y's

lders never eased these days. Lily occupied his every thought, and it was becoming harder to maintain the emotional barriers he'd carefully built over the years. She was his fated

s, she couldn't resist the pull. There was something alive in the woods, something both alluring and terrifyi

e eerie silence that followed, as though every creature had suddenly stilled. Goosebumps prickled her arms, and she t

he darkness. Standing just a few feet away was a massive wolf, its silver eyes glinting like coins in the faint light. This

d it be one of his pack? Or something else entirely? Before she

ght, his tone calm but firm. His usually impassive expression was set with gr

cked off, retreating into the darkness. Dominic's stance relaxed slight

, his voice low but intense. I told

ing me to stay away, to forget about all of this, but you're the one w

ough he might argue. Instead, he exhaled sharply, running

surrounding woods. The warmth of the fireplace inside was a stark contrast to the chill that clung to

ainst the counter with his arms crossed. A rogue. Wolves without a pack. They're dangerous bec

quieter now. Dominic's ga

dened. What

from a distance. To them, you're a weakness they can exploit. They think if they get t

n her, and she wasn't sure she could bear it. "Why can't you just let me

idered that? That I haven't tried? The bond doesn't work that way, Lily. Even if you left, they'd still co

let them fall. I didn't ask for any of this, she said, her vo

m sorry. If I could change it, I would. But this is our reality now. And wh

erself believe it. But the fear and uncertainty still lingered. She loo

his eyes. Now, we prepare. The rogues won't stop, and neither will

now hers to bear, and she wasn't sure she was ready. But one thing was clear: the life she'd kno

thened, she couldn't shake the feeling th