CHAPTER 1- Unwelcome Return
1352 Words
Sable
I wake up to pain.
Not the soft, dull kind that fades if you stay still.
No.
This is sharp. Loud. Sitting right behind my eyes like something is trying to claw its way out of my skull.
I groan, pressing my fingers to my temple, and immediately regret it.
“Ugh… fantastic,” I mutter.
My voice sounds dry. Weak.
Wrong.
I blink slowly, trying to force my vision to settle. The ceiling above me is unfamiliar—dark wood beams, clean lines, nothing like the cracked plaster ceiling back home.
Home.
The thought hits, and everything rushes back at once.
The market. The wolves. Mama.
My body jerks upright.
Bad idea.
The room spins violently, and I grab the edge of the bed to steady myself, breathing through the nausea threatening to rise.
“Okay… okay…” I whisper.
Think.
I scan the room, forcing myself to stay calm.
It’s too clean.
Too structured.
Too… intentional.
A large bed. Minimal furniture. A single chair by the window. No personal touches. No warmth.
Not a guest room.
A holding room.
My stomach drops.
No.
No way.
I swing my legs off the bed, ignoring the protest in my head, and push myself up. My body feels heavy, like I’m moving through water, but I force myself forward anyway.
The door.
I reach it in three steps and grab the handle.
Locked.
Of course it is.
I exhale sharply, resting my forehead against the wood for a second.
“Great,” I mutter. “kidn*pped and imprisoned. Love that for me.”
My wolf stirs beneath my skin, restless, aware.
And then—
It hits me.
The scent.
Faint, but unmistakable.
Earth. Pine. Something darker underneath.
My chest tightens.
Shadowfen.
I pull back from the door slowly, my pulse beginning to race.
“No,” I whisper.
But I already know.
I’m in the pack house.
Shadowfen pack.
The realization settles heavy in my chest, suffocating.
I haven’t been here in years.
Not since—
I cut the thought off immediately, like slamming a door shut.
No.
We are not doing that.
Not now.
Not ever.
I drag a hand through my hair, pacing the room slowly. My mind races, trying to piece together something, anything that makes sense.
Why bring me back here?
Why now?
I don’t belong here.
I don’t have anyone here.
My parents are gone.
Dead long before everything else went to hell.
There’s nothing tying me to this place anymore.
Nothing except—
No.
I stop pacing abruptly.
I’m not thinking about him.
I refuse.
The silence stretches, heavy and suffocating, until I finally let out a slow breath and move back toward the bed.
Fine.
If they want to play this game, I’ll wait.
Someone is going to come through that door eventually.
And when they do?
I’ll be ready.
I sit on the edge of the bed, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the door.
Minutes pass.
Then more.
I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting there before I hear it.
Footsteps.
Light.
Unhurried.
A pause outside the door.
Then, the lock clicks.
My entire body tenses.
The door opens slowly.
And there he is.
The wave.
The grin.
The problem.
He leans casually against the doorframe like he owns the place which, to be fair, he kind of does.
Up close, he’s even more… annoying.
Dark chocolate brown hair, slightly messy in a way that looks intentional. His skin is smooth, warm-toned, and his build, yeah, still lean muscle, but you can tell there’s strength packed into every inch of him.
Not bulky like the Beta.
Not overwhelming.
Just… efficient.
Dangerous in a quieter way.
But it’s his eyes that catch me again.
Black.
Completely black.
Wolf staring straight through me.
And yet—
There’s amusement there.
Of course there is.
“Wow,” he says, looking me over like he’s inspecting something mildly interesting. “You look terrible.”
I blink.
Then narrow my eyes.
“Good morning to you too,” I reply flatly.
His grin widens.
“Oh, she still has claws,” he says, stepping fully into the room. “That’s comforting.”
I don’t move from the bed. Don’t give him the satisfaction.
“What do you want?” I ask.
He hums, tilting his head slightly. “Straight to the point. I like it.”
“I don’t care what you like.”
“Ouch.”
He presses a hand to his chest dramatically. “That hurt. Truly.”
I stare at him.
Unimpressed.
He sighs like I’m the difficult one here. “Fine. No happy reunion. No ‘oh my God, Xavier, it’s been so long, I missed your incredibly charming personality’—nothing?”
I freeze.
“…Xavier?”
He pauses.
Then blinks.
Then grins again, slower this time.
“Well,” he says. “At least you remember my name. I was starting to feel offended.”
I study him more closely now.
The energy.
The voice.
The way he moves.
Annoying.
Light.
Too unserious.
Recognition settles in.
“You used to be irritating,” I say slowly.
He laughs. Actually laughs. “Used to be?”
“I see nothing has changed.”
“Wow,” he says, shaking his head. “And here I thought you’d matured.”
“I have,” I reply. “My tolerance for you just hasn’t.”
That earns me a full grin.
There it is.
That same energy.
The same one that used to get on my nerves and somehow make me laugh at the same time.
Weirdly… familiar.
I hate that.
I push the feeling down immediately.
“Why am I here?” I ask, my tone sharper now.
He doesn’t answer right away.
Just watches me.
Still amused.
Still calm.
Then he shrugs. “You already know why.”
My jaw tightens. “Then say it.”
“Nah.”
I blink. “Excuse me?”
“I said nah,” he repeats easily. “Not my place.”
My patience snaps.
“You dragged me back here against my will and you’re telling me it’s not your place to explain?” I snap.
“Technically,” he says, holding up a finger, “I didn’t drag you. That was more of a group effort.”
I stare at him.
“You’re not funny.”
“I disagree.”
I stand up now, ignoring the slight dizziness that follows.
“I want answers, Xavier.”
His expression shifts.
Just slightly.
Still light.
But firmer.
“You’ll get them,” he says. “Just not from me.”
Silence stretches between us.
I hate this.
I hate being back here.
I hate that he’s acting like this is normal.
“Am I a prisoner?” I ask finally.
He considers that.
“Temporary guest,” he says.
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the one you’re getting.”
I exhale sharply, running a hand through my hair.
“Of course it is.”
He pushes off the doorframe then, straightening slightly.
“For what it’s worth,” he adds, “you’re safe here.”
I let out a short, humorless laugh. “That’s debatable.”
His gaze sharpens for a second, something deeper flickering there.
Then it’s gone.
“Get some rest,” he says, turning toward the door. “Or don’t. Up to you.”
He pauses, glancing back at me.
“If you need anything,” he adds casually, “just knock.”
I raise a brow. “And you’ll magically appear?”
He smirks. “Something like that.”
Then he’s gone.
The door closes.
The lock clicks again.
And just like that, I’m alone.
Again.
I stare at the door for a long moment, my chest tight, my thoughts louder than they’ve been in years.
Shadowfen.
Xavier.
The Beta.
And somewhere in all of this?
Him.
I swallow hard and turn away, forcing myself back toward the bed.
One problem at a time.
Because if I let myself think too far ahead…
I don’t think I’ll survive it.
- Writer
