CHAPTER SIX: WELCOME TO SHADOW RIDGE PACK

LAILA

The car ride to Kieran's territory took twelve hours.

I sat in the back seat, staring out the window and trying not to cry anymore but my chest still hurt from the rejection, like someone had reached inside me and squeezed my heart with sharp claws.

Kieran sat in the front seat next to his driver.

He didn't talk much during the trip, but every few hour, he would look back at me to make sure I was okay.

"Are you hungry?" he asked when we were halfway there.

I shook my head, even though I was. My stomach felt too sick to eat anything.

"You should try to eat something small," Kieran said gently.

"Rejection sickness is hard on the body. Food will help you heal faster."

One of his pack members, a nice woman named Emma, gave me a granola bar and some water.

I managed to eat a few bites, and it did make me feel a little better.

As we got closer to Shadow Ridge territory, I started to get nervous.

What if Kieran's pack didn't want me there? What if they treated me badly because I was half-human?

"Laila," Kieran said, turning around to look at me.

"I need to tell you something before we arrive."My heart jumped.

"What?"

"My pack doesn't know the real reason I brought you here," he said carefully.

"They think I chose you to be my... companion."

"Companion?" I didn't understand.

"Like a girlfriend, but not a mate," Emma explained.

"It's common for Alphas to have companions while they're looking for their true mates or if..." She trailed off looking at Kieran.

I felt confused. "But why would you tell them that?" Kieran's jaw got tight.

"Because if they knew you were a rejected half-breed, some of them might not welcome you. This way, they'll treat you with respect because they think you're important to me."

"So it's another lie," I sighed sadly. "Just like everything else in my life."

"It's protection," Kieran said firmly. "Sometimes we need to protect ourselves until we're strong enough to face the truth."

I thought about that as we drove through the gates of Shadow Ridge territory.

Maybe he was right. Maybe sometimes lies could protect people instead of hurt them.

The Shadow Ridge pack house was huge. It looked like a castle made of dark stone and wood.

There were smaller houses scattered around it, and I could see pack members walking around doing their daily work.

When our car stopped in front of the main house, people came out to see us. They looked curious but not mean, that was better than I expected.

Kieran got out first, then came around to open my door.

"Ready?" he asked.

I nodded, even though I wasn't ready at all.

As soon as I stepped out of the car, I could feel everyone staring at me but it wasn't the cruel staring from the festival.

It was more like they were trying to figure out who I was and why their Alpha had brought me home.

"Everyone," Kieran said in a loud, clear voice. "I want you to meet Laila. She'll be staying with us for a while."

A younger man who looked a lot like Kieran stepped forward. He had the same black hair but friendlier eyes.

"I'm Marcus," he said with a warm smile. "Kieran's younger brother. Welcome to Shadow Ridge."

"Thank you," I said quietly.

A woman about my age came up next.

She had long dark hair and pretty green eyes, but her face looked suspicious.

"I'm Elena, Kieran's sister," she said. Her voice wasn't mean, but it wasn't very friendly either.

"How long will you be staying?"

"Elena," Kieran warned.

"It's okay," I said quickly. "I don't know how long. I... I don't really have anywhere else to go."

Elena's scowl remained. "As long as you don't meddle."

Other pack members came up to introduce themselves.

Most of them seemed nice, though some looked confused about why their Alpha had brought home a strange girl.

"Come," Kieran said, putting his hand on my back gently. "Let me show you where you'll stay."

He led me into the big house. Inside, it was even more beautiful than outside.

There were comfortable chairs and couches, a huge fireplace, and pictures of pack members covering the walls. It felt warm and safe.

"Your room is upstairs," Kieran said, leading me up a wide staircase.

The room he showed me was bigger than the entire house I had shared with Damien.

It had a big bed with soft pink blankets, a dresser, and a window that looked out over the forest.

There was a bathroom and closet too.

"This is too much," I said, feeling overwhelmed. "I can't take such a nice room."

"It's yours for as long as you need it," Kieran said. "Emma will bring you some clothes and other things you'll need."

I sat down on the bed carefully. It was so soft I felt like I might sink into it.

"Alpha Kieran," I said quietly. "Why are you really doing this? Why are you being so nice to me?"

He was quiet for a long moment, looking out the window.

"Because everyone deserves a chance to be safe and happy," he said finally. "And because I know what it's like to lose everything."

"What do you mean?" Kieran's scowled.

"I lost my mate five years ago. Her name was Seraphina. She was killed by enemy wolves while I was away on pack business."

"I..I'm sorry," I said, meaning it. "That must have been terrible."

"It was. For a long time, I thought I would never feel happy again but eventually, I learned that helping others can help heal your own heart."

I thought about that. Maybe that's why he saved me, not because I was special, but because helping me made him feel better about his own sadness.

"There's something else you should know," Kieran said, sitting down in a chair across from the bed.

"My pack is different from yours. Here, we don't judge people for things they can't control, like who their parents were or whether they can shift. We care about who you are as a person."

"But what if I really am broken?" I asked. "What if I never learn to shift into a wolf?"

"Then you'll still have a place here," Kieran said simply. "There are many ways to be valuable to a pack that don't require shifting."

For the first time since the festival, I felt like I could breathe properly.

"Thank you," I whispered. "For saving me. For bringing me here. For everything."

"You don't need to thank me," Kieran said, standing up. "Just focus on healing. The rejection pain will fade, and then you can decide what you want to do with your life."

After he left, I lay down on the soft bed and closed my eyes. For the first time in months, I felt a bit safe. I wasn't walking on eggshells, afraid that someone would hurt me or so I thought.

Emma came by with some clothes that fit me perfectly, and some other girls from the pack stopped by to introduce themselves.

They seemed genuinely happy to have me here.

Later at dinner, I sat at a long table with Kieran's family and the other pack members.

The food was delicious and everyone talked and laughed together.

It was nothing like the quiet, tense meals I used to have with Damien.

Marcus told funny stories that made everyone laugh.

Even though Elena still glared at me, it was fine. She was just being safe, not everyone warms up to a stranger immediately.

The younger pack members included me in their conversations but the best part was when Kieran looked at me across the table, his silver eyes were kind and patient.

He made sure I had enough food and didn't let anyone ask me questions that might upset me.

"How are you feeling?" he asked quietly when dinner was over.

"Better," I said honestly. "Thank you."

"Good. Tomorrow, if you're feeling up to it, Marcus can show you around the territory. Help you get familiar with everything."

"I'd like that," I said.

As I got ready for bed that night, I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror.

The bruises on my face were almost gone. Sad sapphire eyes stared back at me.

I climbed into the soft bed and pulled the warm blankets up to my chin.

Outside my window, the moon was shining bright and full. It seemed to be smiling down at me, like it was saying everything was going to be okay.

Could I really start over here and figure out who I was supposed to be when no one was telling me I was broken and worthless?