Page 1 of The Pack

CHAPTER 1

2 06 years after the Collapse

Zara Yorke

What the… actual… fuck ?

Startled, I woke up to the smell of damp moss, fresh rain, and the shocking realization that I wasn’t home in my own bed. With a deep breath, I pressed my fingers to the ground, finding it cold and uneven beneath me.

Fuck… This is really not good.

My eyes flew open, panic flaring in my chest. Above me, tree branches clawed at a gray sky, skeletal and bare, and for a moment I couldn’t breathe.

Where the hell was I?

I sat up fast, the world tilting on its edge, while my head pounded like a war drum. My hands pressed instinctively to my chest, but there was nothing there—no jacket, no shirt, nothing except the rough scrape of what felt like leather fabric against my skin. I looked down and froze.

I was dressed—if you could call it that, I guess —in some kind of crude leather wrap, tied haphazardly around me. It barely covered my thighs, left most of my shoulders bare, and clung too tightly around my chest. My arms were exposed, goosebumps racing up and down my skin in the cold. The leather looked handmade with rough stitching and uneven cuts. As if someone had hacked it and lashed it together in a hurry.

I hated it. Immediately.

Not just because it made me feel practically naked, but because it screamed of something primal, feral even. Something I couldn’t put my finger on, but that made my stomach twist with dread.

Why the hell was I dressed like this?

But more important, where the fuck was I?

I scrambled to my feet, my bare toes curling in the soft dirt. My knees shook, and for a moment I thought I’d collapse and fall to the ground, but I managed to steady myself by leaning on a nearby tree. My legs felt like they didn’t belong to me, and my head throbbed something fierce, but I forced myself to focus, to take inventory of where I was and what was happening.

It quickly became clear that I was in a forest. Dense, dark, and silent, except for the occasional rustle of wind through the trees. The air smelled damp, earthy, with a faint metallic tang I couldn’t quite identify. My hands patted my sides, my hips, searching for anything useful—a knife, a pack, a scrap of paper—but I came up completely empty. Whoever had dumped me here had left me with nothing.

And the worst part? I had no idea how I’d gotten here. Literally zero clue why I was here, and not home, safe and sound waking up in my own bed.

The last thing I remembered was… I paused, grasping at the slippery threads of my memory. There had been… a room? A table? The rumble of a car engine? Faces blurred in shadow?

No. There wasn’t anything there I could hold onto. My memory was gone. It was like someone had wiped my mind clean with a dirty rag, leaving nothing more than an inkling of fear and confusion behind. No matter how hard I focused on it, I couldn’t remember why I was here or even how I got here. I just came up blank.

“Focus,” I muttered, my voice hoarse. I swallowed hard, scanning my surroundings again. The trees stretched endlessly in every direction with no clear paths, and no signs of civilization. I was alone. Vulnerable.

Oh, fuck .

The back of my neck started to prickle and suddenly, the unmistakable sense that someone was watching came over me.

My fingers tightened against the bark of the tree, my breath hitching in the back of my throat. I turned my head slowly, scanning the shadows, looking for something, anything that could have given me that feeling that wouldn’t seem to go away.

Nothing.

But the feeling didn’t go away. It pressed down on me, heavy and oppressive, like a weight I couldn’t shake.

I didn’t like it one bit.

I crouched, moving slowly, my muscles tensing with adrenaline. My instincts screamed at me to find shelter, but I wasn’t about to run blindly into the trees. I knew better than to act without a plan.

First things first: I needed a weapon.

My eyes darted around, searching the ground. A fallen branch, thick and gnarled, lay a few feet away. It wasn’t much, but it was something I could use to defend myself at least. I crept toward it, keeping my movements quiet. When I reached it, I picked it up, testing its weight. It felt solid, the bark rough beneath my fingers, and it had a sharp point end, kind of like a spear.

With the branch in hand, I crouched lower, scanning the woods again. That feeling of being watched still hadn’t gone away. If anything, it had grown stronger, like the eyes on me had multiplied and my uneasy feeling increased exponentially.

A twig snapped somewhere behind me.

I whirled around, my heart lurching into my throat. The forest was still. Too still. The kind of stillness that made me want to hold my breath and listen hard for a sign of whatever was out there.

“Who’s there?” I called out, my voice much louder than I intended.

No answer.

But I could feel it now. Something—or someone—was out there. Watching me. Following me.

I tightened my grip on the branch, forcing myself to stay calm. Whatever was out there, I wasn’t going to let it catch me off guard. My chest heaved with quick, shallow breaths, but I squared my shoulders and prepared myself for anything.

If this was some kind of sick joke, I wasn’t laughing. Not even a little bit. I just wanted it to end. Right here. Right now.

Another sound—a low rustle, closer this time. The hair on the back of my neck stood up.

I didn’t wait to find out what it was.

I turned and bolted into the trees. I ran, branches slashing at my bare arms and legs as I pushed through the underbrush. The forest blurred around me—gray, green, brown—a chaotic swirl of shapes and shadows as I sprinted through the trees. Having no idea where I was going, I just ran like my life depended on it. My breath came in quick bursts, each one dragging fire through my chest.

The sound of something moving behind me was growing louder.

Closer.

It wasn’t just footsteps through the brush like a normal person’s would be. It was the heavy, uneven thud of something big. An animal, maybe? Something that didn’t care about being quiet. The feeling in my chest went from bad to worse.

It was like I was being hunted …

I skidded to a halt, my bare feet digging into the dirt as I whipped my head around, scanning for anything— anything —I could use to my advantage. My eyes landed on a rocky outcrop just a few paces to my right.

It wasn’t much, but it would have to do. I read somewhere that high ground is easier to defend. I’d take any advantage I could get right now.

I darted toward it, adrenaline fueling my legs. The rocks were slick with moss, and my foot slipped as I scrambled up, my palms scraping against the rough surface. I reached the top and crouched low, my makeshift spear clutched tightly in my hands.

The sound of snapping branches and pounding footsteps stopped along with me.

Then there was silence. Heavy, oppressive silence.

I strained to hear, my heartbeat thundering in my ears. My chest rose and fell as I gripped the branch tighter, the wood biting into my palms, and I gulped down my fear, trying to feel brave.

Then a monster emerged from the trees like a nightmare made flesh.

It was a wolf, but not like any wolf I’d ever seen.

It was huge , easily the size of a horse, its fur black as midnight and matted with dirt and blood. Its eyes glowed an unnatural yellow, so bright they almost seemed to burn like the depths of hell. Saliva dripped from its bared teeth, its massive chest heaving as it growled—a low, guttural sound that vibrated through the air and into my bones.

I froze, every muscle in my body screaming at me to run, but there was nowhere to go. Nowhere else to run.

The wolf’s gaze locked onto mine, and for a second, time seemed to stop.

Then it lunged for me.

I barely had time to throw myself to the side as it leapt onto the outcrop, its claws raking through the space where I’d just been. I hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the air from my lungs. The wolf turned to face me, its massive body crouched low, its jaws snapping as it advanced toward me.

I scrambled backwards, my mind racing. My spear—my only weapon—was still clutched in my hands. But what was I supposed to do with it against something this big? How was I supposed to survive this?

The wolf lunged again, and I swung the branch wildly, the impact jarring up my arms as it hit the side of its face. The wolf yelped, but the blow barely slowed it down. It was on me in seconds, its claws swiping at my legs. I kicked out, connecting with its snout, and it snarled, shaking its head violently.

I scrambled backwards, my back hitting the rock behind me. My eyes darted around, desperate for an opening, a plan, anything . The wolf crouched again, preparing for another leap.

This time, I moved first.

I surged to my feet and swung the branch down in a wide arc, slamming it into the wolf’s side. The force of the blow made it stagger, and I used the moment to dash toward the far side of the outcrop. My foot caught on a jagged rock, and I stumbled, the branch flying from my hands.

I hit the ground hard, but as I scrambled to my knees, my fingers closed around the branch again and a desperate idea began to form in my mind.

I turned, planting the base of the spear-like branch into the crevice of the rocks. I angled it upward, the sharp, splintered end pointing directly toward the wolf. My hands pressed against the base, locking it in place.

The wolf snarled, its glowing eyes blazing with fury. It launched itself toward me, all teeth and claws and raw animal rage.

Time slowed. My heartbeat thundered in my ears.

I held my ground, the spear braced against the rock.

The wolf slammed into it.

For a split second, I thought the force would snap the branch in two—but then the pointed end sank deep into the wolf’s chest. It let out a sound that was half-roar, half-scream, its body convulsing as the momentum drove it further onto the spear.

The impact knocked me flat on my back, and I watched, wide-eyed, as the wolf thrashed above me. Blood poured from the wound, hot and dark, staining the moss-covered rocks beneath it. Its glowing eyes flickered, dimming, and its giant body slumped forward, pinning the spear between us.

For a moment, I didn’t move. Couldn’t move. My chest heaved, my breath ragged, as I stared at the creature. My heart hadn’t stopped racing.

Then something happened that made my stomach drop.

The wolf… changed.

Its body began to shrink, its fur receding, its limbs twisting unnaturally. The snarling maw became a human mouth, the claws softening into fingers. Within seconds, the wolf was gone.

In its place lay a man.

He was young—maybe mid-twenties—his face pale and smeared with blood. His chest was still impaled on the spear, his lifeless eyes staring back at me.

I scrambled backward, horror twisting in my gut. My hands were shaking, my breath coming in short, panicked gasps.

“What… the hell?” I whispered.

The man’s body lay still, blood pooling beneath him. But even as I stared, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t over.

Because if he had been following me, that meant one thing: there had to be more like him out there. I couldn’t stay here.

Adrenaline was still surging through me, and I needed to keep moving. I couldn’t risk being caught again. Not like this—not with nothing but a stick to defend myself.

I crouched and yanked the branch free from his chest with a wet, sickening, sucking sound. It wasn’t much use anymore; the tip had splintered and dulled. I tossed it aside, scanning the area for anything else that could help me.

My eyes landed on some jagged rocks.

It didn’t take long to find one that fit in my hand—a sharp-edged stone with a point that looked like it could do some damage if I wielded it right. I wrapped my fingers around it, testing the weight, and finding it just right. It wasn’t perfect, but it would have to do.

I tore a strip of leather from the crude wrap I was wearing, using it to fashion a makeshift handle around the rock and make a knife of sorts. My hands were shaking, my breath coming in shallow gasps, but I worked quickly, tying it tight. I swung it around the few times, testing its weight. It wasn’t much of a weapon, but it felt solid in my hand.

With my stone knife in hand, I took one last look at the body—now completely still and eerily human—and turned to run.

The forest was dense, the underbrush thick, but I moved quickly, weaving through the trees. The air was colder now, the sun sinking lower in the sky, casting long shadows that seemed to stretch toward me like pointed claws that threatened to rip through me without a care.

I didn’t stop running until my legs burned and my lungs felt like they might burst. When I felt like I’d run far enough, I slowed, crouching behind a thick tree to catch my breath. My mind raced, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

That wasn’t just a wolf or some ordinary animal. That was a person.

A wolf shifter .

The stories I’d heard back in… wherever I’d come from—shifters were supposed to lose their humanity entirely. They were supposed to be nothing but animals, mindless and feral. But the man I’d killed… he’d become a human again, even if only for a moment.

Where the fuck was I?

I didn’t have time to dwell on it because my whole world went to shit in a matter of seconds.

A twig snapped behind me, loud in the ensuing silence.

I spun around, my makeshift weapon raised, and froze.

A man stood a few paces away, naked and wild-looking, his body taut with muscle. His hair was dark and unruly, falling in tangled waves around his face. His skin was smeared with dirt and streaked with faint scars, his chest heaving as if he’d been running for miles.

For some reason, my next thought was that he was stunning.

Even in the fading light, I couldn’t help but notice the angular cut of his jaw, the intensity in his dark eyes, the way his muscles rippled as he moved toward me. I glanced downward and I couldn’t help but notice that his thick cock was fully erect too.

And it was big. Like really fucking big.

I swallowed hard and immediately forced my gaze back up to his face, but I couldn’t help but notice the heat swirling in the pit of my belly.

He seemed positively feral. There was something raw and magnetic that made my pulse quicken—not just in fear, but with a heat that simmered deep in my belly.

No. No . That wasn’t okay.

I gritted my teeth, shaking off the unwelcome flicker of desire. This wasn’t the time—or the person—for that.

The man’s lips curled back, revealing teeth that were almost human, but just a little too sharp. His movements were slow, predatory, as he stepped closer. His eyes locked onto mine, and I felt a shiver run down my spine.

“Stay back,” I snapped, raising my weapon in front of me. My voice wavered, but I tightened my grip, trying to look more confident than I felt.

Fake it till you make it, right?

That didn’t stop him.

He lunged for me.

I barely had time to react, swinging my stone knife toward him. He dodged, moving with an animalistic speed that made my stomach twist. His hand shot out, grabbing my wrist in an iron-like grip.

“Let go!” I yelled, struggling against him. His strength was overpowering, his fingers digging into my skin as he wrenched the knife from my hand and tossed it aside.

Before I could recover, he shoved me back against a tree. The impact knocked the wind out of me, and I gasped, clawing at his arms as he pressed his body against mine.

His face was close now, so close I could feel his breath on my skin. His eyes burned with something wild, something dangerous—and something else.

Ravenous hunger. Raw aching desire. For me.

“No. Not like this,” I choked out, thrashing against him.

He didn’t speak, didn’t make a sound, but his hands gripped the leather wrap I was wearing, tugging at it roughly. Panic surged through me as I realized what he was about to do.

I didn’t want this!

I thrashed harder, my fingers scrambling for anything I could use against him. My hand brushed against a rock on the ground, and I grabbed it, lifting it high.

With every ounce of strength I had, I brought the rock down on his head.

The man let out a guttural snarl, his grip loosening for a split second. I didn’t waste a precious second. I swung the rock again, harder this time, connecting with his temple with a ferocious smack.

He staggered back, blood streaming down the side of his face. For a moment, he just stood there, swaying, his eyes wide and unfocused. Then he collapsed, his body hitting the ground with a heavy thud.

I stumbled away, my breath coming in ragged gasps. My hands were trembling, the rock slipping from my fingers as I stared at him. Blood pooled beneath his head, dark and viscous, soaking into the dirt as seconds slowly ticked by.

I didn’t wait to see if he would get back up.

I grabbed my knife from where he’d tossed it and ran.

The forest was darker now, the shadows deeper, the air colder. My mind was racing, my heart pounding as I tried to process what had just happened.

These shifters weren’t just feral animals.

They were human enough to want to kill me—and worse, human enough to want to try to pin me to the ground and rape me.

And I wasn’t going to wait around to find out how many more of them were out here.

I was going to get the fuck out of Dodge.

The forest seemed endless, the trees pressing in tighter as I ran, my legs screaming for rest and my lungs burning. The smell of blood lingered on my hands, sour and metallic, but I didn’t have time to stop and clean it off. Not when the forest felt alive with unseen eyes and sounds that made my heart jump at any given moment. Every rustle of leaves, every crack of a branch made me whip my head around, my makeshift knife clenched so tightly my knuckles ached.

The sun was sinking lower, the light turning orange and golden as it bled through the trees. Soon, it would be gone, and the thought of being caught out here in the dark sent fresh fear flooding through me. I needed shelter. Somewhere hidden, somewhere safe.

But nothing about this place felt safe. It kind of felt more like a death sentence.

Finally, I found a small hollow beneath the roots of a massive oak. The tree had toppled years ago, its roots jutting upward like a twisted skeleton, leaving a shallow space underneath. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.

I dropped to my knees, crawling inside. The ground was moist and smelled of dirt and decay, but it was hidden, and that was all that mattered. I pressed my back against the roots, clutching the stone knife to my chest as I tried to catch my breath.

The silence of the forest was oppressive now, broken only by the occasional distant cry of birds or the soft rustle of the wind. My muscles ached, and exhaustion was creeping in, but I couldn’t afford to sleep, not yet.

So, for a few minutes, I just sat and caught my breath before I began to move again.

I spent the next hour gathering what I could without straying too far from my shelter—dry leaves, small branches, anything I could use to keep warm or set up a tiny barrier at the mouth of the hollow. The light was fading fast, and my nerves were more than a little frayed. I’d heard no signs of any more wolves coming after me, but that didn’t mean I was as alone as I hoped. I was careful with every step to be as quiet as humanly possible, just to be safe.

As the last rays of sunlight bled away, leaving the forest cloaked in darkness, I crouched back inside the hollow. My heart thudded in my chest as I lit a small fire with a spark of flint I found nearby and some dry grass.

I couldn’t remember how I knew what flint was or how to start a fire with it, but when I saw the gray rock lying there, I just knew what it was and what to do with it. Thank goodness, because I needed a campfire like I needed to breathe tonight. The flickering flames caused long shadows to dance on the walls of my shelter, and I wrapped my arms around my knees, staring into the fire.

I tried not to think about the men—the shifters —I’d killed.

Or the fact that there might be more of them out there, hunting me. Could they smell me, scent me somehow? Was that how they were finding me? I shook my head, dropping it into my hands as the fire crackled in front of me, before I finally curled up and tried to get some rest.

Sleep came in restless bursts, broken by the faintest of sounds: an owl’s hoot, the crack of a branch, the sigh of the wind. I jolted awake more times than I could count, my knife clutched tightly in my hand, all my senses straining for any hint of danger.

But exhaustion was a cruel thing, and eventually, it dragged me back under.

And I started to dream.

His face was the only thing I could see. I should have recognized him, but I couldn’t quite place him. He was familiar all the same.

His dark eyes, so much like mine, stared at me with a mix of fear and determination. His face was streaked with dirt, a gash cutting across his cheekbone, but he was alive. He was always so stubbornly, defiantly alive.

“Zara,” he said, his voice low and urgent. “You can’t let them find me.”

I reached for him, my hand trembling. “I won’t,” I whispered, the words tearing out of me like a promise I couldn’t afford to break.

The scene shifted, the edges of the dream blurring like smoke in the wind. I was in the woods now, the trees thick and dark around us. I couldn’t see him anymore, but I could feel him—his presence just out of reach, his footsteps crunching on the leaves ahead.

“Stay with me,” I called, my voice breaking.

He didn’t answer.

Then came the sound of heavy boots, of voices shouting, and the loud crack of a rifle echoing through the forest.

I turned toward the noise, my heart hammering in my chest. The woods were closing in, the shadows clawing at me as I ran, desperate to find him, to warn him, to do something.

His face flashed again, but this time it was different. His expression was hollow, his eyes wide with terror. He reached for me, his lips moving, but no sound came. Behind him, the world blurred into chaos—flashing lights, gunfire, the faint outline of men in uniforms dragging him away.

“Zara,” he said again, this time barely a whisper.

And then he was gone.

I jolted awake, gasping for breath, my hand clutching the knife so tightly my knuckles ached. I stared at the simmering coals still left of my small fire for a long moment before closing my eyes again, and I fell back asleep.

The rest of the night passed by, somehow, and when the first light of dawn crept over the horizon, I felt a brief, fleeting sense of relief.

It didn’t last.

I woke to the sound of growling.

Not a single growl, but many—low, guttural, and close. My eyes snapped open, and, for a moment, I thought I was still dreaming— please, let me still be dreaming —but no. The fire had burned down to embers, the world outside my hollow was pale gray with morning light, and the growling was real.

I crawled to the edge of the hollow, my movements slow and silent. My heart was pounding so loudly I was sure whatever was out there could hear it.

Then I saw them.

A pack of wolves, six or seven of them, stalking through the trees.

They were massive, larger than the wolf I’d seen yesterday, their fur matted and patchy, their yellow eyes glowing faintly in the soft light of morning. Their movements were jerky, unnatural, as if they were barely holding themselves together. Some were fully wolf-like, others with warped human limbs or faces peeking through the fur. The sight of them was terrifying.

Shifters. More of them…

My breath caught in my throat as I watched them sniff the air, their heads turning toward my hollow. My fingers tightened around the knife.

Fuck. They’d caught my scent.

The largest of the pack—a hulking beast with black fur and eyes like burning coals—let out a bone-chilling howl. The others joined in, their cries echoing through the forest.

And then they charged.

“Shit!” I scrambled backward as they barreled toward the hollow. The roots of the tree provided some cover, but it wouldn’t hold for long. I gritted my teeth, my mind racing.

Think, Zara. Think.

The first wolf hit the hollow like a battering ram, its claws tearing at the roots. I lunged forward, slashing with my knife. The blade caught it across the snout, and it yelped, pulling back, but another was already pushing forward.

I kicked out, catching the second one in the jaw. It snapped at my leg, its teeth missing my skin by mere inches. I slashed again, this time aiming for the eyes, but it was too fast, and I missed.

Desperate to get away, I rolled out of the hollow and staggered to my feet, clutching the knife as the pack closed in around me. Their growls filled the air, their glowing eyes fixed on me like I was the most enticing kind of prey.

This was really bad…

I swung the knife wildly as one lunged at me, catching it across the throat. Blood sprayed, and the wolf crumpled to the ground, twitching, but there were still too many of them to even think about celebrating my victory in that moment.

The leader of the pack growled low, crouching as it prepared to spring. I backed up, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps. My hands were slick with blood. I hoped it wasn’t mine.

I didn’t know how this could get any worse. My outlook was looking pretty fucking dismal right now.

I couldn’t outrun them. I couldn’t fight them all.

I was going to die.

Another wolf leapt at me, its teeth bared, and I ducked, stabbing upward with the knife. The blade sank into its chest, and it collapsed, taking the knife with it.

I was unarmed now.

Okay. Things could definitely get worse.

The pack closed in, their growls rising to a fever pitch. My back hit a tree, and I pressed myself against it, my eyes darting wildly for an escape that didn’t exist.

The leader snarled, its massive body coiled to strike.

And then it leapt.

Time slowed.

I braced myself against the tree, arms raised to shield my face. My scream cut through the morning air, raw and terrified.

This was it. This was the moment I would die.

But the killing blow never came.

Instead, a giant shape slammed into the pack leader midair, knocking it aside with a thunderous crash. The black wolf hit the ground, snarling and thrashing, as a second wolf, a massive silver-furred beast, towered over it.

Another growl sounded to my right, and I turned to see a huge white wolf charge into the fray, its fur gleaming like snow in the pale morning light. It went straight for one of the smaller shifters, crashing into it with a force that sent both of them tumbling into the underbrush.

And then more wolves appeared.

Five of them burst from the forest like an incoming storm. They were nothing like the feral pack of shifters. They moved with purpose, with power and grace. Their fur shone in shades of silver, white, deep gray, blackish-gray, and reddish-brown, their eyes knowledgeable and intelligent. Where the feral shifter pack was wild and mangy, these wolves were absolutely majestic, regal.

Controlled.

They attacked with coordinated precision, working together like they’d been doing this for years. One distracted a shifter while another went for the kill. They fought like soldiers, each movement purposeful and efficient.

The black-furred pack leader recovered and lunged at the silver wolf, but the silver one was faster. It ducked under the attack, its massive jaws clamping down on the black wolf’s neck. The two rolled across the ground, snarling and biting, a blur of fur and teeth.

My heart thundered as I watched, frozen in place. The forest was alive with the sounds of battle: snarls, yelps, the snap of jaws, and the crack of branches.

The white wolf finished off another shifter, its sharp teeth sinking into the creature’s throat. It didn’t stop to savor the victory, instead spinning around to help one of the others.

It was pure chaos.

I didn’t know who these wolves were or why they were helping me, but I wasn’t about to stick around and find out.

I turned and bolted.

My bare feet pounded against the ground as I ran, the sounds of the fight fading behind me. Adrenaline pushed me forward, my mind screaming one word over and over.

Run.

I tore through the forest, ducking under low-hanging branches and vaulting over fallen logs. The trees began to thin, and soon I found myself at the edge of a small ravine.

The morning sun was higher overhead now and I glanced up at it, thankful for the light. A narrow stream trickled through the center, its water clear and sparkling. The sound of it was soothing, almost enough to make me believe I was safe.

At least for a couple of moments…

I slid down the slope, my feet skidding on loose dirt and pebbles. When I reached the bottom, I collapsed onto my knees beside the stream, my chest heaving. I splashed water onto my face, washing away the sweat and blood.

For a moment, I allowed myself to breathe.

“I got away,” I whispered, the words barely audible over the rush of the stream. My hands trembled as I cupped more water, drinking deeply.

The memory of the fight lingered in my mind, flashes of teeth and claws, of those five massive, beautiful wolves. They weren’t like the shifters I’d fought so far. They didn’t move like mindless beasts. There was something… different about them.

But I didn’t have time to dwell on it. I needed to keep moving.

My muscles ached as I pushed myself to my feet. I glanced back up the slope, half-expecting to see those wolves standing there, watching me.

But the forest was still.

For now, I was alone.

I had no idea where I was going or what was waiting for me ahead, but one thing was certain: I couldn’t stop. Not until I was sure I was safe.

If that was even possible anymore.

I needed another weapon.

My eyes scanned the ground as I trudged along, desperate for anything I could use. And then I saw a branch lying on the bank of the stream, half-buried in mud.

It wasn’t perfect. It was too long and too rough, but it was thick and solid, and it had a pointed end where it had snapped.

A poor woman’s spear.

I strode over to it, wiping the mud away and testing its weight in my hands. It was lighter than I expected, but it felt good.

My grip tightened as I turned back toward the forest, my ears straining for any sound. I still didn’t trust the quiet, not after everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours.

The wind shifted, carrying a scent that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Earthy. Musky. Strangely enticing…

Wolf…

I froze, my heart slamming against my ribs.

The controlled wolves appeared without warning, their massive forms emerging from the forest above. One by one, they leapt down into the ravine with unnaturally beautiful grace, landing lightly on the rocky bank not far from me.

I backed up, my hands shaking as I held the stick in front of me like a shield. All five of them stopped and turned their heads toward me.

Their glowing eyes locked onto me, intelligent and unyielding. They didn’t snarl or growl like the other shifters had. They didn’t need to. Their presence alone was enough to send a chill racing down my spine.

“What do you want?” I demanded, my voice cracking a little despite my best effort to sound strong. My knuckles whitened as I gripped the stick, the pointed end trembling slightly. “Stay back!”

The silver wolf, the one that had led the charge against the shifters, stepped forward. Its fur gleamed in the sunlight, its sheer size dwarfing any wolf I’d ever seen before, including those vile ones that had tried to kill me. It moved slowly, as if it were trying not to scare me.

Too late for that.

It stopped a few feet away, its head tilting slightly as it studied me.

“I said, stay back !” I shouted, lunging forward with the stick.

I jabbed the pointed end toward the wolf, desperate to keep it away. But as I struck out, something impossible happened.

The wolf moved with blinding speed, dodging my jab. In the same instant, its form rippled and shifted, its fur melting away to reveal skin, its snout retracting into the much sharper line of a human jaw.

Before I could react, the wolf was gone.

In its place stood a man.

No, not just a man. A living fucking god.

He was tall and lean, his muscles carved like stone. His skin was sun-kissed, as if he’d spent his whole life outdoors, and his dark hair—short and tousled—gleamed like polished steel. His eyes, the same piercing silver as the wolf’s fur, bore into mine, their intensity freezing me in place right where I stood.

He was beautiful .

But there was nothing soft or inviting about him. His expression was tense, his jaw clenched, his body coiled with the same predatory energy as the wolf had. He wasn’t just a man. He was something more.

And now he had the stick.

I hadn’t even seen him grab it. One moment, I was holding it; the next, his hand had shot out, wrapping around the other end with impossible speed. Before I could react, he used the stick to pull me toward him, the motion so quick and smooth I stumbled forward and slammed into his chest.

“Hey!” I shouted, trying to push away, but his hand was already gripping my wrist, iron-strong and unyielding.

Up close, he was even more intimidating. He towered over me, his bare chest rising and falling steadily as he stared down at me. His features were striking, all angles and rugged edges, but his eyes… his eyes were what held me captive.

They glowed faintly, like molten silver, and there was something behind them, something ancient, something dangerous, and I very much didn’t want to stick around and find out.

“Let go of me!” I snapped, struggling against his hold.

He didn’t. His grip didn’t tighten, but it didn’t loosen either. It was like being caught in a trap—no pain, just absolute control.

I glared up at him, trying to muster some kind of defiance despite the fear swirling in my chest, but it was increasingly difficult.

“I don’t care who—or what—you are. Back. Off,” I blurted out.

He glanced to my makeshift stick-turned-spear still clutched in his other hand. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, as if he were amused by my attempt to defend myself.

“Bold,” he said, his voice deep and smooth, with a faint accent I couldn’t place. It was the first word he’d spoken, and it sent a shiver through me—not because of the sound, but because of the way it felt. Like a command.

I didn’t like how my body reacted to it.

“Let me go,” I said again, my voice trembling now.

He tilted his head, his expression unreadable. “Why are you running?”

“Why do you think?” I shot back, my breath hitching as I struggled harder. His body was warm, impossibly warm, and the proximity was making my skin prickle with an unsettling mix of fear and… something else.

Desire.

I clenched my teeth, shoving the thought away.

Not now, Zara. Focus.

His eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I thought he might actually release me. But then his expression hardened, his grip tightening just slightly—not enough to hurt, but enough to remind me that I wasn’t the one in control here.

He was.

“You’re not safe out here,” he said, his voice low.

I laughed bitterly, trying to ignore the fact that his bare chest was pressed against me. The hard line of his cock brushed my hip, and a sharp bolt of piercing desire raced straight down to the center of my being.

“And you think I’m safer with you?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he turned his head slightly, as if listening to something I couldn’t hear.

The other wolves—the ones who had remained in wolf form—were standing behind him now, watching us with unblinking eyes.

It was kind of eerie.

I felt the weight of all their stares, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the man in front of me. Not when his body was still so firmly pressed against mine.

“What do you want?” I whispered.

His eyes met mine again, and for a split second, something softened in his expression.

He tilted his head again, with a slight smile.

“We want you.”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. For a moment, I just stood there, but then I gritted my teeth and lifted my chin. I needed to put on a brave front and fight this.

“Excuse me?” I asked, incredulous.

He couldn’t be serious, right?

“You heard me.” His voice was calm, even, like this was the most obvious thing in the world.

My eyes darted to the other wolves. They hadn’t moved, their hulking forms still and silent, but their presence was suffocating. They weren’t snarling or growling, but somehow that made it worse. It made it seem like they were planning something, and an anxious feeling spiraled up from the tips of my toes.

“Yeah, no, thanks,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended. “I’m not exactly looking to join a pack of… whatever you are.”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by my defiance. “Do you even know what we are?”

“I’ve got a pretty good guess,” I shot back, gesturing vaguely at him and the wolves. “Big, scary wolves who turn into smug, naked men. Congratulations, you’ve got range.”

The smirk on his face deepened. “And yet, we just saved your life.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

“No,” he agreed, his tone light, almost teasing. “But you needed us to. And now we want you.”

I felt a flare of anger at his calm arrogance, and it pushed me past the edge of fear. I straightened, meeting his stare head-on despite the way his eyes seemed to burn straight through me.

“What do you mean, you want me?” I asked, my voice shaking just a bit.

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he curled his arm around my waist, pulling me closer, and my breath caught in my throat. The sunlight filtering through the trees cast him in sharp relief: his lean, powerful body, the dark tousled hair that somehow made him look even more dangerous, and those damned beautiful eyes.

“You’re different,” he said finally, more quietly now.

“That doesn’t mean you can just claim me like… like some kind of prize,” I snapped.

“We’re not claiming you,” he said. “At least, not yet.”

“Not yet?” I repeated, my voice rising. “Wow, thanks for the warning. Should I pencil that in my calendar, or do you guys send out formal invitations?”

One of the wolves behind him let out a low growl, but he silenced it with a lift of a finger. His focus never left me, though, and his eyes softened slightly—just slightly.

“You’re scared,” he said, his tone almost gentle now.

I clenched my fists, forcing myself not to flinch.

“No shit, I’m scared. A pack of feral wolves just tried to eat me, and now I’ve got you and your… your pack staring at me like I’m the main fucking course,” I blurted out.

“You’re not prey,” he said firmly. “At least, not to us.”

“Then what am I?”

His gaze lingered on me for a moment before he answered. “A human. And humans are incredibly rare here these days. Especially ones like you.”