The following morning, a messenger wolf delivered the address Lily had promised.
The moment I saw the location written on the parchment, unease crawled up my spine.
The territory was… familiar.
Too familiar.
It lay dangerously close to the lands dominated by the Lutherford pack.
My nerves were already stretched thin when I arrived.
I had barely stepped onto the street when something small crashed directly into my legs.
“Oof—!”
I stumbled back in surprise.
A little boy—no older than six—had run straight into me like a reckless pup.
I crouched quickly, steadying him by the shoulders.
“Careful,” I said gently, brushing dust from his clothes. “Running near the road is dangerous.”
Instead of answering, the child stared at me with wide, searching eyes.
Like he was trying to recognize a scent buried deep in memory.
Then he whispered softly.
“Angel.”
I blinked.
“Angel?”
Before I could react, he threw his arms around my neck and hugged me tightly.
“Hey—easy,” I murmured, instinctively catching him so he wouldn’t fall. “What’s wrong?”
He buried his face against my shoulder.
“I knew my angel would come back,” he whispered sleepily. “Mama said my angel would return.”
A strange chill crept along my spine.
Still, the child didn’t seem afraid.
Only desperate.
I lifted him carefully into my arms.
“Alright,” I said gently. “Where are your parents?”
He pointed toward a towering stone building nearby.
My brows knit together.
It was the same place Lily had mentioned.
Confused but concerned, I carried him inside.
---
Moments later, a servant rushed toward us in alarm.
“Young Master!” she exclaimed. “Your father has been searching everywhere for you!”
She tried to take him from my arms.
The boy immediately tightened his hold around my neck.
“Don’t force him,” I said calmly. “Just tell me where his father is.”
The woman hesitated… then nodded reluctantly.
She led me through several long corridors before stopping at a massive office door.
Raised voices echoed inside.
The servant visibly paled.
“You may go in,” she said quickly before hurrying away.
I knocked.
“Enter!” a deep voice barked from within.
I pushed the door open.
The office looked like a storm had torn through it.
A heavy table lay cracked in half. Papers scattered across the floor. The air vibrated with the raw pressure of Alpha dominance.
“What do you want?” the man snapped.
Then he saw the child in my arms.
His entire expression changed.
“Adrian.”
He crossed the room in two long strides.
“Where were you?” he demanded tightly. “Do you know how long I’ve been searching?”
He reached for the boy.
Adrian tightened his grip around my neck.
“Don’t force him,” I said calmly.
The man paused.
Then his dark eyes lifted to me.
Sharp. Assessing.
“Who are you?”
Adrian yawned sleepily.
A moment later, his head dropped against my shoulder.
He had fallen asleep.
I gently laid him on the couch nearby, resting my hand on his back until his breathing steadied.
Then I turned to the man.
“I came to meet someone,” I said evenly. “But I found your son wandering outside. He refused to leave me.”
His expression remained unreadable.
“Who were you here to meet?”
“The owner of this territory,” I replied. “My name is Aria Sinclair. I was told to come here.”
Something flickered in his gaze.
Recognition.
Amusement.
A slow smirk spread across his face.
“You’ve found the right wolf, Ms. Sinclair.”
He extended his hand.
“Dominic Wolfhart.”
