2

POV Savannah Bowen

I cast my sister one last glance.

"Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone."

She laughed.

"I promise I’ll behave."

I raised an eyebrow.

"The last time you said that, Selena, you threw a beer glass at a guy’s head."

She pursed her lips in a mock scowl, looking offended.

"He said I had a nice ass, Savannah. I thought it was incredibly disrespectful," she replied. "And, besides, the glass sort of… slipped out of my hand."

"And flew into his head?"

"Exactly," she agreed, utterly shameless.

She hadn’t gone through her first shift yet, but she was getting close to the age. Her body already showed signs: abnormal strength for someone her size, a fiery temper, and a keener sense of smell.

"Just… keep the glasses away from the heads of creepy old men, please," I begged.

She had only knocked the guy out last time. It had been so fast and strong that no one had even seen where the glass had come from or who had thrown it. That, and only that, had kept her from being discovered.

"I promise I’ll try."

I let out a low growl.

"Please, Selena. I can’t deal with hiding from Hunter’s men and worrying about you at the same time."

She rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue.

"Fine. I promise."

I sighed.

"I love you, Sel. See you soon."

"Love you too, Sava."

Smiling, I turned toward the forest and walked away from the cabin, leaving my sister behind.

The backpack on my shoulders was light. It carried a few changes of clothes, some food I’d taken from the bakery where I worked, and a single book I’d stolen from a bookstore in one of the towns we’d stopped at over the months. It was my main source of entertainment, and I’d lost count of how many times I’d read it.

I quickened my pace, moving deeper into the forest.

I needed to find a safe place to spend the night as my heat progressed and my body exuded pheromones. The farther I went, the harder it would be for them to pick up my scent.

I heard the rustling of small animals scurrying nearby and the chirping of birds. The forest was cloaked in shadows and silver as the moon shone brightly in the sky.

I tightened my grip on the strap of my worn backpack as a gust of wind hit me, blowing my hair to the side.

I shivered as my footsteps crushed dry branches beneath them.

If things got too bad, I’d shift and remain in my wolf form for the next few days. It wouldn’t lessen the intensity of the heat, but it would make survival in the forest easier.

I hadn’t shifted since we’d fled. I didn’t trust the area enough to do so. Shifting could make me an easy target for hunters. And the cabin we lived in, which had once belonged to one of them, was a constant reminder they were nearby.

And that brought another worry: Selena’s first shift.

I looked around, noting the shapes of the tall tree trunks.

The forest was ancient—I could feel it deep in my bones. It exuded a kind of power, an old energy that pulsed around me.

I believed there could be packs nearby since the herb originated from the region, but I wasn’t sure. Since arriving, we hadn’t encountered any other wolves.

A wave of heat hit me so hard I lost my breath and stumbled mid-step. I held my breath.

Inhaling deeply, I exhaled slowly, repeating the process a few times before continuing my path.

My body was at its limit. But I was still too close to my sister. It would be too easy for them to pick up my scent and find her as well.

I began running aimlessly. I just… ran, following a blind direction, letting my instincts guide me. And, in a strange way, it felt as though they were leading me somewhere. Or to someone.

I didn’t know how long I ran, following that unusual path without veering off. I didn’t stop, not even when my throat went dry or sweat dripped from my forehead despite the cold air.

Minutes that felt like hours passed as I delved deeper into the forest, far enough that no wolf could pick up Selena’s scent. Finally, I stopped.

A powerful wave of heat struck me, and I felt my pupils dilate. I exhaled a potent scent, calling out to any alpha nearby, unable to control it any longer.

I dropped to my knees, scraping my palms against rough stones, and let out a low moan mixed with a faint purr.

Gods, this was so much worse than I had imagined.

I lifted my face, parting my lips with a gasp. My eyes glowed, taking on a vivid emerald hue.

Every single bone in my body ached, as if I were melting from the inside out.

I exhaled more pheromones.

I tried to stand but couldn’t. I needed to find a river nearby, to bathe in its icy waters. Maybe it would help suppress the heat coursing through me.

I focused my hearing, honing in on what I wanted to find.

Just as Hunter had taught me long ago, when I first shifted.

I heard the sound of running water.

To the left, farther than I’d hoped, but close enough to reach with some effort.

I tried standing again, using all the strength I had left. My knees trembled, the muscles in my legs like jelly.

I took one step, as though my limbs weighed a thousand tons. Then another, and another.

I was too focused on the water to sense someone approaching. To notice I was no longer alone.

The first thing I sensed was his scent. Fresh pine and damp earth, evoking the dense forest around me.

My gaze darted around as my heart thundered in my chest, so hard it felt ready to burst.

I inhaled deeply, taking in his scent again… Familiar?!

But I didn’t know him. I was sure of it. His scent was nothing like any alpha I’d encountered before. It was different, unique, ancient.

Even though I couldn’t see him, I felt it deep in my bones—the certainty that he was an alpha.

A branch snapped to my right. I turned quickly, adopting a predatory stance, letting my wolf instincts take over.

A deep, raspy laugh echoed through the air, carried by the wind. It mocked me, my defensive posture. And it irritated me.

But, at that moment, more than irritated, I was aroused and on the brink of dying from sheer desire.