A heavy silence filled the room, broken only by the distant rumble of thunder and the crackling fire. Aria lay stiffly on the bed, watching Alexander through half-lidded eyes. His towering figure leaned against the wall, arms crossed, silver eyes unreadable.
He hadn't left her alone since bringing her here.
It was suffocating.
She didn't know what to do with his presence, with the weight of his gaze pressing against her like a silent interrogation. But she also didn't know how to ignore the truth lingering between them—the bond she felt the moment he touched her.
The way her body had burned at his nearness.
No.
She wouldn't let herself acknowledge it. Couldn't.
The bond was a cruel trick, a twisted game of fate. Because if she stayed here, if she allowed herself to believe in him, in safety… she would be condemning them all.
She had to leave.
Now.
Aria shifted, wincing as pain shot through her side. The wounds were healing—faster than a human's but slower than they should have. She had been weakened. The fight, the blood loss, the endless running—it had drained her. But she couldn't afford to stop.
Not when they were still hunting her.
She took a slow breath and forced herself upright, her fingers curling around the blanket for balance. Her movements were quiet, careful. She slid her feet onto the cold wooden floor, muscles tensing as she prepared to stand—
A low growl rumbled through the room.
She froze.
Alexander hadn't moved, but his sharp eyes locked onto her, his expression dark.
"Going somewhere?" His voice was deep, even, but there was a dangerous edge beneath it.
Aria clenched her jaw. "Let me go."
"No."
Her fingers curled into fists. "You don't understand."
"Then explain it to me."
She hesitated. Tell him, and he'll be dragged into your mess. Lie, and he might let you leave.
"I don't belong here," she said instead.
"You do now." His voice was quiet, but final.
Something inside her snapped.
"Why do you care?" she hissed, standing despite the way her body protested. "I'm a rogue, remember? A threat. You should have left me to die!"
A muscle in his jaw ticked. "Is that what you want?"
"I want to leave."
"No."
"Why?"
His silver eyes darkened. "Because you're my mate."
The words struck like lightning.
Aria's breath hitched, and she took an involuntary step back. She had suspected it, but hearing him say it made it real.
Made it dangerous.
"You're wrong," she whispered, her voice shaking.
"I'm not."
She shook her head. "It doesn't matter."
"It matters to me."
Aria's heart pounded. "You don't get it," she said, voice rising. "If I stay here, people will die. Your pack will die."
A flicker of something dangerous crossed his face. "Who's coming for you, Aria?"
She swallowed hard.
Don't say it. Don't drag him into this.
A sharp knock at the door made them both tense.
Alexander's gaze didn't leave hers. "Stay here."
Then he was gone, stepping into the hall, closing the door behind him.
Aria exhaled shakily. This is my chance.
She turned toward the window. The drop wasn't fatal—she could make it. The moment her fingers touched the glass—
A howl ripped through the night.
Not a call of greeting.
A warning.
Aria's blood turned to ice. No. No, no, no.
She stumbled back from the window just as the door burst open. Alexander stood there, his expression unreadable.
"They're here," he said darkly.
Her stomach twisted. "Who?"
"You tell me," he said coldly.
Another howl. Closer.
Aria's breathing turned shallow. Too soon. They weren't supposed to find me this soon.
Alexander stepped forward. "What aren't you telling me?"
Before she could answer, another sound shattered the night.
A scream.
Not just any scream—a death scream.
Alexander's wolf bristled beneath his skin. He turned to Elias, who had appeared in the doorway, face grim.
"Scouts found three bodies near the northern ridge," Elias said. "Throats torn out. They didn't even have time to shift."
Aria's breath stilled.
She knew that kind of kill.
It wasn't rogues.
It was them.
"We need to get to the border," Elias continued. "Now."
Alexander's eyes flickered between Elias and Aria. His instincts screamed at him—this attack wasn't random.
It was for her.
And she knew it.
"You're coming with me," he told her.
Aria stiffened. "No—"
He grabbed her wrist. A jolt of energy shot through them both, a searing heat that pulsed down his arm. She gasped, and for the briefest second, her golden eyes widened—not in fear, but in something else.
Recognition.
She knew this feeling. She had felt it before.
Alexander narrowed his eyes.
"Who are you really, Aria?"
She didn't answer. She only swallowed hard, her pulse hammering against his skin.
A distant snarl echoed through the night.
The scent of blood thickened.
And then—
A deafening roar shook the ground.
Not a wolf's.
Something bigger.
Something unnatural.
Aria's entire body went rigid. No. It's too soon.
Alexander felt it too. Felt the unnatural energy pulse through the air, thick with power and rage.
His wolf snarled, instinct kicking in. "Elias, take the patrols to the border. Kill anything that moves."
Elias hesitated, his gaze flicking to Aria, but he nodded. "Understood."
The moment he was gone, Alexander turned back to Aria.
"Start talking," he growled.
Aria's lips parted, but before she could speak—
The wall exploded.
A monstrous shape crashed through the wood and stone, sending debris flying. Alexander reacted instantly, shoving Aria behind him as a massive claw swiped through the air, barely missing him.
Dust choked the room. The thing before them was huge—hulking, with jagged black fur and glowing red eyes. Not a wolf. Not a bear.
Something worse.
Aria's breath hitched.
"No," she whispered. "He found me."
The creature lunged.
Alexander shifted in a blink, his massive black wolf colliding with the beast in a snarl of fury. Claws met fur, fangs snapped, and the room became a whirlwind of violence.
Aria's mind raced. She had to run. Had to get out before it was too late.
But her feet wouldn't move.
She couldn't leave him.
Not now.
Not like this.
The beast roared, slamming Alexander into the shattered remains of the wall. He hit hard, momentarily stunned. The creature turned its glowing red eyes toward Aria.
It grinned.
A voice, deep and guttural, slithered into her mind.
"You can't run from me, little wolf."
Fear wrapped around her throat like chains.
He had found her.
And this time, there would be no escape.