6

Cassius POV

I started by scouting the place in my wolf form, checking carefully for any danger that could make this spot a bad choice for our temporary camp. When I was done, I switched back and took one of our Shadowfen to do a final round. It helped me cover more ground in less time.

This area, known among wolves as the Emberfang, was never peaceful. Stray wolves, robbers, and rogue alphas often passed through without warning. Trouble was always close, but we had learned to stay alert. Living like this meant accepting the risks.

My pack chose freedom over comfort. While many wolves lived under the rule of strong packs in places like Evergreen, Idaho, or across Dreadmoon, we followed our own rules. We survived by guarding important shipments and guiding them safely through dangerous trade paths that bandits liked to target.

Personally, I enjoyed the roaming life. It reminded me of my mother’s stories about our ancestors how they moved across wide plains, hunted for food, and stayed close to nature. Her people believed family and tribe came before everything else. I tried to keep those values alive, even though the modern world and my wolf side sometimes made it difficult.

Our next mission wasn’t ready yet, so my small pack and I had to remain in one place for now. On long trips, we usually packed our Shadowfen into a big trailer, but in situations like this, they were extremely useful. The harsh land didn’t slow me down. I rode over sharp hills and rough ground that normal vehicles couldn’t survive, making sure to inspect every part of the area not just the easy paths.

Our alpha demanded the best from us, and I wasn’t about to disappoint him.

I was just about to cross a thin stream halfway up the mountain when something strange made me stop. A footprint. Then I noticed another one. They were new I was certain of it. I quickly turned off the engine and listened to the quiet around me. Climbing down, I took the keys with me. If this was some kind of trick to steal my ride, I wouldn’t make it simple.

When I bent closer, I saw one print was from a barefoot man. The other was smaller, left by a shoe that likely belonged to a woman… or maybe a child. Soft voices carried through the air, letting me know they were somewhere nearby.

Since they were talking in human form, I chose not to shift again. Remaining on two legs, I moved slowly along the rough rocks, staying low and silent as I followed the sound.

A harsh male voice broke the silence.

“Decide now, girl. Cooperate… or suffer.”

The threat made me alert at once. Then I heard a small, scared sob that made my skin crawl.

I stepped forward carefully until I could see them clearly. A young woman with a strange white ponytail was shaking as she backed away toward the trees. Standing over her was a rogue alpha, half-naked and dangerous. She kept her gaze lowered, trying to appear weak and obedient, hoping he would spare her.

He didn’t.

He grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her close. That was when I realized his pants were already open.

This kind of thing happened too often in the Emberfang wilderness. Weak wolf shifters had no peace anywhere. Rogue alphas controlled these lands with fear, just like some pack leaders did inside their borders. The only difference was that packs gave safety in exchange for loyalty. Out here, there was only risk and pain.

I froze for a moment. I wanted to help her… but I also had my own pack to protect. If I got involved in something that wasn’t our problem, my alpha would punish me badly. Cruel scenes like this happened all the time in these wild regions. I couldn’t save every lonely wolf lost in the Killianness.

Before I could make up my mind, something shiny caught the sunlight.

The rogue cried out in agony.

The girl had attacked. She drove a knife deep into his belly, and red blood spilled over her light skin. It was a serious hit.

I watched in shock as she quickly moved away, still holding the knife tightly. Her eyes were no longer full of fear  they burned with bold anger.

At that moment, something changed inside me. A strong urge to stand between her and danger rose suddenly in my chest.

Mate, my wolf’s voice echoed in my head. Keep her safe.

I almost thought my wolf had lost his mind. But there was no time to question it. He forced control from me. I hurried to slip off my shoes and loosen my belt before the shift began. Within seconds, I was no longer human. I stood on four legs, fur covering my body.

The rogue roared with fury and changed too, turning into his wolf form so he could heal faster. The second he landed on his paws, he rushed straight toward the girl.

I ran forward to stop him.

She lifted the knife again, maybe believing the weapon gave her a better chance than fighting as a smaller wolf against an alpha. But I charged across the open ground, ready to tip the fight in her favor.

When she finally saw me, her pale blue eyes met mine. They were cold and clear like new snow. Surprise flashed across her face… then slowly turned into tired acceptance, as if she was ready for whatever would come next.

Catching him off guard gave me the chance I needed. Before the other alpha could react, I sprang at him and sank my teeth into the side of his neck. The weight of my body slammed him to the forest ground, and I tore into him until he finally twisted free.

Keep fighting, my wolf pushed, eager to prove himself to the woman he had already chosen as his mate. At the same time, he sent a silent signal through the pack link, letting the others feel that I was in danger. It was instinct  the need to stand and fight like a true pack member.

I muttered a curse when I felt Lucien’s sharp focus settle on me through that bond, but I couldn’t think about that now. The rogue came at me again, and we clashed hard, fur and claws everywhere. In that brief moment, I saw the woman turn and run. She was smart. She didn’t see me as her savior  only another threat.

The battle pulled my attention back. I had to end it quickly. I tricked him with a sudden step back, then rushed forward again. This time my jaws closed around his throat. Hot blood covered my muzzle as I bit down on the vein that kept his heart beating. One violent shake finished the fight.

His body dropped heavily at my paws. I sent a quick feeling of safety through the pack bond to calm the others. Then I took off after the woman, my wolf pushing me not to let her escape.

As we followed her trail, his tension kept rising. I even began to fear that I might scare her just as much as the rogue had. He had never been this stirred by any she-wolf before. Keeping control of him felt like holding back a storm.

I raised my head and breathed in her scent again  and suddenly it made sense. Her heat was coming soon. That was why the rogue had been so wild. It wasn’t just pride or anger. His wolf had been drawn to her.

The smell was still light, but my wolf caught it instantly. He enjoyed the chase as I crashed through leaves and branches behind her, making no effort to move quietly. Inside my mind, I struggled to stay in charge.

I need to talk to her, I told him firmly.

She is mine, he growled when we got closer.

We are not like that rogue… are we?

He stayed silent. My wolf never cared much for reason.

When we finally reached her, she turned sharply, holding the knife out in front of her. My wolf noticed everything  the strength in her tense body, the long white hair tied back so she could see clearly. She looked ready to fight, yet fear and desperation still shone in her pale blue eyes.

You’re frightening her, I warned my wolf. Let me handle this.

Slowly, he gave in. The fur faded as I shifted back into my human form.

“I won’t hurt you,” I said gently, lifting my empty hands so she could see them. I stood there with nothing to hide. “Are you injured?”

Her eyes scanned me, stopping for a moment before snapping back to meet mine. My heart was still pounding from the fight, and with my wolf already keyed into her, my body couldn’t hide it.

Fresh from winning, my wolf wanted to celebrate but with blood all over me, I knew this wasn’t the time for that.

She looked small and weak, probably starved from living alone in the Emberfang. Her skin was rough, marked by past hardships before I even found her. My eyes landed on the cuts and blood on her arms and elbows.

“Did he hurt you?” I growled.

She looked me over again but shook her head. Her knife stayed ready, firm and steady. I couldn’t help but respect her bravery. She didn’t flinch or look away.

Lucien and Luca might be higher in the dominance order, but I was still an alpha. Yet she had the nerve to meet my eyes and act fearless. No alpha could fake being scared like that.

Was she strong or submissive? A beta or lower? I didn’t know and out here in the wild Emberfang, it didn’t matter right now.

“Is he dead?” she asked, glancing back toward where we came from.

Her pale blue eyes were mesmerizing. I almost forgot to answer before I caught myself.

“Yeah… looks like I’m covered in his blood, huh?” I said with a teasing grin. She didn’t answer, so I sighed. “Yes. He’s dead. And my pack alpha will come looking if we don’t go first. He sensed the fight.”

Her eyes narrowed, probably wondering why a pack member was out here, where only the packless roamed.

“We’re a small pack, on our way to our next mission,” I explained.

She comes too, my wolf whispered greedily. Luckily, only I could hear him. She didn’t need to know, and I wasn’t sure Lucien would allow it unless she could be useful.

“Is there somewhere safe we can take you?” I asked. I noticed she had no pack mark, which was unusual for someone her age.

When young wolves shifted for the first time, most packs made it a big event. The new wolf would shift in front of the pack and lay their throat bare, letting the alpha bite them. That bite marked them as a full member of the pack. Afterward, they usually got a small tattoo near the bite to show their loyalty  both wolf and human sides committed to the pack.

But she had neither bite nor tattoo. She looked only a few years younger than me, a strong, healthy female wolf that any pack would want. Her first shift must have happened years ago, so how had she managed to stay unclaimed?

Maybe she had chosen to live alone. Maybe she belonged to the packless, roaming the Emberfang on her own. If that was true, she probably wouldn’t want to join ours either.

My wolf growled in my head, low and warning. He wasn’t about to let her out of his sight.

Her shoulders sagged, and finally, she lowered her knife.

“Somewhere safer?” she said, giving a dry, humorless laugh.

“You’re right,” I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. “That was a dumb question.”

Even if she had chosen to be alone, something must have forced her out here. She carried nothing but a water bottle and a knife. No bag, no supplies  just the clothes on her back.

No wonder she hadn’t wanted to shift. If she did, she’d have to leave her things behind. Out here, in the Emberfang, a female wolf in heat and naked would be an easy target. That rogue alpha would only be the first to claim her  others would fight over her. She might not have survived the night.

Mine. Protect, my wolf whispered, possessive and insistent.

My heartbeat slowed, my body calmed, and the chill of the mountain air hit me. I wanted my clothes, wanted to head back to camp before Lucien or Luca came looking. But I couldn’t leave her here alone.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

Her eyes widened, like it was the kindest question anyone had asked her. Then her face fell.

“Selena… packless,” she said quietly.

I lifted my forearm to show her the bite mark from Lucien and the tattoo of a wolf howling at the mountains above it.

“I’m Cassius. Howling Echo Pack.”

She tilted her head like a wolf, studying me. “I’ve never heard of that pack,” she said.

“Like I said… small but strong.”

I grinned, and to my surprise, she gave a quick smile back then her face went serious again.

If she saw the other two pack marks on my wrist, she didn’t mention them. Both had been scratched out long ago, showing I no longer belonged to those packs. Only Lucien’s mark remained.

I had felt a little guilty erasing one of those old marks. Among wolves who followed the old ways, we were called moonblessed, and my first pack had taken that name seriously. I had fit in well there, surrounded by others who respected our traditions.

But after a while, I grew restless. The Emberfang called to me, like it had for my ancestors. When Lucien came with his pack, my wolf felt drawn to join them. Leaving my old pack had been hard, but in the end, they didn’t hold any grudge.

Selena stayed quiet. I gave her my friendliest smile and motioned back the way we came.

“Why don’t you come back to camp with me?” I asked gently.

To reach my SHADOWFEN, we’d have to pass the rogue alpha’s body. My wolf perked up at the thought he liked showing off. I had to admit, part of me felt proud too. I hoped she noticed.

“At least spend the night with us,” I added.

She stiffened. “I don’t need your protection.”

I let her words hang. She looked worn out, dark circles under her eyes probably from the full moon. She’d spent the night in wolf form, moving to avoid other wolves and keeping her few belongings safe.

She seemed strong enough to handle betas or lower-ranked wolves. She didn’t act submissive like some pack members. But being alone out here was dangerous, and her heat was coming soon. Her scent would attract males from far away.

I couldn’t stop thinking about her mate. Unmated wolves didn’t go into heat, so maybe he was gone killed out here. My chest tightened. She’d already been through so much, and this explained why she was alone. He had probably died protecting her.

Even though my wolf wanted to claim her, I knew she had bigger problems. If she came with me, she’d need time to mourn and figure out how to survive.

She let out a small sigh and finally gave in. “Fine. But don’t get any ideas.” Her eyes flicked down, then back up at me.

“I know how to keep my hands to myself,” I said, motioning for her to follow.

My wolf… I knew it would take all my control to keep him calm. Most of the time, we worked together me and the wolf that shared half my soul. But sometimes… his instincts clashed with mine.

Thankfully, as soon as she started following us, he settled. Just knowing she was close and safe made him relax.

Me? I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about her in ways I shouldn’t. I pictured her holding me on the back of my SHADOWFEN, her arms around me, her hands roaming… but I shook my head. That wasn’t what she needed right now.

We passed the rogue alpha’s body the one I’d killed to protect her. She didn’t need more danger. She needed rest, time to recover. And I knew if anyone could survive in the Emberfang, it was her.

She’d be safer with our pack. That wasn’t just my wolf talking. She was brave, steady with her knife, and had the courage to meet my eyes. Lucien would probably agree she could make a strong new pack member.

Both my wolf and I liked that idea. It would give us time to learn more about her. From everything I’d seen, my wolf wasn’t the only one drawn to Selena. She was a mystery and I couldn’t wait to figure her out.