Chapter 9

Anna’s POV

The trees blurred past, as I was driven silently.

We hadn’t spoken much since we left the pack grounds. The silence wasn’t exactly awkward, it was heavy. Like the air before a storm. Like something waiting to unravel.

Mattias drove the black SUV like he owned the road. Which, knowing him, he probably did.

I sat balled up in the passenger seat, covered in Yvonne’s cloak. My fingers tightly holding the satchel to my chest like a life saver. My stomach was a bubbled with a mix of nerves and nausea. Maybe it was the baby. Maybe it was my entire damn life crashing down in twenty-four hours.

Or it was the fact that my second-chance mate was just sitting less than two feet from me, very close. It made me think. I didn’t know if I wanted to slap him or express my frustrations through yelling.

We finally pulled into a secluded dirt path, the area surrounded by trees and moonlight. Just then, I realized how far out we’ve driven.

No pack markers. No scents. We were in the middle of nowhere.

“Where are we?” I asked, my voice hoarse from not speaking.

Mattias killed the engine, his hands still on the wheel, “Neutral territory. One of my safehouses.”

“Safehouse?” I echoed, raising a brow.

He looked at me, “You’re not ready to be taken into Black Rock territory.”

I narrowed my eyes, “That supposed to be a jab?”

He gave me a blank stare, “No. It’s a fact.”

Asshole.

Still, I didn't say anything as he got out, and I followed. The cabin was different from what I expected; it was modern but subtle, something that didn't attract attention. There was a light on the porch that flickered on automatically.

He typed a key code into the lock and once the door opened, he stepped aside for me to walk in first. 

Inside, the air was warm. Wood floors. Fireplace. Minimalist but expensive-looking. No clutter. No chaos. It smelled like pine, smoke… and him. Spice and cold mint. I hated how my lungs welcomed it.

“You’ll take the main bedroom,” he said, nodding toward a hallway. “There’s a tub if you want to clean up. Food’s stocked. The bed's clean. Rest as long as you need.”

I blinked, “You’re not staying?”

“I’ll be on the couch.”

Oh.

I didn’t know what I expected. Maybe him looming over me, forcing the mate bond like Gunner would’ve. Maybe chains.

But this was worse. This was… patience. I turned and headed for a room. There was no light or people so the room was dark and quiet. The bed looked soft and comfy compared to the rock-hard mattress I’d grown up with.

I dropped the bag I was holding and stared at the empty sheets, feeling taking in everything they had happened so far.

I sat at the edge of the bed and inhaled deeply. 

Lost in my comfort, I didn’t know how much time had passed. But a set of knocks on the door grabbed my attention.

One tap. Two. I didn’t answer.

He walked in anyway. Mattias stepped inside, calm and silent, holding two mugs in his hands. One was steaming. The other already had a faint lip stain on it.

Tea.

“You haven’t eaten,” he said, placing it on the side table.

“I’m not hungry.”

“Drink anyway. Your wolf’s probably starving.”

I raised my head, “Stop acting like you know her.”

He huffed and asked, “Ava, right?”

I was tense.

His voice lowered, “I know her. I felt her. She nearly clawed her way out of you the second we met.”

He took his seat in the chair across from me. I held the blanket I warped around myself,  tighter as if it was a barricade between us.

Mattias leaned forward, placing both his elbows on his knees, and finally spoke.

“My name is Mattias Leon Hart.”

I blinked.

“I am Alpha of Black Rock Pack. My rule spans over four regions. I command seven thousand warriors. My bloodline traces back to the original royal wolves that once protected the Moon Temples.”

I said nothing.

He continued, “I’ve fought in four wars, claimed three rogue territories, and I’ve spent the last six years cleaning up the filth Gunner and Richard left behind.”

I clenched my jaw at the names.

“My point is,” he said, voice calm but sharp. “I didn’t come to get you because of a flimsy feeling. I achieved everything I own. I don’t chase things.”

“Then why me?” I asked.

That was a question I didn't have an answer to. That had left me wondering since the moment we saw each other.

“Because when I walked into that hall,” he said. “Your scent hit me like a bullet to the chest. And I’ve been looking for that scent for three damn years.”

I stared.

“I didn’t know who you were. I didn’t care. All I knew was that the bond was real. And you were mine.”

I laughed bitterly, “You talk about it like it’s fate. Like it’s a blessing.”

“It is,” he said.

“Then why does it feel like a curse?” I snapped.

He didn’t flinch, “Because you’ve been through hell. And I’m asking you to walk through fire again.”

He dipped his hand into his jacket pocket and brought out a small object. A folded paper. He placed it on the nightstand.

“What’s that?”

“Gunner’s alliance list,” he said. “The ones who backed him during your rejection. The ones who knew and did nothing. Names, contacts, locations.”

I stared at it.

“You said you wanted revenge,” Mattias added. “There it is.”

I swallowed. My fingers itched.

“But there’s a price,” he said quietly.

Of course there was.

I lifted my gaze, “What kind of price?”

He stood slowly and stepped closer. Not touching me. Not towering. Just close enough that his voice dropped.

“You want my loyalty, my protection, my army?” he asked.

“Yes,” I whispered.

“Then I want your soul.”

I blinked, “Excuse me?”

He met my gaze, dead serious, “Not your body. Not your title. I want your soul. I want you to walk beside me not as a charity case, but as my equal. My mate.”

I stared, speechless.

“That means you don’t run. You don’t lie. You don’t fight me when I’m trying to protect you.”

I swallowed hard, “You think I can just hand over my heart like that?”

“No,” he said. “But your wolf already has.”

My mouth parted, but I said nothing. Because he was right. Ava was purring like a traitor deep inside me. She wanted him. Even now, she was reaching out, nuzzling the bond like it was silk.

‘Say yes,’ she whispered. ‘Say yes, and we’ll be whole.’

‘He’s not Gunner,’ she added. ‘He is different.’

I shook my head from side to side, “You’re asking for everything. And I have nothing left.”

He stepped closer.

“You have you,” he said. “And that’s enough.”

I opened my mouth and then closed it.

Then whispered, “If I agree… If I give you that part of me…”

“I’ll burn the world for you,” he said without missing a beat.

Silence. It wrapped around us again, thick and warm and terrifying.

“I haven’t agreed to this,” I whispered.

He came closer, just enough that I could see the silver lining in his green eyes.

“You don’t need to,” he murmured. “We’re bound now.”

His voice dipped to a growl.

“You just don’t realize it yet.”