The morning air was crisp as the sun began to break through the veil of mist clinging to the mountain village. Ivy awoke with a jolt, her body sore and her mind still clouded by the events of the previous night—the wolf, the stranger, and the mark on her shoulder that burned faintly like a forgotten fire.
She sat up in the worn bed, surrounded by the scent of pine and smoke, and glanced around the cabin. It was quiet. The stranger—Killian—was nowhere in sight. A note lay on the nightstand beside her, written in sharp, deliberate strokes.
"Stay inside. Do not open the door unless it's me."
Her breath caught. The warning felt more ominous than protective, but something inside her trusted him, despite the deep chill he carried. She touched the side of her neck where his eyes had lingered the longest. He had looked at her as if… he knew her.
But how could that be?
A soft growl echoed from outside, low and distant, but it raised the hairs on her arms. She scrambled out of bed and pulled the curtains back. The forest stood still, eerie in its silence. Not even birds sang.
Then, the crunch of boots.
Ivy turned just as the door creaked open. Killian stepped in, his eyes sharp and jaw tight. He looked like he had run through the forest and back—mud on his boots, blood on his sleeve.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice shaky.
He locked the door behind him, bolting it. "They know you're here."
"Who?"
He didn't answer immediately, peeling off his coat and tossing it over a chair. "You're not safe, Ivy. I need you to listen very carefully to me from now on. No more sneaking out. No more questions until I say it's safe."
"You're not making any sense—what's going on?" she pressed, her heart pounding.
Killian's eyes flared gold. For the first time, she noticed just how inhuman they were when he was angry. The wolf was always close to the surface.
"There are rules in our world," he said slowly, "and you've broken one without realizing it."
Ivy frowned, backing slightly. "What are you talking about?"
"You crossed into claimed territory last night," he said. "My brother's."
A sharp silence fell between them. Ivy blinked, confused. "Your brother? You mean…?"
"Yes," he said, voice like gravel. "Liam. The Alpha of this mountain pack."
Her knees nearly gave way. Liam. Her ex. The one she had left behind after a year of heartbreak and lies. The one who had sworn she would never belong anywhere if she wasn't his.
Killian stepped closer. "He felt your presence the moment you arrived. You're not just any girl, Ivy. You were marked by him once."
Her hand instinctively went to her shoulder. "But… that's not possible. He never—"
"He claimed you in the old way," Killian said, eyes dark. "He never intended to let you go."
The blood drained from her face. "But that was years ago. I left. I moved on."
Killian leaned in, his voice a low whisper. "He hasn't."
A cold wind pressed against the cabin walls. Ivy looked into Killian's eyes and saw more than warning—she saw fear. And that terrified her more than anything.
"What does he want from me now?"
Killian's expression darkened. "He wants to finish what he started. But I won't let that happen."
He turned away, but Ivy reached for him. "Why are you helping me?"
Killian paused at the door to the next room. For a moment, he was silent, the weight of his secret hanging between them like smoke.
Finally, he spoke. "Because I smelled it on you last night… the bond. It's not just Liam's anymore."
Her heart slammed in her chest.
"Ivy," he said, voice hoarse, "you're mated to me now."