Who is this man?

Why did he follow me, and why is he risking his life like that to help me?

Questions I couldn't explain as I felt the wolf inside me take over with rage.

But on my way to him, the other wolf lunged at me, and I fell aside with him.

And then, I was surprised by my own strength.

Being the daughter of the alpha, I was always safe.

That was my first fight, and I was winning.

It was... very exciting.

My wolf form was special. Rare. Something they called the Black Wolf.

I had never understood how special I was... until today.

In my rage, my power was overwhelming. The wolf attacking me had no chance.

In a few seconds, it was gravely wounded and running away.

Then I looked to the side.

The mysterious man who was trying to help me-he was on the ground, full of blood, on top of a dead wolf.

"Hey... are you okay?" I asked as i transformed back to my human form.

No answer...

He was alive, but unconscious.

It must be because he lost too much blood.

His body was full of bites and claw marks.

Under him, the wolf lay dead, with shattered ribs and broken bones.

Did he do all that in his human form?!

That was hard to believe!

I took my time bandaging him up and taking care of his wounds.

But then I heard them...

A pack of angry wolves,

growling as they slowly appeared between the trees.

Two? No. Four, or maybe more.

The wounded wolf who fought with me was behind them.

I shouldn't have let him escape.

Looking around in fear,

Black wolf or not, I can't fight them all.

I glanced at my mysterious hero.

He should be safe. I already stopped his bleeding,

And they are hunting me, not him.

So I left him and started running in the direction of my village,

And I could hear them after me.

Winning that fight made me more confident.

I can do this...

I dashed between the trees, trying to lose them.

Come on, just a few more miles and I will reach the border of my village.

They can't follow me there.

Suddenly, I heard more wolves.

No... I'm surrounded.

Two more wolves appeared from the sides,

They just ran next to me.

But they didn't attack!

Suddenly, I stopped.

There was a man standing in front of me, cutting off my path.

with three more wolves behind him.

I knew that man... It's Ray the Red Fang,

Alpha of the Red Moon Tribe.

Trying to catch my breath, I yelled at him,

"What do you want? Are you trying to start a war with us again?"

Ray smiled.

"Little princess, the war never stopped."

He started walking toward me.

"But if you want, you can stop the war forever."

I stiffened.

"Me? What do you mean?"

"First, I have to apologize. We are sorry. We didn't mean to scare you.

We just had to be sure the rumors were true."

"Rumors?" I asked. "What are you talking about?"

"We heard that the alpha of the Thunderhowl Tribe has a rare breed.

That behind your beautiful, innocent face...

you hide the legendary Black Wolf."

He looked at me coldly.

"To be honest, my first thought was to kill you."

But my son changed my mind.

Suddenly, I felt another presence behind me.

With a soft touch on my shoulder,

my skin shivered... When did he get there?

He was a handsome young man, trying to cover my shoulder with a tall, soft robe.

Then he whispered in my ears,

"Don't worry, I will not let anyone hurt you, nor force you into a marriage you don't want."

I stepped away, confused, looking at him with eyes full of questions.

"I know they want to force you into marriage" he said "and I also know what it's like to feel alone in this world."

He had a reassuring smile on his face, walking around me slowly.

I could feel his eyes studying me carefully.

Then he continued,

"I felt alone knowing that I'm the only Black Wolf in this world, but when I learned about you, I felt it was fate."

Before I could object, he grabbed my hand.

"Go back to your village now. You are free to do whatever you want,

but I humbly ask you for a chance.

Let us know each other better."

I stared at him, trying to understand what he just said.

He grabbed my hand and continued, "For more than twenty years, people thought the Black Wolf bloodline was lost forever.

And now there are two of us.

Maybe it's not a coincidence.

Maybe we were meant to be together.

Just think about it."

Then he gently kissed my hand and left.

And they all followed him.

I found myself alone in the forest, speechless.

What was all that about?

I felt the soft material of the well-made robe hugging my body.

Compared to Jax, this young man is surely an upgrade, bit i wonder what his true intentions are...

And on my way to the village, my mind kept drifting to that mysterious man who fought a wolf with his bare hands for me.

But i didnt know that Jax had his spies watching from afar the whole time...

___

A while later, in Draven's house, Jax was listening to his spy,

"Yes sir, I'm sure. The son of Ray, Alpha of the Red Moon Tribe. And they are waiting for her decision."

Jax stood, anger clear on his face, his fist clenched tight, "And that strange man-are you sure she was alone with him in the forest, personally tending to his wounds?"

The spy answered "Yes sir."

Jax clenched his teeth and said in a deep, frightening voice, "Bring him to me."

I didn't sleep that day.

I spent the night talking with Samar about everything that happened.

She sat next to me on my bed, listening to every word with wide eyes.

"Nora, this is crazy," She laughed and added, "Let's put the three potential grooms in a line and choose one together."

"Samar! This is not funny," I said. "It can really start a war with the Red Moon tribe again."

Her face turned serious.

"You know," she said slowly, "no matter what you do or who you choose, this can end badly.

You must tell your father."

I looked at the floor, thinking for a long moment,

"My father already has enough problems because of me and Draven.

Besides, I need to know who that mysterious man is, he was badly wound fighting that wolf for me"

Then i looked at Samar and continued, "Are you sure your husband can find out all about him? It's been hours since we sent him, and he hasn't returned."

Samar smiled.

"Oh, don't worry about William. He will be back soon with every dark secret about your mysterious man."

Not long after, William returned, panting, his eyes full of worry.

"I went to the place you told me about," he said, "but I wasn't the only one looking for him. Others were there before me."

I felt my chest tighten.

"Others? I don't understand."

"Jax's men," William continued. "I followed them. They dragged him to Jax's house.

And I heard voices inside."

"What voices?" Samar shouted. "William, talk! What's going on?"

William hesitated, then said quietly,

"I think he's being interrogated. Jax suspects a relationship between him and Nora."

I was consumed by anger. Jax... again. When will I finally get him out of my life?

I stood up and ran.

I could hear Samar and William shouting behind me, telling me to stop, to wait, to talk first.

But I couldn't.

How did Jax know about him?

Rage mixed with fear inside me as I ran down the road toward Draven's house.

Suddenly, William pulled me off the road and whispered, "Wait."

I was about to shout, but he and Samar stopped me, pointing ahead, signaling me to stay quiet.

I looked up.

It was Draven... and Jax.

They were coming toward us.

We quickly hid behind the trees, our bodies frozen, our breaths silent.

From where we stood, we could hear their voices-low, sharp, and filled with anger.

"What does this mean?" Draven said.

"She's not only planning a marriage with Ray's son...

She's also seeing a man from the common people?...

And Steve knows nothing about this?"

Samar looked at me with fear in her eyes as she whispered,

"Nora... how did they know about Ray's offer to marry you to his son?"

I couldn't answer.

My mind was spinning.

Everything was happening too fast, all at once.

William spoke quickly, "I'll try to delay them.

You need to go now.

Go talk to your father before they twist the story."

I couldn't think.

I could barely hear William at all.

All I could think about was the mysterious man-the one who helped me in the forest.

What did they do to him?

My worry for him drowned out everything else.

Suddenly, I found myself running the other way, toward Draven's house.

Samar and William ran after me.

This was my chance.

Draven and Jax were not home.

I had to help him.

As I got closer to the house, I felt it again.

His scent hit me hard.

The wolf inside me grew restless and tense.

The moment I reached the house, I forced my way inside.

I didn't search.

I didn't need to.

I could feel him.

I knew exactly where he was.

The basement.

I ran toward it.

Samar and William followed, calling my name, telling me to wait.

I ignored them and rushed down the stairs.

I could feel his pain.

He was hurting-right now.

When I reached him, tears fell on their own.

He was chained to the ceiling.

His body was covered in wounds and marks of torture. All because of me.

And still... he looked at me and smiled.

"I knew you were coming," he said softly.

"I could feel you."

I ran to him and started breaking the chains, my hands shaking.

"I'm sorry," I kept saying. "I'm so sorry."

At that moment, Samar and William reached us.

As soon as the last chain fell, his body collapsed against my shoulder.

Samar and William helped me hold him, and together we got him out of Draven's house.

We moved quickly, heading toward the forest.

As we walked, William suddenly frowned, his eyes fixed on him.

"Did anyone notice that?" he said.

"I'm sure some of his wounds are gone."

Samar looked closer.

"I don't know... but he's definitely not bleeding anymore."

I looked at him, worried.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

He smiled softly.

"I feel better," he said. "Much better since I saw you."

I felt heat rush to my cheeks.

I looked away, glancing at Samar and William.

William stared at him carefully.

"This kind of healing speed," he said slowly, "i never seen anything like it."

Then he asked, "who are you? Could it be... are you a Black Wolf too?"

He let out a quiet laugh, then winced as pain stopped him.

"My name is Max," he said.

"And no... I'm not a black wolf."

We listened in silence as he continued.

"Im from a far away village across the sea called the ancient moon. Many years ago my tribe cast me out," he said.

"Because i... i failed to awaken the wolf inside me.

They told me I was just a normal human, raised by mistake among them."

"Max..." I said softly. "You should rest. Don't talk too much."

He looked at me, then gently moved his hand from William's shoulder.

He straightened up... and started walking on his own.

"Don't worry," he said with a small smile.

"I really feel better now."

At the same time, inside Steve's house, the argument was intense.

Draven and Jax were standing in front of Steve, their voices rising.

Steve couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Draven," Steve said sharply, "what you're saying is impossible.

That is not my daughter's behavior. That's not who Nora is."

Draven snapped back, his anger clear.

"So now we're lying?

Call your daughter here. Let her say that to my face."

Steve looked at Draven with cold fury.

"I won't allow this talk to cause another split between us," he said firmly.

"But I suggest you take your son and leave. Now."

Draven opened his mouth to argue, but Steve continued,

"I'll speak to you after I talk to my daughter and arrange with her an appointment for her marriage to Jax."

Draven's eyes darkened.

"No," he said harshly. "Tomorrow.

Jax and Nora's wedding will be tomorrow.

I won't let you leave this open without a clear date again."

Steve slammed his hand on the table.

The loud sound cut Draven off before he could say another word.

"You won't let me?" Steve repeated slowly, his voice dangerous.

"Don't forget yourself, Draven.

I am the Alpha here."

For a moment, Draven said nothing.

He swallowed his rage with effort, grabbed his son, and turned to leave.

As he walked away, he spoke in a low voice, teeth clenched:

"Not for long."

As I sat with Max in his small cabin in the forest, cleaning his wounds, my feelings for him kept growing.

It felt like I had known him for years, not just a few hours.

I smiled without realizing it.

Max looked at me and asked, "What's funny?"

"I just met you," I said softly, "and this is already the second time I'm cleaning your wounds."

Max laughed quietly.

"Yeah," he said, "it seems like from the moment I saw you, getting beaten up is all I can do."

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

Then I added, "But I think what William said is true.

"Your wounds... I think they're healing. I've never seen anyone heal that fast before."

Max smiled, a playful look in his eyes.

"Well," he said, "I guess I'm getting really good at being beaten up."

Then he looked at me and asked,

"Why are your friends standing outside?"

I answered nervously, "William and Samar?

It's nothing... maybe they just want to talk alone."

Max smiled.

"Or maybe they want to give us some privacy."

My heart skipped.

I felt heat rush to my face, and I tried to hide it.

"Come on," I said quickly, trying to sound normal.

"Get dressed. Your wounds are taken care of."

Suddenly, Samar rushed inside, looking terrified.

She was whispering unclear words.

"Samar, slow down," I said. "I don't understand. What's wrong?"

She snapped in panic, "Your father.

He's outside... talking to William."

My heart dropped.

"My father?" I whispered.

"How did he know we are here?"

Before Samar could answer, my father walked in.

William followed behind him, calling his name, trying to calm him down.

Max stood behind me, confused, quickly putting on his clothes.

My father stopped for a moment.

His eyes scanned the scene in complete silence.

No one spoke.

No one dared to.

Then my father finally spoke, his eyes never leaving Max.

"William," he said calmly, "take Samar and Nora back to the village."

"Yes, sir," William answered quietly.

He grabbed my arm and started pulling me toward the door, taking Samar with us.

"Father, wait," I said, struggling.

"Let me explain."

I tried to resist, but my father looked at me.

It was a look I had never seen before.

Cold. Final. Terrifying.

It froze me in place.

I stopped fighting as William pulled me outside,

Samar walked beside me in silence.

The moment we stepped outside the cabin, I pulled my arm away from William in defiance.

"William, I can't just leave Max and go," I said firmly.

"I need to know what my father is planning to do."

Samar turned to me, her voice sharp with panic.

"Nora, please. Don't make this more complicated than it already is.

Listen to them. Let's just go back."

Meanwhile, inside the cabin, Max(POV)

So this is Alpha Steve...

I had heard a lot about him, but this was the first time I ever saw him.

The anger on his face was impossible to miss.

I tried to speak, keeping my voice respectful.

I said, reaching out my hand,

"It's an honor to meet you, sir."

But Steve surprised me with a hard kick before I could say anything else.

The force sent me down to the ground.

Steve asked in a low but terrifying voice.

"Who are you?".

"And what do you want from my daughter?"

He leaned closer.

"I'm warning you. If you lie to me, today will be the last day of your life."

I answered calmly as I tried to stand up.

"i don't want anything from your daughter I was only trying to help."

I didn't get to finish.

Steve's fist slammed into my face with brutal force.

Throwing me to the ground again.

"I told you not to lie to me," he growled.

I clenched my jaw.

A strange feeling burned inside me-anger, tension, something wild rising fast.

I forced it down and spoke through my teeth.

"Sir... I am... not... lying."

But just as I finished the sentence, Steve's hand wrapped around my neck.

With one hand, he lifted me off the ground and slammed my back against the wall.

My legs dangled in the air, unable to touch the floor.

I grabbed his arm with both hands, trying to free myself.

But his grip was impossibly strong.

I couldn't breathe.

My chest burned.

My vision started to blur.

I couldn't even speak.

Then suddenly-

I saw Nora.

She shoved her father away with all her strength and screamed,

"Let him go! Please!"

Steve stepped back from the force of the push.

He stared at his daughter in shock, unable to believe she was defying him... for me.

I collapsed to the ground, coughing hard, struggling to catch my breath.

"Nora's voice softened,

"He is my soulmate," she said.

"I can feel it.

In silence, Steve walked toward his daughter.

There was nothing in his eyes but anger.

He didn't say a single word.

The back of his hand came down hard across Nora's face.

The force of the slap sent her flying several steps back, until she crashed into the wall beside me.

At that moment,

The anger I had been holding back exploded out of control.

And I lunged at Steve.

In a fight I could never win-

me, just a normal human,

against Alpha Steve, an Alpha feared across all tribes.