"Lily?" Raven gasped. "How did you—"
"Silence!" Elara snapped, her icy blonde hair gleaming under the office lights. "You don't get to speak to her."
Raven's eyes darted between Kieran and Lily. The young girl looked terrified, her green eyes wide with fear. This was all wrong. Lily was supposed to be safe, hidden away.
"What have you done?" Raven whispered to Kieran.
Before he could answer, Hunter strode back into the room. The temperature seemed to drop as his powerful presence filled the space.
"This is a private meeting," Hunter said, his voice dangerously calm. "I don't recall inviting anyone to my office."
Kieran stepped forward. "We found something that belongs to you, Alpha Draven." He nodded toward Lily. "This pup was lurking outside your compound. She claims to be from Mooncrest."
Raven's heart pounded. Kieran was lying. There was no way Lily just happened to be here.
Hunter's gaze swept over Lily, then locked with Raven's. Something unspoken passed between them.
"Is that so?" Hunter said, moving to stand beside his desk. "And you brought her here rather than discussing it in the meeting hall because...?"
Elara's perfect smile didn't reach her eyes. "We thought it might relate to your... guest." She glanced at Raven with disgust.
"How did you know I had a guest?" Hunter asked softly.
The question hung in the air. Kieran shifted uncomfortably.
"Word travels," he said finally.
Hunter's laugh was cold. "Not in my pack, it doesn't." He pressed a button on his desk. "Damon, escort our Mooncrest visitors to the meeting hall. All of them."
"The girl comes with us," Elara said firmly.
"No," Hunter replied, just as firmly. "The girl stays."
For a moment, tension crackled in the air. Raven could feel the clash of Alpha energies—Hunter's overwhelming power against Kieran's stubborn pride.
Kieran broke first, looking away. "As you wish. But we still need to discuss the fugitive." His eyes flicked to Raven.
"We will," Hunter promised. "After I've finished my own investigation."
When the door closed behind Kieran and Elara, Raven rushed to Lily's side, kneeling to look the trembling girl in the eyes.
"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"
Lily shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. "They found my hiding place. Lady Seraphina's wolves were watching Aunt Maya's house."
"How did you end up here?" Raven asked gently.
"I ran. I didn't know where else to go." Lily's voice dropped to a whisper. "I remembered what you said about the Bloodfang territory. That maybe Alpha Draven could help."
Hunter, who had been watching silently, raised an eyebrow. "You told her to come to me?"
"No!" Raven said quickly. "I just—" She stopped, realizing she had no good explanation.
Hunter crouched down to Lily's level. Despite his fearsome reputation, his voice was surprisingly gentle. "You're Alpha Marcus's daughter?"
Lily nodded, wiping away tears. "Yes, sir."
"And you saw what happened to your father?"
Another nod, smaller this time. "I was playing outside. I saw someone go into Daddy's cabin. Then I heard shouting, so I peeked through the window." Fresh tears welled in her eyes. "I saw the knife. And all the blood."
"Did you see who it was?" Hunter asked.
Lily glanced nervously at Raven before answering. "It wasn't Raven. She came in after. The person wore a mask, but..." She hesitated.
"It's okay," Raven encouraged. "You can tell him."
"They had Lady Seraphina's silver ring," Lily whispered. "The one with the moon on it. I saw it flash when they raised the knife."
Hunter straightened, his face thoughtful. "That's a serious accusation."
"It's why they want me dead," Raven said grimly. "And now Lily too."
Hunter walked to the window, looking out at his pack members going about their day. For a long moment, he was silent.
"What happens now?" Raven finally asked.
Hunter turned, his blue eyes intense. "Now I make a decision that might start a war."
He pressed the button on his desk again. "Nate, come to my office. And bring Sylvia."
Minutes later, the pack doctor entered with an elderly woman whose silver hair was braided down her back. Her eyes, milky with age, still seemed to see everything.
"Sylvia, I need your insight," Hunter said. "This is Lily, Alpha Marcus's daughter, and Raven, an Omega from Mooncrest."
The old woman approached them slowly, her hand outstretched. She touched Lily's cheek gently.
"Poor child," she murmured. "Such a burden for one so young."
Then she turned to Raven. The moment her fingers touched Raven's skin, she gasped and jerked back.
"What is it?" Hunter was instantly alert.
Sylvia's cloudy eyes widened. "The descendant," she whispered. "After all these years..."
"What are you talking about?" Raven asked, confused.
Instead of answering, Sylvia turned to Hunter. "You feel it too. Don't lie to an old woman."
Hunter's jaw tightened. "I feel something. It doesn't mean anything."
"It means everything," Sylvia insisted. "The prophecy—"
"Enough," Hunter cut her off. "Not now." He turned to Nate. "Take Lily to the safe house. No one sees her, no one knows she's there."
As Nate led Lily away, the girl looked back at Raven with frightened eyes. "You'll come too, right?"
"Soon," Raven promised, though she had no idea if she could keep it.
When they were gone, Hunter faced Raven. "You have a choice to make. You can leave—I'll give you a head start before I tell the Mooncrest representatives you escaped."
"Or?" Raven asked.
"Or you stay here, under my protection, until we figure out what's really happening."
"Why would you protect me?" Raven was suspicious. "You don't know me."
Hunter glanced at Sylvia, who was watching them with a knowing smile. "Let's just say I have my reasons."
"The Mooncrest Pack won't give up," Raven pointed out. "They'll demand you hand me over."
"Let them demand." Hunter's voice hardened. "This is my territory. My rules."
For the first time since fleeing her home, Raven felt a flicker of hope. "If I stay, I want to help find who really killed Alpha Marcus."
Hunter studied her for a long moment. "Fine. But you'll be watched at all times. And if I discover you've lied about anything..." He let the threat hang unspoken.
"I understand," Raven said. She held out her hand. "Do we have a deal?"
Hunter looked at her offered hand with surprise, as if no one had ever suggested sealing a pact with him before. Slowly, he reached out.
The moment their hands touched, a strange sensation shot up Raven's arm—like electricity, but warmer, more alive. Hunter must have felt it too, because he jerked back, his eyes wide.
"What was that?" Raven gasped.
Sylvia chuckled. "The beginning," she said cryptically.
Hunter recovered quickly, his face becoming a mask again. "Sylvia, show Raven to the guest cabin. Make sure she has everything she needs."
"As you wish, Alpha," the old woman said, not bothering to hide her amusement.
As Raven followed Sylvia to the door, Hunter called out, "One more thing."
She turned back to find him watching her with those intense blue eyes.
"Tonight's the full moon," he said. "Every member of my pack runs together—even temporary ones. I want to see what you're made of, little raven."
The words sent a shiver down her spine that wasn't entirely from fear.
Outside, as they walked across the compound, Raven noticed people watching her curiously.
"They're wondering why you're not in chains," Sylvia said, following her gaze.
"Why am I not?" Raven asked honestly.
Sylvia's milky eyes seemed to see right through her. "Because you and Hunter are connected in ways neither of you understand yet."
"What was that about a prophecy?"
"All in good time," Sylvia said. "Tonight, you run with the pack. Tomorrow, we begin unraveling the truth."
As they reached a small cabin at the edge of the compound, Sylvia paused. "Be careful, child. You've stepped into a world of ancient powers and old blood feuds. Not everyone will be happy about what you represent."
"What do I represent?" Raven asked, frustrated by the riddles.
Sylvia smiled mysteriously. "Change. And change is the one thing wolves fear more than death itself."
Inside the cabin, Raven went to the window, looking out at the Bloodfang compound. Across the way, she could see Hunter exiting his office, heading toward the meeting hall where Kieran and Elara waited.
Their eyes met briefly across the distance. Even from here, Raven could feel that strange pull between them, like invisible threads connecting their souls.
What was happening to her? And why did the most dangerous Alpha in the territory suddenly feel like the safest place to be?