Camila's POV
Warmth.
That was the first thing I felt when consciousness slowly pulled me back. A soft heat wrapped around me, chasing away the cold that had settled deep in my bones. The scent of earth, pine, and something distinctly masculine filled my senses, grounding me before I even opened my eyes.
I was no longer in the forest.
My eyelids felt heavy as I forced them open, blinking against the soft glow of candlelight. The ceiling above me was wooden, sturdy beams running across it. I shifted slightly, and a sharp pain flared in my shoulder, making me wince.
"You're awake."
The deep, familiar voice sent a jolt through me.
I turned my head, my muscles protesting the movement, and my breath caught when I saw him.
The man from the forest.
He stood near the fireplace, his arms crossed over his broad chest, watching me with unreadable eyes. The flickering flames cast shadows over his sharp features, accentuating the powerful lines of his jaw and the intensity of his gaze. He looked just as commanding as he had when he stopped the warriors—dangerous, yet… controlled.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "Where…?" My voice came out hoarse, barely above a whisper.
"My cabin," he answered simply. "You collapsed. You lost a lot of blood."
I shifted slightly, glancing down at myself. The torn remains of my dress had been replaced by a soft, oversized shirt that didn't belong to me. My injured shoulder was carefully wrapped in fresh bandages, the fabric tight but not uncomfortable.
Panic shot through me, and I tried to sit up, only to feel a strong hand press gently against my good shoulder, keeping me in place.
"Don't," he warned, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You're still weak."
My pulse pounded as I looked up at him. "Who are you?" I asked, my voice steadier now.
He held my gaze for a long moment before answering. "Nathaniel Blackwood."
My stomach twisted. I knew that name.
The Alpha of the Shadowcrest Pack.
Feared. Respected. Ruthless.
A man I had only heard whispers about but never thought I would meet.
And now, he had saved me.
Nathaniel Blackwood.
The name echoed in my mind, sending a cold shiver down my spine despite the warmth surrounding me. Shadowcrest's Alpha. A man known for his strength, his ruthlessness, and the way his enemies never lived to tell their tales.
I had fallen straight into the den of a wolf more dangerous than any I had ever encountered.
My fingers clenched the blanket draped over me, my body stiff with caution as I forced myself to meet his gaze. His dark eyes didn't waver, steady and unreadable, but there was something about the way he watched me that made my stomach twist. Not hostility. Not cruelty. Something else.
"I remember…" My voice was still hoarse, but I pushed through. "The forest. The warriors. You stopped them."
His jaw tensed slightly, as if the memory annoyed him. "They were out of line," he said simply.
Out of line? They had been ready to rip me apart. He had stopped them with nothing more than his presence, a single command.
Power.
It radiated from him, thick and suffocating, even when he wasn't speaking.
I swallowed. "Why?"
He tilted his head, as if considering the question. Then, after a long pause, he sighed and leaned back against the wooden table behind him.
"Because I don't like watching senseless violence," he said.
A strange answer for a man like him.
I didn't believe it.
There was something else, something unspoken.
"You're not from this territory," he continued, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Who are you?"
I hesitated.
The truth could be dangerous. The wrong words could turn this situation from uncertain to fatal. But lying to an Alpha—especially one like Nathaniel Blackwood—felt like an even greater risk.
I licked my dry lips. "Camila."
His expression didn't change. "Camila what?"
Another pause. My real name could mean nothing to him, or it could mean everything.
I took a slow breath. "Camila Hayes."
Nathaniel studied me for a moment, his gaze unreadable, but I didn't miss the way his fingers twitched slightly against the table. As if the name meant something to him.
The silence stretched, thick with unspoken tension.
Then, finally, he pushed off the table and stepped closer, stopping just beside the bed. He was tall—so tall that even sitting up, I felt small beneath his shadow.
"Camila Hayes," he murmured, as if testing the name. Then his lips curved, just slightly.
"Interesting."
Nathaniel's voice broke the silence once again, though this time there was an edge to it, an unspoken command that I couldn't ignore.
"You're quiet, Camila. Do you always hide behind silence?" He leaned in, his proximity causing my breath to hitch, but his gaze softened just enough to make the air feel less suffocating.
I frowned, not sure how to respond. Every instinct screamed at me to say something, anything, to avoid falling further into this web of unpredictability. But I had to know. My curiosity had grown stronger than my fear.
"You were in the forest," I said slowly, my voice hoarse. "What were you doing there?"
Nathaniel stood near the fireplace, his arms crossed as he watched me, his golden eyes unreadable. For a moment, he didn't answer. Then, with a slight tilt of his head, he finally spoke.
"I was on my way to Silvercrest Park," he said, his voice as smooth as ever. "I had a meeting with Alpha Carter."
I stiffened at the name. Alpha Carter.
The same man who had hunted me down like prey.
My stomach twisted. I clenched my hands beneath the blanket, forcing my expression to remain neutral. "Why?"
Nathaniel let out a quiet exhale, as if debating whether to tell me the truth. "Business," he said vaguely.
I narrowed my eyes. "What kind of business?"
His lips twitched slightly, as if he found my persistence amusing. "I was purchasing slaves."
I inhaled sharply. "Slaves?" My voice came out barely above a whisper.
Nathaniel smirked. "Silvercrest is known for its trade. You should know that better than anyone."
A cold shiver ran down my spine. Of course, I knew. The Silvercrest Pack was infamous for capturing rogue wolves and slaves like me and selling them to the highest bidder. If Nathaniel was dealing with them, it meant he was no stranger to that world.
"You're here for the auction?" I forced myself to ask.
Nathaniel didn't answer immediately, but the way his gaze held mine sent a jolt of fear through me.
"You can't—"
"I can," Nathaniel interrupted, his voice steady but firm. "And I will."
I swallowed hard, my mind racing. This was bad. This was very, very bad.