(Lucian's POV)
The rain hadn't stopped since I left the diner.
It drummed against the hood of my truck as I drove out of town, every drop echoing like a reminder of the mistake I'd just made.
I shouldn't have gone back.
I shouldn't have seen her.
Aria Hale.
Even thinking her name felt dangerous.
The pack house came into view, its shadow cutting through the trees. A sprawling wooden structure that looked older than the town itself — part home, part fortress. Lights glowed faintly through the windows, but the woods around it were silent. Too silent.
The moment I stepped out of the truck, I caught the scent.
Wolf.
Familiar, but sharp with anger.
"She's human, Lucian."
The voice came from the porch. Darius — my Beta — leaned against the railing, arms folded, rain dripping from his hair. His gaze burned through me.
"She's not your concern," I said.
"Funny. That's not what the rest of the pack thinks."
I brushed past him, heading for the door. "Let them think what they want."
"Don't play dumb with me," he growled. "You know what the Elders will say if they find out you've been near her."
I stopped at the door, my jaw tightening. "Then make sure they don't."
He followed me inside. The house smelled of cedar, smoke, and the faint metallic tang of blood. Two of the younger wolves were in the living room, cleaning their gear — probably from patrol. They went silent when they saw me.
"Alpha," one muttered, nodding.
I returned the gesture and headed upstairs, Darius on my heels.
"You think you can hide her?" he demanded. "You think fate won't find a way to bite back?"
I turned sharply, eyes flashing gold for a second. "Watch your tone."
He held his ground. "You're losing control. Every time you come back from the town, I can smell her on you."
My chest tightened. "Enough."
"Lucian, she's human. If she's the one—"
"She's not."
The lie tasted bitter.
He studied me for a moment, then sighed. "You can't fight the bond forever."
I looked away, staring out the rain-streaked window. The forest stretched endlessly, dark and restless. Somewhere out there, something moved — something that wasn't one of us.
"The rogue activity's getting worse," I said, changing the subject. "We found tracks near the lake again."
Darius nodded slowly. "Yeah. But that's not all. There's a scent mixed in with theirs. Something old."
Old.
That word made my stomach drop.
He continued, "Whatever's out there isn't just hunting us. It's searching for something."
I didn't need to ask what. I already knew.
Aria.
The image of her face flashed in my mind — rain in her hair, defiance in her eyes, the faint tremor in her hands when I stepped too close. She didn't realize what she'd stumbled into. What she was.
I turned away from the window. "Double the patrols near the woods. If anyone sees her—"
"You'll do what?" Darius asked quietly. "Protect her? Or finish what fate started?"
My jaw clenched. "She's not dying because of me."
He studied me again, then nodded once and left.
When the door closed, I sank into the nearest chair, dragging a hand through my hair. The sound of rain filled the silence.
I tried to ignore the pull in my chest — that invisible thread that had been burning since the night I found her. But it was no use.
She wasn't just a girl I couldn't stay away from.
She was the reason the bond was stirring again.
The reason the curse had awakened.
And if I didn't find a way to stop it…
(Lucian's eyes darken, the faint outline of his wolf form flickering in the reflection of the window.)
She'd be the reason I lost control.
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End of Chapter 4 — The Alpha's Burden