CHAPTER 5

Kieran's pov

I head out to my car, but my thoughts are stuck on her the mystery brunette with fire in her eyes and a mouth that didn’t tremble once in my presence.

She never submitted.

Jace had. Without hesitation. Just like every other wolf in this pack. But not her. She didn’t flinch. Didn’t bow her head. And it wasn’t a rebellious act either. She looked me right in the eye like she owed me nothing. And she didn’t even tell me her name.

Who the hell is she?

I’m so lost in thought I nearly walk straight into Cassian, my Beta and lifelong best friend.

“Hey, Kieran,” he says, clapping me on the shoulder. “Did you catch up with her?”

“Huh?”

He gives me a look. “The brunette from earlier. Did you get her name or find out which pack she belongs to?”

I grip the top of the car door and exhale slowly. “She said she’s from our pack.”

Cassian pauses, one brow raised. “Seriously?”

I nod. “And I don’t recognize her. At all.”

“That’s not possible.”

“Exactly.”

We slide into the car. The engine hums to life, but the question keeps bouncing around in my head.

“She’s friends with Jace,” I say as I pull onto the main road.

“Jace? As in Jace Elcove?” Cassian shifts in his seat. “The guy who trains early mornings and lives on the outer territory?”

“Yeah. He showed up just in time to stop her from giving me her name. Then played it cool, like nothing was off.”

“Okay, so if she’s friends with Jace, maybe she lives way out by the boundary line,” Cassian says. “Still, how have you not seen her? You know every face in the pack.”

“That’s the part that’s driving me insane.” I grip the steering wheel tighter than I need to. “I’ve made sure of that. My father drilled it into my head since I was a pup know your people. Their names. Their stories. Their strengths. That’s what makes them trust you. And loyalty follows trust.”

Cassian nods. “And it’s true. They’d follow you into fire if you asked.”

“Right. So how is there a she-wolf in this pack I don’t know?”

He doesn’t have an answer.

“I’ve been to every gathering, every shift run, every meal in the dining hall. I help train our warriors every damn afternoon, and still I’ve never seen her before today.”

“Maybe she’s not a warrior,” Cassian says. “If she trains in the morning with Jace, that would explain why you’ve never crossed paths with her during afternoon sessions.”

“She doesn’t look like a warrior,” I mutter.

“But she’s friends with Jace.”

“Exactly.”

“And she didn’t submit to you,” he adds. “Which is…”

“Insane,” I finish. “Every unmated she-wolf submits. Even the older ones who aren’t interested. Even outsiders. But this girl didn’t even blink.”

“Could she be someone special?” Cassian asks carefully. “A ranked wolf’s kid?”

I think about that. Then I remember the jolt when our hands touched.

That spark.

That momentary short-circuit in my chest.

It wasn’t just static. I know what static feels like. This was different. Heavy. Charged. Like a live wire hit my spine and left something behind.

“No,” I say too fast. “She can’t be my mate. I’m not eighteen yet.”

Cassian leans his head against the seat. “And neither is she, by the looks of it. But something happened between you two.”

“Yeah. Something I don’t understand.” I exhale hard as I pull into the packhouse lot. “And that pisses me off.”

He chuckles. “So what now?”

“I figure it out.”

“Or, you could just ask Jace,” Cassian offers.

I give him a flat look. “First of all, I’m an Alpha. I don’t chase she-wolves. Second, I don’t ask warriors about girls.”

Cassian holds up his hands. “Alright, alright. No offense to the ego.”

“It’s not ego,” I mutter. “It’s principle.”

He laughs and we head inside.

After training, I jog up to my room, strip down, and take a quick shower. My mind’s still on the brunette with emerald eyes and defiance in her stance. I replay the whole encounter over and over. I try to remember her scent something woodsy and sharp, like pine and lightning.

I didn’t forget her. I couldn’t.

I towel off and head downstairs. On my way down, I nearly run into my mother in the hallway.

“Kieran,” she greets with a warm smile. “How was your day, honey?”

“Good, Mom.” I lean down to kiss her cheek. “I’m heading to dinner.”

She places her hand gently on my face. “I’m going to Lily’s memorial after dinner. You coming with me?”

I give her a look. “You ask that like I’ve ever missed.”

She smiles, brushing invisible lint off my shoulder. “You’re so much like your father.”

“Don’t tell him that. His ego’s already full.”

She laughs, then waves me off. “Eat. I’ll see you in an hour.”

I walk into the dining hall, half-hoping she’ll be here.

But of course, she’s not.

No trace of emerald eyes or wild curls.

I grab a plate and join a few warriors. Cassian sits across from me, halfway through a mountain of food. “See her?”

I shake my head.

“She’s not here,” I mutter.

“Maybe she eats at home.”

“Maybe.” My jaw tightens. “Or maybe she’s still hiding.”

“Or maybe,” Cassian says, pausing to shovel food into his mouth, “she’s just trying to live her life, and you’re making this a whole Alpha-level obsession.”

I grunt. “You felt the spark too, right? When did you meet your mate?”

Cassian nods slowly. “Yeah. But only when I was of age.”

“I’m not eighteen yet, and neither is she.”

He shrugs. “So maybe you’re both close enough to feel the edge of it.”

I run my hand over my face.

If she’s mine…

Then why the hell don’t I know her?

And why did it feel like the earth shifted when she looked at me?.