Ch.4

She draped it over my shivering shoulders, the rough fabric a stark contrast to the ruined silk of my anniversary dress.

Then, the second horn blew. The Long Hunt.

"They’re crossing the tree line," the younger rogue hissed, pulling a jagged blade from his belt. "We need to run, Ryan. There's at least a dozen Enforcers."

Ryan didn't pull a weapon. He didn't even flinch. He kept his molten amber eyes locked on me. "Let them cross. I could use the exercise."

"Ryan, stop playing," Melissa snapped, pulling me up by the elbow. "If we fight them here, we risk the girl. She’s half-dead already. Her wolf is completely dormant."

Ryan’s jaw clenched. He looked at my bare, bleeding feet, then toward the dark woods where the sound of snapping branches was growing louder. With a low, frustrated growl, he stepped forward and scooped me into his arms like I weighed nothing.

"We go home," Ryan commanded.

"Home?" I rasped, my voice barely working. "I thought you were rogues."

Ryan let out a dark, chest-rumbling chuckle. "Only to the idiots who don't know any better. Keep your eyes closed, little wolf. We have a long run ahead."

I passed out against his chest. His scent—cedar, rain, and raw power—was the only thing anchoring me to the waking world.

****

When I finally opened my eyes, I wasn't in a muddy camp or a cave.

I was lying on a massive, four-poster bed draped in charcoal-grey silk. The room was the size of my entire ground floor at the Blackwood house, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a sprawling, snow-capped mountain range.

This wasn't a rogue settlement. It's a penthouse.

The bathroom door opened, and two women walked in carrying a stack of towels and a dark emerald dress. They wore neat, uniform-like clothes. Not rogues. Maids.

"She’s awake," the taller one said, her lip curling slightly as she looked at my mud-caked legs. "I’m Ria. This is Diana. The Alpha ordered us to clean you up."

"The Alpha?" I pushed myself up, wincing as my bruised ribs protested. "You mean Ryan?"

Diana let out a harsh laugh, tossing the towels onto the foot of the bed. "She doesn't even know whose bed she’s bleeding on.

 Yes, Ryan. Alpha King of the Silver Moon Pack. 

The most feared territory in the north. And for some reason, he dragged a stray out of the mud instead of letting the Blackwoods finish the job."

My breath hitched. The Silver Moon Pack. Logan used to lock the pack doors when rumors of their hunters being near circulated. They were ruthless.

"Why are you looking at her like that?" Ria whispered to Diana, though I could hear every word. "She’s nothing special. Just another broken reject."

"You saw the way he looked at her when he carried her in," Diana whispered back, her eyes narrowing with blatant jealousy. "The King hasn't brought a woman into the inner keep in his entire reign. And he brings back this... trash? I give it two days before he throws her back out."

"Are you going to wash me, or just stand there insulting me?" I asked, my voice dry but steady. 

I had spent five years dealing with Logan's sister; a couple of jealous maids weren't going to break me.

Ria scowled, but she gestured to the massive marble tub in the adjoining room. "Get in. The Alpha wants to see you when you're decent."

An hour later, the mud and blood were gone. I slipped into the emerald dress they had left for me. It was long-sleeved, hugging my curves perfectly, hiding the bruises on my arms but showing enough skin at the collarbone to make me feel exposed.

The heavy bedroom door clicked open.

Ryan walked in. He wasn't shirtless anymore. He wore a crisp, dark button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing forearms corded with muscle and faded scars. He carried a silver tray loaded with roasted meat, fresh bread, and fruit.

The maids immediately dropped their heads, submitting to his overwhelming aura.

"Get out," Ryan said, not looking at them.

Ria and Diana scurried out of the room, shutting the door behind them.

Ryan set the tray on a small table near the fireplace. He pulled out a chair and looked at me. "Sit. Eat."

I hesitated, my stomach clenching. "Why are you doing this? I’m a liability. Logan will come looking for me eventually to make sure I’m dead."

"Let him look," Ryan said, his eyes tracing the line of my neck where Logan's mark used to be. The skin was bare now, the bond severed. "Sit down, Giuliana."

I sat. My hands were shaking as I picked up a piece of bread. I took a bite, and my stomach aggressively reminded me I hadn't eaten since the afternoon before. I started eating faster, unable to stop myself.

Ryan didn't touch the food. He just sat across from me, his elbows resting on his knees, watching me. His gaze was heavy. It wasn't the dismissive, cold look Logan always gave me. Ryan looked at me like he was trying to memorize the exact shade of my eyes.

"You're staring," I mumbled around a piece of roast.

"I know," he said simply.

Before I could ask what that meant, the door swung open without a knock. A tall man with lighter hair and the same amber eyes as Ryan leaned against the doorframe. He had a cocky grin plastered on his face.

"Well, well, well," the man drawled. "The rumors are true. My stoic, terrifying brother skipped the pre-Assembly war council to watch a stray wolf eat dinner. The Elders are having a collective stroke in the war room, Ryan."

Ryan didn't look away from me. "Tell the Elders they can wait, Jax. And if you call her a stray again, I’ll throw you off the balcony."

Jax chuckled, putting his hands up in mock surrender. "Touchy. I’m just saying, brother. You’ve never brought a woman here. The whole estate is talking." He winked at me. "I’m Jax. Try not to break his heart, sweetheart. He's grumpier than he looks."

"Out, Jax," Ryan growled.

Jax laughed and disappeared down the hall.

Ryan finally stood up. He walked over to me, stopping just inches away. I had to tilt my head back to look at him.

"Tonight is the Equinox Assembly," Ryan said, his voice a low rumble. "Alphas from all the neighboring territories are downstairs. It’s going to be loud. Lock the door. Rest. No one will bother you here."

"You're just... leaving me in your room?"

"You're safe here," he said, his thumb suddenly brushing my cheek. The contact sent a jolt of pure electricity straight to my toes. "Sleep, Giuliana."

He turned and left, the heavy door clicking shut, locking automatically from the inside.

For the first two hours, I tried to sleep. But the bed felt too big, the silence too loud. My mind kept replaying Logan's face, Chloe's fake tears, the moment the Council stamped my exile.

I couldn't just lay there. I felt like a caged animal.

I slipped out of the bed, my bare feet padding against the thick rugs. I unlocked the door and peeked into the hallway. It was empty. Down below, I could hear the faint sound of a string quartet and the deep hum of hundreds of voices.

I just wanted to see. I just wanted to know what a pack that wasn't Blackwood looked like.

I crept down the long, winding stone corridors, following the noise. I finally reached a massive marble balcony that overlooked the grand ballroom.

I peered over the railing.

The room was stunning, filled with wolves in expensive suits and gowns. At the center of it all stood Ryan. He was holding a glass of amber liquid, speaking to a group of older Alphas. He commanded the room effortlessly.

I leaned forward a bit more, captivated by the way he held himself.

Then, it happened.

My inner wolf, the one that had been curled up and "dead" since Logan severed our bond, suddenly opened her eyes. She didn't just wake up. She scrambled to her feet, her claws digging into my mind, a frantic, desperate howl tearing from her throat.

MINE.

Down in the ballroom, Ryan went completely rigid. He stopped mid-sentence. The glass in his hand shattered, the amber liquid spilling over his fingers.

He slowly, methodically tilted his head back and looked up at the balcony.

His amber eyes locked onto mine.

The air vanished from my lungs. A scent hit me so hard it made my knees buckle—cedar, rain, and a dark, intoxicating heat. It wasn't just a smell. It was a tether. A thick, golden thread wrapping around my heart and pulling me violently toward him.

A mate bond. A true mate bond.

"Mate," Ryan breathed.

Even over the noise of the ballroom, his voice carried. The entire room went dead silent. Hundreds of faces turned to look at Ryan, and then followed his gaze up to the balcony. To me. The exiled, nameless rogue.

Ryan didn't hesitate. He pushed past the visiting Alphas, walking toward the grand staircase. His eyes were blazing gold. His wolf was completely at the surface.

I was frozen. I couldn't run. The pull of the bond was too strong, anchoring my feet to the marble floor.

He took the stairs two at a time. When he reached the landing, he didn't care who was watching. He grabbed my waist, pulling me flush against his hard chest, and buried his face in my neck, inhaling my scent like he was a drowning man and I was oxygen.

"Mine," he growled, the sound vibrating through my entire body. "Moon Goddess, you’re mine."

"Ryan," I gasped, my hands instinctively clutching his shirt.

"Look at that," a cold, familiar voice echoed from the bottom of the staircase, shattering the perfect moment. "The King of the North picks through my garbage."

My blood turned to ice.

I turned my head, looking down at the ballroom floor. Standing there, holding an invitation to the Equinox Assembly, was Logan. And clinging to his arm was Chloe.

Logan's eyes were fixed on Ryan’s hands on my waist. His expression wasn't smug anymore. It was twisted into something dark, possessive, and utterly lethal.

"She’s my wife, Ryan," Logan snarled, stepping toward the stairs. "Take your hands off her."