Chapter 124 Found Me

Chapter 124 Found Me
Nova's Perspective

Yawning, I drag myself toward the front door, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

I’ve been relying on the morning knocks to wake me up. The sweet older woman who’s been letting me stay in this little rental cottage brings me a fresh bottle of milk every morning without fail.

I crack the door open an inch, greeted immediately by her warm smile and bright, pale eyes.

Even though I made it here over a week ago, I haven't let myself get comfortable. I don't plan on staying in one spot for long anyway. I didn't grab much cash on my way out, so as soon as I sort out my funds, I'll be moving on to the next town.

My real plan is to make it all the way into Imogen's pack territory. Almost no one will recognize me over there, and Cassian would never expect me to head straight toward that territory of all places.

"Good morning, dear," she says cheerfully, handing me the cool glass milk bottle along with a soft extra blanket she insisted on crocheting for me.

"Good morning, Lizbeth. Thank you so much."

I really like her, but I’ve made a strict promise to myself not to get attached to anyone. This cottage is gorgeous, surrounded by trees and completely hidden away. If I had the choice to settle down somewhere, this would be it...

"Got any big plans for the day?" she asks, eyeing my messy hair and sleepy posture with fond amusement.

"Not entirely sure yet," I say, rubbing my face. "I'll probably walk around a bit and try to figure out where I'm heading next."

Her cheerful smile fades a little. "Leaving us so soon?"

"I think I have to. I really want to explore as much of this pack's land as I can before moving on to the next territory," I explain with a soft smile, reaching out to squeeze her arm gently.

By some absolute miracle, she has no idea who I am. When I first checked in, I overheard her complaining about how she couldn't care less about pack politics or whatever gossip gets printed in the local papers.

That answer seems to put her at ease. "Well, that sounds like a lovely adventure. Just make sure you settle down somewhere eventually, you're far too sweet and lovely to spend your whole life hiding away."

"Thank you, Lizbeth, but..."

The distant sound of tires crunching over the bumpy dirt road cuts me off mid-sentence. Lizbeth turns around, squinting through the thick tree trunks to see who could possibly be driving up the secluded driveway.

"Oh, my goodness... isn't that the Alpha's royal crest on that car?" she exclaims, her eyes wide with surprise.

The sharp glints of silver and black flash through the thick wall of trees. The moment the car rounds the final bend and pulls into the driveway, my stomach twists into a tight, painful knot.

He found me. He's actually here.

"Oh no," I mutter under my breath, my fingers digging into the wooden doorframe just to keep myself upright.

"Well, that's either an amazing surprise or a whole lot of trouble," Lizbeth says, bringing a hand up to her mouth with a worried frown.

"It's definitely trouble. Lizbeth, you should head back inside your house right now, I'll talk to you tomorrow,"

I insist, my voice tight with urgency. I really don't want her getting caught in the middle of this.
Whatever "this" is about to be.

"If that's the Alpha, it'd be rude not to greet him..."

"No, really, it's fine! I'm pretty sure he's here for me anyway," I say, gently nudging her away from the porch.

Realizing that something heavy is going down, she nods quickly and slips around the side of the cottage toward her place. I stand my ground right by the entrance.

The car glides to a stop in front of the house, its tires sinking slightly into the soft, muddy driveway. My heart hammers against my ribs as a flood of overwhelming emotions threatens to completely shatter my resolve.

The driver's door swings open, and Cassian steps out. My breath hitches in my throat.

He stands there with the dense forest rising behind him. A look of sheer pain washes over his features as his eyes lock onto mine, scanning my face as if he can barely process that I'm actually standing here.

My knuckles turn white against the doorframe as I fight to keep my knees from buckling.

I never expected him to track me down this fast, or ever, honestly. And I definitely didn't anticipate how fast all my certainty would evaporate the second I laid eyes on him again.

He looks just like he always does. The same Cassian who sat beside me under the warm glow of the barn lights; the same guy lounging on the bed, completely absorbed in a good book.

He looks like my best friend, the one person I always thought I'd spend forever with.

"Nova," he breathes, taking long, heavy strides straight toward me.