Two

Catriona's POV

For this little heist of mine, timing is everything. I slip through the shadows easily, being the last born means I'm very good at being invisible while simultaneously being smothered with affection. It is hours yet until the sun rises and yet the house is already bustling. The war alpha's entourage arrived late last night so everyone is busy preparing for The Selection. The servants are practically running around making sure all the dishes are ready before dawn. The chaos works to my favour because even now, Mum is too busy overseeing all the preparations to wonder where I stole off to. Dad must be busy doing alpha things with the war alpha, Orion finally calmed Hela down and they are both passed out asleep in her room and Vekra is off doing... whatever Vekra does in her spare time. I have a feeling I'm better off ignorant.

No one notices tiny ol' me as I pull my hood up and hoist myself onto the roof.

"Whoaaaaaaa." The wind nearly shoves me right off and I stumble and catch my balance, my pulse pounding as I steady myself.

As I look up into the black moonless night, I think for a second that I must have gone mad because what am I doing? I should be sound asleep in my bed but I shake my head and bury the cowardly voice deep where I cannot hear her sniveling whispers. I'm a Hugh and Hughs are definitely not cowards.

Without giving myself a moment to second guess, I take off, quick as a shadow as I run across our roof to the eastern wing where my means of escape has been set up.

Relieved to find the coil of rope where I left it earlier in the day, I make quick work of tying it to a chimney and throwing the remaining length down to the ground.

"Here we go." I whisper as I swing my weight down but I've only lunged down twice, nowhere near the bottom which is at least fifty feet away when I hear a terrifying rip above me. I look up to find the fibers of my escape rope snapping and my heart smashes into my ribs when it rips halfway through.

I can't believe myself. All this while, I never did the most basic thing ever in rope climbing which is to check the damn rope. This is why I'm not meant for outdoors; everyone was right that I'll only get myself killed. My death grip on the rope slides as nervous sweat breaks out on my palms and all over my body. I test my weight a little, shimmying down but my heart lunges into my throat when a louder rip rends the night, the cut now past halfway.

"Shit. Shit. Shit." I mutter. Is this how I die? 'Alas, killed by her own stupidity' might just be carved into my tombstone.

"Think, Cat, think!" Using my brain is usually my only edge over my siblings but my brain is yelling that with the rate that rope is tearing, my chance of surviving this is dismally low. No windows or ledges to catch onto, I chose this side of the wall specifically because of that but now, my meticulousness will be the reason I fall and die.

Unable to go up or down, I hang there precariously like a stuck chicken, my heart rate so high I feel dizzy as I will the rope to stay strong with the force of my gaze.

I should have stayed in my bed. Or I should have brought Hela, she never would have forgotten to check the rope. The rope rips agains, the damn thing now nearly through.

"Shit!" I have to go back up before it gives.

I send a quick prayer to the moon goddess that if she spares me this once, I'll never do anything this foolish again and I claw my way up the rapidly tearing rope, wild with panic. I just need to get above the rip before it-

With an ominous rip, the rope snaps and my weight drops like a stone. A terrified scream is wrenched from my throat as I grasp for the loose end to break my fall but my fingers fall short and I plunge down to meet my death.

A vise clamps on my hand and I choke on a pained gasp when my shoulder joint suddenly shifts with my weight. My ligaments stretch maximally to keep the joint in place and pain bursts like stars at the back of my eyes but I'm no longer falling. I grit my teeth through the pain and peer up; not a vise but a hand.

Against all odds, there's a stranger staring down at me as my ass hangs in the air and his dark glare looks like he's considering whether he'll be doing the world a favour by dropping me.

I bite my lip, shoving the pain to the back of my mind.

"You going to help me up?" I call.

A beat, and then he launches me through the air like I'm a bag of sand. I scream as the shoulder finally pops and I land in a heap. My relief to be on solid ground is eclipsed by the tendrils of white-hot pain shooting through my arm.

"You dislocated my shoulder!" I snarl, clutching the joint.

"Who are you?" He asks and I whimper with pain.

"I should be asking you that." I breathe through it and glare at him- and I do a double-take at his appearance.

The male is tall; six foot five no less, with dark windblown hair, dark brows and the hardest most chiseled jaw-line I ever saw. His eyes are a startling green even in the dark, so vivid they seem to glow like green lanterns. And his lips... those are his only soft features and the contrast is astonishingly stunning. He looks like an exquisite work of art, carved and hardened to perfection. When he folds his arms in front of him, the ripple of muscles causes my jaw to slacken. He is literally the hottest man I ever saw, and I'm alone on the roof with him.

"You are not a warrior with that gracelessness, nor an assassin with that inexperience, are you a petty thief?" Those intense green eyes narrow on me and I curse my small stature, my stupidity this evening and even my pride that stings at his insults.

"I don't have to explain myself to an intruder." I hiss and climb to my knees. When I get to my feet, my shoulder shifts again and the wash of pain sends me swaying. Hard bands of fingers are suddenly wrapped around my arm and he scowls down at me.

"Your shoulder is dislocated. Look away." He orders and my heart trips with trepidation.

"Wait-" I start.

He forces the shoulder back in place and I clamp a hand over my lips and scream silently but the pain is immediately better, more manageable when he steps back. Panting, I gather the scattered bits of my pride together and pull myself to my full height- which barely reaches his chest.

"You are weak." He says, throwing the words between us and my cheeks heat again. It doesn't even sound like an insult coming from him, he makes it an observation and that's somehow more miserable.

"And you are on my roof, spying around in the dark. Introduce yourself before I involve the alpha." I snap, folding my arms.

"No you won't." He replies with a knowing tilt of his lips. "Or you would have to explain why you were also creeping around in the dark. Whatever you almost gave your life for, are you ready to sacrifice it?"

"You know nothing about me." I snap.

"I know everything I need to know, Goldie."

"Goldie?!" I squeak with outrage, catching a glimpse of the strands of my golden hair that have escaped my hood. "The name is-" I begin then stop, narrowing my eyes at him. Only a fool would give their name to a stranger stealing around in the dark.

"Hmm." He smirks. "Not so stupid afterall."

I feel this irrepressible urge to wipe the smirk off his face but the faint tilt of his lips causes my thoughts to dissolve like powders in the air. Goddess! It is a sin for a man to look this good. Though his condescending attitude leaves alot to want so nature does exist in a balance afterall.

I huff and push my distinct golden braids back into my hood, noting his larger hood, a thicker material than anything we wear here in Ironbound pack.

"You are with the alpha's entourage." I realize with a prick of alarm. The war monger didnt trick us into letting him into our kingdom so he could take us down from within right?! "Did he send you up here to spy on us? Because that would be stupid. Alpha Hugh will rip you apart with his bare hands if you try anything funny."

Everyone knows that is not an idle threat. My dad is a big softie with Mom and us but he has a temper to rival Hela's to any others. But this strange man has the guts to laugh silently at my threat.

"I'm not the one you need to worry about if it comes to that." He replies and turns, walking confidently away from me. "I believe you owe me a life debt, Goldie. I will be calling it."

I bite back my retort at the silly nickname and he leaps off the very same roof that nearly took my life. I run forward to watch as he shifts midair, landing as a huge black wolf that blends seamlessly with the night. The smooth powerful outline of his wolf fills me with awe as he disappears into the trees without a backward glance. That black wolf is bigger than any wolf I've ever seen, even Dad's.

I should tell Dad about him immediately but I hesitate. I really don't want an interrogation about what I was doing out of bed and what if he finds out I intended to disobey his direct orders? He'll forbid me from going near the cave, and forbid me going with Hela for sure. I straighten and dust my hands off, shoving the encounter with the stranger into a box at the back of my mind to be examined later. I still have work to do and the easiest route is the rope now split in two and lying useless on the ground fifty feet away. That leaves the more difficult route of jumping the roofs. I'll no doubt wake up with bodily regrets later but my determination burns stronger than ever. I will be visiting the Urguen cave tonight and performing my Ulfara rite.

Taking several steps back, I pump my arms for speed as I take off at a run and leap. For a heartbeat, I think I may have underestimated the distance but my fingers catch on a ledge at the last moment, my knee banging on the ungiving wall. I stifle my groan of pain and pull myself up, then take off running for the next roof.