I stomp through the forest, boots crushing fallen leaves with every step. The cold air doesn't bite—it's warm compared to the fire in my chest. Luke Vrenatta. That cocky, infuriating, impossible-to-ignore little shit. My hands still shake, not from the fight with Krell, but from him. From that grin.
God, I hate him.
I force myself to focus. Pack first. Alpha father would have my head if I wasted time fantasizing about the Vrenatta brat, even in my own head. He's the enemy. That's all there is to it.
Branches snap underfoot, and I catch movement in the corner of my eye. My pack. Finally. A relief I can't hide. My Beta, Asha steps out from behind a tree, arms crossed, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Late night stroll with the enemy, little wolf?"
"Shut up," I snap, brushing past her. My voice carries the bite of ice, and I know she feels it. Good. Let her. She's sharp, but not me.
Asha laughs anyway. "Krell's still loose. Did you enjoy your little dance with fire?"
I grit my teeth. Fire? That's exactly what Luke—no, focus. I tilt my head toward her. "He won't bother us again. Not tonight, anyway." My voice is flat, but my heart's still hammering.
"Yeah, sure," she says, unimpressed. "You looked… off balance. Shaking even. Not like our Mari."
I glare. "Off balance? I can handle myself. I did handle him."
Her smirk grows. "Right. Because letting some Vrenatta brat stand there staring at you wasn't distracting at all."
My jaw tightens. She doesn't know, not really. She'll never understand the way he makes me feel—like I'm on the edge of losing control, like every nerve in my body is screaming at me, pay attention to him. But I can't. Not now. Not ever.
I push the thoughts down, wrapping my arms around myself. "Forget it," I mutter, more to myself than her.
Asha sighs. "Suit yourself. You're heading back to the pack house?"
I nod. "Yeah. I need to check in with Father. Make sure the perimeter's secure. And the Omegas are still alive."
She raises an eyebrow. "Still scolding the weaklings, huh?"
"Someone has to," I snap, then immediately regret it. Asha doesn't take offense easily, but my irritation is real. She nods, smirking anyway, and falls in step beside me.
The path through the forest is narrow, trees thick and twisted like ancient sentinels. Shadows play along the ground, and even though I know every tree, every vine, every root, it feels… oppressive tonight. Maybe it's Krell's lingering threat, or maybe it's that other presence. That Vrenatta boy.
I shake my head. Focus, Mari. He's not here. He's not going to ruin your night.
The pack house comes into view, perched on a hill like a fortress in the middle of the forest. Smoke curls lazily from the chimneys, and lights flicker in the windows. Safe. Secure. My home. My people. My rules.
As I approach, Omega Lira rushes toward me, excitement bubbling in her eyes. "Mari! You're back! Did you—"
I hold up a hand, cutting her off. "Calm down, Lira. Everything's fine."
She nods quickly, but I catch the hesitation in her glance. Something's off. The Omegas are usually fearless—or at least stupidly brave. "What is it?" I ask, voice sharp.
"Nothing, I just…" She fidgets with her hands. "There was… someone out near the eastern ridge."
I freeze mid-step. Eastern ridge. That's near the border with Vrenatta territory. Fucking hell.
I force a calm mask onto my face. "Did they see you?"
She shakes her head. "No. But it looked… wrong. I felt it."
Wrong. I know that feeling. The hair on the back of my neck rises, my senses on alert. Someone's testing the waters. Or they're reckless. Either way… not good.
"Keep an eye on it," I say, voice clipped. "Don't engage anyone. Report directly to me if anything moves."
Lira nods, scurrying off. My pulse doesn't slow. The forest isn't quiet—not really. Every snap of a twig, every rustle of leaves, reminds me that Krell—or someone like him—could be lurking. And Luke… he's probably in Vrenatta territory, thinking he's the hero of some story only he's in.
I reach the pack house and step inside. Heat hits me, the scent of wood smoke and wolf musk filling my senses. My father, the Alpha, Darius Ventor, a man who carries fire and ice like armor, is in the main hall, surrounded by advisors and Betas, debating patrol shifts. He glances up and sees me, relief softening his harsh features.
"Mari," he says. "Good. You're back. Report."
I take a deep breath. "Krell tried moving through the border again tonight. I—" I pause, realizing the words I really want to say would include Luke. But I bite it back. "—handled it. The eastern ridge is being watched. No pack members were harmed."
Father nods. "Good. Your leadership will soon be needed. Keep your focus."
I nod, masking the way my chest tightens. Leadership. He doesn't know about Luke. And he doesn't need to. The boy is a problem I'll handle myself.
As the meeting breaks, I retreat to my room, shutting the door behind me. Alone, I finally let my thoughts drift. Luke. Damn him. The way he smirked, the way he looked at me… it makes my blood boil and my pulse race at the same time. I hate it. I hate him. I hate that my body responds to him.
Fuck.
I pace the room, hands clenching into fists. Focus. The pack. The border. Krell. Everything but Luke.
I sink onto the edge of my bed, jaw tight, staring at the floor. My pack is safe tonight. Krell is wounded or scared or… dead? Doesn't matter. He's dealt with. For now.
But Luke… he's not going anywhere. And somehow, I know this isn't the last I've seen of him.
Shit.
I bite back a groan and stand, pacing again. I have work to do—plans to make, defenses to strengthen. But the memory of him—the smirk, the fire in his eyes—follows me like a shadow. And for the first time, I feel something dangerous stirring.
Something like… curiosity.
Something like… anticipation.
And I hate that, too.