---
Elena's POV
The cabin was warm, but Elena felt frozen inside. Despite Caleb's reassurances and the protective presence of his pack, unease clung to her like a second skin. She lay on the small cot Lila had prepared for her, staring up at the wooden ceiling while the soft crackle of the fire drifted through the room. Sleep refused to come.
Why me? The question pulsed through her mind. What was it about her that had marked her as special? Or cursed?
Her thoughts spun back to Caleb's words outside the cabin: I've lost people before. The haunted look in his eyes was impossible to shake. What had he lost—or who—that left such a deep scar on him? She wanted to ask, to understand, but she barely knew him.
And yet, her heart whispered, you trust him.
Elena rolled onto her side, frustration bubbling up inside her. She couldn't stay here doing nothing. If she was truly marked and if Victor was hunting her because of it, she needed answers. She couldn't hide forever behind Caleb and his pack.
Soft footsteps broke the silence. Elena pushed up on her elbows just as the door creaked open and Lila stepped inside, her braided hair swaying over her shoulder.
"Can't sleep?" Lila asked quietly.
Elena shook her head. "Not really."
Lila offered a small smile, as though she understood perfectly. "It's hard to rest when your world turns upside down."
Elena sat up, drawing the thin blanket around her shoulders. "Do you believe it? That I'm… marked?"
Lila hesitated, studying Elena closely. "I don't know. But Caleb does. And Caleb is rarely wrong."
Elena frowned. "What makes him so sure?"
Lila crossed the room and perched on the edge of a chair, her movements calm and measured. "Caleb's instincts are stronger than most. He's been the pack's alpha since he was barely twenty. He sees things the rest of us don't."
"Like what?"
"Danger. Truth. People." Lila's eyes softened. "And right now, he sees something in you worth protecting."
Elena dropped her gaze to the floor. "I don't understand why. I'm not special. I'm just… me."
"Maybe," Lila said gently, "you haven't figured out who 'you' are yet."
Elena swallowed hard, unable to respond. The truth was, Lila's words hit uncomfortably close to home. She had spent most of her life hiding—behind her quiet job, her routines, her carefully built walls. The idea that there might be something more to her was terrifying.
Lila stood and stretched, stifling a yawn. "Try to get some rest. Tomorrow, you'll feel stronger."
Elena nodded, though she doubted sleep would come any easier. As Lila disappeared into another room, Elena sank back onto the cot, her thoughts still spinning.
---
Caleb's POV
Caleb stood on the cabin porch, his sharp eyes scanning the darkness. The night was still, too still, and the unease gnawed at him like a slow, persistent itch.
Victor wouldn't give up. Caleb knew that much. The bastard was relentless, and if he believed Elena was marked, he would stop at nothing to get her. Caleb's jaw tightened. He couldn't let that happen.
"Can't sleep?" Mason's voice broke through the silence.
Caleb didn't turn as Mason stepped onto the porch, the younger wolf holding two mugs of steaming tea. He handed one to Caleb before leaning against the railing, looking far too relaxed for Caleb's liking.
"Shouldn't you be resting?" Caleb muttered.
Mason smirked. "Shouldn't you?"
Caleb grunted but didn't argue. His mind was too heavy, weighed down by the responsibility of protecting Elena and the dark memories that Victor's presence dredged up.
"You're worried," Mason said after a moment, his tone quieter now.
Caleb shot him a look. "Of course I'm worried. Victor's playing games, and Elena's caught in the middle."
"And you care about her," Mason added.
Caleb froze, his grip tightening around the mug. "It's not like that."
Mason let out a low chuckle. "Sure it isn't. You think the rest of us don't see it? You hover over her like she's made of glass."
"She's not pack," Caleb said sharply. "She's human."
"And that's exactly why you're like this," Mason pointed out, his teasing smile faltering. "You think she's fragile. That you have to protect her."
Caleb turned his gaze back to the forest. "I do have to protect her. Victor—"
"Victor is Victor," Mason interrupted. "You've faced him before. You'll face him again. But this… this is different, isn't it?"
Caleb didn't answer. He couldn't. Mason's words hit too close to the truth. There was something different about Elena. From the moment he saw her, something in him had stirred—a quiet instinct that told him to keep her close, to shield her from everything that hunted her.
It wasn't just duty. It was something else. Something deeper.
"Just don't let it get you killed," Mason said softly, his usual grin absent. "We need you, Caleb. The whole pack needs you."
Caleb glanced at Mason, surprised by the serious edge to his voice. He nodded slowly. "I know."
But as Mason retreated into the cabin, leaving Caleb alone once more, the truth gnawed at him. The pack's safety had always been his top priority. But now, for the first time, he found himself wondering if he was strong enough to keep Elena safe too.
---
Elena's POV
Morning came far too quickly. The sunlight streaming through the cabin windows was pale and cold, chasing away the shadows but not the tension that still lingered in Elena's chest. She pushed herself up and rubbed at her sore eyes, barely rested.
Lila was already awake, setting a pot of coffee on the small stove. Mason sat at the table, chewing lazily on a piece of jerky, while Caleb leaned against the wall, his arms crossed.
"Morning," Lila said warmly, offering Elena a mug of coffee. "You look like you could use this."
Elena accepted it gratefully. "Thanks."
"Did you sleep?" Caleb asked, his voice neutral.
"Not much," Elena admitted. "Too many thoughts."
Caleb's gaze lingered on her for a moment before he pushed off the wall. "We're going to the ridge today. I need to check the borders."
Mason groaned. "What? Why do I have to come?"
"Because I said so," Caleb replied without missing a beat.
Elena blinked. "What about me?"
Caleb turned to her, his expression unreadable. "You're coming too."
"What? Why?"
"Because it's safer than leaving you here alone," Caleb said simply. "And you need to learn the layout of the forest if you're going to survive here."
Elena hesitated, her stomach twisting. She didn't like the idea of wandering deeper into the woods, but Caleb's tone left no room for argument. With a sigh, she set her coffee down and nodded. "Fine."
---
Hours Later
The forest stretched endlessly in every direction, a sea of green and brown punctuated by the occasional bird call. Caleb led the way, his movements confident and sure-footed as he navigated the rough trails. Mason followed close behind, whistling softly to himself, while Elena trailed at the back, trying not to trip over every root and rock.
"How do you even know where you're going?" she asked Caleb, half-joking, half-exasperated.
"I've spent my entire life in these woods," Caleb replied over his shoulder. "They're part of me."
Elena envied that certainty. Caleb belonged here, in the wild. She, on the other hand, felt like an outsider—clumsy and small in the face of the endless trees.
"Careful," Mason said suddenly, grabbing her arm as she stumbled.
"Thanks," Elena mumbled, embarrassed.
Mason grinned. "Don't worry. You'll get the hang of it eventually. Or Caleb will just keep catching you."
"Shut up, Mason," Caleb said, but his tone was almost amused.
Elena shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips despite herself. The brief moment of levity eased the tension in her chest—until Caleb suddenly stopped, his posture going rigid.
"What is it?" Elena asked, her voice dropping.
Caleb didn't answer. He tilted his head slightly, his dark eyes scanning the trees. Mason's grin disappeared as he caught the shift in Caleb's demeanor.
"We're not alone," Caleb muttered.
Elena's blood ran cold.
---