SURROUNDED BY WOLVES>>>>>EP3
902 Words
The clearing fell into a heavy silence as twenty wolves emerged from the forest.
Each moved with quiet precision, surrounding Seraphina in a wide circle. Their silver-and-black uniforms marked them as Shadowcrest warriors, and every pair of eyes remained fixed on her.
She instinctively reached for the knife strapped to her thigh.
Empty.
It had fallen somewhere during the chase.
Perfect.
Her shoulder throbbed where she'd slammed into the ground, and warm blood continued to trickle down her injured calf. She was exhausted, outnumbered, and standing in the middle of a pack she knew nothing about.
If they decided she was a threat, she wouldn't survive.
A low growl escaped one of the warriors.
Another stepped closer.
Seraphina shifted into a defensive stance despite the pain shooting through her leg.
She refused to look weak.
Not again.
"Stand down."
Alpha Kael's voice cut through the tension.
Every warrior immediately lowered their heads.
No hesitation.
No argument.
The respect they held for him was undeniable.
A broad-shouldered man with ash-brown hair stepped forward from the group. His sharp blue eyes studied Seraphina before turning to Kael.
"Alpha," he greeted respectfully. "We tracked the rogues here. Are you injured?"
"I'm fine," Kael replied. "The rogues have fled."
The man's gaze drifted back to Seraphina, lingering on the blood staining her jeans.
"And her?"
Kael's expression hardened.
"She's under my protection."
A ripple of surprise spread through the warriors.
Seraphina noticed it immediately.
Whoever this Alpha was, he didn't hand out his protection lightly.
The broad-shouldered warrior nodded but didn't hide his curiosity.
"As you wish, Alpha."
Another figure pushed through the group before anyone else could speak.
He was slightly younger, with messy dark hair and bright hazel eyes that seemed incapable of hiding emotion.
His gaze landed on Seraphina, and his mouth fell open.
"So... she's the one?"
Several warriors sighed in unison.
The newcomer ignored them completely.
He looked between Kael and Seraphina before grinning.
"Our Alpha finally found his mate?"
Kael shot him a warning look.
"Finn."
"What?" Finn raised both hands innocently. "I'm just asking what everyone else is thinking."
Heat rushed to Seraphina's face.
Mate.
The word still felt wrong.
Impossible.
She took an unconscious step backward.
Immediately, several warriors tensed.
Kael noticed.
"Relax," he said calmly. "No one here is going to hurt you."
She wanted to believe him.
She truly did.
But the last people who had promised to protect her were her parents.
She had learned the hard way that promises meant nothing.
A new voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Alpha."
Unlike Finn's cheerful tone, this voice was cold and measured.
Another man stepped forward.
He was tall, lean, and carried himself with quiet confidence. His gray eyes swept over Seraphina with unsettling precision, as if cataloging every injury, every expression, every secret she was trying to hide.
Something about him immediately put her on edge.
"We don't know who she is," he said.
His voice wasn't accusing.
It was factual.
"She could be dangerous."
Seraphina met his stare without flinching.
"So could you."
A few warriors exchanged amused glances.
Finn coughed into his fist, hiding what looked suspiciously like a laugh.
The man's expression never changed.
Interesting.
"I like her," Finn muttered.
"You would," the gray-eyed warrior replied dryly.
Kael stepped between them before the conversation could escalate.
"Cassian."
The single word carried enough authority to end the discussion.
Cassian inclined his head.
"I'll trust your judgment, Alpha."
His eyes returned to Seraphina.
"But I'll be watching."
She believed him.
Every instinct told her this man missed nothing.
Before she could respond, the pain in her leg surged violently.
Her vision blurred.
She staggered.
Strong arms caught her before she hit the ground.
Kael.
She stiffened instantly.
"Don't," she whispered, trying to pull away.
"You've lost too much blood."
"I'm fine."
"No," he said quietly. "You're pretending to be."
His words struck far deeper than he realized.
For years, pretending had been the only way she'd survived.
Pretending she wasn't scared.
Pretending she wasn't lonely.
Pretending she didn't wake every night from nightmares she could never forget.
She closed her eyes briefly.
"I'm not helpless."
"I never said you were."
His voice was surprisingly gentle.
"I said you're hurt."
For a long moment, neither of them moved.
Finally, Seraphina let out a slow breath.
Just enough to stop fighting him.
Kael carefully lifted her into his arms.
Every muscle in her body screamed to resist.
Instead, she found herself listening to the steady beat of his heart.
Her wolf purred softly.
Safe.
No.
She couldn't think like that.
Safety was an illusion.
It always had been.
As Shadowcrest's warriors formed a protective circle around them, Kael began walking deeper into pack territory.
Towering stone walls appeared between the trees.
Beyond them stood a breathtaking village bathed in golden lantern light.
Children laughed somewhere in the distance.
Families crossed the streets together.
Warriors greeted one another with relaxed smiles.
No one looked afraid.
Seraphina stared in disbelief.
She had forgotten a pack could feel like this.
Like home.
Then reality crashed back.
Home was where people betrayed you.
Home was where lies began.
As they approached the massive iron gates, a sudden chill raced down her spine.
She glanced back toward the forest.
Far beyond the tree line, hidden among the shadows, a single pair of crimson eyes watched them disappear into Shadowcrest.
And then...
They vanished.
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