Chapter 2 – Hidden in the Shadows

Snow crunched beneath my boots as I sprinted through the dense forest, every breath a sharp sting in my lungs. Behind me, Killian’s howl echoed like a haunting melody, pulling me toward memories I had spent months trying to bury. I gritted my teeth, refusing to look back.

My belly was heavy now—seven months pregnant and carrying the Alpha’s secret heir. Survival wasn’t just for me anymore; it was for the tiny heartbeat growing stronger each day.

I clutched my stomach as I maneuvered through the trees, each step fueled by desperation. I couldn’t let him find me. Not after what he did. Not when I’d finally started piecing myself back together.

---

Hours later, I finally collapsed near a frozen stream, my body trembling from exhaustion. Snowflakes clung to my hair and lashes, but I didn’t dare stop for long.

I crouched low and whispered to my unborn pup, “We’ll survive this. Mama will protect you.”

As if understanding me, a small kick answered from within. It gave me the strength to push on until dawn, when I finally found an abandoned barn on the outskirts of a human settlement.

---

The barn became my new refuge. It wasn’t much—just a roof with holes, hay for bedding, and rusted farming tools—but it was safe.

For weeks, I stayed hidden among humans, taking odd jobs for scraps of food. No one suspected what I was; I kept my scent masked with herbs and my wolf suppressed.

Each night, I would feel the bond pulling faintly, a reminder that Killian still existed somewhere out there. But he hadn’t found me yet. Perhaps fate was finally granting me mercy.

---

When the time came to give birth, a kind human midwife named Esther helped me in secret. Pain wracked my body for hours, sweat and tears mingling as I fought to bring life into this cold, lonely world.

And then, amidst the agony, I heard it—my baby’s first cry.

Esther handed me a tiny, squirming bundle wrapped in linen. “It’s a boy,” she whispered, smiling softly.

I stared down at him, my breath stolen by the sight. He had Killian’s silver eyes but my dark hair, a perfect blend of us both. My heart swelled with fierce love and sorrow all at once.

I kissed his tiny forehead. “Welcome to the world, little wolf,” I murmured. “Mama’s going to keep you safe, no matter what.”

I named him Luca, meaning “light,” because he was the only light that remained in my shattered world.

---

Years passed in secrecy. Luca grew strong and wild, his wolf emerging early. At just four years old, he could already sense danger and had a protective streak that reminded me too much of his father.

We moved constantly, from one human town to another, never staying long enough to be noticed. I taught him to hide his nature, to suppress his wolf when humans were near.

At night, he would ask me questions about his father, questions I couldn’t bear to answer fully.

“Mama, why don’t I have a daddy like the other kids?” he asked one quiet evening as we huddled by a campfire.

I swallowed hard, my heart aching. “Your daddy… he’s part of another life,” I said softly, brushing his hair back. “But know this—he would have loved you if he knew you.”

Luca’s sharp silver eyes studied me carefully, far too wise for his age. “Then why don’t we go find him?”

My chest tightened. The truth—that Killian had rejected me, cast me out like nothing—was a wound I couldn’t bring myself to open in front of my son.

“Because,” I whispered, pulling him close, “some people don’t deserve to know the best thing that ever happened to them.”

---

I thought we were safe. I thought the world had forgotten us.

But fate doesn’t forget.

---

One stormy night, Luca and I had just settled in a small cabin near the northern mountains. I was preparing dinner when I felt it—a sharp, magnetic pull in my chest. The rejected bond flared like fire, burning stronger than it had in years.

My wolf stirred nervously. He’s near.

I froze, my knife clattering to the counter. Outside, thunder rolled across the sky. Luca ran in from the front room, his eyes wide. “Mama… there are wolves outside.”

My pulse raced. I rushed to the window and peeked out. Dark silhouettes moved among the trees, glowing eyes piercing the storm. They weren’t rogues. Their movements were disciplined, their auras powerful.

Nightfang warriors.

My breath hitched. If they were here, it meant only one thing—Killian had found us.

---

“Luca, listen to me.” I knelt down, gripping his small shoulders firmly. “You need to hide, baby. Go to the crawl space under the floorboards and don’t come out until I say.”

Fear flickered in his young eyes. “But Mama—”

“No buts,” I said sharply, though my heart was breaking. I cupped his face gently. “I love you, Luca. More than anything. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

He nodded reluctantly and disappeared into the crawl space just as heavy footsteps crunched outside.

The cabin door burst open with a crash.

And there he was.

---

Killian filled the doorway, taller, broader than I remembered. The years had only made him more dangerous-looking, his dark hair tousled from the rain, silver eyes blazing with an emotion I couldn’t place. Warriors flanked him, but he motioned for them to stay back.

For a long, tense moment, we just stared at each other. My breath caught in my throat. My body trembled—not from fear, but from the raw, magnetic pull that had never died.

“Aria,” he finally said, his deep voice rough like gravel.

Hearing my name on his lips again sent a shiver down my spine. I hated it. I hated that even after everything, my heart still reacted to him.

“What do you want?” I spat, keeping my voice cold, protective.

Killian’s jaw flexed as he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. “I’ve searched for you for years,” he said, his tone low, almost pained. “You vanished without a trace.”

“Because you rejected me,” I snapped, my fists clenching at my sides. “You made it very clear you wanted nothing to do with me.”

He flinched—actually flinched—but quickly masked it with his usual stoic expression. “I made a mistake,” he admitted, voice thick. “A mistake I’ve regretted every damn day since that night.”

I barked out a bitter laugh, though my throat ached. “Regret doesn’t undo what you did. You broke me, Killian. You threw me away like I was nothing.”

He took a step closer, his scent wrapping around me like smoke and pine needles, intoxicating and dangerous. “You were never nothing,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

My heart pounded painfully. Old wounds tore open, raw and bleeding. But before I could respond, Luca made a tiny noise from under the floorboards—a whimper he couldn’t hold in.

Killian’s head snapped toward the sound, his Alpha senses sharpening. His silver eyes narrowed, then widened with realization. He moved with wolf-like precision toward the crawl space, but I stepped in front of him, my body trembling yet unyielding.

“Don’t,” I hissed, every protective instinct roaring to life.

Killian’s gaze burned into mine, confusion and something far deeper flickering in those silver depths. “Aria…” his voice cracked slightly, “What are you hiding from me?”

My throat tightened. The secret I’d guarded for five years stood on the brink of exposure.

And there was no way to stop fate now.