Noah's POV
I pushed myself off the ground, sweat dripping from my brow as I finished my last set of push-ups. My muscles burned, but the pain kept me focused.
The door swung open, and Jason, my Beta, stepped inside.
"Did I come at a bad time?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
I grabbed a towel, wiping my face. "Your report, Beta?"
Jason sighed. "Last scouting party just came back. No reported sign of vampire activity outside the West perimeter."
I frowned, tossing the towel onto a nearby chair. "Keep looking. They're hiding somewhere." I walked over to the map pinned on the wall, my fingers trailing over the marked locations. "Look, when we took those files six months ago, it proved that Eastwind was at least talking to those bloodsuckers before we took over."
Jason crossed his arms. "Noah, come on. It's been months since the last sighting. Even if they were planning something, they don't have the numbers. You know they're dying out."
I clenched my jaw. "Do you know what happened last time we let our guard down?" I turned to face him, my voice sharp. "I won't let that happen again."
Jason sighed but didn't argue. He knew better.
I walked to the window, my eyes scanning the courtyard below. Warriors moved in formation, training under the midday sun. Everything looked normal, until I saw her.
My body went still.
A girl walked across the field, her long hair clinging to her damp skin from the summer heat. There was something oddly familiar about the way she moved, like a ghost from a past I couldn't shake.
Then it hit me.
The girl.
The same girl I saved six months ago. The one who ran before I could even ask her name.
"I've finally met her again..…" I muttered.
Jason stepped beside me. "Something wrong?"
I ignored him, my eyes locked on her.
She's here!
Daisy's POV
I stepped into what was once my pack, Eastwind, now claimed by the Black Moon Pack. The air felt different, heavier. The streets were quieter than I remembered, and the scent of unfamiliar wolves lingered.
Everything had changed.
I walked cautiously, scanning the ruins of my old home. Then, before I could react, laughter echoed from ahead.
Mila.
She and her group of friends strutted toward me, their smirks sharp as daggers.
"Well, well," Mila said, tilting her head. "Look who decided to show her pathetic face here again after abandoning our pack."
One of her friends giggled. "Her grandpa used to be a rogue wolf way before we were even born. Maybe it runs in the family." Her eyes gleamed with malice. "Is family a sensitive topic since, you know…?"
My jaw clenched.
"At least my mom stayed to defend her pack," I shot back. "Unlike your Alpha."
Mila's expression twisted. "Are you talking about my mate? The one who rejected you?" She pouted mockingly. "Oh, Daisy… just because you played warrior in Pee Paw's cabin doesn't make you any more of a real wolf. You're still as weak and useless as you've always been."
Before I could respond, another voice cut through the air.
"That's enough," a deep voice said behind me. "Infighting is against the rules, ladies."
I turned around, my breath hitching.
Him.
The man from six months ago.
Mila and her friends pouted, but they knew better than to push their luck.
"Oh, we're just welcoming Daisy back home," Mila said sweetly. she flicks her hair.
The man said to them, "It's almost past curfew. You should be indoors before sundown."
He watched them leave.
Then, I smirked. "You're the guy from the solstice."
He raised an eyebrow. "And you were the one drowning in tears and egg yolk."
I stiffened, the memory hitting me like a slap.
He remembered me.
And from the way his golden eyes studied me, like he was trying to figure me out.
Noah's POV
I watched her carefully, studying the way she shifted on her feet, hesitant yet stubborn. There was something about her, something familiar but untamed. The last time we met before I could ask your name, you have already left.
"You didn't tell me your name," I said.
She hesitated before replying, "Sorry, it's Daisy. Daisy Storm. Kind of corny, I know."
I repeated her name, rolling it over my tongue like a secret. Daisy Storm.
It suited her…wild, unpredictable, like the storm brewing in her eyes.
I extended a hand. "I like that. It suits you."
She shook my hand lightly, her fingers small but strong. "I'm guessing you're part of the Black Moon Pack," she said. "So, you must know Alpha Noah."
I kept my face unreadable, but inside, my wolf stirred.
She doesn't know I'm him.
"You can say that," I answered carefully.
Her lips pressed together before she continued, "Is he as much of a monster as people say?"
I froze.
A monster…
Why did she think of me that way?
"What do you mean?" I asked, keeping my voice neutral.
Her eyes darkened with something between grief and fury. "He's the reason my mom is dead."
I clenched my jaw.
"And do you have any proof that he's responsible?"
She hesitated, her fingers curling into fists. "Well, no… but I heard the rumors. People call him the Beast. the Alpha who invades and devours packs on a whim." She looked away. "He's nothing like you. You're different. Kind."
I wasn't sure if I wanted to laugh or feel insulted.
Kind?
She had no idea.
"Thank you for walking me home," she added softly. "No one has been kind to me in a long time."
She turned to leave, but I was already walking away before she could look back.
The moment I opened the door, my grandpa was already waiting, arms crossed.
"You're home late," he said.
I gave him a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Grandpa, I lost track of time."
He sighed but didn't push. "Alright."
I stepped inside, locking the door behind me when my phone suddenly buzzed with a message.
Report to the main gym tomorrow at 7 a.m. – Alpha Noah.
My eyebrows furrowed as I turned to my grandpa. "Did you give Alpha Asshole my number?"
He chuckled. "He has everyone's number. He's very hands-on that way."
I rolled my eyes and started heading upstairs, but Grandpa followed me.
"The Alpha has invoked a curfew for the whole pack," he continued. "You're not gonna be able to go out this late at night anymore."
I scoffed, turning to face him. "You expect me to listen to the Alpha who basically killed my mom?"
Grandpa's face darkened. "Daisy, hold on now…."
"I'm going to bed. Good night," I cut him off, slamming my door shut.
That night, I had a dream.
I was in a garden, walking through rows of blooming flowers, when I saw him.
The guy from last night.
The same guy who had walked me home.
We locked eyes.
"What are you doing here?" we both asked at the same time.
But before I could say anything else, he took a deep breath, his eyes darkening.
"What is that smell?" he murmured.
It was strange….I was thinking the same thing.
We both spoke at once.
"Like mate."
A sudden force pulled us together. He pressed me against a tree, his body heat wrapping around me. His fingers laced with mine, and a strange glowing line circled our hands, binding us.
His lips crashed onto mine.
It was fire and lightning all at once.
I melted against him as his arms tightened around my waist, his scent overwhelming my senses. I wanted more. Needed more.
I gasped as his lips trailed down my neck…
Then I jolted awake, my heart racing.
What the hell was that?
It felt too real. Too intense.
I sat up, catching my breath, my skin still tingling from his phantom touch.
Shaking the dream away, I glanced at the clock.
5:45 a.m.
I had an hour to get ready before I met Alpha Noah for the first time. The monster who has killed my mom.
The thought made my stomach twist.
With a groan, I got up and started getting ready.