Chapter 5

Thorne’s POV

As I ran through the woods by the northern border of my estate, the cold wind slicing through the trees, my thoughts raced faster than my paws. Matteo’s sudden interest in the borders of my land made little sense. Why now? And what role did Serene play in his schemes? She was cunning, far too cunning to be reduced to Matteo’s pawn, but her loyalties were as slippery as a rogue’s.

Darius was close behind me, his gait steady despite the uneven terrain. I knew he had questions, he always did. But before I could focus on his unspoken concerns, something hit me, a scent so potent it froze me mid stride.

I slowed, coming to an abrupt stop, my chest heaving. Darius caught up, looking confused. ‘What is it?’ he asked, but I barely heard him.

The scent wrapped itself around me like a command, primal and impossible to ignore. My wolf surged forward, clawing at my restraint, driving me toward it. Electricity prickled under my skin, and before I knew it, I bolted, leaving Darius without a word.

That scent was intoxicating, like fire and earth, burning through every coherent thought. I didn’t need to think. My wolf did it for me, pulling me deeper into the woods, away from the path, away from the prisoner we were meant to interrogate. Nothing else mattered.

The clearing opened up before me, and there she was.

A wolf with fur so dark it shimmered like blood beneath the moonlight, streaked with shadows that made her appear both fierce and ethereal. Her golden eyes locked with mine, and I felt it, no, we felt it. The mate bond roared to life, sending a possessive growl rumbling from my chest.

Mate.

The word echoed through my mind, primal and absolute. She stared back at me, unmoving, but I could feel the pull between us. The wild, uncontrollable urge to claim her, to make her mine, was almost overwhelming. My wolf howled inside me, desperate to close the distance between us.

I took a step forward, and that’s when I saw him.

A younger wolf lay beneath her, injured and barely conscious. Her body shielded his, protective but not defensive. The scent told me what I needed to know, they were members of my pack. But another detail struck me. The air around them, the quiet deference… Servants.

How could this be? My mate, my fated mate, was a lowly servant?

Her golden eyes didn’t waver as I approached. I caught the faint tremor in her injured leg, but she held herself with remarkable composure, her gaze meeting mine without hesitation. Her voice reached me then, soft but steady, cutting through the haze of the bond.

‘I can’t carry him, and my leg is injured.’

The words weren’t a plea. They were calm and apologetic, as if she expected nothing from me.

My wolf growled in frustration, but I spoke instead, my tone sharp and cold, betraying the storm inside me. ‘So what do you want me to do? Carry him for you?’

Her eyes narrowed, her composure slipping for a fraction of a second. ’At least show some compassion!’ she snapped, her tone firm. ‘Two of your wolves are injured, and you’re just going to leave us here defenseless? What kind of Alpha are you?’

I saw red, about to respond, but she cut me off, her words laced with quiet fury. ’Oh, wait, I know. The kind that traffics innocent people and turns them into slaves.’

Her accusation hit me like a blow, sharp and deliberate.

Before I could respond, I was cut off again, this time by Darius.

’Alpha, we need to move,’ he said, urgency in his tone. ‘There are rogues in the area. We can’t stay here.’

I hesitated, my eyes flicking back to her. She was watching me closely, her expression unreadable but her golden gaze unyielding.

A rogue’s howl pierced the air, sending a shiver through the clearing.

‘Alpha,‘ Darius urged, his tone low and tense. ‘What’s the call?’

My wolf snarled, torn between the urge to protect her and the growing danger closing in around us. For the first time, I hesitated, unsure of what to do next.

Another howl, closer this time.

I clenched my jaw, the weight of the moment pressing down on me. I turned to her, my tone low and steady. ‘Can you walk?’

She moved as if to respond, but the clearing erupted into chaos before she could answer. A rogue wolf lunged out of the shadows, its snarling jaws aimed directly at her throat.

Without a thought, I darted in the way of the wolf’s attack, bearing the force of its weight as it crashed into me and Ember. Her wolf flew from the blunt impact, rolling to a stop at the roots of a tree. Sparing a glance in her direction, I saw Darius deftly drag the unconscious pup away from us. Then, I turned my attention to the rogue making another lunge for my flank.

My fur bristled at the audacity, such confidence to attack an Alpha on his own territory. Without hesitation, I leapt for him, my claws aching to draw blood as I aimed for his face, but he dodged and snarled, red eyes locked onto my form. I heard another growl to my left and turned to see Darius circling a second rogue that had appeared while I was fighting the first, leaving Ember and the pup unprotected.

Sensing my distraction, the first rogue sank his fangs into my side, shaking his head viciously to inflict maximum damage. His neck was exposed, and I returned the favor, seizing him by the nape in a bone crushing bite. He released me, his muzzle dark with my blood as he thrashed, desperate to escape my hold. I bit down harder and heard a satisfying crunch. The rogue went limp.

Just then, one of my guards in his wolf form burst into the clearing, rushing toward Darius to assist him. The second rogue, seeing his fallen partner and the shifting odds, snarled viciously at Darius. But before Darius could attack again, the rogue turned and disappeared nto the woods, leaving a trail of blood behind him. Darius and the guard moved to give chase, but I stopped them.

‘Leave him,’ I commanded through the link.

I walked toward Ember’s wolf. She cowered, shaken, and averted her gaze.

‘The threat has passed,’ I said with irritation. ‘Take the pup back to camp.’

‘Th… thank you, Alpha,’ she said, her voice weak through the link. It made my wolf ache to comfort her, to lick her wounds, but I had wounds of my own to tend to.

‘Escort them to the campgrounds, carry the pup, and then report back to the pack house immediately,’ I ordered the guard. He nodded and briskly walked toward the pup, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck.

I watched them leave, Ember limping behind the guard as they disappeared into the bushes.

’Mate,’ my wolf growled after her, but I ignored him.