Sleep did not come easily.
Even though Rowan had insisted I stay in one of the guest cabins near the edge of the settlement, my body remained tense long after the pack hall had grown quiet.
The night forest carried familiar sounds — wind brushing through branches, distant water moving somewhere deeper in the valley, the occasional rustle of nocturnal animals.
Normally those sounds would calm me.
Tonight they reminded me that I was surrounded by wolves who didn't know me.
Wolves who had every reason to distrust me.
I turned slightly on the narrow bed, staring up at the wooden ceiling above me.
A stranger inside another Alpha's territory.
If someone had told me two days ago that this would be my life, I would have laughed.
Two days ago, I had been part of the Blackthorn pack.
Quiet. Invisible.
Safe in the predictable rhythm of pack life.
Then Kael had spoken those two words. I reject you.
My chest tightened slightly at the memory. Even now the broken bond still lingered like a dull ache somewhere deep inside me. Not as sharp as before. But still there.
My wolf shifted faintly, restless.
She had been unusually alert ever since we entered Rowan's territory. Not frightened. Just aware. As if she sensed something important about this place that I couldn't fully understand yet.
Eventually exhaustion pulled me into a light sleep.
The sound of voices woke me. At first I thought I was still dreaming. But then I heard it again. Low conversation. Outside the cabin. I sat up slowly.
Sunlight filtered through the small window beside the bed, casting pale gold across the wooden floor.
My body still felt sore from the rogue fight and the long night of walking, but curiosity pushed me toward the door.
Carefully, I opened it.
Two wolves stood several meters away, speaking quietly near the path that led toward the main clearing.
They noticed me immediately. Their conversation stopped. Both of them straightened slightly. Neither looked particularly friendly.
One of them — a broad-shouldered man with dark hair — folded his arms.
"So," he said.
"You're the stranger."
Direct. Not hostile. But not welcoming either.
"I suppose I am," I answered calmly.
His eyes studied me carefully.
"You came in with the Alpha last night."
"Yes."
"That's unusual."
"I'm beginning to realize that."
The second wolf, a woman with sharp eyes and long braided hair, tilted her head slightly.
"You're from Blackthorn territory."
The statement wasn't a question.
"Yes."
Her expression hardened.
"Blackthorn wolves don't usually wander this far from home."
"Neither do rogues," I replied.
"But we ran into those too."
A brief silence followed. They exchanged a glance.
"You fought them?" the man asked.
"I survived them."
"That's not the same thing."
"No," I agreed.
"It isn't."
The woman stepped closer.
"Why did you leave your pack?"
The question landed like a stone. I hesitated. Not because I didn't know the answer. But because I knew exactly how it would sound.
"Mate rejection," I said finally.
Their reactions were immediate. The man's eyebrows shot up. The woman's eyes widened slightly.
"Rejected?" she repeated.
"Yes."
"By who?"
I met her gaze.
"Kael Blackthorn."
Silence fell between us. Even the wind seemed to pause. Then the man let out a low whistle.
"That explains a lot."
"Does it?"
"Blackthorn Alpha doesn't make small decisions."
I shrugged.
"Apparently."
The woman studied me more carefully now. Not with suspicion. With curiosity.
"You walked away from a mate bond."
"I walked away from humiliation."
She nodded slowly.
"That makes more sense."
Before either of them could ask another question— A familiar voice spoke behind us.
"That's enough."
All three of us turned. Rowan stood a few steps down the path. His presence changed the atmosphere instantly. The two wolves beside me straightened. Not out of fear but respect.
"Alpha," the man said.
Rowan's gaze moved briefly between us.
"You're interrogating my guest."
The woman crossed her arms.
"We're asking reasonable questions."
"And she answered them."
"She's still a stranger."
Rowan's voice remained calm.
"Yes. But she's here because I allowed it."
The man shifted slightly.
"No one's questioning your authority."
"Good."
The word settled heavily in the air. Because it wasn't a suggestion. It was a statement.
Rowan looked at me.
"You're awake early."
"I woke up to an interview."
A faint hint of amusement appeared in his eyes.
"That sounds unpleasant."
"I've had worse mornings."
Rowan nodded toward the path.
"Come with me."
The two wolves stepped aside immediately.
I followed Rowan through the trees, leaving the tense conversation behind. After several minutes of walking, the sounds of the main settlement faded. We reached a higher ridge overlooking the valley where the pack lived. From here, the entire territory stretched below us.
Cabins. Training grounds. Smoke rising from cooking fires. Wolves moving through the morning routines of pack life.
I crossed my arms.
"Your pack doesn't trust me and want me here."
Rowan stood beside me.
"They don't know you."
"They know enough to be cautious."
"That's their job."
"And yours?"
"My job is deciding who deserves that caution."
I glanced at him.
"And you decided I don't."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Rowan's gaze remained on the valley.
"Because you crossed a border alone after being rejected by an Alpha."
"That sounds more reckless than trustworthy."
"Maybe."
He finally looked at me.
"But wolves who run from shame usually run toward something else."
"Like what?"
"Power. Revenge. Control."
His eyes held mine.
"You didn't."
I frowned slightly.
"And that means?"
"It means you left because you refused to be small."
Something about that answer made my chest tighten slightly.
Before I could respond— A distant howl echoed across the valley. Rowan's head turned instantly. My wolf reacted the same way. That wasn't one of his wolves. It was too far away. Too unfamiliar.
Rowan's expression darkened slightly.
"That," he said quietly, "is a problem."
I looked toward the forest line in the distance.
"What kind of problem?"
Rowan's voice remained calm.
"The kind that suggests we're not the only ones paying attention to the borders."
My pulse quickened slightly.
"You think someone's coming?"
Rowan's gaze moved slowly across the forest.
"Yes."
A cold realization settled in my chest. Because if another pack had started watching Rowan's territory— Then the quiet peace I had found here might not last very long.
And somehow… I had the feeling that whatever was coming next—
Had something to do with me.