chapter 4

Hannah

The cold was no longer just outside; it had settled deep into my bones. I had been walking for three days without a real meal.

My body felt like it belonged to someone else. Every step was a fight against gravity. I was not just hungry; I was completely empty.

I reached a small, rocky overhang near the base of a dark cliff. It offered little protection, but it was all I could manage. My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the freezing ground. I curled into a ball, pulling my tattered dress tight around me, but it did nothing to stop the shivering.

I stared at the dark forest ahead and I thought about the Moonpeak Pack. I thought about Brian, who had thrown me away like trash, and Ava, who had stolen everything I had ever loved. I remembered my brother, the last person who truly cared for me, and the way I had felt when his light went out.

What was the point?

I was tired of being hunted. I was tired of being chased away from every border like a disease. I was tired of the hunger that gnawed at my stomach. I had tried so hard to stay alive, but the world clearly didn't want me in it.

“Just let it end” a voice whispered in my mind.

The idea brought a strange, dark peace. If I just stopped moving, the cold would take me. I would sleep, and the memories of the betrayal would finally stop hurting. I closed my eyes, my breathing becoming shallow and slow.

My will to live…the thing that had kept me going through the weeks of rejection and loneliness snapped like a dry twig.

I was finally ready to die.

Suddenly I heard something. It was the sound of heavy footsteps crunching through the frozen leaves.

I didn't open my eyes. I didn't care. If it was a wolf, let it be. If it was a rogue, let it finish the job. I was too far gone to be afraid.

"Hey!"

The voice was deep and rough. It wasn't the scream of a hunter or the taunt of a rogue. I was that of a man.

I felt a big, warm hand touch my shoulder. The heat of it was so intense that I gasped, my eyes flickering open.

I looked up. Through my blurry, tear-filled vision, I saw the man. He was tall, with broad shoulders that seemed to block out the harsh wind. Even in the dim moonlight, I could see the intensity in his eyes. He didn't look like a scavenger or a monster. He looked beautiful.

"You're freezing," he said. His voice was soft now, laced with a concern that made my chest ache.

I tried to speak, but my throat was too dry. I could only let out a weak, pathetic whimper. My head dropped back against the rock. The darkness was pulling at me again, stronger than before. I felt myself slipping into that final, silent sleep.

"No… no please," he growled low in his throat. "Stay with me… I finally found you."

Before I could sink into the void, he scooped me up. I felt his arms slide under my back and knees. He was strong, and incredibly warm. Being held by him felt like stepping into the sunlight after a long, brutal winter.

My head rested against his chest. I could hear the thudding of his heart and It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.

As he began to walk, carrying me through the woods,I took a deep breath and a scent hit me. It was of fresh rain, and the deep, earthy smell of the forest. It was a scent that felt like home. And it came from him.

My wolf, which had been silent suddenly whimpered in recognition. A spark of life ignited deep in my soul.

He wasn't just a stranger. He was the anchor I had been searching for.

“Mate” I whispered.

"I've got you," he whispered, his voice vibrating through his chest and into my own. "You're safe now."

The warmth of his body and the promise in his voice were enough to pull me back from the edge. My eyelids grew heavy, but this time, it wasn't the darkness of death pulling me down; it was the exhaustion of a long journey finally coming to an end.

I didn't have to fight anymore. He was here.

My mate was here.