Chapter 2
894 Words
My heart stuttered violently.
His gaze burned into me—possessive, protective, certain.
“It’s her, my mate” he said, voice absolute.
My wolf stirred inside me for the first time in my life.
And she knew him.
The bond snapped into place like a thread pulled tight across my ribs.
The front door burst open.
A wolf stumbled inside, blood streaking his shoulder.
“Rogues!” he shouted.
Chaos erupted instantly.
Growls. Shifting. Furniture splintering.
Three massive rogue wolves crashed through the windows in an explosion of glass.
The pack shifted mid-stride.
Claws. Teeth. Snarls.
Miles moved in front of me instantly, shielding me with his body.
“Stay behind me,” he ordered.
One of the rogues stopped.
Lifted its nose.
Sniffed.
Its eyes locked onto me.
Not random.
Targeted.
A slow, vicious grin curled its lip.
“That’s her,” it growled.
Ice flooded my veins.
Miles stiffened. “What do you mean that’s her?”
The rogue’s eyes gleamed with something dark.
Before anyone could react, it lunged.
Not at him.
At me.
He roared, launching forward—
But another rogue slammed into Miles from the side, sending him crashing into the wall.
I stumbled backward.
The first rogue lunged again—
But a blur of muscle and fury erupted between us.
The Gamma.
He collided with the rogue mid‑strike, the impact so powerful it sent both of them flying—
And the shockwave slammed into me like a physical force.
My feet slipped out from under me.
I hit the floor hard.
My skull slammed against the wood.
White-hot pain exploded—
And everything went fuzzy, distant.
The world folded in on itself.
Darkness swept in fast.
The last thing I heard before it swallowed me whole was Miles’s voice—raw, breaking apart with my name.
“CASEY!”
A throbbing pulse pounded behind my eyes.
Then the scent—cedarwood and lavender.
Him.
I jolted upright with a gasp.
A steady hand caught my shoulder instantly.
“Casey—easy. You’re safe.”
Miles.
His voice wrapped around me, grounding and warm, but my heart still raced.
“What… what happened?” I whispered.
“You hit your head pretty hard, honey.”
My eyes snapped toward the sound.
“Dad? When did you get here?”
He crossed his arms, jaw tight. “I was tracking the rogues. Good thing I was.”
Memory flickered—glass shattering, claws, the floor giving way beneath me.
I looked around.
The rogues were gone.
The party was gone.
The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
“When did the party end?”
The Alpha cleared his throat from across the room. “I sent everyone home. The rogues are secured.” His gaze settled on me. Sharp. Assessing. “Casey… do you know why they were after you?”
My stomach twisted.
“No.”
Miles’ fingers slid into mine.
Warm. Certain.
Possessive.
Heat crept up my neck. I gently pulled my hand back, suddenly aware of my father standing right there. Dad pretended not to notice.
Miles did.
His jaw flexed slightly as he withdrew his hand, but he didn’t argue.
“You should see the pack doctor,” he said. “Head injuries aren’t something to ignore.”
Dad nodded. “Agreed.”
Before I could protest, Miles bent and lifted me into his arms.
Bridal style.
My breath hitched.
“Miles, put me down.”
“No.”
It wasn’t harsh.
It was firm.
“You’re my mate,” he said quietly. “You’re not walking until I know you’re okay.”
The word still made my pulse trip.
Mate.
Then it happened again.
The heat surged—stronger, deeper, pulling low in my stomach. I stiffened, trying to shift away before he noticed.
Too late.
His nostrils flared.
His steps faltered.
Miles carefully set me down.My father moved instantly, stepping between us as
A low growl rumbled from Miles’ chest before he caught himself.
“Stand down,” the Alpha ordered.
Miles’ breathing was uneven now. Not aggressive.
Strained.
“You’re scaring her,” my father said quietly.
That did it.
The growl died.
Miles looked at me.
Really looked at me.
And the tension in him cracked into something vulnerable.
“Please,” he said softly. “Just don’t push me away. My wolf is… loud right now. But I would never hurt you. I would never touch you without your permission.”
His honesty disarmed me.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I admitted, voice small. “I can’t control it.”
My father exhaled slowly.
“It’s because your mate is an Alpha,” he explained. “High rank intensifies the bond. The symptoms are stronger. Especially in the beginning.”
Beginning.
That word echoed.
Miles stepped closer—slow enough to give me time to pull away.
I didn’t.
The air between us shifted.
Not heat this time.
Something deeper.
A thread tightening inside my chest.
His eyes darkened, not with hunger—but recognition.
“Do you feel that?” he asked quietly.
I swallowed.
“Yes.”
It wasn’t physical anymore.
It was… inside.
Like something was waking up.
My heartbeat changed rhythm.
Slowed.
Then synchronized.
Miles’ expression shifted—surprise flickering across his face.
The bond was getting stronger by the minute.
- Writer
