Chapter 17

Aila Coraline

I tried my best to act natural, the way I used to before, pretending that Zayn didn’t affect me in any way. I’ve always been good at playing pretend, but this past week of assisting him was nothing short of a challenge. He kept teasing me about the most nonsensical things.

If I dared to hope for anything, it was for him to go back to being the way he used to be—cold and distant. It would make everything so much simpler. But the way he looked at me, the way he seemed to soften around me, made it difficult to wish for that with any real conviction.

“What if Zayn likes you?” Anna asked.

I’m not the kind of person who talks too much about my personal life. If there’s anyone who knows more than half of me, it’s Anastasia. She’s the only one I’ve ever truly considered a friend back on the North Farm. Here, though, Anna has become someone I’ve grown close to, even more so than my fellow she-wolves.

“I doubt that,” I replied, shrugging off the idea. “We’re bound by a fate called mates. He can’t just like anybody, especially not when he’s the Alpha’s successor.”

Anna tilted her head, her brows knitting together. “You know, some things are beyond the rules of mates and traditions,” she mused. “People can surprise you.”

I shook my head, unwilling to consider it. Zayn doesn’t have a mate—at least, none that he’s revealed. Maybe he’s hiding one for reasons only he knows. But liking me? That couldn’t be possible.

“You think too highly of me,” I said, trying to brush off the topic. “Besides, Zayn’s heart is probably too busy with pack matters to have space for anything else.”

I haven’t heard of him being entangled with a woman, or maybe there is someone, but since I’m not much of a gossip, I’ve heard nothing. Zayn is undeniably handsome; that’s a fact even I can’t deny. She-wolves flock to him like bees to honey, but his cold and cruel demeanor keeps most at bay. Only the brave—or perhaps the reckless—dare to try and win his attention.

“Busy or not, if love comes along, it’s possible,” Anna argued.

I shrugged, unconvinced. Love. That’s such a big, overwhelming word for me. Maybe it’s because I’ve never experienced it, at least not in the way that she implies.

The love I know is simple and unconditional, like the love I have for my mother. But romantic love? The kind that makes your heart race and your world turn upside down? For a mate? I doubt I’ll ever experience it.

Anna noticed my silence and gently nudged me. “You know, Coraline, just because you haven’t felt it yet doesn’t mean it won’t come. Love has a way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it.”

I glanced at her with a wry smile. “And what if it’s not meant for me? What if fate just… skips me over?”

“You’ve been through so much already, maybe fate’s just taking its time. But when it comes, it’ll be worth every second of waiting.”

Her words lingered and a small warmth spreading through me, though I tried to brush it off. Deep down, a part of me wondered if she could be right. But I quickly pushed the thought away, unwilling to hope for something that might never happen.

"I hope you're right," I said.

My mother had told me when I turned eighteen that not all she-wolves are blessed with a mate. "A mate isn’t like air," she had said. "You won’t die without one." I can survive, and I have, but there are moments when I wish I had someone, like so many others do—someone to rely on, someone who could be my anchor.

I’d read in books that those who never find their mate are often either cursed or fated to have a mate who perished before they met. Sometimes, I can’t help but wonder which of the two applies to me. Was my life marked by misfortune, or had fate stolen something precious from me before I even knew it?

Suddenly, a series of long, piercing howls echoed from the outskirts, breaking through the quiet night. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and my heart raced in my chest. Anna stiffened beside me, her eyes wide with alarm.

"Could that be a rogue?" I managed to ask, my voice wavering slightly.

Before Anna could respond, Zayn appeared in front of us, a small group of she-wolves trailing close behind him. His expression was tense, but as soon as his eyes landed on me, a wave of calm seemed to soften his features, even if just slightly.

"Why are you still out here? Didn't I tell you to go to your room?" he scolded, his tone more like a reprimanding parent than a commanding Alpha-to-be.

I glanced at Anna, who, despite her neutral expression, had a mischievous glint in her eyes that practically screamed, I’m enjoying this.

I swallowed and quickly redirected the conversation, ignoring his question. "Is it a rogue?" I asked.

Zayn’s eyes narrowed as he assessed me for a moment, then he sighed, brushing off my attempt at avoidance.

"I'm going to check it out. Stay here and protect everyone if the rogues break through," he commanded.

Without waiting for my response, Zayn moved swiftly, the rest of the she-wolves and a few male warriors following closely behind. As he and the group disappeared into the trees, I couldn't help but think about how peculiar it was that so many she-wolves had been assigned to this area.

Despite the homestead’s history of frequent rogue breakouts, the defense around here was still weak, almost as if it wasn’t a priority for the Alpha. It felt off, unsettling even.

Anna nudged me, breaking into my thoughts with a playful smile. “Did you see that? He was so worried about you that he completely forgot I was even here,” she teased.

I tried to ignore the heat rising in my cheeks. “Oh, stop it,” I muttered, rolling my eyes. “He was just giving orders, that’s all.” But I couldn’t deny the way my heart fluttered, no matter how hard I tried to suppress it.

I tried to convince myself that what I was feeling was nothing more than a fleeting emotion. Maybe I was just longing for the idea of having a mate, so when someone showed me the slightest care, I easily clung to it. It felt stupid and pathetic, and I hated myself for it.

"Instead of analyzing my life," I said, shifting the conversation, "let's stay alert. The enemy could break through any moment now." I needed to focus and push my emotions aside.

The new fences along the borders had been reinforced and upgraded with better security. If the rogues managed to break through those, then they must be exceptionally strong. We’d even added electric voltage to ensure that if they tried to breach, they’d get a nasty shock—or worse.

Anna crossed her arms. "They can't pass through. I'm sure of that," she replied with firm confidence.

We waited for what felt like an eternity, our nerves on edge as the minutes dragged on. But instead of the anticipated rogue attack, the only sounds we heard were distant voices echoing from the woods, mixed with laughter and casual conversation, drawing closer.

"There wasn't any real threat," Anna muttered.

Just then, a she-wolf passed by us, wiping sweat from her brow. "Lots of barbecued bodies out there," she said nonchalantly. "They're cleaning it up." Her words were followed by a few more she-wolves, each exchanging animated remarks about what they’d witnessed.

I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, feeling the tension slip away, but my relief was short-lived. Before I could fully process what she said, a sudden snap of twigs sounded from behind us. Anna and I spun around, eyes wide, as a silhouette appear.