CHAPTER 3: RESCUED

“Well, what do we have here?”

The voice came from somewhere above me, rich and warm with just a hint of amusement. I tried to lift my head from the forest floor, but my body wouldn't cooperate. Three days of walking with no food had finally caught up with me.

“Please,” I murmured, my throat dry from thirst. “Don't hurt me.”

Footsteps crunched through the fallen leaves, getting closer. “Hurt you? Little wolf, you're half-dead already. What would be the point?”

Strong hands rolled me onto my back, and I found myself staring up at the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. Dark hair fell across his forehead, and his eyes were the color of storm clouds—gray with flecks of silver. He was massive, easily six-and-a-half feet, with shoulders that could carry the world.

But it was his scent that made my breath catch. Pine and rain and something else. Something familiar.

“What's your name?” His voice had gone softer, almost uncertain.

“Kaia.” my voice barely above a whisper.

Those storm-gray eyes went wide. He sat back on his heels, studying my face like he was seeing a ghost.

“Impossible,” he breathed.

“What's impossible?” I tried to sit up and immediately regretted it. The world spun like a carnival ride.

His hands steadied me, gentle despite their obvious strength. “Your scent. It's—” He stopped, shaking his head. “This is going to sound insane, but I think you're my sister.”

I blinked at him, sure the hunger was making me hallucinate. “That's not possible. I don't have any siblings.”

“Half-sister,” he corrected, his voice gaining confidence. “Same mother, different fathers. My name is Kieran Valdris.”

The surname. Even in our isolated pack, everyone knew that name. The Valdris family ruled the most powerful pack in North America—the Crimson Moon Pack.

“You're lying.” But even as I said it, I knew he wasn't. The familiar scent, the way his features echoed mine—the same nose, the same stubborn chin.

“I'm not.” He pulled out his phone, scrolling until he found what he was looking for. “This is our mother, Scarlett Nightshade.”

The photo showed a woman with my dark hair and gray eyes, laughing at something off-camera. She looked exactly like the woman in the one picture I had hidden in my room back at—

Back at the place that was no longer my home.

“She had twins,” Kieran continued quietly. “You and me. Different fathers, born minutes apart. When the relationship ended, she kept you while my father took me. They agreed it was better if we never knew about each other.”

“Why?” The question came out broken.

“Because you're not just any wolf, Kaia. You're royalty. Ancient bloodlines run through your veins—bloodlines that make you one of the most powerful potential wolves in existence. Our mother thought separating us would keep us safe.”

I laughed, the sound bitter and cracked. “Powerful? Have you seen me? I can't even shift. I'm weak, worthless—”

“Stop.” His command was Alpha-strong, but his eyes were gentle. “Who told you that?”

“Everyone. My step-family, the pack, Luna Blackwood—”

“Step-family?” His voice went dangerously quiet. “You weren't raised by our mother?”

Hot tear roll down from my eyes. I didn't stop it. “She died when I was born. I was raised by my stepmother and her sons. They—” I couldn't finish.

Kieran's jaw tightened. “They what?”

“It doesn't matter now. They banished me three days ago. Said I was tainted blood, that I didn't belong.”

The temperature around us seemed to drop ten degrees. When Kieran spoke again, his voice was lethal.

“They banished you? A princess of the ancient bloodlines?” His eyes had gone completely golden—the sign of a wolf barely in control. “What pack?”

“Moonhaven. But please, don't—”

“Moonhaven.” He spat the name like a curse. “Richard Blackwood's pack. I should have known.”

“You knew my father?”

“I knew he was a piece of shit who married our mother for her bloodline connections, then treated her like garbage when she wouldn't give him access to her family's power.” Kieran's hands clenched into fists. “She died because of him, didn't she? The stress, the abuse—it killed her.”

I stared, fresh tears spilling over. “His sons said she died trying to escape the shame of having me.”

Kieran's roar of rage made the trees shake. Birds exploded from the branches above us, fleeing his fury.

“Those bastards tortured you for sixteen years, didn't they?” He pulled me against his chest, and for the first time in my life, I felt truly safe. “They broke you down, convinced you that you were nothing, kept you from shifting.”

“How did you know I couldn't shift?”

“Because they suppressed your wolf. Constant abuse, malnutrition, emotional trauma—it's a known method for keeping powerful wolves contained.” His voice turned murderous. “They knew exactly what they were doing.”

“But why? If I'm supposedly so powerful—”

“Because you're a threat. The ancient bloodlines carry gifts that put modern Alphas to shame. They kept you weak because they were terrified of what you'd become if you ever realized your true strength.”

I pulled back to look at him. “I just wanted to be beautiful for once in my life. Worthy of something.”

Kieran's expression softened completely. He cupped my face in his hands, thumbs brushing away my tears.

“Little sister, you already are. You just can't see it yet.”His smile was warm enough to melt ice. “But I can show you. Will you let me?”

“Show me what?”

“Your real home. Your real family. Your real power.” He stood and offered me his hand. “Come home with me, Kaia. Come be a princess.”

I stared at his outstretched hand, hardly daring to hope. “What if I'm not strong enough? What if I disappoint you too?”

“Impossible.” His confidence was absolute. “You survived sixteen years of hell and kept your soul intact. That makes you the strongest wolf I know.”

I took his hand.

The moment our fingers touched, power crackled between us—ancient magic recognizing its own. My wolf, dormant for so long, stirred in my chest like a creature waking from a long sleep.

“There she is,” Kieran whispered, wonders evidence in his voice. “I can feel her. Your wolf—she's magnificent.”

“I can feel her too.” The words came out awed. For the first time in my life, I felt complete.

Kieran lifted me easily, cradling me against his chest. “Let's get you home. You need food, rest, and medical attention. Then we'll work on bringing your wolf fully forward.”

“And after that?”

His smile turned predatory. “After that, little sister, we're going to pay a visit to Moonhaven Pack. I think it's time the Blackwood boys learned what happens when you mess with a Valdris.”

As he carried me through the forest, I caught my first glimpse of Crimson Moon territory. The trees were taller here, ancient oaks that touched the sky. The air itself felt different—cleaner, charged with power.

In the distance, a massive estate sprawled across a hilltop, all glass and steel and impossible elegance. Wolves moved through the grounds below, their movements graceful and purposeful.

“Welcome home, Princess,” Kieran said softly.

For the first time in my life, that word—home—didn't feel like a lie.

I closed my eyes and let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, I was finally where I belonged.

My wolf purred in agreement, and I felt the first stirrings of something I'd never experienced before.

Power.