I woke to ice-cold water washing over my skin like a thousand needles.

I woke up abruptly, and the world came into focus-cold and unforgiving.

I soundlessly gasped, my mouth forming a scream that would never find the voice in my throat.

"You're done drooling, mute?" The voice was shrill and acidic.

Cora, another one of Baron's preferred bed warmers. 

She stood over me with an empty bucket and a self-satisfied glint in her eye. 

Her red hair was sex-tousled, lips still swollen and smug.

"I thought you were dead," she said, kicking my ribs with her toe. 

"Shame. Would've been the most useful thing you've ever done so far."

I blinked upwards at the ornate ceiling, at the gold-imprinted crest of Moon Bliss that appeared to be mocking me. I didn't belong here.

I was still in his room, it seems.

The scent of sex still clung to the sheets. 

My clothes were damp, and my hair stuck uncomfortably to the back of my neck. 

The ache in my chest had dulled into a heavier type of pain. 

The type that no amount of biting my tongue would quiet.

I sat up slowly, trembling with cold and something nastier. 

Cora sighed dramatically. 

"Oh, she's alive," she said, turning her back on me and heading toward the bed. 

"Well, Baron says you have to go. "You're dulling the vibe, and we don't like it. 

Baron's voice cut through the silence like a whip. 

"Don't just stand there like a lamb for the slaughter, Eleanor," he said, "Get out."

I turned slowly to look at him. He was on the bed, shirtless, with scratches on his chest, and a smirk on his face.

"You fainted," he informed me with a chuckle. 

"Pretty dramatic if you think about it. 

But I guess that's a trademark of yours at this point. Comes with being weak."

He tilted his head. "You could've at least crawled out on your own. We had a late night."

Cora giggled, drawing her fingers over his chest. "She's always been good at being pathetic."

He didn't even look at me. 

"Get. Out."

I didn't need to be told twice.

I stumbled towards the door, water dripping down my body, my clothes clinging to my shivering form. 

My dignity was already torn to shreds and there was nothing left for them to take. 

But I didn't go straight to my little shack.

No. I needed to breathe.

I veered off the trail as soon as I knew no one was behind me. 

I walked deep into the woods, past the thorn trees and whispering pines, to the clearing I'd found years ago-a secret that no one else knew about.

The waterfall.

It crashed into a crystal pool, its mist rising into the morning sun like a prayer. 

Flowers bloomed where the spray reached the moss. 

Birds darted through the branches above. And for the first time that day, I could almost believe I was real.

I fell to the ground and let the hum of water soothe the bruises inside of me.

 I thrust a hand through my wet hair, closing my eyes, trying to scrub out the sound of Baron's voice.

I closed my eyes and let the tears I was tired of holding back run down my cheeks. Why was I so unfortunate? Why?

I caught sight of a sharp rock at the roots of an old birch tree. If I took it, I could end it all. 

Save myself all this trouble. But I wasn't brave enough to do it.

I wasn't brave enough to kill myself.

I was gazing at the waterfall when I felt it.

It was a small and soft presence and when I opened my eyes, there he was.

A child. Well, not a werewolf pup though.

He sat on the edge of the rocks, barefoot, his legs swinging above the water. 

His skin shimmered faintly, like moonlight on scales, and his ears tapered into points. 

His little teeth were too sharp for a pup at this age.

I tensed, my heart thudding in fear.

He tilted his head and smiled.

"Don't be scared," his voice said-in my mind. "I like your eyes."

I blinked, confused. He hadn't spoken. His lips hadn't moved. But... I'd heard him.

A lyrical giggle rang through my mind. "Of course you can hear me, silly," he said. "You don't talk with your mouth and I don't either. Look? Same-same."

He jumped down from the rock and padded closer, his big shining eyes curious.

"Why are you always sad?" he asked, tilting his head slightly in a questioning manner.

I swallowed hard and opened my mouth. Then I closed it again when I remembered that no words would come out. They never had.

He frowned.

"They hurt you," he said matter-of-factly. The big ones. Especially the one who smells gross."

That made me laugh. Well, as much as I could. The boy smiled too and, somehow, I could feel his joy in me.

He was talking about Baron.

I nodded slowly.

"You shouldn't be here anymore," he said, suddenly serious. It won't be long now. You shine too bright and soon, they'll all notice. You'll meet him today."

Meet him?

I frowned. Pointed to him, then tilted my head.

Who are you?

"A friend," he replied. "I've been watching you for a while." Especially when you come to lay against my tree." He pointed at the old birch tree. 

My eyes caught the stone again, and I turned my face away.

You're the tree? 

I signed. 

"If you want me to be that," he replied, "I am much more though." 

The boy stepped close enough to touch, reached out and laid a small hand on my heart.

"You forgot something," he said. "Inside here."

I had no idea what he meant. I wished I had. I really did. I reached out to hold his hand but-

He vanished.

Like smoke. Like mist. As though he'd never been there at all.

I thought I'd been dreaming, or I'd seen a ghost, but I could still feel the warmth on my cheek where his hand had touched me.

I stood up slowly, my legs shaking, my heart still beating too fast.

I didn't know what he meant. I didn't know what I'd forgotten. But something in me shifted, like a gear finally clicking into place.

Then I heard a piercing howl that tore through the moment, distracting me from what had happened.

The sound was shrill and loud and seemed to come from the direction of the pack grounds.

I turned-and ran.

By the time I'd gotten to the outer clearing near my shack, I knew something was wrong.

Everyone had gathered around my shack. They all seemed to be waiting for someone. For me.

And at the center, was Baron with his regular harem and half the pack.

The Alpha, of course, was not present. He never was. He had abandoned me years ago and left me to my fate.

Baron was in front, his arms crossed, a sadistic smile spreading across his face.

"There she is," he sneered. "Our little stray."

I stopped, my heart racing.

"Don't. "Don't let them see you flinch, I said to myself.

But they already had.

Baron moved slowly towards me.

"The pack has been restless," he said. "Tensions are high, and the people need... entertainment."

Cora snorted. "She'll be perfect for that."

Baron turned to the crowd. "So we're going to play a little game."

I stepped back. I didn't know what he was planning, but I was sure it was nothing good.

He raised a finger. "It's simple. You run. They chased." I turned then and saw some men and women grinning maliciously at me. 

"If you make it over the western ridge before sunrise, you're free for the night."

He paused. A grim smile spread across his face.

"You don't... well, I'm sure they'll have fun ripping you apart."

Laughter rumbled through the pack.

My heart stopped at that moment. I couldn't breathe again.

Baron stepped forward. "You've got two minutes. Best get running, omega."

I didn't move.

And then I saw them.

Real wolves. They are usually kept in the kennels and let out and run wild at times. 

Are they bringing them out now?

It didn't end there. Suddenly, some pack members stepped forward and right before my eyes, they began to shift.

The first changed-bones crunching, skin ripping, fur exploding from muscle and sinew.

Then another.

And another.

My breath hitched.

Run. My wolf, normally dormant, screamed. RUN.

So I did.

I turned and ran into the woods as the howls broke out behind me.

And this time... I wasn't going to stop.

The stench of the palace still clung to me. It was as overbearing as ever.

I was tense by the time I returned to the Blood Moon Pack. 

The Supernatural Summit was a squabble for children, not a meeting. 

"We need to find whoever was in that prophecy and kill her," Oleus had said, annoyingly swirling his wine in his cup.

"It shouldn't come as a surprise that killing a child would be first on your mind, elf," Zolaiah had spat in disgust.

"Hmm," Oleus muttered. "Ogre scum is speaking again". 

What do they call your people again? Uncultured meat sticks?"

Zolaiah was close to throwing a table, and he would've if Rune hadn't stopped him. 

But honestly, that wasn't any of my concerns.

They were all children in royal finery, all of them.

Even Rune had nearly lost her temper. 

The Princess Regent usually played her cards close to her chest, but I'd seen the twitch in her fingers when Daryus-the dragon shifter-dared suggest weakening the central borders for "more flow."

More flow meant more leaks.

More leaks meant more deaths.

Fools, a lot of them.

I remained silent for the most part. I didn't need to speak. But when the high elf Oleus spoke of the plague infecting northern packs, I did-and the room fell silent. 

They always listened when I spoke.

Not because they admired me but because they feared me.

And now, with the taste of royal deceit still on my lips, I stood in front of my pack-house, looking out across the horizon.

Something wasn't right.

"Liam," I said, my voice low.

My Beta looked at me, his brows furrowed. "You felt it too?"

Yes I did. It rode the wind-thick and sharp, like smoke that was heavy with blood. I didn't know what exactly it was, but it made my wolf stir uncomfortably.

I walked down the stone steps and moved a bit, allowing my wolf to rise enough so that I could feel the tug beneath the earth.

"We're doing a check on the northern borders," I said. 

"Now. Gather the guards."

Liam didn't argue. He just tilted his head once, already mind-linking with the guards.

Minutes later, we were all running to the border, four guards behind us, that moved like silent specters among the trees.

"Check for any abnormalities," I spoke through the mind link to my men. " Any sign of a threat, eliminate it."

"Yes Alpha," they responded, their reply echoing in mind.

The forest should have been quiet, but it wasn't.

Leaves cracked where they shouldn't. Twigs snapped somewhere in the distance. The stench-gods, the stench-seared my nostrils.

All I could smell was anger, fear and blood. A lot of it. 

I ran forward, faster, my instincts screaming at me to pump my hind legs faster. Then I heard it.

A howl-raw and muted-not by ears, but by land bond. My land howled out before she did.

Then I saw her.

A burst of pale arms and silver hair, sprinting through the trees like a scared deer. Behind her, wolves ran.

They were neither my pack members nor rogues. But they seemed highly trained, and the smell was off. 

"Alpha," Liam spoke. "They're not ours."

"I know," I spoke back. "Engage with caution." This time around, I broadcast the words through the link to everyone.

The wolves chasing the girl were bigger, in rhythm and coordinated, and it seemed they were unknowingly moving her into my territory.

One of them moved forward to attack her and I didn't think before I acted.

My bones protested, muscles stretching, skin ripping open once more as my wolf was let out. The change happened halfway through the leap.

My wolf didn't waste time running towards the girl, and in this way, I could feel everything more clearly.

I was larger than a normal alpha wolf, my paws dug furrows into the ground. 

My fur, dark as night, ran with ridges of silver down the spine. My eyes-gold and ablaze-locked into the front of the intruders.

I dove at him before he could even blink.

I sunk my teeth into his flesh and ripped it apart. His bones cracked. While I was focused on him, another jumped at my flank.

"Alpha," Liam's voice rang. I ignored him.

I gouged his flesh with a long claw and shredded through his muscles like tissue paper.

The rest tried to close in on me and I invited them.

One hugged my back. I rolled over, crushing him beneath my large frame with a crunch of wet flesh. 

Another nipped at my neck and I grabbed him out of the air and smashed him into the trunk of a tree, the bark shattering when he lay limp on the floor.

Liam charged into the clearing as a wolf, composed but savage, tearing at one of the last wolves. The guards followed, snarling and shifting too.

The forest floor was smeared with blood. But I wasn't focused on the fight anymore.

I was focused on her.

The girl.

She was standing rigidly beside a tree, naked, bleeding, hair disheveled, and eyes wide in terror.

Her scent hit me like lightning.

My wolf stuttered inside me.

Mate.

It was not a question but a fact as clear as day.

Something ancient and primal ripped through my chest, tying me to her with unseen chains. My mind was suddenly focused, and my body locked onto her.

My mate.

But that was impossible. I lost the privilege of a mate long ago. The moon herself told me so.

The woman trembled. She was filthy, broken and really quiet. But my wolf growled in understanding.

Mine. Ours. Guard her. Claim her.

That was all he muttered in my head.

No.

I couldn't have a mate.

Not now. Never.

I fought to suppress the urge to instantly claim her, but the bond blazed like fire in my bones. 

My wolf leaned forward at that moment, his ears drawn back, body low, tail whipping back and forth over the ground like an excited pup as he moved silently toward her, hoping for some sign. Some reactions.

Her lips opened but nothing escaped her lips. Not a single sound.

I tried to nudge her mind, an attempt to speak to her through the link, but all I met was a block, like she'd placed a mental block preventing anyone from speaking to her.

She stared at me like I was the Devil himself.

Then, as she could no longer stand, she fell to the ground.

The bond yanked at my chest so violently I stumbled forward, gagging.

I stepped back, bones clicking back into position, blood slick on my skin, although not all of it was mine.

I stumbled forward, my body roughed up, naked, and I gagged from the sheer pain I felt coming from her.

My naked form looked over her, and then when she raised her and looked at me, her eyes widened.

"Be calm," I said softly. "You're safe now." I won't hurt you."

I know how bad that sounded, especially considering the fact that I was naked, but I needed to calm her down somehow.

Her mouth opened in a silent scream and then she fainted.

"Fuck," I muttered, as I rushed toward her limp frame.

"Alpha," Liam called. I growled possessively, not liking the fact that another man was this close to her.

I closed my eyes and tried to breathe in deeply. "Ready the healers," I told him. "I'm bringing her with me."

Liam didn't ask any further questions and moved to do as I asked.

I gently took the girl in my arms, and my skin signed with electricity.

I could feel my member rising, but I ignored it, determined to get her to safety and me far away from her.

She stirred in my hold but didn't wake up, and I walked back to the pack house.

This girl, this stranger, in my arms was mine.

I didn't even know her name.

And yet I knew then, that everything had just changed.

For the first time in forever, when I woke up, the world wasn't spinning. 

In fact, it was silent, too silent, and too warm to be on the forest floor.

The roof above me was new, with smooth black wood beams, and sunlight seeping between the curtains in narrow strips. 

My fingers were clenched in a blanket that was soft, not tattered like my normal one, and scented lightly with something herbal and fresh.

The last thing I remembered-

I took a breath as it hit me like a punch.

Baron's smirk. The laughter of the pack. The wolves.

The metallic taste of blood in my mouth, as I ran for my life.

And then, I remembered the golden-brown eyes that paralyzed me before everything went black.

I sat up too fast, my heart racing, and froze. 

I was in a bed - not my pallet on the dirty floor, not even a pack-house cot. 

A bed, neatly drawn-up sheets, and I was wearing... something else.

It was a gray, loose cotton shirt and matching soft trousers, too. 

My skin was clean, and there was no dried blood, no grime. 

The sharp sting of my wounds was dulled under neat bandages.

My throat tightened.

Who touched me?

The door opened suddenly, and I suddenly jumped in my bed, ready to bolt, until I saw him.

The man was tall-taller than me with a good head. His broad shoulders took up the doorway, but not in a menacing sort of way. 

His blonde hair caught the light, curling a little at the ends, and his eyes were a pale blue, like glacier water. 

He was young, definitely around my age, but something in the way he stood, with confidence, poise, negated his age.

He smiled weakly, holding up his hands in an open, relaxed gesture. "Don't worry," he said easily, coming closer.

A man didn't get you dressed. You can be assured of that, I promise."

I gazed at him. My muscles were still tense, but... some of the panic seeped out of me.

"I'm Dylan," he went on, pulling a chair up next to the bed. "You're safe here."

Safe. I almost laughed-if I could. Safe was a word that didn't exist in my vocabulary.

"You've been out for a while," Dylan went on. Two days, actually. 

Your injuries were bad, but we cleaned you up, and sewed what needed sewing. Thought you'd wake up sooner, but... guess you're stubborn."

I frowned at him.

"Sorry," he said immediately. That didn't come out right. 

Stubborn's good. Means you struggle to stay alive."

I tipped my head, studying him. His tone wasn't as patronizing as I expected. It was actually... warm.

He watched me hesitate and leaned back, giving me room. "Do you remember everything that happened?"

I hesitated, then nodded once.

His eyes softened. "That will be okay for the time being." 

"You don't need to say more if you don't want to-" He paused, a realization striking him. Wait. Can you... talk?"

The question punched breath from my lungs. I hesitated for a while before I shook my head slowly.

Understanding broke out in his face. "Right. Then we'll figure something out."

He smiled, a slight but genuine one. "It's all right." I can-"

The door opened again, and it was like all the air in the room shifted.

The man who walked in seemed to pull the light in behind him.

He was tall-even taller than Dylan-and he had dark hair that looked like black silk, smoothly combed back.

His shoulders were squared in a way that spoke of power and those eyes-golden-brown, intense, and burning.

Those were the same eyes I saw before I passed out.

My breath caught in my chest.

He looked at me the way a hawk looks at prey-measuring, and calculating. "Who is she?" he asked Dylan, not taking his eyes off me.

"She's the one we found on the border," Dylan replied evenly.

"I'm aware of that, Dylan," the man muttered as he took a step closer. "What were you doing in my territory?"

I flinched before I could stop myself. His voice was low and even, but it had an edge that rubbed wrongly along my spine.

When I didn't answer-couldn't actually-he gritted his jaw. "You don't belong here. So tell me now, who sent you?"

My hands trembled beneath the blanket, and I shook my head.

"Can't you speak?" he asked in a flat voice.

I nodded once.

He breathed out slowly, as if my silence was an inconvenience. "So you can't tell me anything useful."

I swallowed hard.

"Do you at least have a name?" he asked again.

I hesitated, then signed the first letters out of habit before remembering no one here would understand.

His forehead furrowed. "I did ask you a question."

My heart rate spiked, and I heard my wolf whine in the back of my mind.

That is it. This is how I die.

"She's not a threat," Dylan said suddenly, cutting through the tension like a blade.

The golden-eyed man shot him a slashing glance. "You don't know that."

"I do," Dylan said, calm but firm. You pulled her off the ground yourself. If she was dangerous, you'd have felt it."

The man didn't answer immediately. His gaze lingered on me for another long moment, searching, measuring. 

Then, finally, he turned and walked to the door.

"Keep her here," he ordered Dylan. "Don't let her wander."

The door shut behind him with a quiet click, but it felt like a slammed gate.

I let out a long, deep breath, feeling the tension drain from my shoulders.

Dylan faced me again, a little smile on his lips returning. 

Then, silently, he raised his hands and signed" Don't worry. I got you.

I stared at him, my eyes wide.

He knew sign language. Oh my God, he knows sign language!

There was a crack in my chest-something that had been closed off for years. 

My lips curved, hesitantly at first, then fully, into a smile. 

The first in... I couldn't even remember how long.

Dylan smiled back at me. "See? Not so bad here."

And for the first time in years, I think I almost believed it.