chapter 1

Rose shifted the strap of her duffel bag as she stood outside the house her aunt had arranged for her. The house looked isolated, almost forgotten. The air in the town felt different from the city. It was quiet and peaceful. She could even hear the birds chirping clearly.

Before she could enter the house, her phone rang. The ringing was loud and jarring against the absolute silence of the town.

"Hello, Aunt Mira," Rose said, pressing the phone to her ear. Her shoulders relaxed a little when she heard her aunt's voice.

"Rose, I hope you arrived safely?"

"Yes, Aunt. I just got here," Rose replied, glancing at the isolated house. "This place is quiet. Really quiet."

There was a long pause on the line. Rose checked to see if the call had ended.

"Rose," her aunt finally said, her voice dropping lower, "don't stray too far from the house, okay?"

"I won't," Rose promised, wondering why her aunt had warned her not to go too far from the house. She wanted to ask more, but the call had already ended.

The house was a two bedroom apartment with old but sturdy furniture. She walked upstairs and decided to take the room with the window facing the forest. She dropped her heavy bag onto the mattress and lay down for a nap.

By late afternoon, she had unpacked most of her things, neatly organizing her clothes and books. Her stomach let out a quiet rumble, but a quick check of the kitchen revealed a problem. The fridge was completely empty.

Grabbing her jacket and bag, she stepped out to buy groceries from the local market.

The small grocery store in the center of town was busier than she expected. The moment she stepped inside, the conversations quieted. The townspeople began whispering. A few people turned to look directly at her, their eyes filled with strange confusion and curiosity. Then they quickly looked away the moment she made eye contact.

Rose slowed her pace and looked around.

"Do I have something on my face?" she whispered to herself, glancing at her reflection in the glass door of a freezer.

No one answered. The silence in the store stretched longer than it should have.

Rose frowned and moved toward the shelves, trying to brush it off as her imagination. Maybe she was overthinking things, letting her aunt's warning get into her head.

Behind the counter, the shopkeeper glanced toward her, his eyes following her movements as she picked up a shopping basket before quickly looking away when she looked up.

Rose tried to shake off the uneasy feeling of being watched. As she reached into a cooler and grabbed a carton of milk, she noticed the shopkeeper approaching her.

He cleared his throat, breaking the silence.

"You're new in town, aren't you?" he asked, his gaze steady and his voice cautious.

Rose looked up, forcing a polite smile.

"Yes. I just moved in today. I'm staying at my aunt's house."

"May I ask who your aunt is?"

"Mira Daniel," Rose replied.

The shopkeeper gave a knowing nod. The tension in his shoulders eased at the mention of the name, though his gaze lingered on her for a moment longer.

Rose held her shopping basket closer.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, her voice softer but completely serious.

The shopkeeper leaned in slightly, lowering his voice to a whisper.

"Just listen to your aunt, girl. In this town, that's enough to keep you alive."

"Alright," she said quietly, her heart pounding in her chest.

She turned toward the exit, eager to return to the quiet safety of her house and get away from the strange atmosphere in town.

But the moment she stepped forward, the entire atmosphere changed.

The hushed whispering stopped instantly.

The door swung open, and heavy, rhythmic footsteps entered the store. They were calm, unhurried, and carried the unmistakable confidence of someone completely in control.

The entire store froze.

No one spoke.

Even the shopkeeper immediately lowered his gaze, staring intently at the counter as though it were the most fascinating thing in the world.

Rose shifted to the side, noticing the collective panic in the room. She moved closer to the aisle, trying to make herself invisible.

He walked in like he owned the place. He wore a leather jacket, his posture steady, his broad shoulders unyielding.

Then the shopkeeper whispered in panic,

"Alpha Ace."

The words made the silence in the room even more suffocating.

Rose frowned. She didn't understand why one man mattered so much to these people.

He moved with a cold, detached arrogance, as though he didn't care who or what surrounded him.

His eyes passed over her once in a casual sweep of the room.

Then Ace spoke.

His voice was low, incredibly deep, and perfectly controlled.

"Who is she?"

The shopkeeper swallowed hard before answering from behind the counter, his voice trembling.

"She is Mira's niece, Alpha. She just arrived in town today."

Ace didn't respond immediately.

The silence inside the grocery store grew thick, heavy, and suffocating.

It made Rose uncomfortable.

He took a step closer.

Up close, an intoxicating scent washed over her senses. He smelled of deep forests, fresh rain, and something sharp she couldn't quite identify.

Her pulse fluttered wildly.

His dark, golden-ringed eyes studied her, noticing the rapid rise and fall of her chest.

"Mira's niece," Ace repeated under his breath.

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes searching hers with an intensity that made her want to run.

Then, without warning, Ace turned away.

He walked past her, his shoulder brushing against her jacket as he continued deeper into the aisles.

It was as though she didn't matter at all.

Rose finally released a long, shaky breath. Her knees felt weak from the pressure.

She realized she had been holding her breath the entire time.

"What was that?" she muttered under her breath, her mind still spinning from the encounter.

She quickly paid for her groceries and stepped out of the store, still wondering what had just happened.

What she didn't realize, as she hurried away, was that a pair of dark, golden ringed eyes watched her from the shop window.

They remained fixed on her retreating figure.

Watching her leave.

Not curious.

Not confused.

Just watching his territory.