Chapter 8

Rowan

"The sun is out already. It's been a long night. I think you all can retreat and go back to your homes now. Smith and I will wait for the daytime patrol to get here before we leave. Make sure you get plenty of rest. We have another long night ahead of us," I said to the young warriors that I had patrolled with through the night, and they all seemed grateful to disperse and head home.

"What makes you think I don't want to go home immediately?" Smith, Kai's second in command and a very good friend, said beside me, a smile playing over his lips.

"Well, that's tough because we both don't get a choice," I responded, slumping against the nearest tree while I waited for Rhys and the new warriors who would take over border patrol for the day.

I looked at the clearing in front of us, my gut clenching when I spotted the place where we had found our Omega lying almost dead days ago. I could remember the storm of emotions that had brewed within me. The pull of the mate bond I had immediately recognized, but nothing could have prepared me for how hard it hit me. It was a raw, undeniable force that threatened to devour me. Yet, woven into its intensity was a chilling thread of fear—fear of letting myself give in to this pull, fear of opening myself up to the possibility of betrayal again.

The memory of my former lover filled my chest with an ache. It had been several years now, yet her betrayal still left me feeling shattered enough that I still refused to talk about the incident out loud. The betrayal had left a gaping hole of mistrust within me that threatened to swallow me whole.

But just days ago, staring at our Omega, so impossibly beautiful and vulnerable, the ghosts of my past had clawed at me once more.

"Have you had the chance to talk to the Omega?" Smith asked, and I turned my attention back to him.

"Not yet. I don't want to overwhelm her so soon. I think that we can both agree that encountering Kai is enough to need a week to recover."

Smith chuckled, nodding his head at my words. "Of course, but she might need a little help from you to recover from meeting Kai," he responded, a serious note slipping into his words.

I was saved from responding by the sound of a dirt bike approaching, which interrupted our conversation. Rhys' mop of blonde hair soon came into view and I shook my head, wondering if Rhys would ever agree to be safe and use a helmet.

"Would it kill you to wear a helmet, Rhys?" Smith said the moment Rhys parked his bike and began approaching us. The idiot only grinned at us.

"Never. It took me a long forty-five minutes to get the perfect hairstyle. I know neither of you can relate because I mean..." he trailed off playfully while pointing in our direction.

I rolled my eyes at his antics as I pulled myself to my feet. "I'm not ruining my hair with a damn helmet," he said with a smirk that made me roll my eyes. "Plus, we heal so fast, why bother?"

"Suit yourself. I'm too tired for this conversation. Good luck!" I said, giving him a pat on the back before making my way toward my Jeep with Smith trailing behind me.

"Will you be okay?" Smith asked and I slowed down to turn toward him.

"Of course. Why?"

"You look troubled, Rowan." He shrugged as he spoke and I chuckled softly.

"It's been a long night. I just need a warm shower, some food and sleep, and then I will be brand new again." I tried to sound playful as I spoke, but I could hear the subtle edge of weariness in my own voice.

Smith nodded, accepting my explanation, but the concern in his eyes didn't completely fade.

"I'm not talking about just today. Ever since the Omega was found, you've been a lot quieter and you've constantly had this faraway look in your eyes. I hope you're right, and you will be feeling like your old self again, because we need you back at your best, especially now that we have so much to figure out." He offered me a smile before walking away.

I let out a heavy sigh before heading for my car. The drive home was quiet and filled with thoughts and memories I had buried long ago. Memories of a love that I had revered so much that had been shattered so carelessly by the person I thought I could trust above all others.

It was different this time. Even if a part of me didn't want to get involved with the Omega, a bigger part of me couldn't help the attraction that I held for the girl. Every time that I caught a whiff of her sweet floral scent in the air, it chipped away at the walls I had so meticulously constructed around my heart. Even my wolf, who hadn't stirred for another woman in years, was a prowling mess, but I wasn't prepared to meet her yet. I still needed time to gather myself.

I finally arrived at the pack's house and met Kai in the living room with a few pack officials. He immediately dismissed them as I entered the room, and I moved closer to settle on the couch beside him.

"How was the patrol? Any news?" Kai asked.

I shook my head. "We spent all night searching, but there was no sign of trouble anywhere. Maybe she really did just stumble into the wrong territory and was chased down by other wolves," I suggested.

Kai leaned back in his seat and sighed. "It wouldn't explain how she's still alive, though. These woods are very dangerous for traveling, especially for an Omega with such a potent scent and who is so small in size. She's the perfect prey. If she really has been traveling alone for as long as she says she has, she shouldn't be alive by now. It makes me wonder what or who has been protecting her until now," Kai concluded.

My mind spun, mulling over this new information.

"Could be the Goddess watching over her all these years," I said lightheartedly, but Kai only sighed in response. His eyes were filled with different emotions.

"Thank you for your work, Rowan. Will you be joining us for breakfast?" he asked.

A frown painted my face. "No, sorry. Next time. I'm tired, and I'm going to bed once I take a shower," I quickly said, pulling myself to my feet before walking away in the direction of my room.

I didn't need an encounter with the Omega at the moment. It was bad enough that I couldn't escape her scent, which was filling every corner of the house.

I started the shower and hopped in, sighing in satisfaction when the warm water eased my sore muscles. Once I finished getting cleaned up, I pulled on a set of sweats before moving to lay down on the bed. I hoped to fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, but it seemed like I was out of luck because the sleep didn't come as easily as I hoped it would. I tossed and turned, hoping to settle into a more comfortable position, but sleep eluded me.

My mind was racing with different possibilities. I was itching to find out more about her, but at the same time, I wanted to know very little about her.

I groaned into the pillow before pushing myself to my feet and making my way out of the room, not minding that I didn't have a shirt or even shoes on. I needed to burn some extra energy that I didn't realize I still had pent-up within me. I made my way through the house, heading for the training grounds located out back. It was my favorite place to go when I needed to clear my head.

The morning sun immediately brought some warmth to my skin as I stepped out of the house. The vast training ground held several training dummies and after setting up the one I wanted to use, I began unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks on it. Sweat slicked my body, and my muscles burned with exertion, but I kept going.

Just as my fist connected with the weathered wood again, a familiar scent tickled my nose. It was the sweet scent I had been trying to avoid and it shattered my concentration, causing the dummy to sway precariously before slamming into me.

I whirled around, my senses on high alert. She stood a few paces away from me, her eyes wide with a mixture of curiosity and fear. She took a step back and I froze. The sight of her, bathed in the golden light of the rising sun, stole my breath away. Her hair, the color of midnight, cascaded down her back, framing a face that could have been sculpted by the Goddess herself. Her emerald eyes held a depth that both captivated and intimidated me.

The intensity of my gaze seemed to fluster her, and she shifted uncomfortably, fiddling with her fingers. I cursed myself inwardly, taking a careful step toward her, causing her to take one step back. I hadn't meant to frighten her.

"Hey," I rasped, my voice thick with unshed emotions. "You shouldn't be out here," I added and her brows furrowed in confusion.

"I heard noises…I wanted to see what was happening." Her voice was soft and sweet. It sounded like music to my ears.

"What if it had been something dangerous? You need to be more careful," I said softly and she nodded, offering me a small smile, which I immediately returned.

"Forgive my manners. I'm Rowan, the head of security here," I began, stretching out my hand toward her.

She hesitated for a second before she took it, and the spark that passed between us was enough to send a shiver up my spine.

"I'm Elara. It's nice to meet you officially," she responded, her smile faltering as our fingers touched.

"Would you like to join me?" I asked, pointing toward the training field and she nodded.

"Of course. Thank you."

We walked over toward the benches next to some of the training dummies. I felt a jolt course through me as we sat close together on a bench, and I shook my head gently to clear it.

"How are you settling in so far?" I asked in a bid to ease the air between us, and she turned toward me to give me a smile that almost melted me on the spot.

"Pretty good. I have no complaints. This place is…it feels different," she said and I chuckled, nodding my head at her response.

"How does it feel different to you?" I asked, and she shrugged her shoulders, looking into the distance in front of her like it held the answers I wanted.

"There's a lot of powerful auras here. I sometimes feel like I'm struggling to breathe through all the powerful scents that constantly surround me," she admitted and I hummed in understanding, but I offered no explanation yet.

I wasn't sure where to begin explaining how we were an all-Alpha pack that had been saddled with a curse that rid our lands of Omegas. Maybe it was too early to burden her with all of that information. Although she must have noticed that there weren't any other Omegas around.

"You'll get used to it in time," I assured her. "Come on. Let's do some sparring."

"Okay," she said, standing up and following me toward the dummies.

Conversation flowed surprisingly easily between us as we worked out. We spoke about the pack's hierarchy, about Kai and Rhys' roles in maintaining order within the pack, as well as my own place in the pack dynamics. Elara, to my surprise, was an attentive listener even as we sparred. She asked insightful questions, her curiosity sparking like a flame, and it left me feeling excited.

"Can I ask you a question?" she finally said after a particularly long pause between us.

"Sure," I agreed, taking a break to catch my breath.

"This mark. What does it mean to your pack?" she asked, pulling the neckline of her shirt to the side to reveal the moon-shaped mark that sat perfectly at the base of her neck.

I hesitated. It was a sensitive subject.

"It's a…" I started searching for the right words. "It's connected to a prophecy that has been passed down through generations. The mark is supposed to signify a bond destined to restore balance within the pack," I finally explained.

Elara looked like she was about to say something else, but the sound of approaching footsteps made her pause. Kai rounded the corner, his gaze flickering between Elara and myself with a mixture of surprise and something else that I couldn't quite place.