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Xar keeps his eyes on the road, his knuckles white against the steering wheel. His jaw’s clenched so tight, I swear I can hear his teeth grinding. “She’s a damn enigma, that’s what she is. Every time we try, we just hit a wall.” His voice is low, rough, like it’s been dragged through gravel. “And it’s not just her shutting us out – it’s everything about this place. The house. The way she keeps pushing us away.”

I can hear the frustration building in his words. “She’s not telling us anything. It’s like she’s hiding something.”

Blaise shrugs, but it’s clear he’s frustrated too. “Or maybe she just doesn’t want anyone in her life, mate. Maybe she’s been on her own for too long to let someone waltz in and act like they’ve got the answers.”

“Yeah, well, maybe she doesn’t need the answers,” I grumble. “But she sure as hell needssomeone. She’s anomega.You know what that means.”

The words hang in the air, and we all feel it. She’s an omega. That should say it all. The mystery of why she’s so isolated, so alone, is driving me insane. I need to get to the bottom of it. Omegas are not meant to be alone. They need packs, alphas, to care for them.

We pull into the driveway of the cottage in silence, the heavy rain washing over us like a cold blanket. We’re all thinking the same thing – this isn’t over. We’re not going to let her push us away so easily.

As we get inside, Xar slams the door behind him, frustration evident in the sharp motion. He walks over to the couch and collapses onto it, running a hand through his hair. “I’m done. We can’t just keep doing this.”

Blaise sits down next to him, leaning back into the cushions. “Yeah, because you’ve been so subtle about it.”

Xar shoots him a glare, but Blaise doesn’t flinch. I sit down across from them, leaning forward. I can feel the agitationcrawling under my skin. “What’s the plan now? We’re not getting anywhere with these excuses.” I gesture back toward the door as if she’s still standing there, dismissing us with that cold stare.

“I don’t know.” Xar’s voice is raw, like it’s been worn thin. “I don’t know what more we can do. I’m…I’m at the end of my rope here. I don’t even know why I care so much. But I do. I can’t explain it. My alpha is riding me hard, refusing to let me settle.”

Blaise lets out a tired sigh. “Well, the only way we’re getting through to her is if she lets us. And right now, it’s clear she doesn’t want to.”

“She doesn’t know what she wants,” Xar snaps, his frustration finally breaking through. “She’s pushing us away, and I can’t just sit here while she’s out there alone in that godforsaken house. We can help her.”

I feel my own temper start to rise, frustration bubbling up again. “But we can’t force her, Xar. If we keep doing this, we’re just going to make it worse. She’ll shut us out for good.”

The silence in the room is thick with unspoken thoughts. Xar’s face tightens, his hands balling into fists. “I don’t care if she shuts us out,” he mutters. “I can’t let it go. She’s not fine, Dane. I know she’s not fine.”

I don’t know how to respond to that. It’s like we’re trapped in this cycle, this endless loop of trying to push through the walls she’s put up. We keep coming up with new excuses, new ideas to win her over, but every time, we hit the same wall.

“Alright,” I say after a long pause, my voice quieter now, “what if we try something else? Something less direct, but still…maybe it’ll give us some ground. We’ve got to stop pushing her, but we can’t just back off completely.”

Xar looks up at me, clearly exhausted. “What do you suggest?”

I pause, my mind running over every interaction, every moment we’ve had with her. I think about how she’s responded to the smallest things – how she’s stayed strong, but you can see the cracks when she’s not looking. “Let’s just…show up to be cordial. No agenda, no ‘help’, no ‘fixing things’ – just a conversation. Be casual. Ask her if she wants to join us for something, you know? Coffee or whatever. Let her see we’re not trying to get anything out of it.”

Blaise raises an eyebrow. “You think she’ll fall for that?”

“It’s not about ‘falling for it,’” I say, rubbing my temples and resisting the urge to squeeze my knuckles until they pop. “It’s about making her see we’re not just here to disrupt her life. We’re not pushing her into something she’s not ready for. If she sees we’re just…trying to be normal, to be friendly, maybe she’ll warm up to the idea of us.”

There’s a pause, then Blaise grins, but there’s still a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. “I mean, it’s better than pretending we found her scarf.”

I can feel my frustration giving way to a reluctant hope. “Yeah. We’ll try it. But not today. Let’s give her a break and try again tomorrow or in a day or two. Maybe we could send her a gift before then.”

Xar stands up, his posture straightening with the resolve I’ve come to know so well. “Alright. But next time, we’re not leaving until she knows we’re not going anywhere. If she keeps shutting us down, fine, but I’m not walking away without her hearing us out first.”

We all exchange looks, the tension still thick between us. There’s a kind of unspoken understanding now. We’re not giving up on her.

Not yet.

EVIANA

The air in the house is suffocating.

I can’t breathe, can’t think straight. My heart is hammering in my chest, every second that passes feels like it’s dragging me deeper into a panic I can’t control. I close the curtains tighter, double-lock the doors, and pace the floors like a caged animal, knowing that no matter how many times I check everything, it won’t be enough.

They’re still out there. Somewhere. And it terrifies me. What if they come back? What if they don’t leave?

I was right. I should’ve stayed away. I should’ve kept my distance from them. I feel it whenever they’re around – the pull. The way my omega reacts. It’s still throbbing beneath my skin,a constant pressure that makes me want to crawl out of my own body.