Chapter 5
1520 Words
Sophie's POV
The next morning arrived wrapped in gray mist and cold silence, yet I found myself awake long before sunrise because years of training under Farkas had taught me that survival belonged to those who rose before danger had the chance to open its eyes.
For several moments I remained motionless beneath the blanket resting across my legs while listening carefully to the sounds surrounding the cabin, because every unfamiliar place carried hidden threats and I had no intention of becoming careless simply because one dangerous monster happened to be protecting me from several others.
The steady rhythm of an axe striking wood echoed faintly from outside, causing me to rise from the bed and move toward the nearest window with cautious steps that made almost no sound against the wooden floor.
Hunter stood several yards away near a growing pile of chopped logs while the pale morning light spilled across his broad shoulders, revealing muscles and scars that seemed carved from years of endless warfare rather than ordinary life.
Each swing of the axe looked effortless despite the massive size of the weapon, and I found myself staring longer than intended before annoyance quickly replaced the unwanted fascination threatening to creep into my thoughts.
The man had carried me away from a claiming arena like a sack of grain, repeatedly called me his mate against my wishes, and possessed enough arrogance to challenge half the city without blinking, so the fact that he looked annoyingly attractive while chopping wood felt deeply unfair.
I stepped away from the window immediately.
The green dress waited where he had left it the night before, folded neatly atop a wooden chair as though he somehow knew I would eventually decide practicality mattered more than stubborn pride.
After changing clothes and braiding my hair tightly behind my head, I inspected the cabin once again with greater attention than before, noticing details that exhaustion had prevented me from seeing the previous night.
Several books rested upon a shelf near the fireplace while maps covered one section of the wall, and numerous locations throughout the surrounding forest had been marked carefully with symbols that appeared far too organized for someone supposedly living alone.
My curiosity sharpened instantly.
Nothing about Hunter Reynolds made sense.
Every story I had ever heard described him as a ruthless Alpha soaked in blood and violence, yet bloodthirsty tyrants rarely spent their mornings chopping firewood, collecting books, and preparing meals for people they rescued.
The contradiction irritated me because simple hatred would have been much easier to maintain.
The cabin door opened before I could continue examining the maps.
Hunter entered carrying an armful of firewood while several snowflakes clung stubbornly to his dark hair.
His eyes immediately found me.
Something strangely relieved flashed across his expression before disappearing beneath his usual calm mask.
For some reason that reaction unsettled me.
“You stayed.”
The statement sounded almost surprised.
I folded my arms.
“You make it sound like you expected me to leap through the window and disappear into the wilderness before breakfast.”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“I considered the possibility.”
“Good because I considered it too.”
The smile widened slightly before he placed the wood beside the fireplace and began arranging it with deliberate movements that suggested he had performed the task countless times before.
The silence stretching between us felt different than the previous night.
It remained tense.
It remained uncomfortable.
Yet something had shifted.
Neither of us seemed quite as eager to start another argument.
Unfortunately that fragile peace lasted less than two minutes.
“Stop calling me your mate.”
Hunter paused briefly.
“No.”
My jaw tightened.
“No is not an acceptable answer.”
“It is when the answer remains the same.”
I stared at him in disbelief.
“You are impossible.”
“You mention that frequently.”
“Because it remains true.”
His deep laugh filled the cabin unexpectedly, and hearing genuine amusement from someone so intimidating felt strangely disorienting.
Before I could formulate another insult, a distant howl echoed through the forest.
Hunter froze instantly.
The change happened so quickly that my pulse spiked.
Every trace of amusement vanished from his face.
The air inside the cabin suddenly felt heavier.
More dangerous.
“What was that?”
His gaze shifted toward the nearest window.
“Trouble.”
The single word carried enough tension to make my stomach knot.
Another howl sounded closer this time.
Then another.
Then another.
The forest seemed to come alive with them.
Hunter crossed the room immediately and reached for a sword hanging near the door.
The weapon looked ancient.
Deadly.
Familiar.
“You know who that is.”
It was not a question.
Hunter nodded once.
“Scouts.”
My heart began pounding faster.
“Venomfang?”
“Most likely.”
The realization sent a wave of anger through me.
Of course it was him.
The bastard had spent years spreading misery through the city, and apparently being humiliated in front of thousands of witnesses had only made him more determined.
Hunter opened a nearby chest and removed several knives before securing them across his belt.
Every movement appeared calm.
Controlled.
Prepared.
Like a man expecting war.
“What happens if they find us?”
His eyes met mine.
“They won't.”
The certainty should have reassured me.
Instead it made me nervous.
Only extremely dangerous people sounded that confident.
The howls continued growing louder outside.
Hunter moved toward the door.
“You stay here.”
I immediately shook my head.
“Absolutely not.”
His expression darkened.
“Sophie.”
“No.”
The refusal left my mouth before he could continue.
“You are not leaving me trapped in a cabin while unknown wolves search the forest around us.”
His jaw flexed visibly.
“It isn't safe.”
My temper flared.
“Do you know what else isn't safe, Hunter?”
Silence answered me.
“Being treated like a prisoner.”
The words landed harder than I expected.
For several seconds neither of us spoke.
Then something shifted behind his eyes.
Not anger.
Not frustration.
Regret.
A genuine, painful regret that looked entirely out of place on someone like him.
“You aren't a prisoner.”
The quiet response caught me off guard.
“Then stop acting like I am one.”
The tension stretched between us.
Finally Hunter released a slow breath.
“Fine.”
Suspicion immediately followed.
“Fine?”
“You stay close to me.”
I blinked.
“That is your compromise?”
“Yes.”
“That is barely a compromise.”
“It is the only one you are getting.”
Annoyance surged through me again.
At the same time, however, a small part of me felt oddly victorious because he had actually listened instead of simply ordering me to obey.
Minutes later we left the cabin together.
The forest greeted us with cold wind and towering shadows that stretched endlessly beneath the cloudy sky.
Every sound felt sharper.
Every movement felt significant.
Hunter remained alert from the moment we stepped outside.
His eyes constantly scanned the trees while his hand rested near the sword at his side.
Watching him transformed into something else entirely.
Not relaxed.
Not teasing.
Not argumentative.
This version of Hunter looked exactly like the terrifying Alpha who had walked into an arena full of enemies and painted the stones red without hesitation.
The realization should have frightened me.
Instead it made me feel strangely protected.
I hated that feeling immediately.
Protected people became dependent.
Dependent people became vulnerable.
Vulnerable people got hurt.
The lesson had been carved into my soul years ago.
A sudden crack echoed somewhere ahead.
Hunter stopped instantly.
One arm moved in front of me before I could react.
The gesture happened so naturally that neither of us seemed to notice it at first.
Then I looked down.
Then he looked down.
His arm remained between me and the danger.
Protecting.
Shielding.
The silence that followed felt oddly intimate despite the distance separating us.
Slowly his gaze found mine.
For one brief moment the forest, the danger, and the howls all faded into the background.
Only those crimson eyes remained.
Only the strange pull I refused to acknowledge remained.
Only the growing realization that Hunter Reynolds was becoming far more complicated than the monster I wanted him to be remained.
Then another howl shattered the moment.
Hunter immediately turned toward the sound.
The protective expression vanished.
The Alpha returned.
“Stay close, Sophie.”
I tightened my grip on the hunting knife hanging at my side.
“Try not to get yourself killed.”
A slow smile appeared on his face.
The kind that always looked dangerous.
“Worried about me already?”
I rolled my eyes dramatically and walked past him.
“Not a chance, beast.”
His laughter followed me through the forest.
For the first time since my city fell, the sound did not make me want to run.
- Writer
