Chapter 3

Ariana arrived at the lush meadow, the place she always retreated to whenever she felt lonely or needed a moment of solitude.

It was a hidden paradise she had discovered as a child, but she had never dared to tell her father about it, knowing he would forbid her from coming.

That was why she had insisted on living in the city—so she could always slip away to this secret haven.

Stepping onto the soft grass, she inhaled deeply, letting the crisp scent of flowers and fresh earth fill her lungs. The gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze felt like a familiar lullaby, comforting and calming.

“I missed this,” she murmured to herself. “The scent of the flowers, the cool air, the dancing trees…”

Ariana reached for the sword strapped to her back and drew it with a practiced motion.

The blade gleamed under the moonlight as she took a deep breath, steadying herself before launching into a series of swift, precise movements.

She swung the sword to her left, then to her right, slicing through the empty space as though battling an invisible enemy.

Though she was the Alpha of her pack, she never neglected her training—both in her wolf and human forms.

She had been raised to be strong, never allowing herself to fall victim to intimidation.

Being an Alpha meant more than just leadership; it was her responsibility to protect her pack at all costs.

Even though the elders, betas, deltas, and her father were still around, the weight of command rested on her shoulders.

She had been chosen, and that meant she had to be stronger than anyone else.

Ariana continued her training, her movements fluid and calculated. She twisted her body into a backflip, her sword slicing the air before she landed gracefully.

With each move, she tested her agility and precision, perfecting a new skill she had been working on.

Then, suddenly—

A deep, guttural howl echoed through the night, followed by the unmistakable sound of heavy footsteps pounding against the forest floor.

Ariana froze, her muscles tensing.

“Werewolf howls…” she whispered, narrowing her eyes. “But my pack is far from here. It can’t be them… What’s going on?”

Instinct kicked in, and she swiftly moved toward the direction of the noise. Keeping her presence concealed, she maneuvered through the trees until she reached a small clearing. There, she saw them—two men locked in a vicious fight.

One of them was enormous, clad in black, with a broad chest and towering over his opponent. Despite the size difference, the smaller man fought fiercely, landing powerful blows that sent the larger one staggering.

Ariana watched intently, her grip tightening around her sword.

The smaller man managed to throw the larger one to the ground, but before he could deliver a final strike, his enemy grabbed a sharp object from the ground. In one swift motion, he drove it into the smaller man’s side.

A painful howl tore through the air.

The wounded man’s eyes flashed gold as his fangs elongated. With his last ounce of strength, he lunged forward, sinking his teeth into his attacker’s neck. A sickening crunch followed as the larger man’s body went limp. Blood pooled beneath him.

Ariana remained hidden, her heart pounding as she took in the aftermath. The wounded werewolf swayed on his feet, his breaths coming in ragged gasps.

“It’s not my business,” she muttered under her breath. “Werewolves fight their own battles. It’s not wise to interfere.”

She turned to leave—but then the man collapsed.

Something inside her stirred, an instinct she couldn’t ignore. Without hesitation, she rushed to his side and knelt beside him. Checking his pulse, she found it weak but still present. He was barely clinging to life.

Ariana gritted her teeth.

“Damn it,” she hissed.

Ignoring the weight of his body, she lifted him with all the strength she had and carried him to her car. As soon as she secured him inside, she sped back to the pack’s territory, her mind racing.

By the time she reached the pack’s compound, her tires screeched against the pavement as she slammed on the brakes.

“I need help!” she shouted, drawing the attention of two nearby warriors.

Without hesitation, they ran to assist, lifting the unconscious man from the car.

“Bring him to one of the spare rooms,” she ordered, leading the way inside.

The warriors carried the man up the stairs, laying him on the bed. Ariana stood over him, her arms crossed, watching as his chest rose and fell shallowly.

“Call the doctor!” she barked.

Within minutes, Justin and Ariel, two of her trusted pack members, rushed into the room.

“What happened?” Justin asked, his sharp eyes darting from Ariana to the injured man.

“I found him fighting another werewolf,” Ariana explained. “He managed to kill the other guy, but he was severely wounded. He fainted from blood loss, so I brought him back here.”

“You should have taken him to a hospital,” Justin argued. “This is the human world—we can’t risk exposure—”

“He’s a werewolf,” Ariana interrupted, her tone firm.

Justin’s eyes widened. “What did you just say?”

“I’m not stupid enough to bring a human here,” she snapped. “He’s a werewolf. That’s why I brought him to our pack, where he can be properly treated.”

Before Justin could respond, the doctor arrived. They stepped aside as he examined the unconscious man. After a few tense minutes, the doctor straightened.

“He’s stable,” the doctor announced. “He fainted due to blood loss, but he’s strong. He just needs rest, and he’ll regain his strength soon.”

Ariana nodded.

“He’ll wake up anytime now,” the doctor continued. “He’s a high-ranked werewolf, much like yourself, Ariana. You should keep a close eye on him. Once he wakes up, question him.”

“Understood,” Ariana said.

As the doctor gathered his supplies and left, Ariana turned to Ariel.

“Assign two warriors to guard this room at all times,” she ordered.

“Already done,” Ariel replied with a nod.

Justin exhaled sharply. “So, what’s the plan now?”

“Have you forgotten why we’re here?” Ariana asked, her lips curling into a smirk.

“Of course not,” Justin said. “But we still don’t have any leads on the enemy pack.”

“Not necessarily,” Ariana countered.

Justin frowned. “What do you mean?”

Ariana gestured to the unconscious werewolf. “Think about it. Werewolves are rarely seen in the city. He isn’t from our pack, which means he belongs to another one. That means he might know something about the enemy pack.”

Realization dawned on Justin’s face. “So, when he wakes up…”

“We question him,” Ariana finished.

Ariel smirked. “Smart thinking, Ariana.”

Ariana turned toward the door. “It’s late. Get some rest. I’ll be in my room if anything happens.”

Justin and Ariel nodded, each heading to their own quarters. Before leaving, Ariel made one last round, ensuring the pack was secure for the night.