POV: Alpha Damian
"She shouldn't even have been able to see them—never mind pass through them!" I growl, my fist slamming into the thick trunk of the pine tree next to me. The bark explodes under my knuckles, splintering outward with a crunch that echoes through the forest clearing. Bits of wood rain down like ash. The tree groans under the impact, but it doesn't fall. I wish it would.
Eric, my Beta, doesn't even flinch. He leans casually against a boulder, arms folded, eyes half-lidded like he might fall asleep right there. Typical. My Gamma, Stephan, however, watches me closely. His jaw is tight, eyes narrowed with real concern. He's always been more serious, more grounded. Eric, on the other hand, has the emotional range of a potato unless someone insults his cooking.
"You know," Eric drawls, "magic is... well, a little crazy sometimes. Full of holes and crap. It's not like a perfect science."
"That's your explanation?" Stephan bites out, stepping forward, brows furrowed. "You think this is just a glitch in the matrix? Like it's no big deal?"
Eric shrugs with a lazy grin. "I'm just saying… maybe the universe burped."
"You're the one full of holes," Stephan snaps, glaring daggers at him.
Eric snorts and tips an invisible hat. "Glad to be of service."
They're both impossible.
"You're making this a bigger deal than necessary," Eric continues, lifting his arms in a stretch that looks like a yawn mid-way through. "She's human. Not a threat. And we've got bigger problems—like the thefts happening inside the barrier and, oh, I don't know, the freaking vampires skirting our borders?"
I grind my teeth. He's not wrong, but he's also not right.
"She could be anything," Stephan argues. His voice is tight, fists clenched at his sides. "A witch. A siren. A demon in disguise. Spells can hide the scent of your true form. For all we know, she was sent to destroy this pack like the last one."
"She doesn't feel like a threat," I say quietly.
"She doesn't smell like one either," Eric adds with a shrug. "She smells human. Sweet, too. Kinda like—"
"Night blossoms," I finish, my voice rougher than I intended. "And fresh stream water."
Both men look at me. Eric's eyebrows shoot up slightly, intrigued. Stephan just squints at me like I've lost my damn mind.
Shit.
I shouldn't have said that.
But it's true. From the moment she set foot on my territory, something in me... snapped. She stepped onto sacred, warded ground—land meant to reject outsiders—and I felt it. My body responded like it had been starving and she was the feast. All I wanted was to claim her. Mark her. Mate her. I hadn't felt that kind of primal pull since—
Since never.
If I didn't know better, I'd think she was my mate.
But that can't be right.
She's human.
Surely the Moon Goddess wouldn't curse me like this. Not with a fragile human who shouldn't even be able to see the barrier, let alone pass through it.
"There's something we're missing," I mutter aloud, mostly to myself.
"Maybe the barrier's weakening," Stephan offers. "That's why we need a witch to inspect it. Could be cracks forming in the wards."
"Or she's the crack," Eric says, tone far too cheerful. "Boom. Plot twist."
"Enough," I snap. "Stephan—call Ruby. I want her here yesterday."
"Yes, Alpha." Stephan doesn't hesitate. He's gone a moment later, jogging through the trees with deadly purpose.
Eric watches him go, then turns to me, face back to his usual smug expression.
"You sure he's not going to stab me in my sleep one of these nights?" he asks lightly.
"If he does, I'm letting it slide," I reply dryly.
Eric chuckles and pushes off the boulder. "What now, boss man?"
"Clear the packhouse. Everyone out. I don't care if they're sleeping or showering. Get them into the clearing."
Eric salutes dramatically. "Aye aye, Captain."
I narrow my eyes. "Eric…"
"Okay, okay! I'm going!" He turns but then stops abruptly, glancing back with a strange look in his eye.
"And what will you be doing, Alpha?"
I drag a hand through my hair, my mind spinning. "Getting closer to her. Maybe if I'm near her again, I'll scent some trace of magic."
Or maybe I just want to see her again.
Eric eyes me for a moment, like he knows exactly what I'm not saying, then turns and vanishes into the trees.
And I remain still, listening to the wind whisper through the branches.
Something is coming.
Or worse—something's already here.
A Few Hours Earlier...
POV: Samantha
I stare into the mirror, smudged mascara under my eyes like bruises. I wipe at them with shaking fingers, sniffing. The bathroom stall echoes with the distant thump of music and clinking glasses. My skin feels too tight, my dress itchy, my chest tight.
Yes. I'm hiding.
In a bathroom.
At my best friend's wedding.
Because apparently, that's who I am now. The divorced, emotionally-dented plus-one to a man I can't stand.
Great life choices, Sam.
"Sam! Are you in there?" comes Alison's bright, tipsy voice from outside the door.
I wince. She's drunk. And happy. And I love her, but I really don't want to be found right now.
"Yes!" I shout, trying not to sound miserable. I smooth down my fiery red hair and glance at my reflection again.
God, I look like I've been crying for an hour. My normally light blue eyes look almost black now. Great.
It always happens when I'm overwhelmed—when I feel too much. My mom used to say it was a gift. "You see more than you should," she told me once, stroking my hair. "Your eyes sees what others miss."
I never did figure out what that meant.
"Come on!" Alison is giggling now. "Your date bought shots and you're missing all the fun!"
I take a deep breath. No use hiding forever. Might as well get through the rest of this night, even if I have to fake every smile along the way.
I step out, smoothing down the soft fabric of my navy blue dress. Alison latches onto me immediately, tripping on her hem as she wraps an arm around my shoulder.
"There she is!" she chirps.
I catch her before she falls flat on her face. The scent of bourbon hits me like a wave. God, she's gone.
I prop her up as we stumble toward the bar. My date—Ian—is already there, laughing too loud and toasting something stupid with her new husband, Todd. At least those two seem happy. As they lean into each other, I get a little pang in my chest.
I miss that. The honeymoon phase.
Before things fell apart.
Before betrayal and lawyers and sleepless nights.
And then, as if summoned by Satan himself, Ian slinks up behind me and wraps an arm around my waist.
"Hey there, gorgeous," he breathes into my ear. "Where've you been hiding?"
His lips graze my neck, wet and uninvited.
I shiver in disgust.
"I'm leaving," I say, trying to push him off me.
"Aww, don't be like that," he says, grabbing my hip and pulling me in like I'm his property.
"Let. Go."
I push him hard. He stumbles back, looking shocked—and then furious.
"I'm going to the B&B," I tell him firmly. "Alone."
He sneers. "Fine, bitch. I wouldn't even fuck you if you were the last woman on earth."
Charming.
Then karma steps in, as it always does. He turns to leave, trips over a table leg, and falls face first onto the floor with a loud thud. Doesn't even try to catch himself.
I don't laugh. Okay, maybe I smirk a little.
Without another glance, I walk out the door.
The air outside is crisp and cool. The sky is dark, moonlight spilling over the treetops like silver ink. I slide into my car and grip the steering wheel, inhaling deeply.
I really am happy for Alison. But I can't pretend this day hasn't left a bitter taste in my mouth.
I check the time: 11:40 PM.
I pull onto the dirt road leading away from the venue, following Alison's half-remembered directions to the B&B. Something about a winding path and big wooden gates. I remember that part. I think.
There's no signal on my phone, so Maps is out. Great.
The music helps a little. I crank it up and let the headlights cut through the dense forest ahead of me. Trees crowd the road, their limbs reaching across like skeletal fingers. I try not to let my mind spiral, but after an hour… then two… and then nearly three…
Panic creeps in.
What if I'm lost? What if I run out of gas? What if there are wolves? Or worse—people?
I shake my head. Get it together, Sam. You're not in a horror movie.
Just as I'm about to give up and turn around, soft lights bloom ahead like fireflies. Then I see it—a massive wooden gate, ornate and towering, nestled between thick oak trees.
It wasn't there before.
It's like it appeared out of nowhere.
I hit the brakes, heart thudding.
This has to be it.
Relief washes over me, so intense that I nearly cry.
I found it.
I'm safe.