Tears blurred selena's vision as she ran, her feet barely touching the ground. The pain of rejection clawed at her chest, worse than any wound she had ever endured. The gasps and murmurs of the pack still echoed in her ears, their pity and scorn burning into her like a brand.
She didn't know where she was going—only that she had to get away. The towering trees of the Dark Moon Forest swallowed her small figure, their shadows stretching like dark claws. The further she ran, the deeper the cold bit into her skin. Her wolf whimpered in her mind, not just from the physical pain but from the heartbreak.
He rejected us, her wolf whispered, the words like knives.
He never wanted us, selena responded bitterly. She forced her legs to move faster, even as twigs scratched her arms and the damp earth softened beneath her bare feet.
A sharp howl pierced the silence of the forest, stopping her in her tracks. It was close—too close. Her heart pounded. Was it a rogue? Another predator? She turned, her breath coming in sharp gasps, and tried to listen.
Silence.
Then—a low growl.selena swallowed hard and took a cautious step back. Before she could react, a dark figure emerged from the shadows. His glowing amber eyes locked onto her, filled with an unreadable intensity. He wasn't from her pack. His scent was foreign, tinged with power and danger.
"Running from something, little wolf?" His voice was smooth, yet edged with something dangerous.
Aria tried to answer, but her throat was dry. She took another step back, but her foot caught on a root, and she stumbled.
Before she hit the ground, strong hands grabbed her, pulling her up with ease. "Careful," he murmured, his grip firm but not cruel.
Selena looked up at him, her breath catching. He was unlike any wolf she had ever seen—tall, broad-shouldered, and radiating an aura of raw dominance that made her wolf whimper in submission.
"Who—who are you?" she managed to whisper.
The corner of his lips lifted slightly. "Someone who doesn't belong here," he said. "But neither do you, it seems."
Selena stiffened. The rejection, the humiliation—it all came flooding back. "I don't belong anywhere," she muttered.
He tilted his head, studying her with those piercing eyes. "Then maybe you just haven't found the right place yet."
A shiver ran down her spine—not just from the cold, but from the strange, unspoken promise in his words.
The night stretched around them, filled with unknown dangers. But as Selena stood there, staring into the eyes of this mysterious stranger, she couldn't help but feel that she had just stepped into a new fate—one far beyond anything she had ever imagined.
Selena's heart pounded in her chest as she stared
up at the mysterious stranger,
the weight of his gaze sent a shiver down to her spine but she held her ground.Sge has already been humiliated once tonight,she refused to let herself look weak again.
You didn't answer me," she said,her voice steadier than she felt. "Who are you"