Chapter 4:

Lira's POV:

A few days passed, and I avoided the pack house. Without the small wages from cleaning, I had nothing to eat. No one offered me help, being an Atoner meant living alone. I had grown up without parents and had taken care of myself for as long as I could remember. When my stomach growled again, I finally decided to return to the pack house, pulling a hood over my face so the Alpha wouldn’t recognize me.

The walk to the estate felt twice as long as usual. My legs felt heavy and every snap of a twig made me jump, expecting Elena to step out of the bushes with a dagger or a death threat.

The Pack House was buzzing with an agitated energy. Warriors were huddled in tight circles, their faces grim. I caught snippets of their hushed conversations as I slipped through the servants' entrance.

"...the sickness hit the southern kennels this morning."

"...the Elders are furious. They say the Alpha is stalling.

"...if he won't choose, the pack will choose for him."

I shivered, pulling my hood tighter. They were talking about an atoner. Every moment I drew breath, the pack’s resentment grew. I was a parasite in their eyes, draining the life from their children by simply existing.

Martha, the Head Housekeeper, didn't even look up from her ledger when she approached. Her face was pale, deep circles under her eyes. "You're late, girl. Three days' worth of dust is waiting in the library and the gallery. Get to it. And stay out of the way—the Alpha is in a foul temper. He’s been tearing the house apart looking for someone."

My heart did a painful somersault. Looking for me.

"I'll be quick," I muffled, my voice disguised by the heavy wool of my hood.

I worked with a feverish intensity. I scrubbed the library floors until my shoulders screamed. I polished the silver in the gallery until her reflection blurred. Every time I heard a heavy footstep in the hall, I would duck behind a curtain or duck into a closet, my heart hammering so loud.

The hunger made me clumsy. My vision blurred at the edges, and the smell of the roast beef being prepared in the kitchen downstairs was an exquisite torture. I just needed to finish the last room—the small sitting room adjacent to the Alpha’s private office.

Just ten more minutes, I told myself, wiping sweat from my brow with a shaking hand. Ten minutes, two coins, and then I would leave.

The sitting room was silent, bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun. I moved quickly, dusting the mahogany tables and straightening the heavy velvet drapes. My wolf was pacing, her ears pinned back. She was restless, sensing something and I was too tired to catch.

Danger, she whispered.

I ignored her. I cleaned quickly, hoping to finish, get my pay, and leave before Ronan saw me. But just as I finished the last room and turned to go, a familiar scent filled the air.

The Alpha.

My eyes widened. I spun around to leave, only to bump straight into him.

The temperature didn't rise, but the pressure did. The scent hit me, that deep, intoxicating woodsmoke.

Ronan.

Panic was over me, it was cold and it cut deep. I did not think about what I was doing. I just turned around fast and wanted to find another way out a window or a dark place to hide.. My foot got caught on the edge of the big Persian rug.

I tripped and my bucket fell to the floor water with soap spilled over the hardwood floor. I thought I was going to fall. That did not happen.

Instead I ran into a strong man,he was like a wall of warm muscle.

His big hands grabbed my arms. They were holding me tight. It did not hurt. It felt like iron. It was covered in something soft. When I hit him, my hood fell back and my face was in the light. I could see everything. I could see the man who was holding me. His eyes were looking at me . They scared me.

I took a breath. My hands went to my chest. I wanted to push him but my fingers just grabbed his shirt. I could feel his heart beating it was beating fast like mine.

I looked up. I was trapped. His arms were around me.

Alpha Ronan did not look like the man I saw days ago, he was not calm and in control. His hair was messy he had not shaved and his eyes they were not the same they were like gold like a wolf who had been hunting for a time.

Ronan knew exactly what I was the moment he recognized our bond. He knew I was an Atoner. Yet the knowledge did nothing to weaken the intense pull he felt toward me.

If anything, it only made his heart ache more.

"I have been looking for you for three days " he said, his voice was low it made my legs feel weak. "You really thought you could hide from me in my house."

I could not breathe. I could not move. I was scared and hungry. The power of the mate bond it was all too much the room started spinning.

"Please " I said, not know what I was asking for. I did not know if I wanted him to let me go or hold me tighter or to ask him to reject me.

Ronan did not say anything he just held me closer,his head went down his breath was on my skin. "You are shaking " he said, his voice was soft. It was also strong. "And you smell like you are hungry and scared who did this to you?"

Before I could say anything the door opened.

"Alpha," Elder Dominic said, his voice was loud he sounded important. "The Council is waiting we made a decision about the Atoner’s—"

Dominic stopped talking he saw Alpha Ronan holding me.

Everywhere became silent.