VERA'S POV

I had no idea how to feel as I trailed quietly behind Alpha Gideon’s men. They were all built like walking mountains, wearing stoic expressions that gave nothing away. If they were supposed to make me feel safe, they were doing a terrible job at it.

I stumbled once on the stone pathway, my ankles still sore from the chains earlier, but before I could hit the ground, a strong hand caught my arm. I looked up—and of course, it was him. Alpha Gideon.

"You should be more careful, little storm," he murmured, his voice brushing against my skin like silk laced with steel.

Little storm? What the hell is it with Alphas giving random pet names like candy?

"I’m not made of glass," I muttered under my breath, snatching my arm away. His lips twitched in what might have been a ghost of a smirk, but he said nothing more as he continued walking ahead of me.

The further we got from Blake's packhouse, the lighter the air felt. It was like the heavy hand that had been gripping my chest finally loosened its hold.

We reached the stables, and without any grand speech or ceremony, Gideon helped me onto a sleek black horse, his hands brushing against my waist with a little too much familiarity. I wanted to slap them away, but something told me he wasn’t the kind of man you slapped lightly.

"We ride to Furcroft," he said simply.

Furcroft. His pack.

Great. From one prison to another.

Still, anywhere away from Blake was a win in my book. I kept my head high as we rode, determined not to show how much my body ached or how tired I was.

Hours passed and the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky a deep crimson. It was only then that Alpha Gideon finally called for a halt at a small clearing near a stream.

"You'll rest here for the night," he announced, swinging off his horse with practiced ease.

"I can keep going," I said stubbornly, even as my legs threatened to give out.

He raised a brow at me. "And fall off the horse? I’d rather not carry you the rest of the way."

"You won't have to touch me again," I snapped before I could stop myself.

A low chuckle rumbled from him, and for the first time, it didn’t sound completely cruel. "Fiery little storm," he said again, almost to himself, before turning to his men to give orders.

Before I knew it, a fire was lit, food was being cooked, and a small tent was pitched. Apparently, I would be sharing it—with him.

Nope. Absolutely not.

"I'm sleeping outside," I declared the moment I saw the single tent.

"Suit yourself," he said with a shrug, tossing a blanket my way.

I caught it, stunned. No threats? No orders? No chains?

I huffed and stomped over to a tree, wrapping myself up in the blanket and glaring at the stars like they were responsible for my misery.

But even wrapped in fury and stubbornness, sleep crept in quickly. My last thought before darkness claimed me was that Alpha Gideon might not be Blake—but that didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous.

The next morning, I stirred from sleep, blinking slowly as my surroundings came into focus.

Instead of lying under the tree like I remembered, I found myself tucked inside the tent, wrapped snugly in the blanket.

I jumped to my feet, heart racing as if something had startled me awake.

My eyes darted around quickly, half-expecting to see Alpha Gideon sleeping right beside me.

But the tent was empty.

No towering figure. No intimidating presence.

A shaky sigh escaped my lips. Relief washed over me, leaving a strange hollowness behind.

Where could he be? I wondered, rubbing my sleepy eyes.

Not that I cared, I told myself stubbornly. I just needed to know if they abandoned me here like some lost puppy.

Carefully, I tiptoed to the tent’s entrance and peeked outside.

There he was—sitting alone on a rock a few feet away, his head tilted back, gazing quietly at the early morning sky.

The gentle light of dawn bathed him in gold, making him look less like a terrifying Alpha and more like a man carrying the weight of a thousand worlds on his shoulders.

Something in my chest squeezed at the sight.

For a moment, I just stood there, half-hidden behind the tent flap, debating whether to go to him or crawl back under the blanket and pretend I hadn’t seen anything.

But curiosity was a stubborn thing.

Hesitantly, I stepped out, the cool grass brushing against my bare feet. The air was crisp, filled with the smell of damp earth and something sweet, like wildflowers.

I cleared my throat softly as I walked closer, hoping to catch his attention without sounding like a fool.

He didn’t even flinch. It was like he already knew I was there.

"You’re awake," he said calmly, still looking at the sky.

"No thanks to you," I muttered under my breath, folding my arms across my chest.

His lips twitched in what could have been a small smile. "You needed proper rest. Sleeping out in the open would have made you sick."

I frowned, feeling oddly exposed. "I didn't ask for your help."

"You didn’t have to." His voice was low, almost thoughtful.

I opened my mouth to argue, then snapped it shut. What could I even say? That I preferred shivering under a tree instead of sleeping somewhere safe?

He finally turned his head to look at me, and for a second, I forgot how to breathe.

Those icy blue eyes didn’t seem as cold this morning. They looked... almost warm. Dangerous, but in a different way. Like a fire hidden beneath frozen lakes.

"You’re stubborn," he said simply, standing up with an easy grace that made me feel clumsy just watching him. "It’s going to get you into trouble."

"I’m not stubborn," I lied quickly, lifting my chin. "I'm... determined."

He chuckled under his breath, a deep, rumbling sound that made my skin prickle.

"Call it whatever you like, little storm. You still have a long journey ahead. Eat something. You’ll need your strength."

With that, he turned and started walking back toward the campfire where one of his men had already set food out.

I stood there for a moment longer, feeling like the ground had shifted under my feet.

Maybe Alpha Gideon wasn’t the monster I thought he was.

But something told me he was still dangerous—just not in the way I had expected.

And somehow, that was even more frightening.

I shuffled over to where the campfire burned low, its warmth brushing against my skin.

Carefully, I sat down on the opposite side, putting just enough space between us to feel somewhat safe.

My eyes flickered toward Alpha Gideon without meaning to.

What if once we reach his pack, he changes?

What if he chains me up too—or worse, tries to make me his breeder?

The thought sent a shiver racing down my spine.

I was still lost in my troubling thoughts when I realized he was staring right at me.

My heart jumped, but I refused to look away.

"What?" I asked boldly, keeping our gazes locked.

Seriously, what had gotten into me?

This sudden surge of courage wasn't like me at all.

But maybe it was a good thing. Maybe I needed this fire inside to survive whatever was coming.

"You’re not eating?" Alpha Gideon said, his voice pulling me back to reality.

I glanced down and blinked.

The food was right there, untouched.

A piece of roasted meat and some bread sat on the plate, the steam curling into the morning air.

Without thinking, I grabbed the bread and tore off a piece, stuffing it into my mouth like a starved wolf.

Alpha Gideon watched me with a strange expression, almost like he was amused but trying to hide it.

"Good," he said after a moment, his voice softer than before. "You’ll need energy."

I chewed faster, not because of hunger, but because sitting in silence under his gaze made me uncomfortable.

The fire crackled between us, and for the first time, the silence didn't feel heavy.

It felt... different. Like the beginning of something neither of us understood.

Nyx, my wolf, reacted happily, which caught me completely off guard.

She never showed excitement for no reason — unless something important was about to happen.

I frowned slightly, feeling the shift inside me, but strangely, I wasn’t worried.

In fact, I felt... calm.

And that surprised me even more.

I should be panicking right now.

Getting rejected as a Luna wasn’t a small thing — it carried consequences.

Serious ones.

There were always punishments for a Luna who got tossed aside.

Shame, exile, sometimes even worse depending on the moon goddess' anger.

Yet here I was, sitting by a fire, chewing bread like nothing had happened.

I should be trembling in fear, thinking about what the future held, but instead, a strange peace wrapped around me like a blanket.

Maybe it was Nyx’s happiness seeping into me.

Maybe it was the way Alpha Gideon looked at me — not like a problem, but like... something else.

Something valuable.

For the first time, the road ahead didn’t seem so terrifying.

Maybe getting rejected wasn’t the end of my story.

Maybe it was the beginning.