Chapter 3

Elara

My eyelids fluttered open, and I groaned when I felt the headache that followed waking. I shut my eyes again. It took a minute before I tried peering at my surroundings again. Disoriented, I tried to focus my eyes. Sunlight streamed through a large window, dappling a plush, crimson rug with warmth. The air was rich with the scent of pine and something faintly floral—a surprisingly comforting combination.

I was in a bed unlike any I had ever seen. It was enormous and piled high with soft furs and silken sheets. My gaze swept across the room, taking in the ornately carved wooden furniture, the thick curtains that framed the windows, and the picture-adorned walls. The room felt very warm and cozy, and I buried myself even deeper into the quilt, inhaling the scent of pine that seemed to surround me. My body screamed with pain at the movement, and I struggled to remember where I was.

Almost immediately, the question went through my mind as the last images in my memory returned back to me. The escape—the desperate flight and raw fear of being caught and taken back to Silas and finally the crushing darkness that had overwhelmed me when I had hidden in that cave. I had been right. Someone had found me. But who?

Panic clawed at my throat, and I immediately tried to sit up, only to be met with a searing pain in my side and a wave of nausea that made me shut my eyes in a bid to fight it off. A metallic tang filled my mouth, and I realized I had split my lip at some point.

"You might want to lay back down for a bit," a voice from the corner said, causing me to whip my head in its direction. It was a low rumble, and every word almost sounded like a command.

A tall, broad-shouldered figure sat perched on a chair across the room, and although I couldn't see his face from my position on the bed, every muscle in my body tensed. Here, in this unfamiliar place, vulnerability felt like it was just waiting to swallow me whole. I was far away from the only place I could ever remember living in, far from everything that felt familiar to me, and most importantly, I was still on the run from Silas. His cruel and sneering face flashed in my mind, sending a shiver through my frame.

Slowly, the figure approached me, revealing a face that stole my breath away for a completely different reason. He was breathtakingly handsome, with sharp cheekbones, a strong jawline, and cold grey eyes that glittered like they had been polished to a shine. But beneath that sculpted perfection, there was a coldness that sent shudders up my spine. It was a look that spoke of absolute power, a look that was far too familiar for comfort.

"It's good to see you're finally awake." His voice rumbled, deep and gravelly. It sent a tremor through me, and it sparked an awareness to life deep within me.

I pushed myself up against the headboard, my chin jutting out defiantly in a bid to hide the tremor that raked through my frame. "Who are you?" I demanded, my voice hoarse from disuse.

"That's a question I should be asking you," he countered, his gaze unwavering. "Who are you?"

I bristled at his tone, fighting the urge to cower under its intensity. Despite the weakness coursing through me, his domineering tone sparked a flicker of defiance within me. "That's for me to know," I responded, my voice hoarse.

He arched his dark eyebrows at my response. "You trespass on my territory, weak and injured. My men find you unconscious, and then you refuse to answer a simple question? It was obvious you were being chased. What is to stop me from throwing you back out so you can face whatever brought you here in the first place?" His voice was low and calm when he spoke but I could see the way his eyes darkened with emotion.

The word "trespass" sliced through me, and I flinched as I heard it. I had half a mind to use my powers on him, but I refrained. Silas had used my ability like a weapon, a tool to manipulate and control, and the shame of it still burned within me even when I was far away from him. I had fought so hard to escape that life. I didn't want to pull myself back into it just to save myself from answering some questions. So, I shook my head slightly to rid myself of those thoughts.

I glared in his direction when I spoke, but it seemed to have no effect on him as he only continued to watch me, waiting for answers. "Trespass? I barely remember how I got here."

Technically, that part was true. Last I remembered, I had sought refuge in a cave, and since it was so late at night, I couldn't be sure about what borders or territories I had crossed. Plus, someone had to have brought me to this pack and put me on this bed, so I wasn't exactly trespassing as he had indicated.

He leaned forward, invading my personal space, his gaze intense. "Convenient amnesia for someone who seems so wary."

He paused, his eyes dropping to the split on my lip. His eyes lingered on the injury for longer than I was comfortable with, and I turned my head away, hoping to hide the blush that had begun heating my cheeks and nose.

He made me thoroughly nervous, and I was very wary of him, but for some reason, there was a sizzling attraction that I felt for him as well. Especially since he moved closer to me, and I caught the pine and floral scent that had filled my senses since the first moment I opened my eyes. He was breathtakingly handsome, but that wasn't it. There was something more, something that seemed to counter the wariness and fear that I held like a shield around me.

"Something tells me you're hiding more than just your name."

"It's none of your concern," I retorted

His lips twitched, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes before it was replaced by a steely glint. "Everything that happens on my land is my concern. Especially rogues like you with a talent for causing trouble."

"I'm not a rogue," I hissed, my voice gaining strength.

"Then tell me who you are and what your name is!" he demanded

I opened my mouth to retort, but a wave of dizziness washed over me, forcing me to clamp my hand over my forehead. Vulnerability burned in my chest, a raw ache that I desperately tried to suppress.

His gaze softened a fraction. He crossed the room with surprising swiftness and walked to the other side of the bed, where a glass of water was sitting. "Here," he said, holding it out to me.

I hesitated for a moment, my eyes fixed on his face. There was a flicker of something in his grey eyes that might have been concern. The coldness and intensity that had sat in his grey orbs were no longer there and had been replaced by something different. Taking a deep breath, I reached out gingerly and accepted the glass.

As I sipped the cold water, enjoying the way the coolness ran down my parched throat, the fog in my mind cleared slightly, and I pulled the quilt higher up my body, suddenly aware of my dress that had been torn in several places during my escape.

"Elara. My name is Elara," I finally said, my voice soft, almost as if I was hoping he wouldn't hear me. I didn't have such luck, however, because he only nodded his head.

"I'm Kai. Alpha of the Golden Moon Pack. You're currently in my guest room. Do you remember what happened last night and how you got into the cave at the border of our territory?" he asked, and my heart sank into my stomach as I struggled to think of the right words to say.

"My men had found you in a pretty bad state and…" Kai trailed off when someone knocked at the door.

He looked in its direction, the coldness returning to his eyes. He released a frustrated sigh before stalking toward the door.

I sank back against the pillows, the encounter leaving me completely drained. This strange, beautiful place offered a temporary reprieve from Silas but for how long? How long before the Alpha found out the truth about who I really was?

One thing was certain: I couldn't let that happen or it could be my death.