Seven

~Jemima Steele POV 

The Pack’s Territory  

I didn’t sleep that night. Not out of fear—fear I knew well—but because everything had shifted. My wolf, Kiona, stirred inside me now, her voice threading through my mind with calm certainty. She wasn’t a stranger, though we’d just met. She felt like a piece of me I’d always been waiting for.  

Then there was Adrian.  

The mate bond hummed between us, a tether of warmth and weight I couldn’t ignore. His presence was a sanctuary I hadn’t asked for. Safe. But safety was its own kind of danger. Years of solitude had built walls around me, walls he walked past with unnerving ease.  

Dawn arrived slowly, golden light filtering through the forest’s canopy. I perched on a fallen log, watching the sky shift from ink to amber. The rogue’s attack replayed in my mind, a vivid reel of claws and instinct. I’d been in danger before, but for the first time, I’d fought back—and won. Kiona made me stronger. Adrian made me braver.  

But bravery couldn’t smooth the knots in my chest.  

*He’s hiding something,* Kiona’s voice cut through the quiet, sharp and certain.  

I glanced at Adrian. He leaned against a nearby tree, golden eyes scanning the shadows as if trouble lingered just out of reach.  

*What do you mean?* I asked.  

*There’s a wall in him, one he won’t let us see beyond. Pain lies there, deep and raw.*  

She was right. Adrian’s strength was undeniable, but it came with distance—a carefully guarded wound. I wondered what loss had carved it into him.  

“You’re up early,” he said suddenly, his voice breaking the stillness. Warm, but guarded.  

I brushed dirt from my hands as I stood. “Couldn’t sleep. Too much on my mind.”  

He nodded, stepping away from the tree. “Last night wasn’t exactly restful.”  

“That’s one way to put it,” I said with a wry smile.  

Adrian’s lips twitched, almost a smile, but the shadow in his eyes remained. “You handled yourself well. Stronger than you think.”  

His words stirred something in me. Pride? Doubt? I wasn’t sure. “I don’t know if I’m ready for this—my wolf, the bond, the danger. It’s… a lot.”  

“No one’s ever ready,” he said, his voice low. “You just survive.”  

There it was again—the weight in his tone. Experience etched into every syllable. Questions burned on my tongue, but I swallowed them. We weren’t close enough for answers like that.  

“Why didn’t you run?” he asked abruptly. “When the rogue attacked, you could’ve. Most would’ve.”  

I hesitated, staring at my hands. The memory of fur, heat, and instinct flashed behind my eyes. “I’ve spent my life running,” I said softly. “From my family. From myself. Last night… I didn’t want to run anymore.”  

Adrian’s gaze softened, and for a moment, the distance between us seemed to shrink. He reached out, his fingers brushing mine. The bond flared at his touch, steady and warm.  

“You’re not alone anymore,” he said.  

The words should’ve been comforting. Instead, they felt like chains—binding, inescapable. Before I could respond, a sharp howl pierced the air.  

Adrian straightened, his posture rigid. “Stay here,” he said, his voice firm.  

“What is it?”  

“Trouble.”  

Before I could ask more, he shifted. His wolf was immense, golden fur rippling as he bolted toward the sound.  

*We can’t let him face it alone,* Kiona urged.  

I shifted, paws hitting the earth as the bond pulled me forward like a magnet. The wind rushed past, the forest blurring around me until I saw him.  

Adrian circled another wolf, larger than the rogue from before. Its glowing red eyes locked onto me as I emerged from the shadows. It snarled, teeth bared.  

Adrian growled, a low warning, but the wolf lunged—straight at me.  

Kiona surged forward, instincts taking over. We collided in a whirlwind of claws and teeth. Adrian was at my side in seconds, his powerful jaws tearing into the wolf’s flank. Together, we moved like two halves of a whole, the bond guiding our steps.  

The fight ended quickly. Adrian delivered the final blow, his jaws closing over the wolf’s throat. Silence fell, heavy and stark.  

I shifted back, trembling but intact. Adrian followed, his chest heaving. “Are you hurt?” he asked, voice tight with concern.  

“I’m fine,” I said, though my legs quaked beneath me. “What was that?”  

He frowned, golden eyes darkening. “Not just a rogue. That wolf was sent.”  

The word *sent* lodged in my chest like a stone. “By who?”  

“I don’t know,” he said, his gaze flicking to the shadows. “But this isn’t over.”