Chapter 95 The She-Wolf Arrives
Jolie POV
The she-wolf appears at our gates three days before the wedding.
I'm in the garage with Knox, reviewing the bikes he's customized for our entrance, when Phoenix comes running in. His face is pale, expression stricken.
"We've got a situation at the perimeter." His voice shakes slightly. "Female wolf requesting sanctuary. Says she's fleeing an abusive mate bond."
My stomach drops. I know what it's like to run, to desperately need somewhere safe.
"Let her in." I'm already moving toward the gate.
"Jolie, wait." Knox grabs my arm, but Phoenix cuts him off.
"It's Seraphina." Phoenix's hands clench into fists. "Seraphina Cross, my cousin."
I stop. "Your cousin?"
"I haven't seen her in years." Phoenix won't meet my eyes. "Not since before... not since my family died. We weren't close."
"Then she definitely needs help." I touch his arm gently. "Family doesn't abandon family, Phoenix. If she's in trouble"
Phoenix opens his mouth like he wants to say something, then closes it. "Yeah, sure."
The female at the gate is stunning. Even exhausted and disheveled, she's breathtaking. Tall, maybe five-eight, with long auburn hair that falls in waves down her back. Her clothes are expensive but torn—designer jeans and a silk blouse that's seen better days.
But it's her wolf I see first, visible just beneath the surface. Golden. Rare and beautiful, the color of sunlight through honey.
"Please." She grips the gate bars, and there's real desperation in her voice. "I need sanctuary. My mate, he'll kill me if he finds me."
The fear in her voice sounds exactly like what I felt running from Nightshade. The terror, the exhaustion, the desperate hope that someone, anyone, will help.
"Let her in." I nod to Phoenix.
He opens the gate slowly, and she stumbles through. Knox catches her automatically, steadying her.
"Thank you." She looks up at me with grateful tears. "You're her. The moonfire Luna. I heard you help wolves who have nowhere else to go."
"I'm Jolie." I keep my voice gentle. "What's your name?"
"Seraphina Cross." She steadies herself, then her gaze lands on Phoenix. "Hello, Nix. It's been too long."
Phoenix just nods stiffly.
"Come on." I guide her toward the clubhouse. "Let's get you inside, get you fed and cleaned up. Then you can tell us what happened."
We're halfway across the compound when Ryder emerges from the main house. He takes one look at Seraphina and goes completely still.
Something passes between them—recognition, maybe? His expression doesn't change, but I can feel tension spike through our bond.
"Ryder." Seraphina's voice is soft, almost apologetic. "I'm sorry to intrude like this."
"You two know each other?" I look between them.
"We met once, years ago." Ryder's voice is carefully neutral. "At a Council gathering in the Eastern Territories."
"You have a good memory." Seraphina manages a weak smile. "That was 6 oh 7years ago, I'm surprised you remember."
"I remember." Ryder's tone gives nothing away. "What brings you to Iron Fangs territory?"
"Your mate's kindness." Seraphina looks at me with such genuine gratitude it makes my chest ache. "I heard she gives sanctuary to wolves who need it. I took a chance that the stories were true."
"They are." I meet her eyes. "No one gets turned away here if they need help."
Doc's waiting in the medical bay when we arrive. He examines her with professional efficiency.
"Bruising on the ribs, defensive wounds on the arms." He makes notes. "Consistent with someone fighting back against an aggressor. When did you last shift?"
"Four days ago." Seraphina winces as he prods a particularly dark bruise. "My mate doesn't like when I shift. Says I'm harder to control in wolf form."
The words hit too close to home. My father said similar things, made me feel like my wolf was something to be ashamed of.
"You're safe here." I take her hand without thinking. "No one controls anyone else in this pack. You shift when you want, run when you want. You're free."
"Free." Seraphina's eyes fill with tears. "I forgot what that felt like."
Doc finishes his examination. "Nothing's broken, but you need rest and proper food. I'll set you up in one of the guest cabins."
"I can show her." I offer.
"Actually." Doc's voice is careful. "Knox should handle it. Ryder's asking for you in the main house."
I hesitate, not wanting to abandon Seraphina when she's so vulnerable. But she squeezes my hand gently.
"Go. I'll be fine." Her smile is brave. "You've already done so much."
Ryder's on the back porch, staring out at the woods. His posture is tense.
"You wanted to see me?" I approach it carefully.
"Seraphina Cross." He doesn't turn around. "You invited her in without vetting her."
"She needed help." I move to stand beside him. "I couldn't turn her away."
"I know." He finally looks at me. "That's what makes you good. It's also what makes you vulnerable."
"You think she's lying?" I'm confused. "Ryder, you saw the bruises. Doc confirmed they're real."
"Bruises are easy to fake if you know how." His voice is flat. "I'm not saying she is lying. I'm saying we need to be careful. Run background checks, verify her story before we give her full access to the compound."
"That seems paranoid." I frown. "She's Phoenix's cousin."
"Phoenix looked terrified when he heard her name." Ryder points out. "Did you notice that?"
I did notice, but I assumed it was just shock at seeing family after so long. "They weren't close, he himself said so."
"Exactly." Ryder turns to face me fully. "So why would his cousin come here, to a pack she has no connection to, asking for sanctuary? There are dozens of packs between the Eastern Territories and here, so why travel this far?"
"Because she heard about me." It makes sense. "About how I help people."
"Maybe." Ryder doesn't sound convinced. "Or maybe there's another reason. I just want us to be careful, baby. Especially right before the wedding, with everything else going on."
He's being protective, not controlling. I can see the difference now.
"Okay." I lean against him. "We'll be careful. But I'm not going to treat her like a threat when she's scared and vulnerable."
"I'm not asking you to." He wraps his arms around me. "Just... don't get too close too fast, allow Knox and Luna to run their checks first."
"Deal." I tilt my face up for a kiss.
He obliges, but I can still feel the tension in him. Whatever he's worried about, it's serious.
Over the next two days, Seraphina integrates into the compound with surprising ease.
She's quiet, respectful, and keeps to herself mostly. When she does interact with pack members, she's unfailingly polite and grateful. She helps in the kitchen without being asked, offers to do laundry, even assists Doc with inventory in the medical bay.
"She's perfect." I tell Luna as we watch Seraphina laugh at something Knox said. "Almost too perfect."
"Background check came back clean." Luna pulls up her tablet. "Seraphina Cross, age 29, from the Riverside Pack in the Eastern Territories. Mated three years ago to Alpha Shore of the Clearwater Pack. No criminal record, no pack disputes, nothing suspicious."
"See?" I feel vindicated. "She's exactly who she says she is."
"Maybe." Luna doesn't look convinced. "But Phoenix still won't talk to her. Actively avoids her. That's weird for a family, don't you think?"
"Some families are complicated." I shrug. "Maybe they had fallen out before his pack died. He might feel guilty about it."
Luna makes a noncommittal sound. That evening, I found Seraphina sitting alone by the fire pit. She's staring into the flames with such sadness it breaks my heart.
"Mind if I join you?" I ask.
"Please." She gestures to the seat beside her. "I could use the company."
We sit in comfortable silence for a while. Finally, she speaks.
"Thank you again for taking me in. I know it's complicated, having a stranger show up asking for help."
"It's not complicated." I meet her eyes. "Everyone deserves safety. Everyone deserves a place to heal."
"Even wolves like me?" Her voice is soft. "Damaged, running from their mistakes?"
"Especially wolves like you." I think of my own past. "Running doesn't make you weak. It makes you a survivor."
"You're very kind." Seraphina smiles, and for a moment she looks younger, less haunted. "Ryder's lucky to have you."
"I'm lucky to have him." I corrected it automatically.
"That too." She looks back at the fire. "Though I imagine it's not always easy, being mated to someone so... intense."
Something about the way she says "intense" feels off, but I push the feeling aside.
"He's protective." I explained . "But not controlling. There's a difference."
"Of course." Seraphina nods quickly. "I didn't mean to imply anything negative. It's just... My mate was intense too. At first, I thought it was passion. By the end, I realized it was possession."
"That must have been terrifying." I touch her arm sympathetically.
"It was." She meets my eyes, and I see real pain there. "That's why I'm so grateful you understand the difference. Not everyone does."
We talked for another hour. About mates, about packs, about what it means to find yourself after losing everything. By the time we head inside, I feel like I've made a real friend.
Someone who understands what I went through. Someone who knows what it's like to run and rebuild.
Ryder's waiting in our room. "You were with Seraphina."
"We were just talking." I start getting ready for bed. "She's been through a lot, Ryder. I think she really needs someone to talk to."
"I'm sure she does." His tone is neutral, but something flickers in his eyes. "Just remember what I said, be careful."
"I am being careful." I climb into bed beside him. "But I'm also not going to be cold to someone who needs help. That's not who I am."
"I know." He pulls me close. "That's one of the things I love about you. Just promise me you'll tell me if anything feels off. Anything at all."
"I promise." I kissed him. "But honestly, she seems really genuine. I think she's exactly who she says she is—a scared wolf who needed somewhere safe."
Ryder doesn't respond. He just holds me tighter, like he's afraid I'll disappear.