It had been three weeks since I arrived in Cedarhollow. The rain hadn't stopped, but I didn't mind. I liked the rain. It washed everything clean. It made the air smell like wet cedar bark and cold river stone.
Lucas found me on the porch of my cabin. I was sitting on the wooden steps, throwing a stick for Buster in the wet grass. Lucas wore a simple gray t-shirt and dark sweatpants. He didn't look like a future Alpha. He just looked like a man who was comfortable in his own skin.
"We're doing a short border run," he said quietly. "Do you want to come?"
I hesitated. My fingers tightened in Buster's fur. I hadn't let my wolf out in years. In Shadowvale, there was no need. Tristan did the running. Tristan did the leading. I did the planning and the smiling. My wolf was a suppressed, quiet thing locked away in the dark.
"You don't have to push yourself," Lucas added, reading my face. "Just stretch your legs. See the territory."
I took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay."
We walked past the main lodge and into the thick tree line. Lucas shifted first. His wolf was massive, a beautiful dark brown with intelligent amber eyes. But he didn't growl or puff out his chest. He didn't flood the clearing with his aura. He just shook the rain from his coat and waited.
I closed my eyes and let the change take over. Bones snapped and reformed. It ached. It was a rusty, raw feeling, like opening a door with rusted hinges. When I finally stood on four paws, I felt small. My pale gray fur was dull. My inner wolf whimpered in my mind. She was so used to hiding. She expected to be scolded for taking up space.
Lucas nudged my shoulder with his wet snout. A gentle, grounding push. *Let's go,* his eyes seemed to say.
We ran. I was clumsy at first. My paws slipped on the wet pine needles, and my breathing was too fast. But Lucas didn't speed up to show off his strength. He didn't force me to chase him. He stayed right by my side. He matched my awkward pace stride for stride.
Slowly, the cold wind woke my wolf up. The damp forest air filled my lungs. The scent of pine and wet earth chased away the lingering memory of stone walls. I stretched my legs and ran faster. My paws found their rhythm. For the first time in five years, I wasn't trailing behind an Alpha. I was just running.
We stopped at a high rocky ridge overlooking the valley. The misty rain coated my fur in tiny silver drops. I stood at the edge and stared out at the endless green sea of trees. Lucas stood next to me. He didn't try to herd me back to the pack house. He didn't demand my attention. He just let me stand in the rain and breathe.
For the first time in a long time, I felt like I belonged to myself.
***
That evening, Lucas stopped by the cabin again. I was sitting on the covered porch with a hot mug of tea. Buster was asleep at my feet, his tail thumping weakly when Lucas walked up the steps.
Lucas sat on the wooden step below me. He looked out at the dark, misty trees for a long time. The only sound was the rain hitting the cedar roof.
"I need to tell you something, Faye," he said. His voice was calm. Unhurried.
I gripped my mug tighter. My heart did a nervous little flutter. "Okay."
He turned to look at me. His eyes were entirely steady. "I've had feelings for you since we were teenagers. Since those training summers."
My breath hitched. I stared at him, stunned. I didn't know what to say. I was so used to Tristan's explosive demands and heavy expectations. I braced myself for Lucas to step closer, to use his future-Alpha aura, to claim me right then and there.
He didn't move.
"I'm not asking for an answer tonight," he continued, his tone perfectly even. "I am asking for a formal courtship. Three months. Long forest runs, shared patrols, and quiet evenings. No pressure. No timeline."
I blinked, trying to process his words. "And if I say no? Or if I change my mind halfway through?"
"Then you walk away," Lucas said simply. "Without consequence. You keep your cabin. You stay in the pack. I want to prove to you that a bond with me is safe. But it has to be your choice, Faye. Every step of it."
He wasn't performing. There was no Alpha dominance. No territorial growls. Just a man offering me his time and his truth, leaving the door wide open for me to leave if I wanted to.
My chest felt tight, but not in a bad way. The broken pieces of my wolf stirred, curious and warm.
"I'll think about it," I whispered.
Lucas smiled. It was a small, genuine smile that reached his eyes. "Take all the time you need."
He didn't leave immediately. He didn't need to rush off to handle pack business. He just sat on the steps with me. We listened to the rain together, and the silence between us wasn't heavy or anxious. It was just comfortable.
***
**Tristan**
The stack of papers on my desk was giving me a massive headache.
"This is the third budget expansion this month, Tristan." Derek stood on the other side of my desk. My Beta looked exhausted. His jaw was tight. "Reese is pulling funds from the eastern border defense to pay for her luxury packaging. She's also making exclusive trade agreements with the Bloodmoon pack using your name."
"She's building a brand, Derek," I said, rubbing my temples. "It takes capital."
"She's building an empire for herself," Derek corrected quietly. "And she's using Shadowvale's treasury to do it. She's cultivating relationships with allied Alphas that serve her business, not our pack. The numbers don't make sense. I need you to review these financial discrepancies."
I slammed my hand flat on the oak desk. "Enough!"
My Alpha tone bled into the room. The heavy, oppressive weight of it forced Derek to take a half-step back. He stiffened, but he didn't lower his eyes. He just looked at me with a heavy, disappointed stare.
"She is my fated mate," I snapped, my voice rough. "She is going to be your Luna. Give her what she needs and approve the transfers."
Derek pressed his lips into a thin line. He didn't argue. He knew it was useless. "Yes, Alpha."
He turned and walked out of the office, shutting the heavy door behind him.
I slumped back in my leather chair. The office was dead quiet. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, expecting to smell the comforting scent of warm amber and honey. The scent that always calmed me down after a fight with the council. The scent that always meant someone was in my corner.
But there was nothing. Just the faint, cloying smell of white jasmine lingering from Reese's visit an hour ago.
My inner wolf paced angrily in my chest. He let out a low, frustrated growl. He didn't want the jasmine. He didn't care about the trade agreements. He pulled away from the sweet smell, whining for the warm, quiet presence that used to sit in the corner chair with a book and a dog.
I gritted my teeth and ignored him. I pulled the transfer papers toward me, picked up my pen, and signed my name. I had made my choice. My fated mate was back. I just had to make it work.
