New Territory

His words , Anywhere you want, little wolf. I follow you, echoed through me long after they left his lips.

No one followed me.

I was the girl who checked rooms twice before entering, who avoided hallways when warriors passed through, who kept her eyes down around ranked wolves. No one ever cared where I went… or if I came back.

But he waited silent, patient in a way that made my pulse stutter.

I swallowed, forcing my voice to steady.

“The training grounds are closest,” I murmured, and turned, my steps stiff at first.

I half expected him to walk ahead like every dominant male I’d ever met.

But he stayed right beside me long strides slowed to match mine, body angled protectively like he would intercept any threat before I even saw it.

The air felt thick. Charged.

I could smell nothing, but I felt something building, like static crawling over my skin.

When we stepped outside, the late afternoon sun cast warm gold over the dirt paths and stone walls. Wolves trained beyond the treeline, th