The Luna's Chance (Book Two) E-Book

Bella Lore

• Herausgeber: Lukeman Literary Management
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: The Luna's Chance
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 262

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

When Ava, a lone she-wolf with the enigmatic power of foresight, seeks refuge in the heart of Stone Pack's territory, she never expects to be the key to an ancient prophecy. Caught in the icy grip of winter and the heat of a forbidden love triangle, her visions reveal an unseen threat looming over both packs. As the gentle Gamma Tristan and powerful Alpha Erick vie for her affections under the chilling winter sky, Ava must navigate betrayal, passion, and pack loyalty. Amidst shocking twists and sensual encounters, Ava's heart and destiny hang in the balance as she confronts human hunters bent on their destruction. Dive into a tale where love battles tradition, and one she-wolf's choice could shape the future of werewolves forever.

Leseprobe

Bella Lore

Bella Lore is the paranormal romance author of the MY TRUE MATE series, comprising five books; THE ALPHA’S MATE series, comprising four books; the REJECTED BY THE BETA series, comprising four books; 9 NOVELLAS BY BELLA LORE, comprising nine books;  the MORTAL series, comprising five books; the IN THE ARMS OF THE ROGUE series, comprising two books; THE GAMMA’S CHOICE series, comprising two books; the FORBIDDEN BY THE ALPHA series, comprising two books; the DESTINED FOR THE ALPHA series, comprising two books; the PROMISED TO THE BETA series, comprising two books; THE LUNA’S CHOICE series, comprising two books; the AN OMEGA’S DESIRE series, comprising two books; and the A WOLF’S TRUE MATE series, comprising two books.

Bella loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit bellaloreauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

Copyright © 2024 by Bella Lore. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the author. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

BOOKS BY BELLA LORE

A WOLF’S TRUE MATE

A WOLF’S TRUE MATE (Book #1)

A WOLF’S TRUE MATE (Book #2)

AN OMEGA’S DESIRE

AN OMEGA’S DESIRE (Book #1)

AN OMEGA’S DESIRE (Book #2)

THE LUNA’S CHOICE

THE LUNA’S CHOICE (Book #1)

THE LUNA’S CHOICE (Book #2)

PROMISED TO THE BETA

PROMISED TO THE BETA (Book #1)

PROMISED TO THE BETA (Book #2)

DESTINED FOR THE ALPHA

DESTINED FOR THE ALPHA (Book #1)

DESTINED FOR THE ALPHA (Book #2)

FORBIDDEN BY THE ALPHA

FORBIDDEN BY THE ALPHA (Book #1)

FORBIDDEN BY THE ALPHA (Book #2)

THE GAMMA’S CHOICE

THE GAMMA’S CHOICE (Book #1)

THE GAMMA’S CHOICE (Book #2)

IN THE ARMS OF THE ROGUE

IN THE ARMS OF THE ROGUE (Book #1)

IN THE ARMS OF THE ROGUE (Book #2)

MORTAL

MORTAL (Book #1)

MATED (Book #2)

MATCHED (Book #3)

MARKED (Book #4)

MIXED (Book #5)

MY TRUE MATE

MY TRUE MATE (Book #1)

MY TRUE MATE (Book #2)

MY TRUE MATE (Book #3)

MY TRUE MATE (Book #4)

MY TRUE MATE (Book #5)

THE ALPHA’S MATE

THE ALPHA’S MATE (Book #1)

THE ALPHA’S MATE (Book #2)

THE ALPHA’S MATE (Book #3)

THE ALPHA’S MATE (Book #4)

REJECTED BY THE BETA

REJECTED BY THE BETA (Book #1)

REJECTED BY THE BETA (Book #2)

REJECTED BY THE BETA (Book #3)

REJECTED BY THE BETA (Book #4)

9 NOVELLAS

BOUND TO THE ALPHA (Book #1)

DESIRED BY THE ALPHA (Book #2)

FALLING FOR THE ROGUE (Book #3)

MATED TO THE ALPHA (Book #4)

MY TRUE ALPHA (Book #5)

PROMISED TO THE ALPHA (Book #6)

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

CHAPTER THIRTY

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

CHAPTER FORTY

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER ONE

The forest whispers secrets as I thread through the towering pines, my heart a quiet drumbeat in harmony with the rustling leaves. Each footfall is careful, silent, an echo of the predator I am, yet something within me quivers like a fawn on unsteady legs. I'm not out hunting tonight; I'm fleeing from the one truth I dare not share. The visions that haunt me, gifts—or curses—of my seer abilities, swirl behind my eyes, unseen to any but myself. Here in the Frostbite pack, where strength and prowess are prized above all else, my secret is a vulnerability I cannot afford.

"Rose."

The sound of my name, spoken in a voice as commanding as a thunderclap, halts me mid-step. Erick. Our Alpha. His presence alone demands attention, but it's more than his station that makes my pulse quicken. It's the intensity in his black hair that seems akin to the night itself, the depth in his blue eyes that feels like you could fall into them and never hit bottom.

"Out for a midnight stroll?" He steps forward, the moonlight dappling his features with silver and shadow.

"Something like that," I reply, my voice steadier than I feel. Erick's gaze holds mine, and there's a weight to his stare that suggests he sees beyond what I show the world.

"Your instincts are sharp, Rose. You move through the woods with a grace that belies your... nature." There's a knowing edge to his words, a hint that perhaps he senses the storm of premonitions raging silently within me.

"Instincts can be honed," I deflect, unwilling to acknowledge the deeper meaning in his praise. "Yours have made you a formidable Alpha."

His lips twitch into a half-smile, and for a moment, we are just two wolves beneath the vast, indifferent sky. But then he steps closer, too close, his scent wrapping around me—a mixture of pine and something distinctly Erick, wild and warm.

"Perhaps," he muses, his voice low and resonant, "but some things, some people, have a power that cannot merely be sharpened like claws or teeth. They are born with it."

My heart flutters, a trapped bird against its cage, and I wonder if he hears it too. Does he know? Does Erick see past the facade to the seer trembling beneath?

"Maybe," I concede, the word barely a whisper. "But power can be a burden, can't it?"

"Only if you carry it alone," he says, and there's a promise in his gaze, a silent offer to share the weight I've borne in solitude.

I look away, afraid that if I stare too long into those blue eyes, he'll glimpse the future reflected in mine. Afraid that if I lean too close to his warmth, I'll forget the coldness of my own secrets.

"Goodnight, Alpha," I say, breaking the spell as I turn to leave.

"Goodnight, Rose," he replies, but in his farewell, I hear the unspoken words hanging between us, a cascade of possibilities as endless as the stars overhead.

My heart continues to flutter, long after I've left him standing there, alone in the clearing.

***

The sun hangs low, bleeding crimson across the horizon as Erick gathers the hunters at the edge of the woods. He's leaving, his silhouette outlined by the dying light—a leader born to stand against the encroaching night. I linger by the elder's hall, watching from a distance, my heart sinking like the sun with each command he issues.

"Remember," he says, voice carrying on the wind, "the safety of the pack is in your hands while I'm gone." His gaze sweeps over the assembled wolves, lingering for just a moment on me, and in that brief glance, I feel both seen and seared.

As Erick turns to venture into the forest, whispers rise around me like the coming frost. The other she-wolves gather, their eyes bright with the moon's glow, but their stares are cold enough to chill my bones. They huddle together, casting sidelong glances my way.

"Did you see the way he looked at her?" one murmurs, and my cheeks burn with unseen flames.

"Rose isn't even a proper hunter," another sneers, flicking her ears back in disdain. "Why does our Alpha waste his attention on her?"

Their words, sharp as icicles, prick at my resolve. I've kept my visions secret, my true power hidden beneath layers of deception. But Erick, with his perceptive blue eyes, has always seemed to peer through the cracks.

"Maybe she has him under some spell," suggests a third, her voice tinged with venom. "How else could a nobody hold his gaze?"

I shrink back, wishing I could disappear into the shadows that creep along the ground. It'd be so easy to let their poison seep into my veins, to believe I am unworthy of Erick's notice. Yet, something inside me—a flame that refuses to be snuffed out—whispers that there's more between us than they could ever understand.

"Jealousy makes you petty," I finally retort, my own voice a surprise to my ears. It's stronger than I expect, bolstered by the memory of Erick's parting look.

They bristle at my challenge, hackles raised and teeth bared. But I stand my ground, the ember of defiance within me growing into a blaze. I won't be cowed by their spite, nor will I let them see the fear that trembles just beneath my skin.

"Careful, Rose," one warns, yellow eyes narrowed. "An Alpha's favor can shift as quickly as the winds."

"Let it shift," I shoot back, though my pulse races like prey in a chase. "I don't need Erick's favor to know my worth."

Their growls follow me as I turn away, retreating into the comforting embrace of the darkening woods. Alone, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, and the fluttering in my chest settles into a steady beat.

Erick is gone on his mission, and the night looms large without him. But no amount of jealousy or whispered threats can change the tides of fate that have begun to turn.

CHAPTER TWO

Heart pounding, I pace the length of the dusty storeroom that has become my sanctuary whenever the visions take hold. It's musty and cramped, but it's the only place I can be alone, the only place where the whispers of the future brush against my consciousness without reservation. Erick's absence is a gaping void in the pack's unity, and in my chest—a constant ache that flares with each step I take.

The scent of aged wood and dried herbs tickles my nose, familiar and oddly comforting, even as the tendrils of an impending vision tighten around my thoughts. They come unbidden, these flashes of what may come, and this time, the intensity of it leaves me gasping, clawing at the rough wooden shelf for support.

I squeeze my eyes shut, willing the onslaught to pass, but it crashes into me like a rogue wave. My mind is wrenched from my body, cast adrift in the maelstrom of time and possibility. The vision unfolds before me in stark clarity—a dark swarm on the horizon, a tide of malice rolling toward our unsuspecting pack.

It's more than a mere threat; it's an omen of destruction, fangs and claws soaked in the blood of my packmates, eyes glinting with the lust for conquest. A shiver of fear slithers down my spine, and I know this is no idle premonition. Danger is coming, and it's coming fast.

"Rose?" The voice cuts through the fog of my foreboding, grounding me. I blink furiously, trying to dispel the lingering shadows of the vision as I turn toward the sound. It's not Erick's voice—that deep timbre that could calm me with a single word—but one of my fellow pack members, her eyes wide with concern.

"Another vision," I manage to say, my voice sounding distant even to my own ears.

"What did you see?" she asks, stepping hesitantly closer.

"An attack," I reply, the words tasting like bile on my tongue. "A vicious one. We have to prepare."

"Prepare? How? Without Erick here..."

I cut her off with a raised hand—an Alpha's command learned from observing Erick, though I'm far from claiming such a title myself. "We warn the others. Call them together. We can set up defenses, patrols. If we're ready, we can minimize the damage, save lives."

She nibbles her lip, doubt clouding her gaze. "Rose, you know how they feel about your... gifts."

"Doesn't matter," I insist, the urgency propelling me forward. "This isn't about me. It's about the survival of our pack. Erick would want us to use every advantage we have. And right now, that's my visions."

Taking a deep breath, I push past her, stepping out of the storeroom's shadows into the fading light of the common area. Faces turn toward me, expressions ranging from curiosity to skepticism. I swallow hard, gathering the tattered remnants of my courage.

"Listen up, everyone! I've had a vision," I announce, my voice carrying across the room. "An attack is coming. We need to stand together and prepare. We don't have much time."

There's a moment of silence, a collective intake of breath. Then the murmurs start, a rising tide of voices that blend into a cacophony of confusion and disbelief. But there's no time for doubt, no space for fear.

Erick would believe me, I think, the certainty like a beacon.

"Trust me," I plead, meeting their gazes one by one. "We can face this. Together."

The room erupts, a whirlwind of accusation and fear that strikes me harder than any physical blow. A low growl rumbles through the crowd, the sound of mistrust that spreads like wildfire through the pack.

"Impossible!" a voice snarls from the back. "She's making it up!"

"Since when can Frostbite trash predict the future?" another sneers, the term 'trash' spat out like venom.

I stand my ground, feeling the weight of their stares as they morph into glares. My heart pounds against my ribcage, but I lift my chin defiantly. The vision was clear as crystal; danger lurks on the horizon, and I can't let their disbelief become our downfall.

"Please," I start, my voice wavering despite my resolve. "You have to believe me."

But the pack is a beast of its own, and fear has always been a powerful motivator. Whispers turn into shouts, doubts into declarations.

"She's lying! She wants us to be afraid!"

"Is this some kind of power play? To make us weak?"

"Where's Erick? He wouldn't allow this hysteria!"

Their words are daggers, each one slicing a piece from my already fragile hope. They don't see the sincerity in my eyes; they only see the outsider—the orphan girl with strange, dangerous abilities.

"Enough!" Ruff's commanding voice cuts through the chaos, and all heads turn towards our Beta. His gaze locks onto mine, searching, questioning.

"Rose," he says, his tone softer now but edged with authority. "Visions or not, you've caused quite the stir. What proof do you have?"

"Proof?" The word sticks in my throat. How do I prove a vision? It's not tangible, not something I can hold out to them on a silver platter. It's a warning—a plea for preparation.

"Without Erick here, we can't just take your word for it," Mel adds, her eyes sympathetic but firm.

"Then what about Erick?" I ask, my eyes darting around the room, seeking an ally. "He believes me. Or Abigail—she knows what I can do!"

"Erick isn't here," Roman states flatly. "And Abigail’s support doesn't change the fact that what you claim is... extraordinary."

"Extraordinary or not," I shoot back, my frustration boiling over, "it's real."

"Prove it," someone shouts. "Shift and show us your so-called vision!"

"Visions don't work that way," I snap. But even as I say it, I know it's futile. They want evidence I can't provide, reassurance that's beyond my means.

"Until Erick returns," Ruff declares, "we will take no action based on unverifiable claims."

A chorus of agreement rises from the pack, and I am left adrift in a sea of doubt and hostility. Isolation wraps around me like a cold embrace. Without trust, without belief, what am I but a lone wolf howling into the void?

"Fine," I spit out, the word like acid on my tongue. "When the attack comes, remember this moment. Remember that I tried to warn you."

Turning on my heel, I flee the common area, leaving behind the cacophony of their judgment. Tears blur my vision as I escape into the night, my heart torn between the duty to my pack and the bitter sting of rejection.

Erick would have believed me. Erick would have known what to do. But in his absence, I'm nothing but a harbinger of doom, a pariah in the eyes of those I sought to protect.

CHAPTER THREE

The musky scent of unease clings to the air, thick as the fog that rolls over the forest floor. I stand before the pack, my heart hammering in my chest like a frantic bird trapped within a cage. Their eyes, sharp and assessing, cut through me as if I am made of nothing more than shadows and whispers.

"Tell us again, Rose," demands Markus, his voice low and dangerous. "What exactly did you see in your premonition?"

I swallow hard, trying to find my voice. "I saw darkness descending on the pack. An unknown threat that I can't quite grasp, but it's coming, and it's powerful." The words tumble out, each one heavier with the weight of truth. But their skepticism is a palpable force, pressing down on me with scorn and disbelief.

"Darkness?" scoffs Joe, his lip curled in disdain. "That's all you have for us? You expect us to upend our lives on such vague nonsense?"

My plea catches in my throat, the desperation to make them understand scratching at my insides. "It's not nonsense. My visions have never been wrong before." But even as I speak, I know how it sounds—frantic, implausible. It's no wonder they doubt me; they are a fearful bunch, especially without Erick here to rein them in.

"Perhaps she concocts these tales for attention," someone mutters from the back, the words spreading like wildfire through the ranks.

"Or to create discord," another suggests, and suddenly, the murmurs swell into a chorus of accusation.

"Enough!" Markus roars, silencing the pack. His gaze locks onto mine, fierce and unyielding. "Your cousins are from the Pink Moon pack, a pack known for deceit. How do we know you're not a spy sent to sow panic?"

I recoil as if struck. "I would never betray my pack!" But my protest falls on deaf ears, drowned out by the growing distrust.

"Leave, Rose," commands Markus, his verdict irrevocable. "We cannot harbor a wolf who brings fear and lies into our midst."

The pack surges forward, a mass of fur and fangs, not to attack, but to expel. I turn and run, their snarls nipping at my heels, pushing me further into the wilderness. My vision blurs with the sting of rejection, the trees around me blurring into a maelstrom of green and brown as I flee from the only semblance of home I'd hoped to have.

With each bound, I distance myself from the pack, from their jeers and their judgment. But as the forest swallows me whole, I can't help but glance back, yearning for understanding, for belonging. And in that fleeting moment, I realize that no matter how far I run, I can never outrun the truth of what I am—an outcast, a seer, forever haunted by visions that are both a gift and a curse.

Breathless, I duck behind a thick copse of brush, heart thundering against my ribcage. The forest is a labyrinth of shadows and whispers, concealing me within its embrace as I cower from the wolves that were once my allies. Every snapped twig or rustled leaf sends a jolt of fear coursing through my veins. They could be anywhere—their keen noses sniffing out my trail, their sharp eyes piercing through the veil of greenery.

I nestle into the damp earth, willing myself to become part of the landscape, an unnoticed pebble in the vast terrain. The soil clings to my fur, but I pay it no heed; dirt is the least of my concerns when death looms so close. My mind races with images of what they might do if they find me, and every scenario ends with violence—a fatal bite, a neck snapped in powerful jaws. I've seen enough of the future to know how quickly life can end, especially for someone like me, branded a liar, a fraud.

"Please," I whisper to the indifferent woods, "let them believe I'm gone." I beg for invisibility, for the chance to survive this night. Yet even as I plead, another part of me—the seer—itches to look ahead, to see if escape is possible. But the betrayal etched on Tristan's face when he failed to defend me, the scowl of disgust from Roman, it all echoes too loudly in my memory. They've judged me without a trial, deemed my visions poison.

"Never again," I vow, voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart. "I won't let these visions rule me." The power that once filled me with purpose now feels like a curse—a dark cloud that has chased away any light of acceptance or love from those around me. If suppressing my abilities means I'll never experience such rejection again, then so be it. Let the future remain hidden; I've paid too high a price already for its glimpses.

Tears streak down my muzzle, though whether from grief or relief, I can't tell. I press my forehead to the ground, a gesture of surrender—not to the pack that hunts me, but to the destiny I thought I was meant to embrace. Let them think what they will. As of this moment, Rose, the seer of the Frostbite pack, no longer exists. Only Rose, the she-wolf who wishes for nothing more than to vanish into the night, remains.

CHAPTER FOUR

The scent of pine and damp earth is a constant companion as I tread through the dense underbrush, my boots sinking into the loamy soil with each step. It's been weeks since I've left the Frostbite pack, weeks of forging my own path, learning to rely on instincts that race just beneath my skin like a river swollen with spring melt.

Navigating the forest has become second nature, the once foreign rustle of leaves now a familiar symphony. I hunt when hunger gnaws at my belly, the thrill of the chase sharpening my senses. I sleep nestled in the crook of ancient roots, the stars peeking through the canopy my only witnesses. By day, I am a shadow flitting between trees, careful to leave no trace.

But today is different. Today, curiosity tugs me toward the cliffs where the Stone pack makes their home. They're stories woven into the night songs of my childhood, tales of their strength and unity whispered around the fire.

I know I should keep my distance, but I'm drawn in by an invisible thread, inching closer until I can make out the shapes of their timber homes through the screen of foliage. The ocean crashes against the cliffs below, a relentless force that seems to echo the wild rhythm of my heart.

I watch from a safe distance, ensconced in a thicket, as members of the Stone pack go about their daily lives. Warriors train with a graceful violence that speaks of deadly power held in check, while others move with purpose, tending to tasks with an ease born of routine. Pups tumble together in carefree abandon, their laughter carried to me on the wind.

A part of me aches with a yearning I can't quite name, a tug deep within that whispers of belonging and pack. But I push it down, focusing instead on the way the sunlight filters through the trees, casting dappled shadows over the clearing where the Stone pack thrives.

They are unaware of my presence, and I intend to keep it that way. My rare ability to see glimpses of the future remains a closely guarded secret, and I can't risk exposing myself or my past with the Frostbite pack. Not here. Not yet.

So I remain a silent observer, committed to the solitude I've chosen, even as something primal within me stirs at the sight of the Stone pack living so vibrantly before me. And for now, that's enough. It has to be.

The forest breathes around me, its whispers and rustles a natural symphony that can't quite fill the hollow space within. As I crouch behind the dense foliage, moisture from the dew-kissed leaves seeping through my worn clothes, I admit to myself that I miss it—the comforting chaos of pack life. The raucous laughter at shared meals, the sense of security when encircled by those who understand the beast within; it's an ache that gnaws at my insides, as potent and persistent as hunger.

My gaze fixes on the Stone pack's territory, where warmth emanates from their communal fire, the twilight casting long shadows over the figures gathered there. They move with such certainty, a contrast to my own lingering hesitation on the outskirts of their world. Their bonds are the kind I once cherished, and now crave, the memory of my own pack too sharp, too close to the surface.

I shift, a twig snapping underfoot, loud in the quiet that precedes nightfall. My heart stutters, fear spiking through me, but I freeze, hoping against hope it went unnoticed. Yet, even as I hold my breath, the forest falls silent—a clear signal that my presence has been detected.

"Show yourself," a voice commands, resonant and authoritative. It sends shivers down my spine, not of cold, but of recognition. This is no ordinary member of the pack; this is someone who commands others by his mere presence.

Slowly, muscles tense, I rise from my hiding place, stepping into view. Faces turn toward me—eyes wide with curiosity or narrowed with suspicion. And then there's him, Roman, standing before me with an aura of power that needs no proclamation. His eyes lock onto mine, a deep brown that seems to see right into the core of me. I know his name—this Alpha—because I have heard several in his pack call out to him.

"Who are you?" he asks, voice firm yet not unkind, and the weight of countless eyes upon me is almost enough to make me falter.

"Rose," I manage, my voice barely above a whisper, betraying none of the turmoil within. "I didn't mean to intrude."

"Yet you have," Roman states, moving closer. The subtle scent of the ocean clings to him, mingled with the earthy tones of pine and stone. "Why were you watching us?"

His question hangs between us, inviting a truth I'm not ready to share. So I opt for another, one laced with sincerity. "I… miss being part of a pack."

There's a murmur among the gathered wolves, some sympathetic, others wary. But Roman only studies me, a leader assessing a potential threat—or perhaps something else entirely. I can't read him, not yet, and the uncertainty makes my heart race.

"Come," he says at last, turning back to the pack without waiting for my response. "We'll discuss this further."

With no other option, I follow, crossing the invisible line that separates their world from my solitary existence. The wild rhythm of my heart becomes a drumbeat of anxiety, sounding a march into the unknown. Roman leads me through the pack, every step a reminder of what I've lost—and what I may never have again.

"Sit," he gestures to a spot near the fire once we reach the heart of their territory. I lower myself onto the ground, the heat from the flames combating the chill that has nothing to do with the night air.

"Tell me why you're here, Rose," Roman demands, his eyes searching mine, and I know that whatever happens next will change everything.

CHAPTER FIVE

The pack murmurs around us, and I sit in front of the fire, facing Roman. His stance is relaxed, a stark contrast to the rigid lines of tension that knot my own muscles. I've been taught to expect cruelty from alphas, especially ones as powerful as Roman, leader of the Stone pack. But as his gaze meets mine, there's an unexpected softness in his eyes that catches me off guard.

"Rose, isn't it?" His voice is deep, resonating through the quiet of the woods, yet there's a gentleness lacing each word that makes my breath hitch.

I nod, swallowing hard against the dryness in my throat. "Yes."

"Tell me why you're here." He steps closer, and I fight the instinct to retreat. Instead, I hold my ground, even as my heart races.

Memories of the Frostbite pack—the only family I'd ever known—claw their way to the forefront of my thoughts. The rejection. The fear in their eyes when they discovered what I was capable of. I shove those images aside, focusing on the man before me.

"I was kicked out," I confess, the words tasting like ash in my mouth. My arms wrap defensively around my torso, as if shielding myself from the memory of their scorn. "My pack—they didn't want me anymore."

Roman's brow furrows slightly, and I brace myself for the questions about why, for the suspicion that inevitably follows. But he doesn't pry. There's no judgment in his eyes, only a thoughtful intensity that makes something within me uncoil slightly.

"Kicked out?" he repeats softly, more to himself than to me. There's a note in his voice that suggests he's no stranger to the pain of abandonment.

"Yes," I say, and even though every fiber of my being screams at me to keep silent, I find myself continuing, "They thought I was...too different."

Different is safer than admitting the truth—that I'm a seer, cursed with visions of the future that have brought nothing but trouble. But Roman doesn't need to know that. No one does. It's my secret to bear, my burden to carry alone.

"Too different," Roman muses, his expression unreadable. He takes another step toward me, this time close enough that I can feel the warmth radiating from him. "Well, Rose of the Frostbite pack, whatever your differences may be, you'll find no judgment from me."

His kindness is disarming, and I fight the urge to lean into the comfort it promises. This man, this alpha, holds power enough to crush me without a second thought. And yet, here he stands, offering a gentleness I haven't felt since...since forever.

"Thank you," I whisper, the words feeling foreign on my tongue. It's been so long since I've had any reason to say them, and for a moment, I allow myself to bask in the simple humanity of this interaction.

"Everyone deserves a chance to tell their story," Roman says, and there's a sincerity in his tone that tugs at something deep within me, a hope I thought had long since died.