Episode 4

The full moon bathed the Nightbane fortress in its silver light as I walked inside, with the unconscious girl in my arms. She was all bloody, and her warm, bare skin felt like it was burning against mine. She was light, almost as if she were on the verge of disappearing, but, at the same time, there was a hidden strength there.

Her hair was tangled, falling like a silver cascade over my arm. Her breathing was irregular, but it was there. She was alive.

"Fuck, Alpha. Are you really going to bring a stranger inside our fortress?" Caius said, with his arms crossed, his gaze incredulous.

Axel whistled, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "I never thought I'd see the day. You, trusting someone you don't know? That goes against all your rules, Alpha."

I ignored them both. They wouldn't understand. I barely understood. But something about that girl... something told me she wasn't just another one.

We arrived at the fortress. The tall stone walls seemed even more imposing under the moonlight, and the girl in my arms seemed out of place there, like a lost flower in the middle of concrete.

I passed through the gates, and the guards looked at me with confused expressions, but no one dared to question. You don't question the Alpha. You don't question Draven Black.

I climbed the stairs, taking her to one of the guest rooms, a room I never used because no one had the privilege of entering so deep into my territory. Caius and Axel followed me, still incredulous.

Caius

Axel

I laid her gently on the bed, but firmly. Her head landed on the pillow, and I watched for a moment, studying every detail. Her face was delicate, but marked by scratches and bruises. Even so, she was... beautiful. There was something about her that made my wolf, Reven, roar in my mind.

"What a delight," Reven said, his voice deep and almost mocking. "So fragile, but so... beautiful. I want to mark this one."

"No way," I retorted, annoyed. "Control yourself, Reven. We don't know anything about her, and don't forget the risks."

"It doesn't matter," he growled. "She's ours."

I rolled my eyes mentally, ignoring that idiot. My wolf has always been impulsive, dangerous. And this time, he seemed even more anxious. Something about her had made him restless. And, if I was honest, I felt the same way.

"Lyss," I called one of the guards who was waiting outside. "Bring Lyss here. Now."

Axel raised an eyebrow. "Lyss? So it's serious. You're calling the pack's best healer? What is it about this girl that made you break all your rules?"

"Just do as I say, Axel, or I'll shut your mouth by force," I growled, my patience already short.

Axel shrugged, but smiled provocatively. He knew how to annoy me, but he also knew when to stop.

Lyss arrived minutes later. The young healer was everything I expected from someone in the Nightbane pack: dedicated, focused, and competent. She hadn't yet received her wolf, but her talent for healing was undeniable.

Lyss

She approached the bed, examining the girl with attentive eyes. "She's injured, but she'll survive. I'll need some time to clean the cuts and stabilize her condition. Bring clean clothes."

"Do whatever is necessary," I replied. I moved away, leaning against the wall as I watched.

Axel approached Lyss, trying to start a conversation, as he always did. He was in love with her, that was obvious, but the girl seemed oblivious to it.

Caius looked at the unconscious girl and then at me. "Who do you think she is, Draven? Which pack?"

"I don't know," I admitted, my eyes fixed on her. "But I will find out."

"She could be a lone wolf," Caius suggested. "Or... she could be from the Shadow Pack. She has characteristics that match."

Axel scoffed. "That doesn't mean anything. I've seen wolves with similar characteristics in other packs. Let's not jump to conclusions."

I withdrew before the discussion could continue. The truth was I didn't know what to think. And that irritated me. I was an Alpha, dammit. I shouldn't let myself be shaken by a stranger. But there was something about her... something that pulled me, that made me feel like the goddess had played a trick.

Later, in my chambers, I threw myself on the bed, but sleep didn't come. I closed my eyes, but the image of her falling from the cliff, directly into my arms, continued to haunt me.

"What if the goddess sent her to us?" Reven asked again. "What if she's our new mate?"

"Don't get your hopes up," I muttered back. "You know what happened last time, Reven. Lyanna. She died because of us. Because of me. That's not going to happen again."

Reven growled, but didn't answer. He knew I was right, even if he hated to admit it.

I lay there, staring at the ceiling, trying to ignore the growing feeling that my life was about to change. And there was nothing I could do to avoid it.

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