The forest was silent except for the steady rhythm of Derek’s breathing. He stood shirtless in the clearing, his body glistening with sweat under the pale morning sun. He gripped the edge of a boulder, larger than a wagon, and lifted it as if it weighed nothing. Muscles rippled across his back as he carried it several feet away and set it down with a dull thud.

The ground trembled under his strength.

He had been there since dawn, away from his pack, away from the noise and the endless responsibilities that came with being Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack. Here, in the solitude of the woods, he could think.

He could breathe.

But even as he worked, he couldn’t get her out of his head. The witch. Elena. The way her eyes had looked at him that night, full of fear and confusion. The way his wolf had stirred the moment he saw her. It made no sense. A witch could never be his mate. Yet his instincts screamed otherwise.

Derek lifted another boulder and placed it on the growing pile. He was building something, though he didn’t know what. Maybe a tent. Maybe just an excuse to keep his hands busy so his mind wouldn’t drift to her again.

The sound of footsteps broke the silence. Derek didn’t turn. He knew that scent anywhere.

“Skylar,” he said.

The Beta stepped into the clearing, tall and broad-shouldered. His blond hair fell over his forehead as he folded his arms. “You know, most wolves train with other pack members. You train by trying to crush yourself with rocks.”

Derek smirked faintly. “Rocks don’t talk back.”

Skylar chuckled and leaned against a tree. “True. But they also don’t report what’s going on in the pack.”

Derek straightened and turned to face him. “Go on.”

“Elena,” Skylar began, his tone more serious now. “She’s been quiet. Works in the infirmary like you ordered. Doesn’t speak much to anyone except the healer. No signs of magic, no attempt to escape. Honestly, she looks fragile. Like she’s made of glass.”

Derek’s expression hardened. “Fragile things break easily.”

“Maybe,” Skylar said carefully, “but I don’t think she’s a threat. She seems lost more than anything. And I mean really lost. I’ve seen witches before. None like her.”

Derek walked to a nearby log and sat down. He reached for a flask of water beside him. “She’s hiding something, Skylar.”

“You think she’s a spy?”

“I think,” Derek said slowly, “she doesn’t even know what she’s hiding. But whatever it is, it’s not small.”

Skylar frowned. “You think it’s connected to the southern covens?”

Derek nodded. “Maybe. The witches from the south have been restless lately. My scouts say they’ve been gathering in the black woods. If they’re planning something, sending a witch across my border could be part of it.”

Skylar kicked at a rock. “But she doesn’t look like one of them. The southern witches are sharp, proud, and dangerous. She’s… different. Clumsy, scared, innocent even.”

“Innocence can be the best disguise,” Derek said. “Never trust what the eyes see.”

Skylar studied him. “You talk about her a lot for someone who doesn’t trust her.”

Derek didn’t reply. He took a sip from the flask, the cold water cutting through the heat in his chest.

“She’s my prisoner,” he said finally. “And my responsibility. I won’t have anyone questioning my decisions.”

Skylar raised an eyebrow. “Noted, Alpha.”

Silence settled between them for a while. Birds called in the distance, and the wind whispered through the trees. Derek began stacking pieces of wood in a neat pile, arranging them into a circle.

Skylar watched him curiously. “You’re building a campfire now?”

“I need quiet,” Derek said. “And warmth.”

“You could just go back to your den.”

Derek’s jaw tightened. “Not today.”

Skylar sighed and walked closer. “You’re thinking about her again, aren’t you?”

Derek’s hand froze midair. “No.”

“Liar.” Skylar grinned. “It’s written all over your face. You’ve been off since that night.”

“Enough, Skylar.”

“Fine,” Skylar said, throwing his hands up. “I’m just saying, if she’s really your mate, pretending she doesn’t exist won’t make it go away.”

Derek’s head snapped up. “Watch your tongue.”

Skylar’s smirk faded. “I mean no disrespect. But you can’t deny the bond. Everyone in the pack can feel it. The way you looked at her that night, it wasn’t the look of an Alpha sizing up a prisoner.”

Derek stood and faced him fully. His eyes were cold, but there was something else beneath them. Conflict.

“She’s a witch,” Derek said. “A creature bound by magic. Her kind has spilled wolf blood for centuries. You think I’ll let fate chain me to one of them?”

“Fate doesn’t ask permission,” Skylar replied quietly.

Derek looked away, clenching his fists. His claws almost broke through his skin before he forced himself to relax.

He turned back to the woodpile. “Enough about her. Tell me more about the coven.”

Skylar nodded, sensing the change in tone. “Our scouts saw movement near the river crossing. A group of witches in black cloaks. Too far to tell their intent, but they were heading north.”

Derek frowned. “Toward us.”

“Maybe toward the council.”

“Either way,” Derek said, “we stay ready.”

Skylar hesitated. “Do you think this has something to do with Elena?”

Derek’s silence was answer enough.

After a moment, Derek crouched beside the pile of wood he had gathered. His mind replayed the memory of Elena’s face again and again. Her eyes had been full of something he couldn’t explain. Fear, yes, but also something deeper. Something that tugged at his wolf, at the part of him that had never bowed to anyone.

He hated it.

He hated her for stirring something he couldn’t control.

Skylar walked closer, glancing down at the pile. “You don’t even have flint. How are you going to light that?”

Derek looked up, his lips curving into a small, dark smile.

He lifted his right hand, palm open.

The air around him shifted. The temperature dropped as the faint shimmer of red light danced over his fingers. Skylar took a step back, his eyes widening.

A small flame flickered to life in Derek’s palm. It grew brighter, stronger, until it burned with the intensity of molten gold. Derek held it there for a second, his expression unreadable, then lowered his hand and touched it to the wood.

The fire roared to life instantly. Sparks flew, lighting up the clearing with orange glow.

Skylar stared at him, his voice caught in his throat. “What… what was that?”

Derek didn’t answer. The firelight reflected in his silver eyes as he straightened.

Skylar looked at him in awe.