Why had I run? Perhaps because I couldn"t bear the weight of their knowing looks. Perhaps I feared seeing pity in Luke"s eyes. Or perhaps, most of all, because I wasn"t ready to accept this version of myself—an abused, self-harming, mixed-blood witch, riddled with scars. Was someone like that truly worthy of an Alpha werewolf"s devotion? Lost in this spiral of self-loathing, a faint rustling sound reached my ears from nearby. I instinctively held my breath, pressing myself deeper into the shadows of the tree hollow. Two wolves, their fur matted and forms gaunt, emerged into a patch of moonlight. Their eyes gleamed with a hungry light in the darkness. "The information is reliable?" the older one muttered, voice low as he scanned their surroundings warily. "Absolutely," the younger one repli
