Chapter 4

He said nothing.

He didn't ask a single question. His expression didn't even change. He just continued his steady pace through the field of moonpetals, and his silence was a strange comfort.

The flowers only bloomed on the Blood Moon, symbolizing a turn of fate.

How ironic. My fate had certainly turned.

Just not in the direction I'd prayed for.

Unfortunately, we ran right into Joric's group at the next intersection.

My heart stopped.

Under the moonlight, I could see Joric's tall frame clearly.

He carried Giselle on his back. He pointed ahead, discussing the route with his Betas.

Giselle clung to him obediently. She smiled, looking sweet and innocent. Like a damsel in distress who had just been rescued.

It didn't take long for Joric to spot us.

His eyes locked onto the Alpha carrying me. A flash of shock crossed his face.

"Alpha Torin?" Joric asked, unable to hide his surprise. "What are you doing out here?"

Torin? The Silvermoon Alpha who never got involved in pack politics?

Torin didn’t even break his stride. "Picking up my mate," he said flatly.

"Mate?" Joric raised an eyebrow. His searching gaze landed on Torin's back.

"It's just... your mate seems a little shy to show her face?" he asked, staring suspiciously at my back.

My heart jumped into my throat.

An Alpha's sense of smell is razor-sharp. One more step, and he would definitely catch my scent.

Sensing my rigid body, Torin shifted slightly. His large, black cloak swept over me, hiding me completely.

His dominant Alpha scent—sharp, biting cedarwood—exploded around us.

It acted like an iron shield, masking my scent entirely.

Mixed with the heavy, sweet scent of the blooming moonflowers, it completely scrambled the air.

Joric frowned. The sheer, territorial weight of Torin’s aura forced him to take a half-step back. But the suspicion in his eyes didn't fade.

My silhouette was simply too familiar to him.

"Let's go," Torin said suddenly, taking a step forward.

But Joric’s voice rang out from behind us.

"Wait—"

Time seemed to freeze.

Joric’s voice, full of suspicion and inquiry, hung in the air.

My heart pounded so hard I thought it would break through my ribs.

Right as he moved in to get a closer look.

"Ah—!"

Giselle let out a sudden cry of pain, clutching her chest tightly.

"Joric... I... I can't breathe..." she gasped. "Those Alphas' auras earlier... they were too aggressive. My wolf is sick..."

Her voice was frail. It was a flawless performance. Even her breathing turned shallow and ragged.

Joric’s attention instantly snapped back to her.

Panic flashed in his eyes.

He quickly pulled her off his back and scooped her up into his arms. "Get the car! We're heading back to the pack. Now!"

Forgetting everything else, he gave Torin a hurried nod. "I have to go. Let's catch up at the Alliance Gala."

Their footsteps quickly faded into the night.

The whole thing took less than a minute.

And in the end, he never gave me a second glance.

Only when their frantic footsteps had faded into the night did Torin finally speak.

His voice was deep and calm, but his words cut straight to the bone.

"He didn't recognize you," he said. A beat of silence. "Or he chose not to."

I lay on Torin’s broad back, my eyes burning.

But I stubbornly refused to let a single tear fall.

I would not cry for a man who wasn't worth it.

Torin seemed to sense the tension in my body, and his running pace slowed.

We crossed into the next territory.

In the dreamlike landscape, I felt it again—a warm current spreading through me where my skin touched his. The Goddess's bond was calling to us.

That's when it hit me. In five years with Joric, I'd felt passion, love, and attachment.

But never this. Never this deep, earth-shattering pull. Never the feeling of a lost part of my soul finally clicking into place.

The tears finally fell, silent and hot against his back.

Torin kept moving forward.

I didn't know where we were going.

I didn't know what was waiting for me.

And in that moment, I knew. My wolf was pulling me forward. And anywhere was better than looking back.