chest tighten slightly.
Before I could respond— A distant howl echoed across the valley. Rowan’s head turned instantly. My wolf reacted the sa way. That wasn’t one of his wolves. It was too far away. Too unfamiliar.
Rowan’s expression darkened slightly.
"That," he said quietly, "is a problem."
I looked toward the forest line in the distance.
"What kind of problem?"
Rowan’s voice remained calm.
"The kind that suggests we’re not the only ones paying attention to the borders."
My pulse quickened slightly.
"You think soone’s coming?"
Rowan’s gaze moved slowly across the forest.
"Yes."
A cold realization settled in my chest. Because if another pack had started watching Rowan’s territory— Then the quiet peace I had found here might not last very long.
And sohow... I had the feeling that whatever was coming next—
Had sothing to do with .
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