Hermena hated the forest at night.
It wasn't the darkness itself that frightened her, but the way it swallowed sound. No crickets, no owls, not even the whisper of leaves. Just silence—heavy, suffocating silence that pressed against her chest.
But tonight, she had no choice.
Mara had sent her to gather herbs from the riverbank, grinning wickedly as she handed her the woven basket. Everyone knew Omegas weren't allowed near the border after dusk. Wolves from Arrival Pack patrolled those shadows. To disobey meant punishment, but to obey meant risk. Hermena swallowed her fear and obeyed anyway.
The moonlight glinted on the surface of the river as she bent to pluck the bitter leaves, her fingers trembling. She whispered a prayer under her breath, though she doubted the Moon Goddess listened to Omegas.
Then she felt it.
The air thickened, heavy with that same intoxicating scent that had haunted her all day. Musk and smoke, sharp and dark, making her blood rush hot through her veins. Her wolf stirred violently, howling inside her. Mate.
Her heart stuttered. Her hands froze in the water.
She wasn't alone.
Slowly, Hermena straightened, every nerve in her body screaming. The hairs on her arms rose as if the night itself leaned closer to watch. And then—
Eyes.
Across the river, half-hidden by shadow, a pair of glowing eyes locked onto hers. Not the amber-gold of her pack. These were darker, sharper—burning with a dangerous fire that made her wolf whimper and press against her skin.
A figure stepped forward, and her breath caught. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Every step radiating dominance that rolled across the river like a storm. The Alpha of Arrival Pack. Adrian.
Hermena's blood turned to ice. She had seen him only from afar during rare gatherings, but even then, his reputation preceded him. A conqueror. A killer. A monster dressed in the skin of a man.
And yet her wolf cried out for him.
The scent coiled between them like a living thing, a magnetic tether pulling her forward even as logic screamed at her to run. Her knees shook, her lungs burned, but her feet remained rooted where she stood.
Adrian stopped at the river's edge, his gaze never leaving hers. The silence between them was deafening, broken only by the rush of water and the frantic pounding of her heart.
"An Omega," he said at last, his voice low and cutting. "Blue Moon sends their weakest to the border now? Or did you wander here on purpose?"
The power in his words pressed down on her, heavy, irresistible. Hermena lowered her head instinctively, her wolf trembling under the weight of his dominance. She tried to speak, but her voice came out cracked and small.
"I… I was sent here."
Adrian's eyes narrowed. He could smell the truth. Omegas didn't choose to risk the border; they were ordered. Used. Disposable.
His wolf snarled, furious at the thought of her suffering, but Adrian crushed the instinct ruthlessly. What did it matter? She was his enemy. His plan was to destroy her pack, not pity it.
And yet…
"Tell me your name," he commanded. His voice carried an edge of Alpha power that made her chest tighten.
Hermena's throat worked as she swallowed hard. "H–Hermena."
The name slipped from her lips fragile and trembling, but the moment it touched the air, Adrian felt it sink deep into him like a brand. His wolf roared in approval. Mate.
Adrian's jaw flexed as he fought to keep his expression cold. A mate from Blue Moon? An Omega, no less? The Moon Goddess was crueler than he had ever believed.
"Go back," he ordered sharply, though his voice betrayed a flicker of strain. "Before I change my mind about letting you live."
Hermena's breath caught. Every part of her wanted to obey, to run, but her wolf resisted, whimpering in protest, yearning toward him. It took all her strength to take a single step back, her eyes still locked on his.
She turned at last, clutching her basket, and hurried toward the trees. But even as she fled, she could feel his gaze burning against her back.
On the other side of the river, Adrian stood motionless, fists clenched at his sides.
He should have killed her. He wanted to kill her.
Instead, he let her go.
And as her scent faded into the night, Adrian knew with a cold certainty that he had made his first mistake.