Freya's POV
"You are still an intruder, and pack rules call for immediate execution," Beta John said at last, his voice flat after a moment of deliberation.
"No. No." The word slipped out of me as I stumbled backward.
From the corner of my eye, I saw two men from the group I'd arrived with step forward. Panic surged. I spun, trying to run but they caught me easily.
"I didn't know! I didn't know!" I screamed as I thrashed around, my wrists burning against the rope binding them tightly.
"Beta, there has to be another way," Theo cut in urgently. "How can she be guilty when she didn't even know about the boundary?"
"She's still a risk I'm not willing to take," Beta John replied coldly. "We can't let her go. There's no way to be sure she won't reveal our location."
He stepped closer. His nails lengthened, his claws dark and sharp, catching the moonlight.
This is it. I told myself. I closed my eyes waiting for what was to come.
Just as he raised his claws ready to strike, a voice stopped him.
"Mate…".
The word slipped into the clearing, fragile and uncertain, like it hadn't meant to be spoken aloud.
The man who said it stared at me, his expression torn between disbelief and something else I couldn't quite decipher. Confusion clouded his eyes, as though the word itself had betrayed him.
A single utterance sent ripples through the crowd. Murmurs rose, sharp and frantic, inaudible over the pounding in my ears.
He was shirtless, dressed only in black joggers and sneakers. Tattoos and scars scattered across his chest telling a story I wanted to immerse myself in. Long, messy black curls framed his face. He was tall,easily over six foot,broad shoulders, muscular, and terrifyingly real.
I hated myself for noticing any of it when I was just seconds away from dying.
"Mate," he said again, firmer this time. The confusion was gone. Anger took its place.
He stalked toward me like a predator.
I found myself scrambling backward again, trying to put distance between us, but my foot caught the rope around my wrists. I fell hard, pain exploding behind my eyes. A sob clawed its way up my throat as tears blurred my vision.
He was suddenly there, crouching in front of me.
Through the haze, I saw it. The expression on his face was real and unmistakable, he was worried about me .
He reached for me as I lay on the ground.
I flinched violently.
"I won't hurt you," he said gruffly.
"Really?" My voice came out small. Broken.
He nodded once.
Then he lifted me with startling ease, cradling me against his chest. His body was warm and steady.
As he carried me away, the crowd gradually dispersed, their whispered questions trailing after us.
We entered a house,his, I assumed. He moved through it confidently, past several doors, until we reached the last room on the ground floor. Inside stood an eccentric-looking man.
"Alpha, has the first run ended already?" the man asked without turning around.
"Ryder, we have a problem," the Alpha said carefully, setting me down on one of the beds.
"What problem could—". The words died in Ryder's throat as he finally looked at me.
He stumbled forward, bumping into furniture without noticing. After a sharp inhale, he said quietly, "She's human. How did a human get past our borders?"
Fear edged his voice.
"Save your questions for later,". the Alpha grunted. "For now, treat her injuries."
Ryder's gaze dropped to my wrists.
"Why is she still bound?" Panic flared across his face.
We all looked at my bound wrists at the same time. The skin was swollen and turned an angry red shade.
"Take care of her," the Alpha said sharply, guilt written on his face. "I want her healed by tomorrow. Fail, and you face the consequences."
Then he left.
Ryder muttered under his breath, something about unreasonable alphas as he approached me with a pair of scissors.
"I'm just going to cut the rope so I can treat you," he said gently trying not to scare me off.
I nodded, trembling.
The moment the rope fell away, pain flared. Silent tears slid down my cheeks.
"I—I'm not a wolf," I whispered. "I need a real doctor."
Ryder huffed a laugh. "You're in luck, sweetheart. I'm trained in both human and shifter medicine."
He applied a green salve to my wrists. The pain dulled instantly.
"Folk remedy," he said. "You'll be fine by morning. Just don't move your hands."
I gave a weak grunt in response.
He pulled up a chair and sat beside me.
"Now," he said softly, "how did you end up in Howling Winds?"
"Howling Winds?"
He nodded. "And how did you get past the wards? No human has ever even found this place,let alone crossed into it."
"I don't know," I said honestly. "I went to gather firewood. I got lost. Then I saw… teenagers turning into wolves." I had seen it with my own eyes but still couldn't believe it.
He exhaled slowly. "The first turn. You're lucky to be alive, new wolves are highly territorial."
"Should you really be telling me this?" I asked, skeptical of his kindness.
"If you're here," he said carefully, "it means the Alpha plans to keep you alive. For now."
My stomach dropped. I had let the alpha's kindness lure me into a false sense of safety.
"He called me his mate," I said. "What does that mean?"
The color drained from Ryder's face.
"He… called you his mate?" he whispered. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." My eyebrows furrowed. "is there something wrong?".
"I—excuse me. I need some air."
He rushed out of the room.
I stared at the door, my heart racing.
What had I gotten myself into?