Chapter 4

I stood in Gale's chambers,my eyes fixed on the small garden beside the window,the sunlight filtering through the glass highlighted the gentle curves of the plant, and for a moment, I felt peace.

Gale's voice broke the silence, his dark voice sending shivers down my spine,”you're free to explore the garden, if you'd like”.

I turned to face him, my heart racing,there was something in his eyes , something that made me feel .. seem. Over the past few days ,Gale has been treating me with kindness I did not expect, he has shown me through the park's territory, introduced me to the pack members and even shared meals with me.It was all so different… from how I'd experienced Nathaniel.

I felt a spark of gratitude towards Gale but it was tempered by caution, I didn't know him,not really.I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to him than that shake in his eye.

As I stood there, locked in Gale's gaze , I felt a fragile connection forming between us .It was as if the air itself was charged with an electric tension, waiting to see what would happen.

Gale's eyes seemed to be bore into mine, searching for something I wasn't sure what it was, I felt a sense of vulnerability wash over me. I looked away, breaking the gaze,Gale cleared his throat,”I'll leave you to explore the garden, if you'd like “,he said, his voice a little rougher than before.

I nodded, still feeling the weight of his gaze on me , as he turned to leave, I called out “Gale”?he turned back, his eyes questioning,” yes?”.

I hesitated, unsure of what I wanted to say, then something in his expression softened , and I felt a sense of trust wash over me.

“Thank you”,I said, my voice barely above a whisper .

Gale's eyes crinkled at the corners and he smiled. For a moment, it felt like I was just seeing him for the first time.

As I watched Gale walk away, I felt a sense of wonder wash over me , I couldn't remember the last time someone had looked at me with such kindness, with understanding.My thoughts drifted back to Nathaniel , to the way he'd treated me like a possession rather than a person, I felt a shiver run down my spine as I remembered the coldness in his eyes.

But Gale was different, his eyes seemed to see through my soul,and yet , he didn't judge me , he didn't control me. I felt a sense of freedom in his presence, a sense of being able to be myself.

As I explored the garden, I found myself thinking about Gale more and more, what was his story?,what had brought him to this place?.

As I wandered through the garden,I stumbled upon a small clearing.In the middle of the center, stood a beautiful stone bench, adorned with intricate carvings.

Gale was sitting on the bench , his eyes closed with a look of serenity, a sense of peace washed over me as I watched him.

He must have sensed my presence, because his eyes opened and he looked up at me. For a moment we stared at each other , the only sound was the gentle rustling of the leaves.

Then Gale stood up,and walked towards me, “I see, you found my favorite spot”, his voice low and soothing.

I smiled, feeling a sense of connection with him, “it's beautiful”,I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

Gale smiled, we stood there enjoying ourselves for a moment, enjoying the peacefulness of the garden.

The peacefulness of the moment was shattered by a loud sound outside the garden, Gale's eyes snapped towards the sound, his eyes narrowing.

“What is it”, I asked , feeling a sense of unease.

Gale didn't answer. Instead, he strode towards the garden entrance. I followed him , my heart racing with anticipation. As we emerged from the garden, I saw a group of pack members gathered near the entrance of the pack territory.

They were all staring at something in the floor their faces inexpressible, Gale pushed his way toward the crowd and I followed behind.As we reached the front, I saw what had caught thier attention, a piece of parchment laid on the ground, with a message scrawled with bold letters.

The message made my blood run cold.

The message on the parchment read,”you'll never be safe”. It was signed with a symbol that looked like a crescent moon and an arrow pointing towards its bottom. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I stared at the message, who could have written this?,and what did they mean?.

Gale's face was grim, as he picked up the parchment , his eyes scanning the surrounding area, searching for any sign of who dropped it. The pack members began to murmur among themselves, their voices filled with worry and fear.Gale raised his hand, and they were all silent.

“We'll investigate this”, he said, his voice firm,”In the meantime, we need to increase our patrols and make sure everyone is safe”.

As the pack members began to leave, I couldn't stop thinking that I was in great danger.