bSkye’s /bPOV

“No, it’s not that, I said quickly, averting my gaze. “It’s just…”

“Just what?” he pressed, taking another step closet. His proximity alone was distracting, the warmth radiating from him making it difficult to maintain my resolve.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to meet his eyes directly. “It’s just that I don’t want people to misunderstand. After all, I’m not your mate. Staying bat /byour house indefinitely wouldn’t be… appropriate.”

Something flickered across Adrian’s expression–disappointment, perhaps, or frustration–before his features settled into careful neutrality.

“There’s nothing happening between us that would give anyone reason to misunderstand, he pointed out, his voice deliberately even. I’m simply fulfilling my responsibility as Alpha, helping a new member adjust to our pack. He gestured toward the path leading away from the orphanage, ‘Come on, I’ll drive you back to the hotel.”

His words struck like tiny daggers, each one precisely aimed. Of course. Just Alpha responsibility. Nothing more. What had I expected him to sayi? /iThat he wanted mypany for reasons beyond duty?

I forced a smile, grateful for the darkness that partially concealed bmy /bexpression. “You’re right. Thank you.”

If I continued to refuse his escort, I’d only appear to be the one reading too much into bthe /bsituationb–/bexactly what I was trying to avoid. I nodded my agreement and fell into step beside him.

We walked in silence toward his vehicle, the only sounds our bfootsteps /bbon /bthe sandy path and the distant chorus of desert binsects/b. Just as we approached the SUV, a familiar figure emerged from around the corner, her silhouette unmistakable even in the dim light.

“There you are!” Nadia called out, her voice bright with exaggerated cheerfulness. “bI’ve /bbeen looking everywhere for

byou /btwob. /b

She approached with confident strides, her smile wide as she looked between us. b“/bAdrian, I hope you don’t mind, but bsince /bit’s Skye’s first day officially joining bus/bb, /bI thought I’d treat her to dinner at my ceb./b” She turned to me, linking her arm through mine with unexpected familiarity. b“/bbI’ve /bmade my special elk stew, and I can give you all the insider btips /babout pack life that Adrian probably forgot to mention.”

Before I could respond, she was already tugging me gently baway/bb, /bher bgrip /bon my arm surprisingly firm despite her casual demeanor. “I promise I’ll make bsure /bshe gets back to the hotel safely afterward,” she assured Adrian, her btone /bleaving little room for argument.fn66ab Read full story at F?ndNovel/fn66ab

Adrian’s expression was unreadable as he looked between us. After a/moment’s hesitation, he nodded, a small smile ying at the corners of his blips/bb. /bb“/bThat sounds like an excellent idea. I’m sure Skye could use a friend to help her settle in.”

“Exactly!” Nadia agreed brightly, already leading me down the path away from him.

I nced back over my shoulder, feeling strangely as though I were being pulled away from something important. Adrian’s gaze bseemed /bto follow us for a moment before he turned and climbed into his vehicle. The engine rumbled to life, headlights illuminating the desert path as he drove away.

I’m imagining things again, I thought, mentally chastising myself. Adrian had clearly stated his intentions–professional, nothing moreb. /bAny perceived connection beyond that existed solely in my imagination.

easily than

Nadia’s home turned out to be a cozy cottage near the mainmunity building. Her dinner was indeed delicious, the conversation flowing I’d anticipated given our tense exchange during training. She seemed genuinely interested in helping me adjust to Oasisborn, detailing various baspects /bof pack life and protocol I should be aware of.

As night deepened, she walked me back to the hotel, pointing out shortcuts andndmarks along the way. The “hotelb,/bb” /bbas /bit turned out, was actually a repurposed two–story building with simple butfortable amodations.

“This bis /bwhere visiting wolves from other packs usually stay,” Nadia exined as we approached the entrance. “Venus bis /balready preparing a permanent bresidence /bfor you closer to the orphanage. bIt /bshould be ready within a week or so.”

I nodded absently, my mind elsewhereb. /bThroughout the evening, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Nadia’s sudden appearance had been deliberate–that she’d intentionally intercepted us, perhaps even followed me from training to the orphanage and waited for the right moment to intervene.

bChapter /bb34 /b

bHer /bbinsistence /bon bescorting /bbme /bpersonally back to the hotel only strengthened this suspicion. Was this her way of maintaining distance between h?tten meb? /bbOf /bbreminding /bme of boundaries 1 shouldn’t cross?

The thought left me feeling strangely suffocated, a flicker of irritation sparking in my chest despite my understanding of her position.

bThank /byou for everything today,” 1 said when we reached the door to my room, forcing sincerity into my voice. “You should head home and get some rest

Nadia hesitated, studying my face carefully. “I’lle by tomorrow morning to pick you up for training, she emphasized, as if worried I might try to avoid

her.

bI /bsummoned another smile. “I’ll be ready.”

After she finally departed, I found myself alone with my thoughts in the quiet room. Through the window, the desert moon cast silver light across the floor, reminding me of the approaching date that had been lingering at the back of my mind all day.

Ethan’s birthday wasing soon. Unlike me, born in the depths of skan winter, my brother had entered the world in the heart of summer. The thought of him triggered a sudden, fierce longing for home–for the familiar forests and mountains I’d left behind, for my parents‘ faces, even for the pack I’d once been so desperate to escape.

I approached the front desk, where a sleepy young wolf was on night duty, and requested paper, an envelope, and a pen. Back in my room, bI /bsat cross–legged on the bed and began to writeb. /b

Dear Ethan,

I hope this letter finds you well. I’m writing to wish you a happy birthdayb, /bthough I know this will probably reach youte. I miss byou/b. I miss all of you.

I have news that might surprise you–my wolf has finallyeb. /bAfter all this time, bshe /bemerged a few weeks ago. She’s bsilver/bb, /bbjust /blike my hair. bI’ve /bjoined a pack called Oasisborn in the western territories. They’re good people who have weed me bdespite /bbmy /bunusual history.

My pen hovered over the paper as bI /bcontemted adding moreb. /bI wanted to tell him that perhaps, with my wolf now awakened, I might bfind /bthe courage bto /bvisit during the next New Moon Festival. That I might finally be ready to face Frostshadow Pack again–to bface /bLeon.

But in the end, I couldn’t bring myself to write those words. The promise felt too fragile, too uncertain. Instead, I signed the bletter /bwith loveb, /bbsealed /bit in the envelope, and addressed it to our family cabin in ska.

Tomorrow I would mail it, sending a piece bof /bmyself back to the home I’d fled–a home that, despite everything, still called to bme /bbacross /bbthe /bmilesb. /b

bChapter /bbComments /b

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