I sniff, my nostrils flaring, and notice how her scent fills the small space of my cabin. Blood mingled with sweat and wolf.

If I can smell it from here, the pack will smell it outside.

I have to mask it. 

I head back to the corner of the cabin where the hazel clippings are stored. The branches are fresh, their leaves still green and vibrant. Hazel is a powerful mask, a trick I learned from the elders in my youth. Its scent is strong, overpowering, and if used correctly, it can drown out almost anything else.

Taking a handful of the clippings, I move methodically around the room, sweeping them over every surface. The air grows thick with the smell, a bitter, almost medicinal odor that stings my nose. I crush the leaves in my hands, releasing more of their pungent scent, and scatter the fragments across the floor, over the bed, anywhere she might have left a trace of herself.

The sweat on my brow drips down my temple as I work, and I wipe it away with the back of my hand. The cabin feels smaller, suffocating, with the smell of hazel thickening the air and the fire blazing in the hearth. I grimace, knowing I’ll need to air the place out once she’s gone, but for now, it will have to do.

I step outside. The forest is alive around me, but I notice every small sound, every shift in the branches, every whisper of a breeze. 

The rustle of leaves, the howl of a wolf in the distance, the rustling of animals. They keep me on edge, every sense heightened. 

My pack will hunt me down if they find out what I've done. If they know I'm harboring someone from our rival. 

But it's more than that. Something whispers at the back of my mind, a nagging worry.

Something tried to kill her. And I interrupted it.

I've put not only myself and her life in danger but the lives of my entire pack. And if the elders finds out... I don't even want to think about it.

I walk the perimeter, glancing at my cabin, at the small, dirty window obscuring the view to the room where the female is hidden. 

Does she have a mate?

I grit my teeth and turn away. It doesn't matter. She doesn’t belong to me. It's better if she has a mate; he'll claim her and keep her from me. I'll be banished from the pack, most likely, stripped of my role as Alpha for allowing her to stay in our territory, but at least I won't have to worry about hurting her.

I glance at the sky. The moon is a slim crescent, and I'm glad. The dark will lend me more secrecy. 

I circle the cabin again, inhaling deeply, trying to catch any lingering traces of her scent. The sharp tang of sweat clings to me, mingling with the earthy fragrance of the forest, the hazel branches, smoke, but I can still make out her scent—blood and wolf—lingering like a shadow. It could betray us both.

I move to the edge of the clearing surrounding my cabin and drop to my knees. With one hand, I dig into the earth, clawing at the soil until I’ve made a shallow trench. Then, I take a deep breath and let my energy flow through me. My body shifts slightly, just enough to release the wolf within without fully transforming.

The change is quick, a ripple of energy that sharpens my senses, heightens my awareness. I drag my claws along the trench, marking the boundary with my scent. It’s a warning, a sign to any wolf that comes near: this is my territory. No one crosses it without my permission.

I continue around the perimeter of the cabin, marking the ground with my claws, ensuring that no one will mistake this for anything other than what it is—a lone wolf’s den, fiercely guarded. When I’m done, I stand, wiping the dirt from my hands, and take a final look around.

The night is quiet now, the forest still. The air is thick with the mingling scents of hazel, earth, and my own musk. There’s no trace of her left. To anyone who comes by, this place will smell of nothing but me and the wilderness that surrounds it.

I peer into the trees, waiting, my senses on high alert. The pack respect my privacy and rarely disturb me here at my cabin, hidden deep within the forest, away from the main territory. But I can’t take any chances. Not now.

Satisfied that nothing is out of place, I step back inside the cabin.

She's still where I left her. I remove the makeshift bandage from her throat. She has a deep laceration on the right side, slicing open the delicate skin and exposing her muscle. Now that the bleeding has subsided, I can stitch the skin together. I knit the flesh as best I can with the needle Cassie gave me for repairing tears in my clothing, my stitches tighter than necessary. 

I hope it holds. 

I pull another blanket from the bed and wrap it over her, and then, like a fool, I veil my energy around hers, creating a protective barrier that will keep her from harm. 

I hear the sounds of footsteps before the knock against the door. 

I freeze, a bead of sweat forming on my forehead. By the moon’s wrath! Why would someone come here tonight? The female's scent is hidden, I'm sure of it, but I wasn't expecting a visitor. 

My body trembles, and my nostrils flare as I detect the identity of my guest. 

Of course it is.

"Liam," I say, opening the door and bowing my head. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Liam steps inside, his beady eyes narrowing on me. "You're supposed to be at the clearing, Kalen. Reporting on the injured wolf we found."

I curse myself inwardly. After secreting the female away to my cabin, I completely forgot. 

"I'm sorry," I say. "I was taking the long way back and stopped here to see what needed to be done. I should have returned, I know. I’ll come. But I'm exhausted. I fell asleep on the bed and only just woke up."

“Where is the wolf?”

My heart gives a stutter of fear at Liam’s question. Glad he’s not privy to my thoughts, I keep my expression neutral. “What wolf?”

Liam makes a noise of impatience. “The one spotted in the clearing!”

I lift one shoulder, feigning nonchalance. “I never found one.”

His eyes narrow even more, but he turns away from me, purveying my room instead. I want to block his view when his eyes fall on the bundle of blankets, but I don’t move.

He won’t smell her. He won’t suspect.

"I'll return with you," he says, and his eyes gleam at me.

I force myself to stay calm though I can feel my heart attempting to pound out of my chest. "Of course. Give me a moment to freshen up, and I'll return with you."

I grab the hazel clippings I threw on the floor, cramming them back into the corner. Over my shoulder, Liam sniffs the air. I keep my face turned away, hiding my grimace. 

He won't be able to smell anything of the female, but my scent will be stronger than usual. 

I finish arranging the branches and turn to him with a smile. "I'm ready."

He lifts his head, his nostrils flaring, making my heart hammer harder.

Finally, he nods, stepping away from the wall. "Lead the way."

I let out a slow breath and lead him out of the room, closing the door behind us. 

We leave the cabin, and I make sure we head toward the clearing in the opposite direction I took to get here. 

He doesn't say anything, which can be both good and bad. Liam is my Beta. He didn't ask for the position, but my father gave it to him, and he's done his duty ever since. But there’s no love between us, not after what happened with Elara. Before that, he was like my brother. Now, he tolerates me. So it means nothing that he accompanies me instead of letting me go on my own. 

Liam leaves me once we reach the clearing, and I seek out Derek. It isn't hard to find him; Derek wasn’t born a wolf, but he’s one of the pack now, albeit the most obnoxious of us all. The wolves are gathered around him, the scent of blood and sweat heavy in the air as the group of them pushes each other around, laughing and howling. 

He’s also the Memory Keeper. Which means no matter how much I sometimes resent him, he’s essential to our way of life.

Derek sees me, and his eyes gleam with something I don't like. I should have returned the way I was supposed to, given him my report. He'll have words for me later, but at least for now he's too drunk and too stupid to say anything.

“Alpha.” Thaddeus, one of the elders, calls out as I approach the gathering. His voice is sharp, cutting through the noise of the wolves around him. The others fall silent, turning their attention toward me.

I force myself to remain calm, even as my heart pounds in my chest. I incline my head respectfully. “Elder Thaddeus.”

“We hear news of an injured wolf,” Thaddeus says, his gaze piercing. “What did you find when you investigated?”

I take a slow breath, crafting my lie carefully, aware of Derek’s eyes on me, recording every word I say. “I followed the trail as far as I could, but it ended near the border of Blackwood territory. I didn’t find a body, only traces of blood. It seems the wolf may have been dragged away, likely by scavengers.”

Thaddeus narrows his eyes, considering my words. “No sign of a struggle? No indication of where the wolf might have been taken?”

“None,” I reply, keeping my voice steady. “The blood trail was faint, as if the wolf was already weak before it was attacked. The forest floor was disturbed, but not enough to suggest a fight. Whatever happened, it was quick.”

The elder frowns, his gaze still fixed on me. “And you saw no sign of Blackwood wolves nearby?”

“No, Elder,” I say, shaking my head. “The territory was clear. I stayed for a while to ensure no one crossed the border, but there was no movement.”

Thaddeus grunts, clearly dissatisfied, but he nods. “Very well. We’ll keep a closer watch on the borders in the coming days. The Blackwood pack has been too quiet lately. We can’t afford to be complacent.”

“I agree,” I say, eager to end the conversation. “I’ll return to my post and continue monitoring the area.”

Thaddeus waves me off, turning back to the other elders. I take the opportunity to slip away, blending into the crowd of wolves as they begin to howl and cheer in celebration with Derek, who has already moved on to his next drink.

As soon as I’m out of sight, I make my way back to the cabin, my thoughts racing. I’ve bought myself some time, but not much. The elders will come looking for answers.

But for now, I have a moment of peace.

My body trembles at the threshold to my cabin, afraid of what I'll find inside. What if she died in my absence? I force myself to open the door and walk in.