Chapter 23

Dahlia.

I drove my husband's Audi into the forest, fully expecting this to be the place where the exe.cution would go down. There was no way I was letting them k!ll her—not after seeing how exhausted and trapped Victoria looked in that godforsaken marriage. I learned to drive back at Church—yeah, not the most ideal driving school, but they weren't as uptight as the C∆lt. I used to be their designated chauffeur. Who knew I'd end up using those skills for good?

I parked the car at the lot near the forest. Time was ticking. It was 11:47 PM, and I had a few minutes left to pull off my cray cray plan. Victoria's life had to be spared. I wasn't supposed to meddle in wolf business, but frankly, I wasn't about to sit on my hands and wait for some werewolves to follow through with this messed-up tradition. I had been given a second chance at life by the Church—why shouldn't I give someone else one too?

I got out of the car and sprinted into the woods like I was in a Mission Impossible movie—minus the explosions, fancy stunts, or any cool gadgets. It was just me, running on sheer determination (and, okay, panic).

I reached the clearing just in time to see Victoria kneeling in a wedding gown at what I assumed was some kind of "sacred" altar. I mean, this was a wolf pack ritual, so you could at least make it a little more romantic. But hey, not my circus, not my wolves. I had my own problems—namely, my life being in d@nger, and Victoria's.

I pulled out my secret weapon—a color bomb expl0sive. Don't ask me why I had it; it was a backup plan in case my husband ever tried to sneak into my room uninvited and suffocate me with a pillow. Didn't see that coming, did you? I tossed the color bomb at the altar, and—BOOM! It exploded into a rainbow of chaos that could have rivaled a Pride parade. Perfect distraction.

I grabbed Victoria's hand, and we took off into the forest like two runaway brides, except we weren't running from a wedding, we were running for our lives.

And then, as if on cue, a giant werewolf appeared. Great. Just great. I'd barely escaped one supernatural disaster, and now here came a wolf the size of a small house to ruin my night. I stretched my arms out, like maybe that would do something. Victoria cowered behind me, which wasn't exactly the most brave look, but I respected it. After all, we were surrounded.

The wolves were huge—like, seriously, I could've sworn they had gym memberships. Their eyes glowed like hot coals, and I couldn't decide whether they were the most beautiful or terrifying creatures I'd ever seen. It was like looking at a nature documentary that had taken a dark turn.

And then… ZAP. A bolt of lightning shot from the sky, striking somewhere deep in the forest. It was one of those "you know something big just happened" moments, like in the movies, but without the sound—but you could feel the tremor. I was scared to be honest, literally afraid.

The wolves started retreating, slinking back into the woods, which meant one thing—either they were scared of thunder, or something bigger was coming. I would bet my last cookie on the latter.

The night air felt even colder. I shivered, trying to ignore the creeping sense that something was watching me. Glowing red eyes blinked in the distance, sending goosebumps across my skin. My heart hammered in my chest. Whoever was coming was not a wolf. Wolves were terrifying, but this was different—this was something else.

And then, there he was. The silhouette of a tall, imposing figure emerged from the shadows, his body oozing masculinity like a cologne commercial on steroids. I took one look and thought, "I am so screwed."

It was my husband.

He stopped in front of me, his eyes flashing like a thousand warning signs. "I told you to back off and mind your business!" he snarled, as if I hadn't been risking my life for the past thirty minutes.

Victoria stepped aside, then miraculously stood in front of me, hands spread wide like some kind of fierce protector.

She was defending me. Defending me, even though I'd come here to save her.

Well, that was a plot twist I wasn't expecting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rath.

"She came to save me, I won't let you hurt her. Please, Alpha Rath," Victoria pleaded, her voice cracking like she'd been rehearsing this speech in her head for hours.

I could feel the vein in my forehead twitching as her words dug into my last nerve. This human girl had no idea how much trouble she was causing. "Step away from the human, Victoria," I growled.

But, of course, she didn't budge. Instead, she stood her ground like a tiny, defiant warrior—one who was about to be eaten alive by a very frustrated Alpha.

"You don't have to punish her. Please, Alpha Rath," she begged, like her pleas were going to make me suddenly grow a heart. Spoiler alert: They weren't.

Why did she have to make everything so complicated? The rules were simple: Stay out of other packs' business. Meddling in that was like throwing a rock into a hornet's nest and hoping for a nice, peaceful outcome. It would end messy. And I was the one who would have to clean it up.

I turned my glare on Dahlia, that sweet, innocent-looking face that never failed to make me doubt my better judgment. Every time I looked at her, I wanted to forget how deep the trouble ran. But no, the reality was clearer than ever: she was trouble in a beautiful package.

Her heartbeat sped up, and it hit me then: the little human was so scared of me. Great. First time for everything.

A small, irritating part of me didn't like that, and I couldn't figure out why.

"Do you have the car keys?" I asked, my tone flat, like I wasn't about to r1p someone's he.ad off—or at least, I was trying not to.

She fumbled around in her pocket like she was trying to remember the exact choreography for a dance, then threw the keys at me. Smooth, Dahlia. Real smooth.

I grabbed them with the precision of someone who didn't have the patience to play games anymore. Turning my back to them, I walked toward the car like I had all the time in the world... which, honestly, I didn't, but I needed to get away before I said something I'd regret.

Something inside me twisted uncomfortably, but I couldn't tell if it was because of Dahlia's fear… or because I was secretly annoyed at the fact that I cared about her fear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dahlia.

And just like that, I thought I was off the hook. Forgiven, right? Or so I hoped.

"You will stay here for now until I figure out how to calm things down in your pack," Rath said, looking more like a disappointed father than a fearsome Alpha.

Victoria practically bounced off the ground in joy. The smile on her face was so bright, it could've powered the entire city for a year. She hadn't smiled in what seemed like forever. Honestly, I wondered if she even knew how to.

"Billie will guide you to your room and take care of whatever you need," Rath added, like he was issuing a royal decree.

I watched Victoria, finally at peace, all smiles, and I turned to leave, ready to get away from this mess. But then—boom—she grabbed my hand.

"Thank you so much," she said, her voice so sincere it made me question my whole existence.

I nodded, thinking, If I can keep her safe, I'll sleep like a baby tonight.

"I'll deal with you later," Rath muttered, his eyes narrowing like he was plotting something sinister. I just shot him a thumbs up. How could he not appreciate my effort?

That night, I lay in bed with a grin plastered on my face. The day had been a success, whatever that meant. I'd managed to stop a public execution, saved a girl, and made myself an enemy of the entire wolf pack. Big win, right?

I woke up the next morning feeling light as a feather. I should've been worried about the punishment that was coming my way—defying my husband? Oh, that's a problem—but nope, I was floating on cloud nine. Victoria was safe, and that was all that mattered.

I entered the dining room to find my husband chatting away with Victoria. When he saw me, his eyes narrowed, as if mentally assessing my entire outfit.

Billie had completely overhauled my wardrobe. I felt like a brand-new person. I was rocking a pair of jean shorts and a crop top, my hair in a high ponytail that screamed "I'm free!" I plopped onto the swing bench with a novel, pretending to be all casual, when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Dahlia, right? Thanks for saving me last night," Victoria signed to me, her fingers moving faster than I could process.

I blinked. Wait, she knew sign language?

"When you held my hand, I felt... something," she continued, looking both confused and fascinated. "I can't explain it, but somehow I'm able to sign now."

I was floored. What? This was like one of those "magical" moments you only read about in fantasy novels. She could read and understand sign language just by holding my hand. It was like a freakin' superpower. Billie had told me the same thing once, but I had never truly believed it—until now.

A smile tugged at my lips. "Well, looks like we're a team now," I signed back, my heart doing a little happy dance.

But then, I was hit with a new question: Why couldn't my husband sign?

"I'm sorry about your husband," I signed, trying to keep the mood light.

She let out a laugh, one that seemed like it had been building for years. "Just between you and me," she signed, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "I'm glad he's dead. I was never happy in that marriage. I hated that man more than anything in this world. He made my life miserable."

I was taken aback. No wonder she seemed so off during the wedding. I'd seen him scold her, and the way she looked down, avoiding his eyes—God, that was uncomfortable. Something just didn't sit right with me. It left a bad taste in my mouth, like a sour candy that sticks to your teeth.

She turned to look at me, her eyes softening as she signed, "But that's a thing of the past. When I was about to be executed, I lost all hope. All my life, I've been alone, married to a man I never loved. It means a lot that you came to save me."

My heart swelled with joy at that moment, like a balloon being filled with warmth. Her ability to communicate with me, in the only way I truly understood, felt like a secret bond we shared. It was the kind of moment that m

ade all the craziness of the night worth it—like the universe was giving me a little gift of connection.