You don't belong here
Ava’s POV
The wind was cold against my skin as I walked along the narrow path that led through the outskirts of the pack’s territory. The forest surrounded me on all sides, tall trees casting long shadows that seemed to swallow me whole. I had come here to escape the suffocating whispers of the pack. They still looked at me the same way, with judgment, disgust, and pity. Even after all I had endured, nothing had changed.
I felt small, invisible, a reminder of my place among them, I felt scared and worried, my plans might not work out.
It didn’t matter that I was the Alpha son’s mate, because to them I was still wolf-less, still the Beta’s daughter who could never shift. My family’s taunts had turned into a cruel chorus, my sisters’ insults sharper than ever. The Harvest Festival loomed ahead, and with it, my plan to reject Landon. But as the day approached, the weight of my isolation grew heavier.
I walked deeper into the woods, letting the silence settle over me, hoping to find some peace. But there was no peace. Only the cold grip of despair. The mate bond still pulled at me, a constant reminder of the connection I wanted to escape, no matter what. Landon’s possessiveness lingered in my mind, the way his gaze followed me, the way he reminded me that I was his, even though he had chosen my sister. His cruelty is worse than my family's.
I clenched my fists, trying to keep the tears at bay. I wouldn’t cry. Not again.
The sound of footsteps on the path ahead snapped me from my thoughts. I paused, my heart quickening, and looked up. Through the trees, I saw a figure walking toward me, a man, tall and broad, his features hidden by the shadows of the forest.
He didn’t look familiar, and there was something about the way he moved, calm, assured, almost predatory. He wasn’t like anyone from the pack. His presence sent a ripple through the air, a subtle tension that made my wolf, Maya, stir in the back of my mind.
As he drew closer, I caught a glimpse of his face. He had black hair and dark eyes, his features sharp and rugged, as if he had been chiseled from stone. But something about him felt… off. His eyes, though dark, seemed to flicker for a moment, a flash of gray that I almost thought I imagined.
I stepped aside as he approached, my eyes lowering to the ground. It was instinct, something ingrained in me after years of being treated as a servant. But as he passed me, his steps slowed, and I felt his gaze dawdle.
"Are you lost?" he asked, his voice low and rich, with a tone that made my heart skip a beat.
I blinked, surprised by his question. "No," I whispered, barely able to meet his eyes. "Just… walking."
There was a silence between us, heavy and charged, but I didn’t dare look up. There was something about him that unnerved me, something that made my skin prickle with awareness of something I couldn't name.
"You don’t belong here," he said softly, but his words didn’t hold the malice I was used to hearing. There was no judgment in his tone, just a quiet observation.
I swallowed hard, my chest tightening. No, I didn’t belong here. I had never belonged anywhere. And soon, I would be gone from the pack entirely either as a slave or a rogue.
"I know," I whispered, the words leaving my lips before I could stop them.
His gaze remained on me, and I could feel the weight of it pressing against my skin, as if he was searching for something. There was a strange warmth in the air between us, something that twitched the depths of my mind, but I didn’t know what it was.
"Sometimes," he said, his voice thoughtful, "you have to lose everything before you can find your true place."
His words hung in the air, like an unspoken promise or a warning, I couldn’t tell which. I finally forced myself to meet his eyes, and when I did, my breath caught in my throat. There was something ancient in his gaze, something powerful and all-knowing, like he had seen the rise and fall of kingdoms and still stood unshaken.
Though his hair was black, and his eyes dark, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was… wrong. Like it wasn’t his true form. There was a power beneath the surface, hidden but undeniable. I had seen many wolves, many powerful Alphas, but this man felt like something more. Much more.
I didn’t know why, but in that moment, I felt a flicker of hope. As if this stranger, this man, could see me, the real me, beneath all the broken pieces. It was a short feeling, but it was there, and it made my heart ache.
Before I could say anything else, he nodded, his lips curving into a small smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
"Be careful, Ava," he said, his voice low. "The path you’re on is a dangerous one."
My blood ran cold as he spoke my name, the shock of it making me freeze in place. I hadn’t told him my name. How could he know?
But before I could ask, before I could even think of how to respond, he turned and continued down the path, his footsteps fading into the distance. I stood there, staring after him, my heart pounding in my chest. The woods were quiet once again, but his words echoed in my mind.
Who was he?
Maya churned restlessly in my mind. "There’s something about him," she murmured. "Something powerful. Did you feel it?"
I nodded, still trying to process what had just happened. "He knew my name," I whispered, the realization sending a shiver down my spine.
Maya growled softly. "There’s more to him than meets the eye. He could be dangerous. We should leave here Ava.”
I stood there for a long time, my mind spinning with questions. Who was that man? And why did I feel like our paths weren’t meant to just cross once? I decided to listen to Maya.
I returned to the packhouse, my thoughts still tangled with the strange encounter. But even as the pack’s endless whispers and Landon’s unyielding possessive gaze pulled me back into reality, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted.
For the first time in a long time, I felt a spark of something I hadn’t known in years.
Hope, I felt peace.
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