Chapter 5

CHAPTER FOUR

Evander's POV

As I sat behind my desk in the packhouse office, my mind drifted back to Zyana. She wasn’t what I expected. Not at all.

Her combat skills had stunned me—she wasn’t just good; she was lethal. The way she handled those rogue werewolves… I’d never seen a human move like that. It wasn’t just brute force either. There was precision in every strike, calculated, deliberate. And then there was that knife. A silver blade—so clean, so well-kept. I had seen many hunters’ weapons in my time, but this one… it had a history.

Zyana was a hunter. There was no mistaking it now.

I picked up the knife I had collected from her for safe keeping which she reluctantly handed over from my desk, the cool metal familiar under my fingers. She had said her father gave it to her. My chest tightened at the thought. How much did she know about her father’s real profession? Did she know that her father’s work—hunting—wasn’t just about animals but about us? And more than that... could she really be my fated mate or it's just my wolf's reaction to her heavenly scent?

I never thought the Moon Goddess would pair me with a human, let alone a hunter.

Fate was playing a very twisted game with me and I wasn't liking that at all.

I put the knife down and leaned back in my chair.

Why her? Of all people, why Zyana?

A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts.

“Come in,” I called, straightening to look professional.

The door creaked open, and Liam stepped inside, he frowned at my usual professional sitting and I relaxed.

It was just Liam after all.

“Evander,” he began, closing the door behind him.

“we need to talk. It is long overdue.”

“I’m guessing it’s about Zyana,” I said, already knowing where this conversation was headed.

Liam nodded. “Something’s off. She’s too skilled to be just a random girl running through the woods. I’ve been thinking... What if she’s a spy? What if the Hunters sent her to infiltrate us?”

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck from straining it. I couldn’t blame Liam for being suspicious, she was an actual hunter after all. Her silver knife confirmed it.

“I don’t think she’s here to spy on us.” I replied.

“In fact, I don’t think she knows who we really are or what her father really did as a profession."

Liam’s eyebrows shot up.

“You don’t think she knows? Come on, Evander. She’s carrying a silver knife, a fucking silver knife! and her father is obviously a hunter. How can she not know?”

“I’m telling you she doesn’t. I know when people do know something, I even confirmed from Emily. Zyana is in the dark about literally everything.” I insisted.

“Zyana fought those rogues as if her life depended on it, but she didn’t fight like someone who knew they were werewolves. To her, they were just wolves and those wolves killed her father and almost killed her, herself. It was either fight or flight and she chose both.”

Liam’s expression softened a little but I could see the wheels still turning in his mind, he was my Beta for a reason.

He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the doorframe.

“Even if she doesn’t know, it’s still dangerous having her here. What if she finds out who we are, what her father does? What if—”

“She’s my mate,” I said, cutting him off.

My office fell into an uneasy silence and I saw Liam freezing up instantly.

Liam’s eyes widened and his arms dropped to his sides.

“She’s what?”

“I felt it the moment I laid eyes on her,” I said as I heaved into my hands.

“The bond is there, Liam. It’s strong. But I don’t know what to do with it. She’s human, Liam and not just any human—a hunter to be precise. This is definitely not what I expected of my mate and the future Luna of Raven's Peak.”

Liam stayed quiet for a long moment, absorbing what I’d said. Finally, he sighed and rubbed his face.

“Well... damn. That complicates things.”

“You can say that again Liam, you can say that again.” I muttered and leaned forward on the desk.

“I can’t explain it. I know who she is, and yet... something about her tells me she’s in the dark. She has no idea who I am. No idea about the werewolves, or this war her people have been waging on us for years.”

Liam nodded, still processing.

“That’s... a lot to unpack Evander. But whatever you decide, you know I’ll stand by you. Even if she is your mate, we still have to be extremely careful around her. If the Hunters find out you’re mated to one of their own, it could bring trouble to Raven’s Peak.”

“I know,” I sighed.

“But I need to figure this out before making any decisions.”

Liam gave me a small nod, the tension in his posture easing slightly.

“Just... be careful, Van. You’re in a very tight spot and I don’t want to see this blow up in your face.”

“Thanks, Liam. I appreciate it.”

With that, he gave me a final nod and left the room quietly, leaving me alone to my thoughts once again.

I exhaled, my gaze shifting back to the silver knife on my desk.

A hunter. My mate was a freaking hunter. How was I supposed to reconcile that? And more importantly... how was I supposed to protect her when the rogue wolves and goddess knows what else are after both of us?

Later in the day, when I returned to the Manor, I found Zyana pacing frantically in the living room. She looked extremely disturbed and it bothered me a lot.

“Zyana, what’s wrong?” I asked, immediately alert. There was no way my mate could be harmed in the Manor.

She angrily towards me, clutching her phone in her hand.

“This!” She dropped the phone hard in my hands.

Her breath was coming out in puffs like she ran fifty miles and back.

“I’ve been getting this same message over and over again. ‘Leave now, while you still can. Leave now, while you still can. Fifty times, Evander. Fifty fucking times!”

I frowned and opened the phone she dropped rudely in my hands, scrolling through the messages. I was the one who gave her the phone and it was brand new and untouched.

Sure enough, they all read the same thing. ‘Leave now, while you can.’

My stomach churned as I checked for the number, but it was unknown. This wasn’t Liam or Emily.

“Tell your best friend to stop with the prank already.” Zyana snapped, her voice tight with frustration.

“It’s not funny anymore. I’m getting uncomfortable and upset and when I'm both of that, I get very bitchy.”

“It’s not Liam,” I said quietly, my brow furrowing. “This... this is something else.”

Her eyes widened. “What do you mean, ‘something else’?”

“I’ll talk to him, but... I think we might have a different problem on our hands.” I admitted.

The rogue werewolves knew she was here. They had to. It was definitely them. I know she killed all the rogues but was that all to their number that day?

Zyana’s brow creased in total confusion, but she didn’t press the issue. Instead, she slumped on the couch, her head in her hands.

“I don’t understand any of this at all. First my dad's now in the belly of wolves, then they chased me to be their dessert, then attacking me here. When I finally thought it is overz I get this! Why are wolves following me? Why is this happening?”

I hesitated. I had promised to protect her, and now it was time to tell her the truth. Taking a deep breath, I sat beside her and met her gaze.

“Zyana, there’s something I need to tell you.”

She looked up, her eyes searching mine. “What is it?”

“I’m not... human,” I said slowly, the words feeling strange on my tongue.

“I’m a werewolf.”

For a while there was nothing but silence.

Zyana blinked twice then stared at me frozen.

Then she let out a loud, incredulous laugh. I frowned as she snorted, clutching her belly full of laughter.

When she was done and calm, she looked at me again.

“You’re joking.”

“I’m not,” I replied, not clearly amused by her laughter.

“Werewolves are real, Zyana. We’ve always existed, hidden from humans... Well some humans. The wolves that killed your father—they weren’t just wolves. They were rogue werewolves.”

Her face paled, and she stood up, pacing again. “So... all those stories my dad told me as a kid about werewolves... they were real? Not some myths and Legends?"

I nodded, watching her closely. “Yes. And the rogues... they’re dangerous. They have been after me and now, because you’re probably with me, they’re after you too.”

Her fists clenched and I could see her anger boiling over. I understood how she felt, to be suddenly told you aren't safe when you thought it was finally over.

“So your kind killed my father. And now they want me dead too?”

“Not all of us,” I said quickly, standing to face her.

“There are two types of werewolves. The ones who live in peace, and the rogues, who thrive on chaos and destruction. The rogues have been after my pack for years, trying to take over Raven’s Peak because of our resources and our human connections.”

Zyana’s breath hitched, and she looked away, her emotions clearly overwhelming her.

“I didn’t know,” I continued, my voice softer. “I didn’t know about your father until I saw you fight those rogues. I had a hint of who he was.”

She turned to face me, her eyes narrowing. “Who was he?”

I swallowed, knowing that this would be difficult. “Your father was Jack Moreno.”

Her eyes flashed with recognition. “Yes. What about him?”

I hesitated, my mind racing. Jack Moreno... leader of the Hunters Guild, the very group that had hunted down innocent werewolves for years. But I couldn’t tell her that. Not yet.

Instead, I kept my voice steady. “He was a respected man. I knew of him. And now, I need your help.”

She raised an eyebrow, her expression guarded. “My help?”

“I could use your combat skills,” I said, carefully choosing my words. “To fight the rogues. You said you wanted to avenge your father’s death. Well, this is how you can do it.”

Zyana considered my words for a long moment before nodding. “I’ll do whatever it takes. If it means getting revenge on those... monsters... I’m

in.”

I nodded, leaving her in the living room and retreating into my room.

My mate was Zyana Moreno. A fucking Hunter's daughter. A leader at that.

What was I to do with her now?

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