CHAPTER SIX
Mina is very beautiful, and her wolf is equally attractive. Sometimes I wonder if she would be my mate because she is perfect for me. I like her a lot, but just as a friend. I do not feel any attraction toward her; I'm just hoping that the mate bond between us will fix all that once we both turn eighteen.
She’s everything a future alpha could ask for—strong, loyal, intelligent, and fiercely protective. But no matter how much I try to convince myself, I don’t feel that spark. That pull. That instinctive need to be near her. I care about her deeply, but it’s not the kind of feeling that makes your wolf howl in longing.
Mina is a beta, second in command to the alpha. She earned that position through grit and loyalty. We were brought together by our misfortunes and our shared thirst for revenge. Mina is also alone in this world. Her family was slaughtered by rogues, just like mine. Her younger brother, still a baby at the time, was kidnapped. She’s never heard from him since.
She says she would recognize him if she ever saw him. Wolves believe that family bonds are as strong as mate bonds. Stronger, even. Blood calls to blood, no matter how far apart.
"You found this place and kept it all to yourself, you stingy bastard," Mina muttered, kicking me with her hind leg as she trotted up beside me.
"Nice to see you too, Mina," I replied, jumping to my feet and shaking out my fur.
Her wolf is smaller than mine, more agile, but no less fierce. I walked up and rubbed my nose against hers. She’s my calming influence, even when she’s driving me insane with her sarcasm and stubbornness.
"Elric asked me to check on you. Said you’ve been acting strangely," she said, shifting back to human form without hesitation.
"Damn, Mina, did nobody ever teach you not to undress in front of a man?" I turned my back quickly, groaning.
She laughed. "I’m not undressing in front of a man. I’m undressing in front of a wolf. I’m sorry if the wolf has the dirty mind of a man."
I shook my head and shifted back to myself. One thing about true alphas—we don’t need to strip before shifting. And when we shift back, we’re fully clothed. It’s rare, but not exclusive. Even Elric can do it, and he’s not a true alpha. So maybe it doesn’t mean anything.
"Not everybody can shift with their clothes on," she added, pulling her shirt over her head.
I turned back once I saw she was dressed. Her expression had softened, but her eyes were still sharp.
"Hans is restless. I haven’t slept in a long while. It’s like he’s anticipating something, but I can’t tell what," I admitted. I don’t bother lying to Mina. She sees through me too easily.
"Maybe he’s just anxious because you’ll be eighteen soon," she said.
I shook my head before she could finish. "If anything, he should be quiet until we meet the one. Then he’ll try to win her wolf over."
"I know. Maybe it’s different because you’re a true alpha," she reasoned.
I closed my eyes. This was one of those moments where Mina couldn’t help me. Hans was part of me, but lately he felt... separate. Like he was keeping secrets. I had to figure it out myself.
"I need to be alone," I said, my voice slipping into Alpha tone without meaning to.
Mina flinched. She tried to resist, but even the strongest wolves must bow to their Alpha. The moon goddess made it so.
"Very well then. I’m only a mind link away," she said, backing off.
I watched her disappear into the trees, then turned inward.
"Want to tell me what the matter is now?" I asked Hans. "I need sleep. You need rest. You’ve eaten. Let us rest."
"I thought you were going to the club," he teased.
I frowned. "I’m too tired. I’ll cancel."
Hans was quiet for a moment. Then he asked, "You ever think about the girl you gave your blue necklace to?"
I stiffened. The memories stirred, but I shoved them down.
"I don’t want to remember that night," I snapped, blocking him off before he could say more.
That night was a wound I refused to reopen. I had no memory of the girl. No memory of the pain. I’d buried it deep, locked it away. I wouldn’t unlock it until I had justice—for Sage, for my parents.
I felt drowsy and dropped to the grass. Hans finally quieted. I curled up and drifted into sleep.
The forest was quiet, the moon still high above. I could hear the distant howls of the pack, but they felt far away. My body relaxed, and for the first time in days, I felt peace.
Hans didn’t stir. He let me rest.
But peace never lasts.
He woke me suddenly, and I groaned. But when I saw the sun filtering through the trees, I bolted upright. I should’ve been home hours ago.
I blocked my mind link. I didn’t want Elric nagging me for staying out all night.
Running in daylight is risky. I couldn’t let Hans out, so I relied on my natural strength. Still ten times faster than a human, though Adren is faster. I sprinted toward the edge of town, weaving through the trees.
The wind rushed past me, the scent of pine and dew clinging to my skin. I could hear birds chirping, the distant hum of cars, and the faint buzz of human life returning to its rhythm.
Just as I was about to turn toward home, something caught my eye.
A girl.
She was standing at the edge of the woods, staring at me.
Green eyes.
Bright. Curious. Unblinking.
She didn’t look afraid. Just... intrigued.
I slowed, heart thudding. Something about her felt familiar. Not her face. Not her scent. But something deeper. Something I couldn’t name.
She tilted her head, studying me like she was trying to remember something.
I took a step forward.
She didn’t move.
And then, for a split second, I saw it.
A flicker of light around her neck.
A pendant.
Blue.
I froze.
She blinked.
And smiled.
But by the time I turned away and started walking again, the image had already slipped from my mind. The flicker of light. The pendant. The strange familiarity. All of it faded like a dream at dawn.
I wouldn't remember it again.
Not until much later.