Chapter 8
1555 Words
Luna Anya
I watched my mate disappear down the hallway with the young rogue woman beside him.
Cleo.
There was something about that girl that tugged at my heart.
She had walked into my medical centre carrying wounds no young woman should ever have been forced to carry. Physical wounds were easy enough to see.
The others weren’t.
Those were the ones that concerned me most.
I had seen plenty of survivors during my years as Luna and a doctor. I knew what fear looked like. I knew what shame looked like.
And I knew what it looked like when someone was barely holding themselves together.
Cleo was doing all three.
Yet somehow, beneath the fear and exhaustion, there was something else.
Strength.
A frightening amount of it.
I couldn’t stop thinking about the way she’d looked at Xavier earlier.
Most wolves couldn’t hold their Alpha’s gaze for more than a few seconds when he wanted them to submit.
Cleo had stared him down.
Not because she wanted to challenge him.
Because she refused to be intimidated.
There was a difference.
And I suspected that difference would become very important.
She had every reason to be broken.
Instead, she was angry.
Angry enough to fight.
Angry enough to speak when most would have remained silent.
Angry enough to demand respect from an Alpha she had known for less than a day.
I couldn’t help but admire her.
Given the right guidance, that young woman could become a formidable warrior.
Perhaps even something more.
But first, she needed somewhere safe to rebuild herself.
And she needed someone willing to believe in her.
I just hoped Xavier didn’t destroy that chance before it even began.
My mate had many admirable qualities.
Tact wasn’t one of them.
He could be stubborn, arrogant and completely incapable of admitting when he was wrong.
And today, he’d already managed to insult a traumatised young woman, accuse her of lying and then announce his doubts to half the medical staff.
Moon Goddess help me.
If he continued down that path, I might have to knock some sense into him myself.
And knowing Xavier…
He’d probably deserve it.
⸻
Alpha Xavier
When I opened the door to my office, I immediately spotted Eric.
He was sitting beside my brother, Dan, but the moment his eyes landed on Cleo, his entire body seemed to relax.
Relief.
That single reaction told me more than words could have.
He had been worried about her.
Hell, after everything they’d been through, I couldn’t blame him.
I stepped aside.
“Take a seat.”
Cleo walked past me without saying a word.
She went straight to Eric and sat beside him.
The movement was subtle, but I noticed it.
She trusted him.
More importantly, she felt safe beside him.
I closed the door behind us and walked around the desk.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then I folded my hands on the desk.
“First things first. You are both welcome to stay.”
Cleo’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“As you both know from living in a pack, every member has responsibilities. Nobody lives here without contributing.”
I looked between them.
“You’ll both need to pull your weight.”
Eric and Cleo exchanged a glance.
Then, almost simultaneously, they answered.
“We’ll train as pack warriors.”
Dan’s head snapped toward Eric.
“Eric, son, you were destined to become a Beta.”
“I was.”
Eric’s voice was calm.
“But that was in another pack.”
He looked directly at me.
“I walked away from that life. Doesn’t mean I walked away from being able to fight.”
There was conviction in his voice.
I nodded.
“Fair enough.”
Then I turned my attention to Cleo.
“And you?”
She lifted her chin.
“Warrior.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“You have combat training?”
“No.”
The answer came without hesitation.
“But I will.”
I stared at her.
“I learn quickly.”
I leaned back in my chair.
There was something about her confidence that was almost irritating.
“You could work in the kitchen,” I suggested. “Or help maintain the packhouse. There are plenty of positions that don’t require combat training.”
Her eyes flashed.
“And why would I do that?”
“Because it’s safer.”
“Or because you think it’s more suitable for a girl?”
I sighed.
“Don’t start.”
“I’m not starting anything.”
She leaned forward.
“You are.”
Her eyes locked onto mine.
“You’ve already decided what I’m capable of without even giving me a chance.”
“I’m trying to protect you.”
“No.”
Her voice hardened.
“You’re trying to control where you think I belong.”
The room went silent.
Dan shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
Eric looked between us, clearly deciding whether he should intervene.
Cleo didn’t back down.
“Stop being a sexist d**k,” she said bluntly. “I can do this.”
I stared at her.
She continued.
“I know I’m not trained yet. But I can learn. I won’t allow you to shove me into the role of an Omega simply because you think that’s where a girl belongs.”
Her jaw tightened.
“I survived things you can’t even imagine.”
Something in her voice changed.
“And I refuse to spend the rest of my life being treated as though I’m weak because of them.”
That silenced me.
For the first time, I looked at her differently.
Not as a frightened rogue.
Not as the victim I’d assumed she was.
As someone who had survived.
There was a difference.
I leaned back.
“Fine.”
Her eyebrows lifted.
“You want to train?”
“Yes.”
“Then you train.”
I nodded.
“But understand something. Warrior training isn’t easy. You will be pushed harder than you’ve ever been pushed before.”
“I’ll handle it.”
“You may fail.”
“I’ll try again.”
“You may get hurt.”
“I’ve already been hurt.”
The words landed heavily.
I had no response to that.
“Then we’ll make the arrangements.”
A tiny smile appeared on her face.
It wasn’t triumphant.
It was determined.
And somehow, that was worse.
Because I suddenly had the distinct feeling that this girl wasn’t going to simply become another member of my pack.
She was going to make her mark on it.
I cleared my throat.
“There is one other matter. Accommodation.”
“We can share.”
Cleo said it immediately.
She looked at Eric.
He nodded.
“Yeah. We can share.”
I glanced between them.
Their bond was unusual.
Not romantic.
Not yet, at least.
But there was something incredibly strong between them.
A loyalty that had clearly been forged in fire.
“Dan.”
My brother looked at me.
“Can you find something suitable?”
He nodded and left the room.
He returned only a few minutes later.
A set of keys dangled from his fingers.
I knew exactly which property he’d chosen.
A small two-bedroom log cabin on the outskirts of the pack territory.
It had been empty for some time.
It wasn’t luxurious.
But it was private.
And after what these two had endured, perhaps privacy was exactly what they needed.
I took the keys from Dan and held them out to Eric.
“This will be your new home.”
Eric’s eyes widened.
“Thank you, Alpha.”
Cleo looked at the keys.
For the first time since she’d entered my office, something resembling happiness flickered across her face.
It was brief.
But I saw it.
“Don’t misunderstand,” I warned.
Her expression immediately became guarded again.
“This isn’t a free ride.”
I pointed toward the keys.
“You want this privilege? Earn it.”
Both of them nodded.
“You’ll train hard. You’ll contribute. You’ll follow pack laws.”
I paused.
“And if either of you decides you don’t want to pull your weight, the arrangement changes.”
“We understand,” they answered together.
“Good.”
I looked toward Dan.
“Show them to the cabin.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
Eric stood.
Cleo followed.
For a moment, she paused beside my desk.
Our eyes met.
There was no fear in hers.
Only determination.
Then she turned and walked away.
I watched the door close behind them.
The office suddenly felt strangely quiet.
I had spent years believing I knew exactly what my pack needed.
Strength.
Loyalty.
Discipline.
Order.
But as I stared at the closed door, an uncomfortable thought entered my mind.
Maybe the Moon Goddess had just sent me something I hadn’t asked for.
Two rogues.
Two survivors.
Two people who had walked away from everything they’d ever known.
And one of them had already challenged me twice in a single day.
I should have been annoyed.
Instead, I found myself curious.
What exactly had walked through my doors?
Because something told me Cleo James wasn’t destined to remain a frightened rogue for long.
And if my instincts were right…
Lightning Ridge was about to change.
Whether I was ready for it or not.
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