Aria stood in the doorway, her face pale and her lips trembling.
My jacket hung loosely on her shoulders. Her hair was still damp, and her hands shook as she held the frame of the door.
For a moment, I couldn't move.
My wolf was growling in my chest, restless, desperate.
He kept whispering one word — Mate.
But my mind refused to believe it.
No. It couldn't be her.
It shouldn't be her.
"Aria," I said slowly, trying to hide the storm and my hatred for her inside me. "What's wrong?"
She stepped forward weakly. "I… I don't know. My heart feels strange. It's beating so fast. I feel hot, but cold at the same time."
She pressed a hand to her chest. I could see her pulse racing beneath her skin.
The scent of her filled the air — soft, sweet, warm — and my wolf went wild.
I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay still.
"Sit down," I said roughly. "You're still weak. You need rest."
She nodded and sat on the edge of the couch. Her eyes lifted to mine, and for a second the room grew silent — only the sound of the fire and her fast breathing.
Then she whispered, "Why are you helping me?"
The question hit me harder than I expected.
I turned my back to her, walking toward the window. "Because you were dying," I said. "And I'm not helping you — I'm going to take you as my prisoner."
"That's not what I meant," she said softly.
Her voice was small, almost shaking. "You hate my family. I can feel it. Every time you look at me, your eyes change."
My jaw tightened. She wasn't wrong.
I hated her bloodline. Her father had caused so much pain — he took away every good thing that was left of me.
But the more I tried to hate her, the more something inside me pulled closer.
I turned back to her. "You shouldn't be here," I said. "You should have stayed away from my lands."
She lowered her head. "I didn't come here on purpose. I was running."
She looked up, her eyes watery. "If you hadn't found me, I'd be dead."
I stared at her quietly.
She was telling the truth. I could feel it. Her scent carried no lie.
I wanted to say something — anything — but the words stuck in my throat.
Instead, I said coldly, "You're safe here for now. But when you're healed, you leave."
Her shoulders fell, but she nodded slowly. "I understand."
Then she tried to stand, but her knees gave out.
Without thinking, I moved forward and caught her.
The moment my hands touched her, fire rushed through me — hot, bright, and wild.
My wolf growled inside, howling her name.
Her body fit perfectly against mine, and she gasped, her eyes going wide. (I think she didn't notice because she had not awakened her wolf yet, and thank the goddess she would be long gone before her wolf awakens and no one can find out.)
"What… what is that?" she whispered.
I pulled back quickly, breathing hard. "Nothing. You just need to rest."
But I knew it wasn't "nothing."
It was the bond — the cursed mate bond I didn't want.
She looked at me for a long time, her cheeks red. Then she said quietly, "is it because of my dad??
I froze.
My throat went dry.
For a moment, I couldn't find my voice.
"Go to sleep," I said finally, turning away. "You need your strength."
Her voice followed me, soft and tired. "You can lie to yourself, Alpha, but I can feel the hate in your words."
I stopped at the door, my hand on the frame. I wanted to tell her she was wrong.
But the words never came.
Instead, I left the room and walked down the hall, my chest burning.
When I reached my study, I slammed the door and pressed both hands against the desk. My breathing came hard and uneven.
"Why her?" I whispered to no one. "Why her?"
My wolf answered inside me, calm and sure — Because she's yours.
I groaned and dropped into the chair. The firelight flickered across the walls, and the night outside was silent.
I sat there for hours, thinking about her face, her eyes, her trembling hands.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her again — the girl who should have been my enemy.
The girl who now made my heart race.
By dawn, I still hadn't slept.
Then there was a sudden loud knock at the door.
"Alpha!" Draven's voice came from the hallway. "We have a problem!"
I stood at once. "What happened?"
He burst in, eyes wide, holding a torn piece of cloth — dark and dirty. "Rogues," he said. "They crossed the east border."
My heart dropped.
"East border?" I repeated slowly.
Draven nodded. "Yes. The same trail where we found her."
I felt cold all over.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
He placed the cloth on my desk. "They were looking for someone, Jason. The scouts heard them say her name."
I froze.
Aria.
Draven looked straight at me. "They know she's here."