CHAPTER 2

THE HUMAN GIFT

The forest groaned under the weight of the storm. Wind howled through skeletal trees, and rain fell in relentless sheets, soaking cloaks, armor, and skin.

Alpha Xavier moved like a phantom through the woods his eyes glowing faint gold beneath his hood, his presence silent but commanding. Behind him, kemmer, his Beta, and three guards kept pace, blades drawn, senses sharp.

A metallic scent. Sharp. Tangled with smoke and blood.

Xavier lifted a hand. Everyone halted.

The trees parted, and there half buried in mud and leaves was the wreckage.

A crushed car, its frame twisted like a discarded toy, steam hissing from the broken hood. Shards of glass glinted beneath the canopy’s dim light.

The guards fanned out silently.

“Smells human,” kemer muttered, eyes narrowing.

Xavier stepped closer, his boots sinking into the wet earth.

The rain struck metal with dull thuds. Inside, two forms were slumped faces pale, unmoving. But in the rear seat.

A faint groan.

“She’s breathing,” one of the guards said, voice taut. “There’s one alive.”

Xavier approached slowly, but something inside him shifted.

A strange stillness.

Then her scent reached him.

Muted by the blood. Faint beneath the smoke. But it struck him like a war drum to the chest.

Time stopped.

His pupils dilated. His breath hitched. The cold knot under his ribcage the mate mark that had long gone numb blazed to life like wildfire.

Xavier froze.

“mate ” It escaped him, barely a whisper.

kemer turned to him sharply. “Alpha?”

Xavier said nothing. He crouched beside the shattered window, his eyes locked on her face.

Blood streaked her cheek. Her arm bent at an angle that screamed agony. She looked broken, fragile.

Human.

But his.

His wolf surged within, snarling and pacing. Restless. Hungry. Recognizing what the man could not yet grasp.

A second chance.

The Moon Goddess had chosen again.

His throat worked silently. He forced himself to breathe.

“Get her out,” he said, voice rough. “Carefully. Don’t let her jolt.”

“But, Alpha” kemmer started, hesitant.

Xavier’s tone cut through the air like steel. “Now!”

The guards rushed into action, working with grim urgency as they lifted the unconscious girl from the wreck.

Xavier turned away. Rain slid down his face, mixing with the heat burning behind his eyes.

This was real.

The impossible had happened.

But fate never gave without a cost.

" take her to Astra for treatment now and be making make sure she's treated "

Firelight danced across the walls. The chamber glowed warm gold, a soft contrast to the cold rain outside. Heavy curtains muffled the storm. The air smelled of herbs, earth, and smoke.

Octavia stirred.

Her fingers twitched first. Then her eyes fluttered open, lashes damp. The light made her flinch.

Her face twisted.

Pain.

A raw cry escaped her lips as she tried to move. Every muscle screamed in protest. Her stomach felt torn open hot, aching.

This wasn’t a hospital.

Her breathing quickened. Panic rushed in.

The ceiling above her was stone. Wood beams arched above like a cathedral. The sheets were far too soft. The fire cracked and hissed nearby.

She tried again this time to sit. The world spun violently. Nausea clawed at her throat.

She collapsed back into the pillows, trembling.

“Don’t try to move yet.”

The voice was gentle, feminine. Not unkind.

Octavia jerked her head to the right.

A woman stood near a wooden table, her long silver braid shimmering in the firelight, hands steady as she carried a tray. Her eyes were calm. Familiar in a way Octavia couldn’t place.

“Who are you?” she rasped, her throat dry and rough.

“I’m Astra,” the woman said kindly, stepping closer. “Relax, you're safe now "

Octavia’s breath hitched. Her brows pulled together. “Safe? From what? What happened?”

Her voice cracked. She looked around again, searching for any clue. She didn’t recognize the place. Didn’t recognize herself.

“You were in a crash,” Astra explained gently, sitting beside her. “A carriage of your kind. You were the only one they found breathing. This is the Stonefang territory. The pack house.”

Octavia’s lips parted.

Pack?

Her eyes narrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about? What do you mean I was the only one breathing ’?”

Astra gave a soft sigh. A line creased her brow.

“You need to rest, child. When you’re stronger, I’ll tell you everything.”

Octavia gave a short, choked laugh. There was no humor in it only disbelief, fear, and a rising edge of hysteria.

“No. No, no. You’re not making sense. This is wrong. Where are my parents?!”

Astra’s expression dropped.

She lowered her gaze. “They didn’t survive the crash.”

The words knocked the air from Octavia’s lungs.

Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.

She stared at the ceiling, eyes blinking rapidly, heart pounding.

Then the sob broke through harsh, raw. She curled inward instinctively, but the motion lit fire through her abdomen.

She cried out, grabbing at her side.

Astra was there immediately, holding her shoulders.

“Don’t move. You’re hurt. Deep wounds. You’re healing.”

Octavia couldn’t stop the tears. They fell fast, soaking the bandages at her chest.

“What is going on?” she gasped. “tell me you're joking right?”

Astra looked away, her voice low. “Please you have to get well, everything happened for a reason, I'm sorry ”

Octavia’s hands gripped the blanket until her knuckles went white.

“I don’t want any of this. I didn’t ask for it. I just want to wake up. I want my parents back.”

Astra stroked her hair, gentle as a mother’s touch.

“I can't help you with that, please be calm, I'm sorry ”

Octavia’s voice cracked again. “Where am I? Why am I here?”

Astra hesitated. Her eyes softened.

“you're in the pack house,you don't know what's ahead of you yet”

Octavia turned her head, eyes wide with confusion and fear. “What does that mean?”

“You’ll understand,when you meet him.”

“I don’t want to meet anyone!” Octavia’s voice rose, sharp with panic. “I don’t want what's ahead ,just want mine back!”

Astra reached for the cup on the tray. Steam rose from the tea, curling like mist.

“Drink this. It will ease the pain. Help you rest.”

Octavia stared at it for a long beat. Then with trembling hands she took it.

The taste was bitter. It burned going down. She winced.

Astra smiled faintly. “It’s an acquired taste.”

Silence settled once more.

The fire popped.

Outside, thunder rumbled.

And in the heavy quiet, Octavia whispered, voice barely audible:

“why did life happened like this to me”

Astra’s smile faded.

“I don’t know,” she said softly. “But the answer will find you soon enough.”