Ronan POV
It was faint-barely there beneath the smoke of the bonfire and the lingering perfume of the girls pressing too close-but I still smelled her.
Raine.
I leaned back against the wooden bench, gripping the beer bottle in my hand. I hadn't taken a sip.
Across from me, Ava sat curled up beside one of the guys, her laughter high-pitched and sweet.
I should've been paying attention.
I should've been anywhere but in my own damn head.
"You good, man?"
Kai's voice cut through the noise, and I blinked, realizing he was watching me.
"Yeah." I rolled my shoulders, trying to shake it off. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Jax smirked, his sharp grey eyes gleaming under the firelight. "I don't know. You've been staring into space like some lovesick idiot."
Ava perked up at that. "Lovesick? Please." She leaned in, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "Ronan doesn't do love."
"Yeah," Jax said, grinning. "He barely has feelings."
Laughter rippled around the group.
I forced a smirk. "You're both full of shit."
I should've left it at that.
Should've ignored them, kept my head down, pretended like the fire in my chest wasn't her name burning through me.
But then, Ava tilted her head and said, "Didn't you run into her today?"
The laughter died down.
It was subtle, but I felt the shift immediately.
A test.
A reminder of who I was supposed to be.
I let out a low chuckle, shaking my head. "If by 'run into,' you mean she ran away with her tail between her legs-then yeah, I guess I did."
Ava giggled, clearly satisfied. "Still pathetic, then?"
My wolf growled in warning but I forced him down.
"Still pathetic," I said smoothly, tossing my untouched beer into the fire. The flames swallowed it whole, hissing as it burned.
But Kai wasn't so easily fooled.
He studied me, leaning forward just enough for his voice to drop so only I could hear.
"Then why do you look like you want to punch a hole through the wall?"
My jaw tightened.
Because she looked at me like I was a monster.
Because I hated how much I wanted her, even when she hated me.
Because, deep down, I knew-I didn't deserve her.
But I wasn't about to admit that. Not to anyone. Not to myself.
So, instead, I flashed him a sharp grin and said, "Because I do."
Then, without waiting for a response, I stood and walked away.
Because if I stayed any longer, I might actually crack.
And that wasn't an option.
Not for the future Alpha of the Bloodmoon Pack
I paced outside the Alpha's office, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket.
My father's voice was sharp and commanding, even through the thick wooden doors. It wasn't unusual for late-night meetings-something was always happening within the pack. But tonight, there was something different in the air.
Something that put me on edge.
Finally, the door creaked open, and my father stepped out. Alpha Killian Graves was a man of iron, his presence alone enough to make even the strongest warriors bow their heads. He was cold, ruthless in his decisions and it worsened after my mother's death. I think he is using that to cover his grief up.
And he was also the only person I had ever truly wanted approval from.
My father's piercing gaze met mine. "Come inside."
I followed, shutting the door behind him.
He sat behind his massive desk, fingers steepled together. "There's been an attack."
My stomach tightened. "Where?"
"Near the western border. Three of our scouts were found dead." His voice was unreadable, but his knuckles were white where they rested on the desk. "Something is hunting our pack."
A cold weight settled in my gut. I had expected a rogue attack-stragglers testing the borders. But this? This was something else.
My father exhaled sharply, his eyes sharp as a blade. "This is the price of being Alpha, Ronan. If you can't handle that, tell me now."
I straightened, meeting his father's gaze. "I can handle it."
He studied me for a long moment, then nodded.
"Good."
But there was something in my father's eyes-something almost worried.
And that terrified me more than anything else.