Kiera's POV
"I'm not going anywhere with you."
The words came out shakier than I wanted, but at least I got them out. This scarred stranger stood over me claiming we were mates, and every instinct I had screamed danger.
Well, almost every instinct. My wolf was practically purring, the traitor.
He tilted his head, studying me like I was a puzzle. "Then what's your plan? Stay here on the ground until someone else finds you?"
"I'll figure it out."
"Will you?" He glanced toward the trees. "Because I count at least three different wolf scents heading this way. And one of them smells like an Alpha who thinks he owns you."
My blood ran cold. Damon. Or maybe Cade. Or Ryker. Did it even matter which one found me first?
The stranger extended his hand. "You have about thirty seconds to decide. Come with me, or take your chances with them."
I stared at his scarred palm, my mind racing. Every male who'd offered me protection had destroyed me. Why would this one be different?
But the alternative was facing one of my rejected Alphas alone in the dark forest.
I grabbed his hand.
The moment our skin touched, heat exploded between us. The mate bond flared to life, golden and warm and absolutely terrifying. My wolf howled with joy while my heart hammered with fear.
"Smart choice," he said, pulling me to my feet.
Then he started running, and I had no choice but to follow.
He moved through the forest like he'd memorized every tree and root. I stumbled behind him, my legs burning as I struggled to keep pace. His grip on my hand never loosened, pulling me forward when I faltered.
"Wait," I gasped. "I can't—"
"You can." His voice was firm but not cruel. "Your wolf is stronger than you think. Trust her."
My wolf surged forward at his words, lending me her strength. Suddenly my legs moved faster, my breathing came easier. We raced through the darkness together, the blood moon painting everything red.
Behind us, howls erupted. They'd reached the clearing and found us gone.
The stranger cursed under his breath and changed direction, pulling me deeper into the forest where the trees grew so thick the moonlight barely penetrated.
"Where are we going?" I demanded.
"Somewhere safe."
"That's not an answer!"
"It's the only one you're getting right now."
We ran for what felt like hours but was probably only minutes. My lungs burned. My legs screamed. My mask had fallen off somewhere in the chase, and my hair whipped across my face.
Finally, he stopped in front of what looked like a solid wall of rock and twisted roots.
I bent over, gasping for air. "We're trapped."
"No. We're hidden." He released my hand and moved toward the rock face, running his fingers along what looked like natural cracks. Then he pressed something, and part of the wall shifted inward, revealing a dark opening.
A cave. He'd found a cave.
"How did you—"
"Inside. Now." He gestured for me to enter first.
I hesitated. Going into a dark cave with a strange male who claimed to be my mate? Every survival instinct I had left screamed no.
But the howls were getting closer.
I ducked into the cave entrance.
The stranger followed, and the rock wall slid shut behind us with a soft grinding sound. Darkness swallowed us whole.
I pressed my back against the cave wall, my heart racing. I couldn't see him, but I could feel him. The mate bond stretched between us like a living thing, telling me exactly where he stood.
"Don't panic," his voice came from the darkness. "There's a torch system. Give me a second."
I heard him moving, his footsteps confident even in total blackness. Then light flared as he lit something. Warm firelight filled the cave, and I finally got a good look at where I was.
The cave wasn't just a hole in the rock. It was a home.
Supplies lined one wall in neat rows. A fire pit sat in the center with stones arranged around it. Furs covered the floor in one corner, creating a sleeping area. This wasn't a random hiding spot. Someone lived here.
"You've been here before," I said, my voice echoing slightly.
"I live here." He moved to the fire pit and began arranging kindling with practiced efficiency. "Have for the past five years."
Five years. In exile. Alone.
I watched him build the fire, noting the scars that covered his arms and back. Each one told a story of violence survived. He moved with the efficiency of someone who'd done this a thousand times, who'd learned to take care of himself because no one else would.
The fire caught, casting dancing shadows across the cave walls.
He settled on the opposite side of the fire pit, deliberately putting distance between us. "You should sit. You're shaking."
I was. My legs trembled with exhaustion and fear and the aftereffects of the mate bond snapping into place. I sank down onto the stone floor, pulling my knees to my chest.
"Who are you?" I asked quietly.
"You really want to know?" His expression was carefully neutral. "Because once I tell you, you'll probably try to run. And there's nowhere to run to right now."
"Tell me anyway."
He was quiet for a long moment, firelight reflecting in his gray eyes. Then he sighed. "Thorne Ravenclaw."
The name hit me like a physical blow.
Thorne Ravenclaw. The mad exile. The dangerous one. The firstborn son who should have been Alpha but went feral and had to be cast out for the pack's safety. The wolf parents warned their children about in scary stories.
"You're lying," I whispered.
"I wish I was." His smile was bitter. "But no, I'm exactly who you think I am. The monster everyone fears."
I stared at him, my mind reeling. The Moon Goddess had made me fated mates with the most dangerous wolf in the territory. The one even other Alphas were afraid of.
"You're wondering if I'm actually mad," he said, reading my expression. "If the stories are true."
"Are they?"
"Some of them." He poked at the fire with a stick. "I did attack my father's guards. I did refuse Alpha orders. I did get myself exiled." He looked up at me, his gaze intense. "But I'm not feral. Not unstable. Just unwilling to follow orders I knew were wrong."
"What orders?"
His jaw clenched. "That's a story for later. When you trust me enough to hear it."
"I don't trust you at all."
"I know." He didn't sound offended. "You've been hurt by three Alphas who all claimed to care about you. You'd be an idiot to trust a fourth male on sight, especially one with my reputation."
The fact that he understood that, that he didn't demand my trust or try to force the bond, made something inside me crack just slightly.
"So what now?" I asked.
"Now you rest. The Hunt lasts three nights. We have time to figure out what comes next." He grabbed one of the furs from the sleeping area and tossed it to me. "You take that corner. I'll stay over here. The cave entrance is spelled shut, so no one can follow us inside."
I caught the fur, surprised by his consideration. "You're not going to try to complete the mate bond?"
"Not without your permission." His expression was serious. "I've waited this long. I can wait longer."
Something about those words nagged at me. "How long have you been watching the Hunt?"
He was quiet for so long I thought he wouldn't answer. Then he met my eyes across the fire, and what I saw there made my breath catch.
"Five years," he said softly. "I've been coming to the Lunar Grounds every Blood Moon Hunt for five years, hoping to catch your scent. Waiting for you."