CHAPTER THREE: FIVE YEARS GONE

ELENA POV 

"We're three months behind on the mortgage, Elena, three months."

Mateo stood in my tiny office at Silvermist Sanctuary, waving a stack of red-stamped envelopes like they were evidence in a trial.

Five years had passed since I'd left the Obsidian Pack territory, five years of building this wildlife refuge from nothing, and now it was all falling apart.

"I know how far behind we are," I said, not looking up from the expense reports on my desk, "I'm the one who opens the bills."

"Then you know we need to make a decision," Mateo said, his voice gentler now, "maybe it's time to sell, cut our losses before we lose everything."

I looked up at him then, this man who had partnered with me three years ago when the sanctuary was just me and a falling-down barn.

Mateo Santos, thirty years old, kind eyes, patient smile, completely in love with me, even though I had never given him any reason to hope.

"We're not selling," I said.

"Elena, be reasonable."

"I am being reasonable," I stood up, walked to the window that overlooked the animal enclosures, "this sanctuary is everything, it's all I have."

"You have options," Mateo said, moving closer, "you have me, I could cover the mortgage for a few months, give us time to figure things out."

"We've talked about this," I said, still watching the wolves in the far enclosure, "I'm not taking your money."

"It's not charity, a partnership."

"It's a pity," I turned to face him, "and I don't need anyone's pity, not anymore."

Something flickered across his face, hurt maybe, but he nodded.

"Okay," he said, "then what's the plan?"

Before I could answer, my office door burst open.

Maya stood there in her little purple jacket, mud on her sneakers, her dark hair falling loose from the braid I'd done this morning.

Five years old, but her eyes looked older sometimes, too knowing for a kindergartener.

"Mama," she said, slightly out of breath, "when is the night wolf coming back?"

My stomach dropped.

"Baby, we've talked about this," I said, kneeling to her level, "the night wolf is just a dream."

"But he's real," Maya insisted, "I saw him again last night, outside my window; he was sad."

Mateo looked at me with concern.

"She's been having nightmares?" he asked.

"Not nightmares," I said quickly, "just vivid dreams, kids have active imaginations."

"The night wolf isn't imagination," Maya said, crossing her arms, "he watches our house, he wants to remember something but he can't."

A chill ran down my spine, but I kept my voice calm.

"Why don't you go help Sophie feed the deer?" I said, "I'll be out in a minute."

Maya looked like she wanted to argue, but finally nodded and ran back outside.

Mateo waited until the door closed.

"That's the third time this week she's mentioned the night wolf," he said.

"She watches too much TV."

"Elena, maybe you should consider that there actually are wolves around the property," he said, "larger than normal ones, I've seen the tracks."

"Mountain wolves," I said, "this is their territory."

"With eyes that reflect red in the flashlight?" Mateo shook his head, "That's not normal."

Before I could respond, Sophie burst through the door.

My best friend looked terrified, her blonde hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, her face pale.

"We need to talk," she said, "now."

"What's wrong?"

"The wolves," she said, "I saw three of them last night, circling the property line, they weren't hunting, Elena, they were watching the house."

My blood turned cold.

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure," Sophie said, "and their eyes, Mateo's right, they reflected wrong, like there was something else looking out."

I sank into my desk chair.

Five years, I'd been here five years, and nothing like this had happened. I'd chosen this remote location specifically because it was far from any pack territory.

"Maybe we should call animal control," Mateo suggested.

"No," I said too quickly, "no authorities, we can handle this ourselves."

Sophie and Mateo exchanged a look.

"Elena," Sophie said gently, "is there something you're not telling us?"

Everything, I wasn't telling them everything.

That Maya's father was a werewolf alpha, that I was a wolf myself, though I hadn't shifted in five years, that those wolves circling the property might not be random.

My phone rang, cutting through the tension.

Unknown number.

I'd gotten dozens of these over the years, always ignored them; whoever was looking for me could keep looking.

I declined the call.

"We'll set up more motion sensors," I said, "double check all the fences, if the wolves come back, we'll scare them off with noise."

"And if that doesn't work?" Mateo asked.

"It'll work," I said with more confidence than I felt.

The security alarm suddenly blared through the office, three sharp beeps that meant someone was at the front gate.

"Who's that?" Sophie moved to the computer on my desk, pulled up the security camera feed.

I stood behind her, looking at the monitor.

A black Mercedes sat at the gate, sleek and expensive and completely wrong for this area.

"Probably someone lost," Mateo said, "I'll go tell them to turn around."

But Sophie had zoomed in on the driver's side, and her hand started shaking as she stared at the screen.

A man stood at the intercom, tall, with dark hair, wearing a suit that probably cost more than my monthly mortgage.

He looked older than I remembered, exhausted, like he hadn't slept in weeks.

But I would know that face anywhere, even after five years of trying to forget it.

Sophie turned to me slowly, her eyes wide.

"Elena," she whispered, "that's Cassian Vandenberg."

The room went silent except for my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

Mateo looked confused.

"Who?"

"Her ex," Sophie said, still staring at the screen, "the one who rejected her at their mating ceremony."

Outside, Maya's laugh carried across the yard, high and clear and innocent.

I grabbed the edge of my desk to steady myself.

Cassian Vandenberg was at my gate.

After five years of silence, after destroying me in front of his entire pack, after calling my bloodline poison.

He had found me.

Sophie grabbed my arm.

"What the hell is he doing here?”