The fog clung thick between the trees, muffling the city's distant hum until only the faint rustle of leaves and her heartbeat remained.
Adanna stood rooted where the grass dampened her boots, her breath sharp in her throat. The stranger was there—no dream, no drunken haze this time. His pale hair gleamed faintly in the twilight mist, his storm-grey eyes fixed on her as though he had been expecting her.
Her fingers tightened on the edges of her shawl. She should have run. Instinct screamed at her to turn back toward the streets, toward people, toward safety. But her body refused to obey. Something about him—about the stillness that wrapped around his tall frame—held her fast.
"You," she whispered, her voice brittle, breaking the silence.
The man stepped forward, slow, measured, his boots sinking softly into the damp earth. "You followed the whispers." His voice was deep, quiet, carrying an edge of roughness that made the hairs along her arms rise.
Adanna blinked, confusion flickering across her face. "What do you mean?"
"The Crescent Moon," he said, his gaze never wavering. "You wouldn't be here if you hadn't heard."
Her stomach twisted. So it wasn't just rumor—he knew. Which meant he was part of it, this sanctuary pack she had clung to in fragile hope.
Adanna swallowed, willing her voice steady. "Are you with them?"
A beat of silence. His jaw tightened before he answered. "I was."
The words struck oddly, past and present colliding. Was. Not am.
She shifted her weight, unease prickling her skin. "Then what are you doing out here, watching me?"
His lips curved—not in amusement, but something darker. "Making sure you survive long enough to decide if you belong."
It wasn't comfort, not really. The way he said it, low and deliberate, sent a chill through her even as heat coiled low in her chest.
Adanna squared her shoulders, trying to muster what dignity she had left. "I don't need a guard dog. I came here because—because I have nowhere else." Her voice cracked, betraying more than she intended.
His eyes softened—barely, like a ripple across still water. "Then you're already halfway to Crescent Moon."
He moved again, circling slightly, as though testing the air between them. She tracked his every step, pulse hammering. "You still haven't told me your name."
"Leander." He stopped, the sound of it hanging in the mist between them. "And yours?"
She hesitated. Trust was dangerous, she'd learned that much. But something about his stare—unyielding yet not cruel—pulled the truth from her lips. "Adanna."
The syllables seemed to mean something to him. He repeated her name once, low, like a secret.
For a long moment, silence pressed in again. She should have turned, should have demanded answers, should have run. Instead, she found herself asking, quietly, "If you were part of Crescent Moon once… why aren't you now?"
Leander's expression shifted, shadow flickering in his eyes. "Because not every exile is welcome back."
Adanna's chest tightened. She knew rejection, knew the sting of being cast aside. But there was something heavier in his voice—an old wound carried too long. She opened her mouth to ask more, but a sound broke the moment: the snap of a branch deeper in the fog.
Leander's head whipped toward it instantly, his entire body taut, alert in a way no ordinary man could be.
Adanna froze, fear clawing up her spine. "What was—"
"Stay behind me," he cut in, his tone brooking no argument.
And for reasons she didn't understand, she obeyed.
Adanna's heart thumped painfully in her chest as she moved closer to him, her boots crunching against the damp earth. She hated herself for listening, hated how quickly her body responded to his command, but fear made obedience easier than pride.
The sound came again—closer this time. A low shuffle, like feet dragging over wet leaves.
Leander's shoulders squared. She could see the subtle shift in his posture, the way he braced himself. It was the stance of a man who expected trouble, who had lived enough of it to never let his guard drop.
A growl rumbled low in his throat, not human, not natural. Adanna's stomach clenched as the sound rippled through the fog.
And then, out of the mist, figures emerged.
Two men. Rough, unshaven, their clothes torn and filthy. Rogues. She knew the look, the scent that clung to them—feral, desperate, unbound by pack law. They grinned when they saw her, their eyes sliding over her like she was nothing but prey.
"Well, well," one drawled, voice thick with mockery. "What's this? A lost little lamb?"
The other laughed, a hollow, ugly sound. "And look at that—guarded by the white wolf himself. Didn't think you'd crawl back this far, Leander."
Adanna stiffened, the words sinking in. White wolf.
Her gaze darted to Leander. He didn't flinch at the insult. If anything, his jaw set tighter, his presence radiating authority even without a word.
"You've had your warning," Leander said evenly, his voice low and commanding. "Turn back."
The rogues only smirked, stepping closer. "Two on one," the first sneered. "Not much of a fight for the great exile, is it?"
Adanna's breath caught. They weren't backing down. And she—she had no wolf, no strength, no way to fight. She was useless, again.
Her hands trembled at her sides. She hated it. Hated feeling like dead weight.
But Leander didn't move back. Didn't hesitate. He shifted slightly, placing himself between her and the rogues, his presence a shield.
The first man lunged.
It happened too fast for her to follow—Leander's hand snapping up, catching the rogue mid-strike, his body twisting with lethal precision. A sickening crack rang out as the man hit the ground.
The second rogue cursed and rushed in. Adanna stumbled back, panic clawing at her chest, but Leander was already moving. His fist connected with the rogue's jaw, sending him sprawling into the mud.
Both men groaned, struggling, but the fight was already over. Leander hadn't even broken a sweat.
Adanna stared, wide-eyed, her breath ragged. She'd seen warriors fight before, seen dominance displayed at Alpha gatherings. But this—this was different. There was no pomp, no performance. Just cold efficiency.
Leander turned, his storm-grey eyes locking on her. For a moment, neither spoke.
Then he stepped closer, his voice rough but steady. "You don't walk into Heath territory without expecting wolves to find you. Crescent Moon isn't like Scarlet Moon. They protect what's theirs."
The names hit her like strikes. Scarlet Moon. Crescent Moon. Packs and politics, wars and betrayals. She was too tired to untangle it, too raw to question why his name made the rogues spit venom.
All she knew was that when danger closed in, he stood in front of her.
She swallowed hard, forcing her voice to work. "You… you could've let them take me."
Leander's expression didn't shift, but his answer was immediate. "I don't leave people to the wolves."
A laugh nearly escaped her, bitter and sharp. "Ironic."
He didn't argue. Just looked at her, long and heavy, as though he saw through her words to the ache beneath.
The rogues scrambled to their feet, retreating into the fog with curses thrown over their shoulders. Leander didn't chase them. He stood still until the forest swallowed them whole, until silence fell again.
Only then did Adanna realize how close she stood to him, her breath mingling with his in the cold air.
She pulled back sharply, heat rushing to her cheeks. "So… what now? Do I just wander until Crescent Moon finds me? Or do you drag me there yourself?"
His eyes lingered on her, unreadable. "You won't make it alone."
Something inside her twisted. The words were harsh, but not cruel. A simple fact. And deep down, she knew he was right.
"I don't need saving," she said, her voice shaking despite herself.
"Good," Leander replied, the faintest edge of something like amusement flickering in his tone. "Because
Crescent Moon doesn't take in people who want saving. They take in those who fight to survive."
Adanna's lips parted, a retort dying in her throat. She didn't know whether to hate him or cling to the thread of truth in his words.
Leander turned slightly, glancing deeper into the fog, then back to her. "If you're coming, stay close."
And without waiting for her answer, he started walking into the trees.
Adanna hesitated, her heart warring with her pride.
But then she stepped after him.
One step. Then another.
Not because she trusted him. Not yet.
But because, for the first time since Hyde Park, she wasn't walking into the dark alone