Lara shakes her head, and I give her a faint, teasing smirk. "You'll get used to it. Sleep. When your Wolf's back, you'll be running with us." I start to close the door, but she freezes, blue eyes wide, staring like she's seeing ghosts. Confused, fragile, fierce all at once. Years of fear are etched into every movement, every hesitation, but I catch that flicker of defiance she can't hide. She doesn't know it yet, but I'm not her enemy. Not entirely.
Downstairs, Kieran and Jenson lean against the railing like they own the world, casual as ever, but their sharp eyes miss nothing. "How's it going with the new girl?" Jenson asks, unbuttoning his shirt like the morning is his to command. "Lara's staying. Moonshine doesn't do pack runs," I mutter, rolling the words around in my mouth.
"You're joking," Kieran frowns. "That's standard everywhere. Full moons empower every Wolf.
Best time to hunt. You sure you didn't see anything unusual?" "They worked. Trained.
Harvested their crops. Normal except for that," I shrug, though my stomach tightens. Something about this pack feels... off. Hidden. Secretive. Jenson cocks an eyebrow. "What do you think they're hiding?" "For starters... who really killed Lara's parents," I mutter, the words heavy, dangerous, unspoken. "Jarek?" Kieran guesses cautiously. "I don't think Jarek's clever enough. The idiot didn't even read the contract," Jenson mutters. "We should pay them a visit tomorrow."
"Surprise them?" I smirk. "Sometimes it's better when they don't see us coming. Jarek was already pissed about my arrival." After the hunt, I confirm plans with Kieran and Jenson and head upstairs for a shower. Quietly, I slip through the bedroom door. Relief washes over me. Lara is still asleep, curled around a pillow, protecting herself even in rest. The sweats I gave her hang loose, making her look smaller, fragile, almost breakable. But I can feel the quiet strength in her even in slumber.
I dry off quickly, climb in beside her, instinctively pulling her delicate frame close. She murmurs, half-asleep, a few funny noises escaping her lips, then settles again, trusting me enough to go back to sleep. Watching her, I notice she's rolled slightly toward me, pale skin kissed by the morning light.
Freckles scatter across her nose, faint but undeniable. She suddenly gasps, sitting upright, rubbing her eyes. "Where am I?" "You're in my pack, remember?" My voice is low, rumbling, no threat, only reassurance. Her eyes dart to mine, then down at the sheet barely covering her. "Are you... naked?!" The blush spreads like wildfire. "I prefer it that way in my own bed," I tease, enjoying the way her lips part in disbelief. She pats herself down, reassured. Aero huffs in my head. "We could strip her." "We take it slow. She's not like the others," I counter. Aero sulks, retreating into shadows, whining. Lara crosses the room to the small toilet, muttering under her breath like she's rehearsing courage. "When you're done," I call, "we need to put your cream on." Ten minutes pass before she reappears, eyes scanning the room like a test she hasn't passed. "Alone?" she asks, voice quivering, rolling her top up. "Alone. Well... mostly.
Others are here, just not close." My hand lingers near her stomach longer than necessary. Testing her, testing myself. She swallows hard, tension radiating off her like heat waves. Aero growls, "She's right here." I drop my hand. He sulks again, fading to the corners of my mind. Breakfast with Raven is... typical. She shoves a crumpet in her mouth and mutters, "You know my brother really likes you." My eyes flick to hers, half on her, half on Kael. "Prettier than the last girl," she adds casually. "Last girl?" I almost choke on my juice.
"You're his contracted mate, right?" she asks, flipping through a magazine like she's bored with the world. "I'm not the first?" I murmur. Unease knots my stomach. Memories flood back: Beta Kyle, screaming in the basement, bruises, rejection, the second bond my brother forced on me, the black-and-blue echoes of the past. "You'll stick," she says, shrugging. Dangerous. Not comforting. Hours pass. Lara fidgets with scraps of paper, muttering softly.
She can't read at twenty-two. Embarrassment and shame coat her words, and I feel the weight of her stolen life pressing down. Protectiveness, obsession, possessiveness it all twists into one tight coil in my chest. I watch her, memorizing the way she bites her lip when she's frustrated, how she clenches her fists when the letters don't make sense, how she pauses to breathe, as if the air itself can give her courage. Aero hisses in my mind. "Every inch. Don't let anyone touch her."
Finally, the doors swing open. Alpha Kael storms in, crimson eyes smoldering, scanning until they lock on me. "Where has Jarek gone?" he demands, voice like rolling thunder. "Huh?" I murmur. "Do I need to repeat myself? There was no one there. The packhouse empty. Lara, look at me!" His hand grabs my chin, forcing my eyes to meet his. Panic coils in me, but his expression softens slightly. "Not gone... just hidden.
They do something even when you said Moonshine doesn't run." My throat tightens. I had never left the pack until yesterday. Now, everything I thought I knew is a lie. I glance at Lara. Her blue eyes are wide, cautious, curiosity battling fear. She's small, vulnerable, yet there's something feral beneath her calm exterior, something stubborn and untouchable. Aero purrs in my mind, "She's ours.
Every inch." I step closer, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face, and for the first time, the room feels electric. My hand lingers not threatening, just claiming. She flinches slightly, then steadies herself. "Everything's fine," I murmur, more to myself than her. "You're safe... for now."
But even as I say it, the knot in my gut tightens. I don't trust this pack. Secrets linger in every shadow, every unspoken glance, every hushed conversation I've glimpsed. Lara shifts, silently, inching closer. Her trust is tentative, fragile, but it's there. And I'll do whatever it takes to protect it... to protect her. The sunlight cuts through the window, illuminating dust particles dancing in the air. I feel the pull of the pack, the weight of responsibility, the sting of obsession. Aero growls softly, "Claim her. All of her." I nod slightly, a smirk tugging at my lips. This fragile girl the one no one seems to understand is going to change everything. And I'll make sure she survives... even if I have to break every rule in the pack to do it.
