Chapter 28
806 Words
Before either of them could say anything else—
A faint sound echoed from down the hall.
Footsteps.
Approaching.
Victor’s head turned slightly.
Mia’s eyes widened.
“Go,” she whispered.
Victor didn’t move immediately.
His gaze flicked back to hers.
Like he didn’t want to leave.
Like something in him resisted it.
Then—
Control snapped back into place.
He stepped away.
Moving toward the balcony instead of the door.
Mia blinked. “What are you—”
Victor didn’t answer.
He slipped out into the open air, disappearing over the edge with effortless precision.
Silent.
Gone.
A second later—
A knock at her door.
“Mia?” Lilly’s voice called.
Mia exhaled slowly, running a hand through her hair.
“Yeah,” she called back, her voice steadier than she felt. “I’m up.”
But as she moved toward the door—
Her eyes flicked once toward the balcony.
The air there still felt—
Different.
Charged.
Connected.
And somewhere deep inside her—
That same pull remained.
Stronger than ever.
“Mia?”
The door cracked open before she could answer.
Lilly stepped in—
And immediately froze.
Then her face lit up.
“Well, well, well,” she grinned, eyes dragging dramatically from Mia’s bare shoulders to the sheet wrapped around her. “What have you been up to?”
Mia blinked. “Nothing.”
“That doesn’t look like nothing,” Lilly said, laughing as she kicked the door shut behind her. “You’re walking around like you just survived something… or caused it.”
Mia huffed, grabbing a shirt from nearby and tossing it over her shoulder. “I just woke up.”
“Mmhm,” Lilly hummed, clearly unconvinced as she flopped face-first onto Mia’s bed. “Sure you did.”
She rolled onto her back, grinning up at the ceiling.
“Oh! Speaking of waking up—your mom said I have to stay home this week and babysit you.”
She gasped dramatically. “Which is honestly the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Mia raised a brow. “You’re excited to babysit me?”
“I’m excited to not go to school and hang out with you while everything around us gets increasingly chaotic,” Lilly corrected. “It’s a win.”
Mia shook her head, disappearing briefly into her closet.
“Also,” Lilly continued in the same breath, popping up onto her elbows, “get dressed. I’m starving, and I want to see who showed up last night.”
Mia pulled on a loose top, her movements slower than usual.
“Lilly…”
“No, I’m serious,” Lilly went on, already pacing now. “All the alphas, all the clans—this is prime mate-finding season. My wolf has been pacing since sunrise.”
Mia glanced at her. “That sounds exhausting.”
“It is,” Lilly said, completely unbothered. “But also exciting.”
Mia gave a small, distracted smile as she finished getting dressed.
They stepped out into the hallway together.
Lilly immediately bounced on her heels, practically vibrating with energy.
“Oh—did you hear?” she said, grabbing Mia’s arm as they started down the stairs.
Mia frowned slightly. “Hear what?”
“Your dad invited all the visiting packs and clans for a hunt,” Lilly said, her voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper—though she was far too excited to keep it quiet.
“A hunt?” Mia repeated.
“Not just any hunt,” Lilly said, eyes lighting up. “A rare stag was released into the forest.”
Mia slowed slightly.
“That doesn’t sound normal.”
“It’s not,” Lilly grinned. “That’s the point.”
They reached the bottom of the stairs, the sounds of the packhouse swelling around them—voices, movement, energy everywhere.
“They say the first pack or clan to catch it—and prepare it—wins,” Lilly continued, practically glowing now.
Mia glanced at her. “Wins what?”
Lilly leaned in, lowering her voice even more.
“Something amazing,” she whispered. “Something no one’s ever done before.”
Mia’s stomach tightened slightly.
Of course.
Nothing about this week was going to be normal.
Lilly straightened suddenly, nudging her. “You’re joining, right?”
Mia hesitated.
The forest.
The pull she felt yesterday.
The thing inside her—
“I don’t know,” she said honestly.
Lilly blinked at her like that wasn’t an acceptable answer.
“You have to,” she insisted. “It’s basically tradition. And also—” she wiggled her brows, “—prime opportunity to look impressive in front of potential mates.”
Mia rolled her eyes. “That’s your reason for everything.”
“It’s a solid reason.”
- Writer
