A Place for the Lost
518 Words
Chapter Five –
The fire had burned low, its embers glowing like dying stars against the darkened cave walls. Aria sat with her back against the rough stone, her arms wrapped around her knees as exhaustion pulled at her. Yet, sleep remained elusive.
Kieran, on the other hand, rested easily. He sat across from her, his silver hair catching the dim light, his posture relaxed but not careless. Even in sleep, he exuded control, like a predator that never truly let its guard down.
Aria clenched her jaw and looked away. She had no reason to trust him. But right now, trust wasn’t an option—it was a necessity.
Her mind wandered back to the Midnight Howl Pack, to the suffocating walls of rejection and betrayal. The place she had once called home had become a prison. And her so-called mate… Aria shut her eyes against the memory. She refused to let it drag her back.
A sudden shift in the air made her tense.
Kieran stirred, stretching with the effortless grace of a wolf accustomed to the wilderness. His dark eyes found hers instantly.
"Couldn’t sleep?" His voice was rough from rest.
Aria exhaled slowly. "Not when I don’t know what’s waiting for me tomorrow."
Kieran studied her for a moment before standing. "Then let’s not waste time. We leave now."
She blinked. "Now? It’s barely dawn."
"The sooner we move, the better. Unless you want to test your luck with another rogue?"
Aria scoffed but pushed herself to her feet. She had no intention of lingering.
They set off in silence, weaving through the thick underbrush. The forest was different at this hour—quiet, almost expectant, as though it sensed their passage.
Kieran moved with certainty, his strides confident.
"Where exactly are we going?" Aria finally asked, breaking the silence.
"You’ll see soon enough."
She shot him a glare. "I don’t like surprises."
Kieran smirked slightly but said nothing.
Hours passed as they traveled, the landscape shifting from dense woods to rocky terrain. Aria's legs ached, but she refused to complain. She had endured far worse.
Then, as they crested a ridge, the world opened up before her.
Nestled between towering mountains and rolling hills was a hidden valley, lush and untouched. A river snaked through the land, its waters gleaming like liquid silver in the early light. And at the heart of it all—a settlement.
Aria’s breath hitched.
It wasn’t a village in the traditional sense, but a haven. Structures built into the earth, smoke rising from chimneys, the scent of wolves thick in the air.
"A pack," she whispered, shock lacing her tone.
"Not a pack," Kieran corrected. "A refuge."
Aria turned to him, suspicion flickering in her gaze. "For who?"
"For wolves like us," he said simply. "Those who don’t belong anywhere else."
Her chest tightened.
A place for the forsaken.
She didn’t realize she had been searching for such a thing until now.
Kieran started down the ridge, and after a moment’s hesitation, Aria followed.
Maybe—just maybe—she had found something worth fighting for again.
- Writer
