The morning sun was soft and golden when I woke up. For the first time in days, the pain was gone. My body still felt weak, but not broken anymore. The smell of herbs filled the small room, mixed with the faint smoke from Lena's fire.
She was humming softly as she crushed dried leaves into a bowl. When she noticed I was awake, she smiled gently. "You're healing fast," she said. "Looks like my blood likes you."
I tried to smile back. "Thank you, Lena. I… I don't know how to repay you."
She waved her hand. "You don't have to. Just rest."
The warmth of her voice made me feel safe again. For a while, I thought the world outside had gone quiet — no fights, no stares, no pain.
But that peace didn't last long.
There was a knock at the door. Three slow knocks — calm but heavy. Lena looked up, frowning slightly. "Who could that be?"
Before she could reach the door, it creaked open. And there he was.
Ivar.
He stood in the doorway, leaning lazily against the frame, his dark eyes shining with something cold and amused. "Well, well," he said slowly. "Looks like the little wolf has healed."
I froze, my heart thumping. I hadn't seen him since that night.
"What do you want, Ivar?" I asked, trying to keep my voice firm.
He smiled faintly, his gaze sliding over the room, then back to me. "Oh, so the little wolf has a tongue now," he said mockingly. "Be careful, or it might get you in trouble."
Lena stepped forward, her hand resting on the table. "She needs rest," she said firmly. "You shouldn't be here."
But Ivar ignored her completely. His focus stayed on me. "My brother sent me," he said finally. "He said to tell you he'll be waiting for you at the bar by eight tonight."
I blinked, surprised. "The bar?"
He smirked. "Yes. Try not to be late. He doesn't like waiting."
He turned to leave, but I spoke before he could step outside. "You didn't tell anyone about the fire, did you? Or what I did to you?"
He stopped. His shoulders stiffened for just a moment before he looked back, his smile colder now. "I didn't know you were so scared of me," he said slowly.
"I'm not scared," I whispered. "I just didn't want to cause problems between you and your brother."
He let out a quiet laugh. "Oh, so you care about my brother now? How sweet." Then his eyes darkened. "Let me give you some advice, little wolf — my brother might like your face for a while, but he never keeps his toys for long."
My stomach turned. "You're wrong to think I'm anyone's toy."
"Am I?" His voice dropped lower. "He never sleeps with any woman twice. He gets bored easily. Don't think you're special, Aria."
Something inside me snapped. I stood up, ignoring the weakness in my legs. "Maybe I'm not special to you," I said quietly, "but I'll never be scared of you again."
His jaw tightened, but he said nothing more. He just gave me one last smirk and left, closing the door behind him.
Lena sighed softly. "That man brings only trouble."
"I know," I said, sitting back down. "But I'll face him if I have to."
By nightfall, the pack grounds were quiet. The moon was high, silver light bathing everything in soft glow. I wore a simple white dress Lena had given me. It wasn't fancy, but it made me feel clean — new.
I walked to the bar slowly, every step echoing in my chest. I didn't know why I was nervous. Maybe it was because I'd never gone anywhere with Jason before.
The bar wasn't loud — just warm lights, soft laughter, and the smell of roasted meat. I found a corner seat and waited.
Minutes passed. Then two men walked in. They looked like low-ranking pack members — drunk, loud, careless. One of them noticed me and grinned.
"Well, what do we have here?" he said, stumbling closer. "A little stray sitting alone?"
I shifted uncomfortably. "I'm waiting for someone."
"Oh?" He leaned closer, his breath heavy with alcohol. "Maybe we can keep you company until he comes."
"Please," I said quietly. "Just leave me alone."
They laughed. One reached out and brushed his fingers across my hair. "You can't tell us what to do, little girl. We own this place, so you would do as we say." That was when the air changed.
The door swung open — and everything went silent.
Jason walked in.
He wasn't smiling. His eyes were cold, dangerous, glowing faintly under the dim light. He said, "Leave the girl alone." The men froze instantly.
"Alpha," one of them stammered. "We… we didn't know she was with you."
Jason's jaw clenched. "You should have." His voice was calm — too calm. He stepped forward slowly, his presence alone enough to make them back away.
"Get out," he said softly.
They ran without another word.
I sat there, my heart racing. Jason turned his gaze to me. For a moment, the Alpha disappeared — only the man remained.
"You shouldn't be alone," he said, sitting beside me.
"I can handle myself," I whispered, though my voice trembled.
"I saw how they looked at you," he said quietly. "Next time, I might not be there in time."
There was something about his tone — not anger, but worry. Deep, honest worry.
He ordered two drinks, though I barely touched mine. We talked. Not about the pack, not about pain — just simple things. How the moon looked softer tonight. How the forest always smelled different after rain.
His laugh was low and warm, and I found myself smiling for real.
When we left the bar, the night was quiet. We walked slowly, side by side, our hands brushing now and then. Each touch felt like a spark I couldn't ignore.
We stopped by a small stream, the same one near Lena's house. The moon reflected in the water like silver fire.
"Thank you," I said softly. "For earlier." I turned to leave, but he took my hand and brought me closer to himself.
He looked at me, his eyes unreadable. "You don't have to thank me." He paused. "Just don't disappear again, Aria."
"I didn't disappear last time," I said. Then he held my waist and slowly brushed his hands on my cheeks, saying, "Tell me you don't feel this, Aria. I can't control myself, Aria. I'm trying so hard, but I can't, Aria. What have you done to me?"
The silence between us grew heavier. He took a slow step closer. His hand brushed my cheek, warm and gentle. I was trying to resist it too, but there was something about this bad, wicked alpha. "I'm not one of your toys, Jason," I said while breathing heavily, trying to resist his touches. "No, you are not, Aria. Tell me to stop and I'll stop. Tell me you don't want this and I'll go," he said as he dragged me closer to himself. My heart pounded so loud I thought he could hear it.
He leaned in. The world went still. His breath touched my lips, soft, close —
"Aria!"
Lena's voice cut through the night like lightning.
Jason froze, his jaw tightening. He took a step back, eyes closing briefly before looking away.
I turned, confused, my heart still racing. Lena was running toward us, her face pale.
"Aria," she said breathlessly, "you need to see this. Now."