Olivia's Point of View
The silence in the room was deafening.
Jaden hadn't spoken since I questioned his authority—since I dared to push back. I expected rage or punishment. Instead, I got something more chilling: restraint. His jaw was tight, fists clenched by his sides, but he hadn't moved a muscle.
That silence held more weight than any scream could.
I swallowed hard, watching him as he turned and walked toward the large window overlooking the forest. Moonlight bathed his profile, casting shadows that only deepened his mystery.
"Do you think you're the only one fighting fate, Olivia?" he asked, his voice low and calm, but vibrating with something darker underneath. "You think I asked for this bond?"
"I didn't," I shot back, standing despite the dull ache in my muscles. "I never wanted to be mated to a beast who treats people like property."
He turned his head slowly, his eyes glowing faintly in the moonlight. "You still don't get it. You don't know what I've done to protect this pack. To protect you."
That word again—protect.
What did he mean by that?
"I didn't ask for your protection," I snapped.
He approached slowly, but instead of menace, I saw… hesitation. Vulnerability? No, I was imagining things.
"You might not understand it now, but you're part of something much bigger," he said, voice lower now, almost pained. "You were chosen by the Moon. That's not something either of us can undo."
I crossed my arms. "Then I'll fight it. Because I won't just surrender my life."
Jaden nodded once, as if accepting a challenge. "So be it."
Without another word, he turned and left.
The next morning, I was awakened not by an alarm, but by the sound of loud knocking.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
I groaned and sat up. My body was sore, but the fire in my chest from last night still burned bright.
"Who is it?" I called.
The door creaked open, and to my surprise, a woman stepped in—around my age, with short auburn hair and striking gray eyes. She had a tray of food and a faint smile on her lips.
"I'm Eva," she said. "Jaden sent me. I'm… supposed to show you around."
I blinked. "He sent you?"
She nodded. "He figured you wouldn't respond well to him right now."
Smart beast.
I got out of bed, grabbed a hoodie, and followed her.
The pack house was much bigger than I realized. Rooms upon rooms branched out from the main hallways, some filled with warriors training, others with wolves lounging like it was completely normal to shift indoors. Everything smelled like pine and power.
Eva was chatty, thankfully.
"You're lucky, you know," she said as we walked past a glass-walled strategy room. "Jaden doesn't usually explain himself to anyone, especially not humans—or newly turned wolves."
"I didn't ask him to," I muttered.
She gave me a look. "You did, though. Last night."
I stopped walking. "Were you… listening?"
"Walls have ears in this place," she replied, smirking.
I sighed. "Look, I just want to understand what's going on. Why me? Why now? None of this makes sense."
Eva's expression sobered. "Sometimes the Moon Goddess binds people who are meant to fix things… or break them. Jaden hasn't been the same since the war with the Shadow Claw pack. Losing his brother changed him."
That caught my attention.
"He lost his brother?"
She nodded solemnly. "Two years ago. It shattered him. Since then, he's been... closed off. But you—you're the first person who's made him pause."
That didn't make me feel better. If anything, it made me more confused.
Later that day, I wandered into the edge of the forest behind the pack house. The wind was cool and fresh, the trees towering like ancient sentinels.
I needed space to think.
I sat on a rock, closing my eyes.
How did my life get here? From living a quiet, average life to being mated to a wolf alpha with a dark past and even darker secrets?
A twig snapped behind me.
My eyes flew open.
I turned around—and froze.
A tall, dark-haired man in a rogue's tattered cloak stood at the tree line. His eyes were amber, but unlike Jaden's warm gold, these burned with hate.
"You don't belong here, girl," he growled.
Before I could move, a low, thunderous growl erupted from behind me.
Jaden.
He stepped between me and the stranger, muscles tense, his wolf just beneath the surface.
"Leave," Jaden ordered, voice barely human. "Now."
The rogue smirked. "You can't protect her forever. She's marked now. The others will come."
And just like that, he vanished into the trees.
My heart raced.
Jaden turned to me slowly, his jaw clenched. "What the hell were you doing out here alone?"
I stood, fists trembling. "I didn't know—"
He grabbed my shoulders. "You could've been killed!"
"I can take care of myself," I argued.
He looked at me with something like desperation. "You don't understand, Olivia. You're not just my mate anymore. You're a target."
The words hit harder than I expected.
A target?
"What do you mean 'anymore'? What's happening to me?"
He stepped back, hesitating. "You're changing. The bond is awakening something in you… something powerful."
My knees buckled slightly. "I didn't ask for this."
"No one ever does," he whispered.
His hand hovered in the air, as if unsure whether to comfort me or let me fall.
And then he said something that made my blood run cold:
"They're coming for you."
Just as my thoughts began to settle, a sharp knock rattled the door. I froze. My heart thudded painfully in my chest.
Before I could respond, the door creaked open and in walked a tall, slender woman with piercing green eyes and an air of authority. Her heels clicked against the hardwood floor with practiced precision. Her gaze raked over me like I was an unwelcome pest.
"You must be the stray Jaden dragged in," the woman said flatly.
I sat up straighter. "Excuse me?"
"I'm Veronica," she said, crossing her arms. "Beta female of this pack. And Jaden's… closest confidante."
I stiffened. The unspoken message was clear.
"Don't get comfortable," Veronica continued. "Jaden may be Alpha, but this pack runs on tradition. Outsiders, especially ones with no status, rarely last."
My jaw clenched. "Is that supposed to scare me?"
Veronica smirked. "It's supposed to prepare you. You're not one of us. Not yet. And if you think mating with Jaden gives you protection, you're mistaken. He's been through many… distractions before. None stayed long."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel and disappeared down the hallway, leaving a tense silence in her wake.
I exhaled shakily. A new wave of uncertainty hit me like a tidal wave. How many more enemies would I face in this house? How many more secrets were wrapped around Jaden, waiting to strangle me?
A soft growl suddenly echoed from outside the window. I stood and parted the curtains, peering into the woods that bordered the estate.
Movement.
A shadow fast, four-legged, and large — slipped between the trees.
My skin prickled.
Was it just another patrol wolf… or something else entirely?
Something was watching me.
And for the first time since arriving, I wondered if staying was more dangerous than running.
But I couldn't run. Not now.
Not until I uncovered the truth about Jaden, the bond between us and whatever it was that waited for me in the forest shadows.