bkye’s /bPOV

I stared at bhim/b, certain I’d misheard.

Just moments ago, they were interrogating me about my identity and motives, suspicious I might be some kind of spy. Now he was inviting me to join his pack?

Werewolf packs were notoriously selective, protective of their territories and secrets. They didn’t just extend meinbership to random lone wolves they’d known for all of two daysb. /b

b“/bWhat?” The word burst from my lips before I could stop it.

But my shock was nothingpared to Nadia’s reaction. Her eyes widened toic proportions, her mouth falling open in disbelief before she erupted.

“What?” she practically shrieked, whirling to face Adrian. “Alpha Adrian, I have supported bevery /bdecision you’ve made since we left Stormhowl, but this is reckless even for you!” Her hands shed through the air in agitation. “We can’t just take in a lone wolf with unknown origins! Especially one without a wolf!”

Something flickered across Adrian’s features–a hardness I hadn’t seen before. In that momentb, /bbI /bglimpsed the Alpha beneath the charming exterior.

“Have you forgotten why we established Oasisborn in bthe /bbfirst /bce, Nadiab?/b” His voice remained quietb, /bbut carried an edge that made even me want to take ba /bstep back. “How many lone wolves have bwe /bweed already? How many outcasts and misfits? That’s bour /bvery foundation.”

“Those wolves were different. We vetted them. We knew their histories,

“We know nothing about her.”

While they argued as if I bwasn’t /bpresentb, /bmy mind was racing.

Oasisborn Pack?

m their

In my years at Frostshadow’s bpack /bschoolb, /bI’d memorized the territories and names bof /bbevery /bestablished w ever hearing of Oasisborn.

olf pack in North Americab. /bI bcouldn’t /brecall

And then there was the matter of Adrian’s scent–that distinctive ocean undertone that seemedpletely at odds with this desert environment. bWerewolves /btypically carried the essence of their territories in their scent; Adrian smelled like he belonged near the bsea/bb, /bnot bin /bthis aridndscape.

b“/bThank you for the invitation, but I must decline. “bI /bcleared my throatb, /binterrupting their heated exchange.

They both turned to look at bme/bb, /bequally surprised by my immediate refusal.

“I appreciate your help–truly, I do,” I continued, avoiding Adrian’s intense bgaze/b. “But I have no intention of joining another pack.”

I nced bat /bNadia, whose expression had shifted from anger bto /bcuriosity. “I don’t want bto /bbcause /bany conflict. bAs /bsoon as I’m well enough to travelb, /bI’ll bleave /bBoring band /bmove on.”

Where bI /bwould go next, I had no idea. Perhaps I could risk a briefb, /bsecret visit home to bsee /bmy parents and Ethan from a distanceb, /bjust to know they bwere /bokay. Or maybe I’d bsimply /bcontinue my nomadic existenceb, /bdrifting from town to town.

Adrian studied me for a long moment, his amber beyes /bunreadable. Finally, he nodded. ‘I won’t force you. That’s not how I operate.”

bAnd /bbI’ll /bpersonally drive you back to Boring. I doubt you’d find transportation otherwise–we’re bquite /bisted hereb./b”

I hesitatedb, /bthen reluctantly nodded.

I’ll wait boutside /bwhile you get dressed, Adrian said, turning to the door. bIfe /bpaused, ncing back at Nadia. “bGive /bour guest some bprivacy/bb, /bbplease/bb./bb“ /b

Nadia looked like she bwanted /bto objectb, /bbut bafter /bba /bchallenging stare from Adrian, she followed him out, closing bthe /bbdoor /bbehind them with bperhaps /bbmore /bbforce /bbthan /bnecessary.

b1/3 /b

bChapter /bb18 /b

bOnce /bbalone/bb, /bbI /bquickly bchanged /bbinto /bbthe /bbsimple /bdress Nadia bhad /bprovided. The fabric was soft bagainst /bbmy /bbskin/bb, /bbthe /bloose bcut /bbfortable /bover bmy /bbhealing /b

Wound.

bI /bwas still amazed by how brapidly /bbI’d /bbrecovered/b.

Adrian bwas /bwaiting bin /bthe hallwayb, /bleaning casually against the wall. He straightened when I emerged, his beyes /bbriefly traveling bover /bme before breturning /bbto /bbmy /bbface/bb. /b

bThis /bwayb, /b

As we moved through bthe /bbuilding, I realized it was muchrger than I’d initially thought–not just a clinic but a full medical facility. The halls bwere /bbbright /band cleanb, /bthe equipment modern.

How had bthey /bestablished something blike /bthis in such a remote locationb? /b

But my questions died on my lips as we stepped outside into the morning sunshineb. /bThe sight before me stole my breath away.

What should have been barren desert bwas /bbinstead /ba vibrant boasis /bnestled against the backdrop of distant mountains.

And everywhere I lookedb, /bbwerewolves /bwent about their bdaily /blives. Children yed in the safety bof /ba fenced areab, /btheirughter bcarrying /bon the breezeb. /bAdults worked at various tasksb–/bbsome /bconstructing a new building, others tending to gardens or carrying supplies.

Unlike the rigid hierarchy I’d bgrown /bbup /bwith in Frostshadowb, /bwhere status and rank dictated bevery /binteraction, these wolves seemed more brxed/bb, /bmoreb… /bequal.

“Beautiful, bisn’t /bit?b” /bAdrian’s bvoice /bdrew my attention back to him. His beyes /bcrinkled at the corners as he observed my awestruck expression. “Having second thoughts? My invitation bstill /bstandsb./bb” /b

b“/bIt is beautiful, I admitted. “I never would have imagined something like this could exist here.” I hesitated, then added, “But my answer remains the sameb./bb” /b

Despite having left Frostshadow Pack three years ago, I’d never seriously considered joining another. Perhaps deep down, I still thought bof /bska as home, still considered my family bmy /btrue pack. Joining another would bfeel /blike a betrayal, a final severing of ties I wasn’t ready to cut.

Adrian shrugged, disappointment shing briefly across his featuresb. /bb“/bMay I ask why? Nadia was right a One thing–you don’t have your wolf. Most lone wolves in your position would jump at the protection a pack offers.”

“Why would you want meb?/bb” /bI countered. ‘Like Nadia said, I have no wolf. I’m of no value to your pack.”

“Valueb?/bb” /bAdrian repeated, his brow furrowing slightly. “And what exactly do you consider ‘valuable,‘ Skye? Strength? Wealth?” He pausedb, /bhis beyes /bsuddenly intense as they locked with mine. “Or perhapsb… /byour youth and beauty?”

Heat rushed to my cheeks at the unexpectedpliment, and I quickly turned baway/bb, /bpretending to examine a nearby flowering bush.

“You don’t need to escort me personally, I said, changing the subject. b“/bI’m bsure /byou have more important things to do. Can’t one bof /byour pack members drive bme /bback?b” /b

I insist, he replied smoothly. “bIt’s /bthe bleast /bI can bdo/bb./b”

bAs /bwe walked toward the parking barea/bb, /bpack members nodded respectfully bto /bAdrian, greeting him with quiet “Alphab‘ /backnowledgments. Many cast curious nces my way, some friendly, others bmore /bcautious.fnae0b Discover more novels at F?nd-Novel/fnae0b

I felt suddenly bself/b–conscious, acutely aware of being an outsider.

We had just reached the parking lot when a stabbing pain shot through my body so intense it drove me to my knees.

It felt as if my bones bwere /battempting to rearrange themselves, my muscles stretching and tearing. A strangled bcry /bescaped my lips as I bclutched /bbat /bbmy /bbchest/bb. /b

b“/bSkyeb!/bb” /bAdrian was bbeside /bbme /binstantly, strong arms supporting me as I doubled bover/b. b“/bWhat’s bwrong/b?b” /b

bBut /bbI /bcouldn’t answer.

b2/3 /b

bChapter /bb18 /b

bThe /bbpain /bbwas /bboverwhelming/b, as bif /bbmy /bbbody /bbwas /bbeing torn apart from the inside out.

bChapter /bbComments /b

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