Chapter 2

The air in the mountains was different—sharper, wilder. It bit against my skin as we climbed, cutting through the layers I wore like it wanted to test my strength. Behind me, the crunch of boots in snow told me Jaxton had caught up.

His scent reached me before he did. Earth and ironwood. Power and control. It slid down my spine like a whisper, making my wolf stir restlessly.

I hated that.

He wasn't even trying, yet my body reacted. My wolf reacted. I clenched my jaw and kept walking.

"You alright?" he asked, voice low, gravelly. Alpha-deep.

I nodded. "Fine."

Liar.

He fell into step beside me, his presence too large, too warm. The others followed behind, but all I could feel was him—like the air bent around his will. My Beta instincts screamed to keep distance, to stay alert. But my wolf… she leaned forward, curious.

Traitor.

Night fell quickly among the trees. Cameron pitched my tent while Jaxton set up the perimeter. I tried to ignore how easily he moved, how his muscles flexed under his dark shirt as he secured the boundaries with sharpened poles soaked in wolfsbane ash.

"Don't wander tonight," he warned me as I passed. "There've been rogue sightings."

"Wasn't planning on it," I muttered, brushing past him.

But his hand, just for an instant, grazed my arm.

A jolt. Heat. Static. My wolf gasped.

I pulled away like I'd been burned.

Later, curled up inside my tent, I couldn't sleep. The shadows beyond the fabric shifted with the wind, and my thoughts raced.

Why did his touch feel like that?

Why did my wolf keep pacing, tail twitching, ears perked?

I had just lost Russell. I should feel broken, numb. Not… this.

I sat up, heart pounding. The cold pressed in. My breath fogged in the air.

I needed air.

I slipped out of the tent, hugging my coat tighter. A few steps into the trees, I realized I wasn't alone. A silhouette moved to my left—Jaxton. Alone, quiet, alert. His wolf close to the surface.

He turned, eyes catching mine. Silver gleamed in his irises.

"You shouldn't be out here."

"I couldn't sleep."

He didn't move. Neither did I.

Then he unzipped his coat and held it out. "You're freezing."

I hesitated. Took it. The warmth of his body still clung to the inside.

"Thanks," I murmured.

He nodded, then pulled a protein bar from his pocket and handed it to me. "Eat."

"You always this bossy?"

A smirk tugged at his mouth. "Only when Betas forget to take care of themselves."

I could've laughed. I didn't.

Instead, I followed him back to camp. My tent loomed ahead. But in the darkness, I misstepped—tripped on a root—and went sprawling.

Strong hands caught me.

Not rough. Not too close. Just… steady.

"Careful," he said.

And gods help me, I didn't pull away right away.

His scent was overwhelming, something primal curling in my chest. My wolf pressed forward, her heartbeat syncing with his.

I yanked back. "Sorry."

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Just tired."

I ducked into my tent, cheeks burning. But in the dark, nothing felt safe. My wolf still paced.

I climbed out again, confused, and stumbled into the next tent—his. I meant to back out, but his scent hit me hard, and something inside me… settled.

He was already lying down, shirtless. His eyes opened slowly, not surprised.

"Couldn't sleep either?"

I didn't answer. I just stood there, frozen, torn between dignity and instinct.

"Stay," he said simply.

Not a command. Not an order. Just a quiet offer.

I sank down beside him. Not touching. Not speaking.

And yet… the space between us hummed. My wolf curled up inside me, calm for the first time in days.

I didn't remember falling asleep.

But I dreamed.

I was running—silver fur under moonlight. And beside me, a shadow. Black fur. Alpha power. His eyes.

When I woke, I was curled beside Jaxton, our bodies warm from shared heat.

His arm was draped protectively over me.

I froze.

Then I looked up—and met his eyes.

Something flickered there. Confusion. Possession. Hunger.

And then… he pulled away.

No words. Just space.

My heart thudded painfully. Had I crossed a line?

But before I could speak, a low growl rumbled from deep in the forest, distant but clear.

Rogue.

Jaxton sat up instantly, eyes glowing.

"Stay here," he said.

But my wolf rose with his.

We both heard it.

The call of danger. The whisper of blood.

And underneath it all… something else.

A second heartbeat echoing my own.