Chapter 7

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Festar finally asks if I want to walk back to the main house, since it’s less than half a mile away. I nod, and we quietly step out of the smaller house into the warm spring air.

The sunlight hits us, and for a moment, I have to squint. My eyes aren’t used to it. I feel the breeze brush against my bare legs, and even though it’s warm, goosebumps break out along my arms. Hazel had brought me cotton shorts and a T-shirt last night, but the light fabric doesn’t help much.

I sense someone watching me.

I glance over and catch Festar staring, his brows slightly furrowed, torn between giving me space and stepping closer.

I make the choice for him.

Wordlessly, I walk a little closer and link my arm through his. His expression softens instantly, and the smile he gives me… it’s everything. His whole face lights up, like that one tiny gesture meant the world to him.

It makes me wonder why. Then I remember what Hazel said about mates.

Something I’ll definitely need to look into later.

The walk should’ve been short, but it takes us almost half an hour. My pace is slow, my body weak. I haven’t walked much since I was taken. That tiny five-by-five cell barely gave me room to stretch, let alone move around. And when I tried to escape—twice—they punished me so badly I never tried again.

By the time we reach the house, I’m out of breath. The place looks more like a mansion than a home. Once we’re inside, I pause, my eyes taking everything in. Wooden floors gleam under soft lighting, and there’s a chandelier right above the entrance that sparkles like it’s welcoming me home.

Festar turns to me.

“Would you like something to drink? Eat? Or maybe a tour? If you’re tired, we can rest. Or I can call Hazel if you’d rather be with her. I get it. It’s fine. I’ll go call her—”

He turns to walk away, words tumbling out of his mouth like he’s trying to fill the silence with something, anything.

But before he gets far, I reach out and grab his arm.

He stops, looks back. I shake my head. No, I don’t want Hazel.

He looks confused for a second until I smile and point to my mouth.

“Hungry?” he asks gently. I nod.

Relieved, he grins and links our arms again. “Okay! I’ve got food, lots of it. I’m not the best cook, but we’ll figure something out.”

He leads me into a massive kitchen with shiny steel appliances and marble counters that practically gleam. I hop onto a stool he pulls out for me, and he heads for the fridge.

“Let’s see. I’ve got pizza, pasta, fruit. You thirsty?”

I nod.

“Water or juice?”

I hold up one finger.

“Water it is.” He smiles and pours me a tall glass.

When he turns back, he keeps listing options. “Alright, pizza, pasta, or fruit?”

As I drink, I hold up three fingers.

“Fruit. Good choice. Apples, grapes, watermelon… or all of them?”

I pause, then lift four fingers.

He chuckles. “All of the above it is.”

He grabs everything, slicing it up and tossing it into a big glass bowl before sliding it in front of me with two forks.

As we eat, he talks. Tells me about himself, his sister who lives in another pack with her mate, how his favorite color is green and he absolutely hates lasagna. He talks about spring being his favorite season and how much he loves the sound of rain.

I know he’s mostly filling the silence, but it’s nice. Comforting. His voice is low, soothing, even when he rambles.

I find myself watching him as he speaks.

He tells me Hazel is mated to his beta, Dave—the man who found me in the woods. They have a little girl named Callie, who’s about four. Hazel is twenty-one. Dave is twenty-two. The other guy from the woods is Cole. He’s the third in command. Apparently, he’s assigned to protect the Luna when she’s found.

And then Festar says something that makes my heart stop.

“That’ll be you. Cole will be your guard.”

Luna?

I blink, confused, until it hits me.

Festar is the Alpha.

My eyes go wide. Panic stirs in my chest. A guard? They’re going to assign someone to watch me?

I remember what the last guards did to me.

I start to shake. Tears blur my vision. Festar notices instantly.

“Anna? What’s wrong?”

I can’t even answer. I just shake my head. My throat closes up, and before I can stop it, the tears spill over. I start crying. Shaking.

Festar wraps his arms around me and pulls me onto his lap. I melt into him, unable to fight the comfort of his warmth. His hand moves slowly across my back, gentle, steady.

I sniffle. Still can’t stop.

And yet something about his touch… it calms me.

I don’t understand why.

Eventually, I lift my head and look into his eyes. Bright green. The exact shade of mine. My fingers reach out to touch his face, and just like last night, the moment my skin brushes his, I feel that spark again.

The tingles are everywhere now. Not just my hand. Every part of me that’s touching him.

I pull my hand back, confused.

“It’s the mate bond,” he says quietly.

My brows furrow. I shake my head.

“You don’t know what that is?” he asks gently.

I shake my head again.

He explains. “A mate for wolves like us is like a soulmate. They complete you. No one else ever will. You only get one. Some never find theirs. Most discover them by eighteen. I was starting to think I never would… until I found you.”

His voice trails off, and he looks down.

I catch the shimmer of tears in his eyes before he looks away.

“Anna, I don’t know what happened to you, but I’d like to—”

I panic. My heart races. I try to move, to run. I can’t go through that again. I can’t.

He holds me tighter. His voice drops to a whisper.

“Anna, no one is going to hurt you. Please. Breathe. Calm down.”

I freeze. His arms around me feel different from the ones that held me before. Safer. Warmer.

His eyes are steady. Protective. Not controlling. Not cruel.

“Nobody will ever hurt you. I’ll make sure of it. You don’t have to tell me what happened now, but someday, you should. What you went through… it wasn’t right. And you shouldn’t carry it alone.”

I hate the way his face falls. I don’t want him sad. Not over me.

I bring my hand to his cheek, gently wiping away the tear that escaped. He leans into my touch, smiling softly. Then he leans in closer, his eyes flickering to my lips.

“If you want to stop me, now’s the time,” he whispers, voice husky, warm. “Because in a few seconds, I’m going to kiss you.”

But I don’t want him to stop.

I want to feel it. Want to know what it’s like to be kissed… gently. Not taken. Not used. Wanted.

I lean in and press my lips to his.

The moment we touch, I feel it again. Not just tingles. Fireworks. My whole chest feels full and light and safe.

He pulls back just slightly, smiling at me, then hugs me close. His face buries into my neck, and I can feel the slow, deep breaths he takes.

By the time I glance at the window, the sky outside is pitch black. I check the clock. Nine o’clock.

A yawn escapes before I can stop it.

“Want to go to bed, Princess?” he teases softly.

I blush and nod, glancing down.

He lifts my chin with his finger, kisses my cheek where it’s warm and pink. “Alright. Let’s go.”

But he doesn’t put me down.

He stands, lifting me like I weigh nothing, and carries me up the stairs. My arms wrap around his neck, my legs around his waist, and my head rests on his shoulder.

He’s warm.

Safe.

And for the first time in forever… I don’t feel afraid.