Amara’s POV.

“Who are you?“ I asked again.

The stranger looked awfully familiar and he gave up an Alpha-like energy.

I sighed in relief, happy that he wasn’t a wolf, I didn’t think I could deal with rogues at the moment.

“I’m Aiden Shaw,” he said, “The Alpha of Raven pack.”

My pulse jumped, Raven pack was a rival pack, I heard about Aiden from whispers and mostly from Karl, he was the kind of Alpha that bowed to no one, smart, dangerous and unpredictable.

And somehow this dangerous Alpha was here, I looked around one more time, “Why are you in Night Moon territory?” I asked.

His jaw flexed, “Let’s just say I had unfinished business.”

I didn’t have the energy to put two and two together at the moment, “Well, you have found me, congratulations.”

He ignored the sarcasm, “I’m correct in assuming Karl hurt you right?”

The mention of his name twisted my stomach, “You sound like you know him personally?”

Aiden’s voice went cold. “Too well.”

I studied him carefully, “So what now? Will you take me back and turn me in? Use me as leverage to get what you want?”

He shook his head. “No, I’m offering you something else.”

I frowned, my head pounding, “what?”

“Revenge.” He replied.

That word felt like a spark in my veins.

“You don’t even know me.” I said.

“I don’t need to,” he replied, “honestly I know what he did, I saw the blood, the pain, and I know how wolves like him operate, they throw away good things and pretend it makes them stronger.”

I laughed bitterly, “Sounds like you have your own issues with him.”

He stepped closer, “Karl and I have history, a long one. But you, you’re the knife I need, and I can be yours.”

I stared at him, he was offering me power, payback, a chance to be something again instead of nothing.

But there was always a price, “So what’s the catch?”

He met my gaze evenly, “You’ll be my Luna.”

I blinked, “What?”

“You come with me, I protect you, you help me bring Karl down and in return you wear my mark.”

My heartbeat increased instantly, “You want to claim me?”

“Eventually,” he said. “But right now, I just want you safe, and you need someone who knows how to burn the world down without getting caught in the fire.”

He wasn’t lying, that was the scary part, “You don’t even know if I’m worth it.” I said quietly.

“I already know you are.” He replied.

The wind picked up, thunder rumbled in the distance, I hesitated the weight of everything pressing down on me.

And then I said, “Fine.”

Aiden nodded once and I saw something shift in his expression, something almost like admiration.

“We need to move now, we’re not far from the border.” He said.

I followed him, forcing my legs to keep up, step after step, my body ached, my bone screamed, but I didn’t stop.

I had made my choice and I wasn’t going to change it.

We were maybe ten minutes from the treeline when we heard it, the growl, low and hungry.

“Rogues.” I whispered.

They lunged from the bush, snarling, eyes wide.

I froze, my wolf tried to rise but I was too weak, my knees buckled as I tried to stand well.

“Stay behind me.” Aiden shifted, he didn’t hesitate, his wolf massive, pure black with streaks of silver down his spine, power radiated off him. It was the most beautiful terrifying thing I’d ever seen.

He met the first rogue mid air, teeth tearing through fur, blood sprayed everywhere.

The second rogue tried to flank him, but Aiden spun and slammed it into a tree so hard I heard bones crack.

I watched helpless as he fought, quick, brutal and efficient.

The third rogue came toward me, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t even scream, I closed my eyes and waited for the pain.

I opened my eyes my a second and Aiden was there, he ripped the rogue off its feet and snapped its neck with a sickening crunch.

There was sudden silence for a moment, I could only hear the sound of Aiden’s growls fading and my ragged breathing.

He shifted back, panting, blood spattered across his chest.

I looked at him, not as a stranger anymore but as a wolf who didn’t leave, a wolf who stepped between me and danger, not away from it.

Karl’s face flashed in my, his retreating back when he left me, the way he held Tiana and thought about her safety while I bled alone.

I dropped to my knees, not from weakness, from release, from the weight of it finally crashing down.

Aiden crouched beside me, not touching me, just there, his presence only.

“Are you okay?” His brows furrowed.

I nodded and managed a smile, though I felt completely different inside me.

“You’re safe now.” He said.

No one has said that to me in a long time, and I wanted desperately to believe it.

Thunder rumbled again and this time, it started raining.

“We need to find shelter.” He sighed.

I nodded and forced myself to get up, he supported me and we rushed towards the direction of the closest pub.

I could feel my legs shaking but tried to stay upright as much as possible.

The rain was heavy and I shivered as I wrapped my arms around myself trying to stop the tremors that were coursing through my body.

We were both completely soaked, he wrapped his arm around me and I leaned into him, I couldn’t help the tears that fell from my eyes.

“Here we are.” He said softly.

I stared at the pub in front of us as it came into focus and then looked up at him.

“I hope there’s room for us.” He whispered as we walked up to the door.

It was dark inside. The lights flickered but remained on, the thunder boomed again, and the rain poured down heavier than before.