Chapter 14

The silence in the cabin was thick, broken only by the soft crackling of a fire Elias had built in the stone hearth. The flames flickered, casting long shadows on the walls as the night deepened. My body ached from the journey, but my mind raced with thoughts I couldn’t quiet. There was a weight pressing down on me—a weight that had nothing to do with the physical exhaustion I felt.

Kael and Elias sat across from me, quietly discussing plans I wasn’t a part of, their voices low but filled with urgency. I felt like an outsider, even though they had gone to great lengths to protect me. It was as if I were caught in the middle of something much larger than myself, something I didn’t yet understand.

"You should rest," Kael said suddenly, his gaze piercing through the firelight as he turned to me. His voice was soft, but his eyes held that same intensity, a protectiveness I hadn’t asked for but now found myself relying on.

“I can’t,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t stop thinking about…everything.”

Kael’s face softened, and he rose from his seat, crossing the room to sit beside me. He was so close now, the heat of his body a palpable reminder of the world I had been thrust into. His presence was commanding, yet there was a gentleness to him that was slowly unraveling the knots of fear in my chest.

"You’re safe here, Luna. No one can hurt you," he said, his voice low and reassuring.

“I know,” I replied, though the words felt hollow. “But this doesn’t feel like it’s just about me anymore.”

His jaw tightened slightly at my words, and for a moment, I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes—a flash of emotion that he quickly suppressed.

“It’s not,” he said after a beat, his voice rougher now. “But you’re still at the center of it.”

I turned away from him, unable to meet his gaze. How had my life spiraled so far out of control? I hadn’t asked for this—any of this. Yet here I was, hiding in a cabin in the middle of nowhere with two wolves, hunted by an Alpha I knew nothing about. And there was still so much I didn’t understand.

"Who is Primo?" I finally asked, breaking the silence that had settled between us. "Why is he hunting me?"

Kael exchanged a glance with Elias before he spoke. “Primo is more than just an Alpha,” he began, his voice steady but laced with tension. “He’s the leader of one of the oldest packs in the region. Ruthless. Powerful. He believes in keeping the bloodline pure, and he’ll stop at nothing to maintain control.”

“But what does that have to do with me?” I pressed, my voice rising with frustration. “I’m not part of your world. I’m not—”

“You are,” Kael interrupted, his tone firm but not unkind. “You’re more connected to this world than you know. And now that you’re carrying…” He trailed off, glancing briefly at my stomach, his expression darkening. “Primo sees you as a threat. A challenge to his rule.”

I stared at him, trying to process his words. A threat? A challenge? I couldn’t comprehend it. I was just…me. But the weight of his words settled in my chest, heavy and suffocating.

“I don’t understand,” I whispered. “Why would he care about me or my child?”

Kael’s expression grew even more serious, and when he spoke again, his voice was barely above a whisper. “Because your child is different, Luna. And Primo fears what that difference means for his reign.”

Different. The word echoed in my mind, and I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. I placed a protective hand over my stomach, the reality of the situation finally sinking in. This wasn’t just about survival—this was about my child. About a future I hadn’t even begun to imagine.

I looked up at Kael, my eyes searching his for answers, for anything that could make sense of this madness. “What do you mean…different?”

Before Kael could respond, Elias stood, his movements swift and decisive. “We shouldn’t discuss this here,” he said, his voice cutting through the tension in the room. “Not now.”

Kael’s jaw clenched, but he nodded in agreement. “He’s right. We’ll have time to talk later. For now, you need rest.”

Rest. The word felt foreign to me. How could I rest when the weight of an entire world was pressing down on me? But I nodded anyway, knowing there was little point in arguing. My body was exhausted, and my mind was fraying at the edges.

Elias walked over to the small table in the corner of the room, where he had placed a bag earlier. He rummaged through it before pulling out a blanket and handing it to me. “You can take the couch,” he said. “Kael and I will keep watch.”

I took the blanket, muttering a soft “thank you” before settling onto the worn cushions of the couch. As I lay down, the firelight dancing across the ceiling, I felt the tension in my muscles slowly begin to ease. But my mind…my mind wouldn’t stop racing.

Kael’s voice drifted over to me as I closed my eyes, trying to quiet my thoughts. “We’ll protect you, Luna. No matter what.”

His words were a promise, one I desperately wanted to believe. But as I drifted into a restless sleep, the shadows of the past and the uncertainty of the future weighed heavily on me.

And in the darkness, I felt the stirrings of something I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Hope.

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The dream came to me suddenly—vivid and strange. I was standing in a field bathed in moonlight, the tall grass swaying in the breeze. I felt a presence beside me, and when I turned, I saw him. Alpha Primo. His eyes were like ice, cold and piercing, and he smiled—a cruel, knowing smile that sent a wave of fear through me.

“You can’t run forever, Luna,” he said, his voice smooth and threatening. “You and your child belong to me.”

I tried to speak, to protest, but no words came out. I was frozen, trapped in his gaze as he stepped closer. His hand reached out, hovering just above my stomach, and I felt a cold dread settle over me.

“I will find you,” he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. “And when I do…there will be nowhere left to hide.”

I woke with a start, my heart pounding in my chest. The room was quiet, the fire reduced to embers. Kael sat by the window, keeping watch, his figure silhouetted against the pale light of dawn.

I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to steady my breathing. It was just a dream. Just a nightmare.

But as I looked around the room, the feeling of dread lingered.

Because deep down, I knew it wasn’t just a dream.

Alpha Primo was coming. And he wouldn’t stop until he had me—and my child.