"Oh, I just got a bit suffocated by all the wolves in there," I said, my words coming out smoothly despite the lie. "And, uh, I have a habit of carrying something for self-defense..."
Daniel gave a small nod, his expression unreadable. "Makes sense."
I tried to mask my tension with a casual smile, but he added, "It's dangerous here. Don’t stay too long."
I nodded, watching as he turned and walked away. There was something about him, a quiet intensity that I couldn’t quite place. He was a puzzle I couldn’t decipher, and I couldn’t help but wonder how many pieces he was hiding.
When I made sure he was gone, I let out a sigh of relief. I really had to be more cautious.
They’re not just Alphas. They’re hunters.
The earlier celebration felt like a distant memory. The music, the lights, the press of bodies—gone. The night now felt sharp-edged, dangerous. Wolves had tried crashing the party, and I somehow ended up caught in the chaos with the twins.
I didn’t plan on sticking around. But when rogues started circling, that changed.
Things happened quickly before my eyes. Next thing I knew, we were surrounded by uninvited visitors.
The air thickened with the metallic scent of wild wolves. Damon’s shoulders tensed, his smile slipping as his eyes narrowed. Daniel inhaled deeply, reading the air like a map.
“They’re close,” Daniel murmured, scanning the treeline. “South quadrant. Four, maybe five.”
Damon cracked his knuckles, his easy grin returning like he wanted the fight. “Let’s split up. Drive them out.”
I stayed in the shadows as they moved, silent as smoke. This wasn’t my fight. The rogues were Smith pack business. My orders were to get close to the twins—not play bodyguard.
But when one of the rogues lunged for Daniel, instinct kicked in.
Steel flashed in my palm before I even realized I’d drawn it. The rogue hit the ground hard, a dagger lodged clean in its throat.
Daniel twisted around, his golden eyes pinning me to the spot.
“You?” His tone was cold, slicing through the tension.
Shit. I rolled my lips inward, tasting blood as I bit down. A woman in a dress, fighting like a trained assassin?
Too much. Too fast. I never should’ve stepped in.
Damon emerged from the shadows, brushing stray leaves from his jacket. His gaze flicked between Daniel and me, his brow quirking.
“What the hell happened here?”
Daniel didn’t take his eyes off me. “She saved me.” He said it like it was an insult. “But I’d like to know why.”
I simply slid the dagger back beneath the slit in my dress, forcing a smirk. “Didn’t look like you had it under control.”
Damon chuckled. “She’s got a point.”
Daniel wasn’t laughing. His stare lingered, dissecting every inch of me like I was a puzzle missing too many pieces.
“You shouldn’t be here in the first place,” he said, voice flat. “This is Smith territory, I checked the records earlier and seemed like you were not---”
I tilted my head. “You’re welcome.”
Daniel opened his mouth to snap back, but I was already moving, slipping into the darkness before he could press further.
The motorcycle roared beneath me as I tore down the empty road, the wind burning my skin.
Reckless. I tightened my grip on the handles, the adrenaline refusing to fade. Daniel wasn’t stupid. He’d seen the way I moved—too precise, too fast for someone pretending to be just another curious wolf.
I should’ve let him handle it.
The curve ahead came out of nowhere, sharp and sudden. I barely registered the glass scattered across the asphalt before it was too late.
“Shit!”
The bike skidded. I felt the snap of control slipping away. For a brief moment, everything spun. The world tilted, and I crashed hard, rolling across the unforgiving road until the cold stopped me.
Pain flared across my side, jagged and unrelenting. The distant glow of the moon blurred as darkness took over.
Voices.
Distant at first, but they cut through the black like needles.
“She’s alive.”
“Barely.”
I forced my eyes open. The world swam, hazy and too bright. Two faces hovered above me, familiar and yet strange all at once.
Damon. Daniel.
Damon crouched at my side, his brow furrowed in something close to concern. Daniel stood stiffly a few feet away, his arms crossed and his expression unreadable.
“Hey,” Damon said, his voice unexpectedly gentle. “You’re okay. You’re safe now.”
Safe? The word felt foreign.
Daniel’s sharp gaze narrowed as he studied me like he was piecing together a crime scene.
“Who are you really?”
I parted my lips, but no sound came out. Panic swelled in my chest.
Who am I?
My mind was empty—a blank space where memories should’ve been.
“I...I don’t know,” I whispered, the words tasting strange in my mouth.
Damon and Daniel exchanged glances.
“She might’ve been caught in the rogue attack,” Damon offered, his tone hesitant.
Daniel’s frown deepened, suspicion flickering in his eyes. “Or she’s hiding something.”
“Daniel,” Damon sighed, already lifting me gently into his arms. I barely registered the motion, too lightheaded to protest.
“We’ll take her home.”
