"You did what?" Kara's eyes locked onto me, wide with disbelief.

"Come on, Kara, you knew I would," I shot back. I held his penis in my hand.

We both burst out laughing.

"Well, go on then, how does it feel?" she asked, grinning.

"Big. Like, how the hell is that supposed to fit in my..."

Kara just stared, deadpan. "Seriously, are you actually going to do it?"

"I'm torn. Stay loyal to Drystan, or give in to this mysterious guy who's, you know, ridiculously hot."

We were sitting at the dining table when the girl at the next table started telling her story.

"He's ruthless, took down our pack in an hour. Sent some of us to the academy. He's the king of four packs, and he's not stopping there. But damn, he's hot. And strong. Alpha Drystan's powerful, though, already a force not to reckon with."

"Did she just say Drystan?" I nearly spit out my juice. I strode over and dropped into the chair across from her. She flinched.

"Tell me where this Alpha lives," I demanded.

"Behind the twin mountains," she whispered, eyes darting around.

My stomach was clenched. The twin mountains, where we'd grown up together. While I'd spent four years pathetically waiting for any sign from him, he'd been building himself an empire.

"Victoria," Kara's voice was low behind me. "I can see your face. Don't do something you'll regret."

I whirled around. "Regret? He's conquered four packs while I've been sitting here waiting like an idiot. Trust me, he's the one who'll regret this."

The door swung open. Balthasar entered, his gaze sweeping the room before settling on me. One finger beckoned. I followed him into his office.

"Victoria," he said, shuffling papers on his desk. "We're updating student exit files. Your mother's name is missing."

"Not missing. I left it blank intentionally." I crossed my arms. "She's dead. So is my stepfather. I have no one."

"Your stepbrother?"

"Apparently, I don't qualify as family to him."

"After graduation, wolf community or human world?"

I laughed bitterly. "Funny timing. Five minutes ago, I'd have said wolf. Now? I'll take my chances with humans."

His eyes narrowed. "I sense considerable anger."

"You think?" Another harsh laugh escaped. "Don't worry, I'll try not to take it out on anyone... undeserving."

"Your mother's name, Victoria?"

"Sylvia," I answered flatly.

Something flickered in his eyes; gone so quickly I almost missed it.

"Very well," he said. "You may go."

I hopped the fence again and ran back to Thane.

His leg had healed enough that he was able to stand when I entered. He opened his arms. "What happened?"

I fell against his chest, tears spilling despite myself. "I'm not weak."

"Crying doesn't make you weak, Victoria." His voice rumbled against my ear. "Tell me what's wrong."

"While I've been stuck in this stupid school, Drystan's been building an empire," I choked out.

"Maybe he had reasons for keeping you here..."

I pulled away from his embrace. "Whose side are you on?"

Thane laughed softly. "I'm just thinking like him. If you were mine, I'd want to hide you too, keep you safe from enemies. You're his weakness."

I wiped my tears, studying his face. "You could've lied. Taken advantage of how vulnerable I am. Instead, you're defending him."

"Why does that surprise you?" He brushed a strand of hair from my face. "You can't build something real on lies. As much as I want you for myself, you're still caught in the past." His thumb traced my cheekbone. "What are you planning to do?"

"I came here to lose my virginity, and you..."

He cut me off with a kiss that felt so right I melted against him.

"Here? "Now?" he murmured against my lips.

"You didn't seem to mind undressing me last night," I shot back.

His arms tightened around me. "I want you, Victoria," he whispered, "but not like this. Not for revenge. Even though revenge sex is hot. I want a chance."

"A chance for what?"

His laugh was gentle. "You really are innocent. A chance for us. To win your heart."

"Is this pity because I saved you? What's your angle?"

He sighed. "You trust no one. He taught you well." Thane stepped back. "Talk to him before you decide anything. I'm leaving, but if you need me for anything, call me. I'll be there.

I settled into his lap, my head leaning against his shoulder. He tilted my chin up, his lips brushing mine in a soft, lingering kiss. "Fuck, I'm going to miss this," he murmured. "Miss you. Your scent.

"I'll miss you too, Thane," I admitted. "Where's your pack?"

"Black Mountains, Croatia," he replied. "But I'm never in one place for long. Did you memorize the number?"

"Yeah, I got it." Saying goodbye felt like trying to swallow a rock. Neither of us wanted to pull away.

We kissed again, his hands tracing my back like he was trying to memorize the feeling of me. "Victoria," he said, my name sounding like something sacred on his tongue, "you know where to find me. I'll be waiting. Whatever you decide."

I hesitated, my hand brushing his cheek. "Thane, I do like you," I said, my face heating up. He closed his eyes, leaning into my touch.

"I'm torn," I whispered against his lips, tears slipping down my cheeks. He pressed his forehead to mine, his breath warm.

"I'll miss you begging me to take my pants off," he said, a smirk tugging at his lips.

I laughed despite the tears. "You're funny," I said as he wiped my face.

Thane's eyes met mine, pleading. "Come with me, Victoria. No questions, no demands, just freedom."

"You make it sound so simple," I whispered, my voice catching.

He leaned in, lips brushing mine between words. "Isn't it?"

I answered with a kiss, melting as his arm circled my waist, pulling me against him. His woodsy scent wrapped around me like a blanket, steadying my racing heart.

Golden light faded behind the trees. Time had run out. "Goodbye, Thane," I managed, then tore myself away before I could change my mind. I sprinted through the forest, vision blurring, and vaulted over the academy fence, landing directly at Balthazar's feet.

Shit.

Thane's POV

Gas station near the border with Poland

A car finally stopped and gave me a ride to the nearest gas station. I took the phone from the clerk and made the call. "Get your ass here and pick me up. Now."

As I waited for them to show up, I kept thinking about Victoria. I shouldn't have left her. Her scent continued to linger on me. I wanted her. I'd fallen for her, but I couldn't say it out loud. Her lips, her caress, what was wrong with me?

I didn't care. I'd never met anyone like her. She was pure fire, but she couldn't let go of the past. An SUV pulled up in front of me.

"Alpha Thane, we've been searching everywhere for you."

"Oh, really?" I said, climbing in. "Cadmus, my brother, I was being hunted by a pack of killers. Where the hell were you looking?"

"Thane, I thought you were hurt," Cadmus said.

"I was. Nearly died. But my angel saved me," I replied.

"An angel? Okay..."

"You got a change of clothes for me?" I asked.

"Yeah. Called the doc?"

"Already did," he said as we pulled up to the five-star hotel.

Cadmus kept staring at me in the elevator.

"What?" I snapped.

"You look... different. What happened with this angel of yours?"

"I fell in love with her," I admitted, finally saying it out loud.

He gave a shaky laugh. "Playboy Alpha Thane? Fell for a girl?"

"Yeah, I did. What can I say?"

"Because she saved you?" Cadmus asked.

"Funny, she asked the same thing. No, brother, I fell for her because she's different from anyone I've ever met. Anyone."

"This is insane. Never thought I'd see the day..."

I dropped my clothes on the way to the bathroom. Under the hot shower, I couldn't stop thinking about her. I ran my finger over the stitches she'd made, then hit the tile wall with my fist. Damn it. I needed her, her scent, her feel.

When I walked back into the living area dressed, the doctor was already talking with Cadmus.

"Allow me to examine you, Alpha Thane," the doctor said. I dropped the pants without hesitation, smiling to myself as I remembered how Victoria had asked the same thing each time she changed my bandages.

The doctor nodded affirmatively. "Excellent work. The scar will be minimal. Who treated you?"

"My angel," I said simply. "She saved my life."

"This was a serious wound. You must have lost a lot of blood."

"I did. As I said, she's an angel." I turned to Cadmus. "I gave her your number. Check your messages and then get a new phone."

Two photos appeared when I opened the messages. The first showed Victoria by a fence, confronted by a man. The caption read: "She got busted saving your ass."

In the second, Victoria gazed at someone, unaware she was being photographed. I outlined her face on the screen.

Cadmus peered over my shoulder and whistled. "She's fire, brother."

"All done," the doctor announced. "Keep the area clean. Did you take antibiotics?"

"Yeah, she kept me full of them," I laughed. "Thanks, Doc."

Back in the bedroom, I called a number. After several rings, she answered.

"Kara, what punishment did Victoria get?"

"Confinement for a day and kitchen duty," she spoke quietly.

"Take care of her," I ordered. "And don't touch her again, Kara. She's mine."

I hung up and saw that room service had arrived. My stomach growled. After days of eating only protein bars and the bread Victoria found for me, real food looked like heaven.

Cadmus watched me devour my meal with an odd expression.

"What?" I snapped between bites. "Instead of staring, tell me why our plan went to hell, and I ended up being hunted by psychopaths."

"We have a mole," Cadmus said quietly.

"No shit. Find them now. I nearly died out there." I banged my fork down. "Attempted murder of an Alpha? Where are the stolen goods?"

"We're tracking them as we speak."

"Good." I rolled my shoulders. "I could use some adrenaline rush after all this. But first, I need sleep. Wake me tomorrow unless it's life or death." I snatched my phone from his hands. "This stays with me. Get yourself a new one, seriously, what were you thinking?"

"Whatever you say, brother," he mumbled

I stripped down to my boxers and collapsed onto the bed. As consciousness slipped away, one face filled my mind: Victoria.

My phone rang relentlessly, yanking me out of sleep. I groped for it, my voice laden with exhaustion. " What?"

"Drystan is here," Kara's urgent whisper came through. I bolted upright, suddenly wide awake.

"Where's Victoria?" I demanded.

"Standing there watching him. He's selecting rogues for his bedroom."

"That motherfucker," I growled. "Kara, don't you dare hang up..."

"He didn't even glance at her," Kara continued. "Choose one of her rivals and three others. Victoria's face is stone, but this will destroy her. I can barely watch."

I hit my fist into the mattress. Why would Drystan do this? Then it hit me, he was protecting her the only way he knew how. Pushing her away. Making sure she wouldn't return to the pack. A tactical move in his ongoing war.

"I have to go," Kara hissed. "She's heading my way, and Thane? She's furious. Beyond furious."

After she hung up, I exhaled slowly. What a mess. What would I have done in Drystan's position? Sacrifice our connection to keep her safe? Never. I'd rather keep her beside me, protected, always.

I couldn't stop looking at her picture, tracing my finger across her face on the screen like some lovesick teenager. The sharp knock at the door broke my trance.

Cadmus stood there with a wolfish grin. "We found the goods, brother. Time to have some fun."

"Now we're talking," I said, adrenaline already running through me. "My bike ready?"

He threw me the helmet. "Waiting downstairs."

I glanced down at my boxers and laughed. "Might need to put some clothes on first."

As I got dressed, I thought about the score, merchandise worth millions, all owned by the man who tried to have me killed. Taking it would hit him where it hurt. The idea of revenge felt good, but then Victoria's face came to mind, and I had to stop and take a deep breath.

Kara followed her into the forest. When she left the cave, Kara went in. I convinced her to keep in touch with me in exchange for a place in the pack. I memorized her number, and she retained mine. Nothing will stop me. She'll be in my arms again.

Victoria's POV

Balthazar stepped up and moved to the front of the line.

"You've prepared for this. Every scenario, all twists. Now get out there and seize those flags," he said, his voice assertive but not harsh. "It's merely a friendly game, so don't kill each other. Four teams. Split up."

I pulled Kara close, and two more girls approached us.

"Can we join you?" one asked, glancing between us.

"Can you follow orders?" I replied sharply, lifting an eyebrow.

They nodded quickly.

"Alright then," I said, gripping the small glow-in-the-dark flag.

Balthazar gave each team a number. Ours was three. The whistle went, and we took off running.

We stopped by a creek, where an old tree root made a good hiding spot. The dirt had worn away enough for us to crouch underneath.

"Here's the plan," I said. "I'll stash the flag. You two cover yourselves in mud and stay put until I get back."

I knew exactly where to go: the cave. I walked in and took a long breath as the cool air hit me. Thane crossed my mind, and I hated how much I missed him.

But right now, I was too angry at Drystan to think about it. The anger burned inside my chest, steady and strong.

I got back to the creek and smeared mud all over myself like it was sunscreen.

A stick snapped. We froze.

"We've got to hide it," one girl whispered.

"Where?" another asked, panicking.

"Over there, that tree. Can you climb it?"

"Yeah, I can," the first girl said, like it was no big deal.

We waited until it was safe, then slipped out. The flag was still there. "Too easy," I spoke softly. Kara was about to grab it when I stopped her. "Beehive,"

She looked at it, then picked up a long stick. I used it carefully to knock the flag down without disturbing the bees. I folded the flag and put it in my pocket.

We kept moving. The other group was so predictable, it was almost sad.

"Sienna's a viper," I thought, and the word stuck in my head. A snake hole? Perfect.

I signaled for the girls to get down. Another group walked by, completely unaware. They never saw us.

We had three flags. I couldn't help but smirk. The whistle blew, and we headed back.

Balthazar glanced at me, his mouth twitching like he was holding back a grin.

"Alright," he said, holding out a hand. "Let's see them.

I pulled out all three flags, and my team cheered and laughed. Then Sienna stormed over, her look fastened on me. I dropped into a stance devoid of thought.

Balthazar stepped between us, as calm as always. "Sienna, you got something to say?"

"No, sir," she spat, though her look could've melted steel.

"Good," he said, raising his eyebrow. "It's just a game. No hard feelings, right?"

"Of course not, sir," giving me one last look that said this wasn't over.

After everyone left, we went to the river, took off our muddy clothes, and washed up. That's when I saw Sienna. She grabbed my clothes with her typical smirk.

"Don't be a bitch, Sienna!" I shouted, my voice reverberating across the water.

I closed my eyes and muttered a curse. Then I heard a low, rumbling growl.

A bear came out of the trees behind Sienna and her group. Her sneer disappeared as she threw my clothes and ran. I couldn't help but grin.

Kara froze, eyes open wide. "Victoria, the bear, is coming toward the water!"

"It's fine," I said calmly. "Just stay still."

The bear stopped, sniffed the air, then walked back into the woods. We got dressed and headed back. The tension seemed dense. Inside the cafeteria, Sienna sat with her friends, glaring at me.

She stood up, walked over, and leaned in close. "You got lucky this time. Next time, no one's going to save you."

I moved forward and met her stare. "Bring it on, bitch. Try me."

Kara grabbed my arm and pulled me back. "She's planning something. We need to be careful."

"Yeah. I can smell it."

Later, when everyone was asleep, I snuck out, jumped the fence, and took off my clothes. I didn't shift often, however, tonight I needed it. The cool dusk air brushed my skin as I ran, free and untethered. It was perfect, until it wasn't.

After I shifted back and got dressed, a sharp pain hit the back of my head. My sight blurred, and I heard voices mumbling around me.

"Move faster," someone sneered.

I felt myself being dragged, then tossed. I hit something hard, and pain radiated through my body before everything went black.

I opened my eyes to a mist of trees above me. Still alive. Good start. I moved, and my leg screamed in pain. Probably broken. Great.

I lifted myself slowly and brushed my fingers over something wet. Blood. Fuck.

I tried to stand but wobbled and fell back down.

"Sienna, you fucking bitch," I said loud enough for the woods to hear. "I'm going to end you."

I crawled over to a solid, solid stick. With a grunt, I set it upright, tore a strip from my shirt, and tied it to my leg as a splint. Pain shot through me like fire.

Then I realized they'd thrown me off a cliff. How was I supposed to get back up? I'd have to take the long way.

My stomach growled, my throat was dry, and my head spun. Shit. Get it together, Vic. Use your training.

I closed my eyes and called for help.

When I opened my eyes, there he was, huge, covered in fur, and annoyingly calm.

"You sure you can handle me?" I asked.

The bear blinked.

"Fine. I'll owe you a lifetime supply of fish."

I climbed onto his back, moving slowly and carefully, and he started walking.

"Just drop me by some water. Oh, and can I name you? Huckleberry? Teddy? Ted?"

No response.

"Ted, it is. You're a legend."

When we reached a stream, I slid off, my leg still throbbing. I leaned in and placed one on the top of his nose. "See you around, Ted."

So, there I was, alone, aching, and lost. Perfect.