Chapter 49

I slipped out of Killian's cabin, the night swallowing me whole as I made my way through the darkened woods. There was a heaviness in the air, a feeling that something was watching me. I brushed it off, focusing on my mission to escape the suffocating tension inside.

But then, I felt it—the unmistakable sensation of being watched. I turned, my heart pounding against my ribs, and there he was, Lycan Steven, his eyes gleaming in the dim light cast by a flickering lamppost.

We locked gazes in a silent standoff.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, trying to mask the tremor in my voice.

"I should ask you that," Steven replied, his tone edged with barely contained anger. "What are you doing inside an omega's cabin?"

I bristled at the insult to Killian. "It's none of your business," I retorted, but before I could react, Steven grabbed my wrist, his grip surprisingly tight. I winced, shocked by his sudden aggression.

"I don't understand, Nathalie," Steven said, his voice strained. "Why are