The Ghost Returns

The night air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, the forest shrouded in darkness as I moved silently through the underbrush. My pulse pounded in my ears, every step calculated, every breath measured. The Bloodfang border was a death trap, and I was walking straight into it.

I crouched low behind the thick underbrush, heart pounding as I surveyed the towering gates of the Bloodfang Pack's territory. The perimeter was well-guarded, but I had expected that. After all, this was no ordinary pack. This was Cassian Voss's domain, and he ran it like a fortress.

A place I once called home.

I exhaled slowly, forcing the memories back. This wasn't the time to dwell on the past. I had come for one reason only—to steal the wolfsbane bloom growing in the healer's garden. Without it, the burning inside me would become unbearable, and I couldn't afford that. The strange power had been growing stronger lately, twisting beneath my skin like an untamed beast, clawing to be let out. I didn't know what it was, only that it terrified me.

If Bloodfang discovered me here, they wouldn't ask questions. They'd kill me on sight.

Steeling myself, I moved through the shadows, slipping past patrols like a ghost. Years of surviving alone had honed my instincts, and I knew how to navigate unnoticed. I scaled the stone wall with practiced ease, dropping silently into the courtyard. The healer's hut was only a few yards away. Almost there.

I finally got there and crouched low behind a thicket of brambles, eyes locked on the small greenhouse nestled between the towering trees. Moonlight glinted off the glass panels, illuminating the rare collection of herbs inside.

There it was—moonshade root. The only thing strong enough to suppress the strange, burning power surging through my veins. Without it, I didn't know how much longer I could hold on.

A sharp breath left my lips as I darted forward, my fingers trembling as I pried the greenhouse door open. The scent of fresh herbs filled my nose—rosemary, mint, wolfsbane—but I ignored them, scanning the rows of plants until I found it.

Moonshade root.

My hands closed around the thick stems, yanking them free from the soil. Relief flooded me. I just needed to get out.

I turned, heart hammering—

And ran straight into a solid wall of muscle.

A vicious snarl erupted in my ear as I stumbled back, barely catching myself before I hit the ground.

"Well, well. The little traitor returns."

My stomach turned to ice.

A warrior loomed over me, the Bloodfang insignia gleaming on his chestplate. His scent—earth and iron—was unmistakable.

Jared.

One of Cassian's most loyal fighters.

"Not looking so tough now, are you, rogue?" Jared sneered, his hand shooting out to grab my wrist.

I reacted on instinct, twisting free and slamming my elbow into his ribs. He grunted, but I didn't wait to see if he'd recover. I bolted, my feet barely touching the ground as I ran.

Shouts rang out behind me. Branches snapped. Heavy footsteps pounded against the dirt.

I pushed harder, lungs burning. If I could just make it past the tree line—

Pain exploded across my back as something slammed into me, knocking me flat. My vision blurred as I hit the ground hard, my breath torn from my lungs.

"Got you, you little shit." Jared's voice was a growl in my ear as he pressed a knee into my spine, pinning me down.

"Let—me—go," I spat, struggling against his grip.

"Not a chance." He wrenched my arms behind my back, binding my wrists. "The Alpha's gonna want to see you."

My blood ran cold.

No. No, no, no.

Not him.

Not Cassian.

I thrashed against the restraints, but it was useless. Jared hauled me up, his grip bruising, and dragged me toward the pack's stronghold.

The fortress loomed in the distance, dark and imposing, its stone walls stretching high into the night sky. My pulse pounded in my throat as we passed through the gates, warriors watching with narrowed eyes.

Whispers followed me. Murmurs of disbelief.

"The traitor?"

"Didn't think he'd be stupid enough to come back."

 I kept my gaze on the ground, refusing to meet their stares. They saw me as nothing more than a betrayer, a ghost of the past they thought long buried.

They didn't know the truth.

No one did.

A cold dread settled over me, heavier than the pain radiating through my body. They were taking me to him. The last person I ever wanted to see again.

The warriors shoved open the doors to the Alpha's hall and threw me onto the cold stone floor.

The great hall was just as I remembered—tall ceilings, roaring fireplaces, the air thick with the scent of wolf and steel.

Jared shoved me forward, sending me to my knees on the cold stone floor. I barely had time to lift my head before I felt it—

A sharp, electric pull in my chest.

My heart stuttered. My body locked up.

No.

The world narrowed to the figure standing before me, golden eyes burning into mine.

Cassian.

And then I felt it.

A sudden, violent pull, like a storm crashing into me. A force so strong it left me breathless. My entire body locked up as a scent—rich, dark, unmistakable—wrapped around me like a chain.

No. No, this couldn't be happening.

My head snapped up, and my world tilted.

Cassian Voss stood at the far end of the room, his golden eyes blazing as they bore into mine.

The mate bond slammed into us like a lightning strike, raw and undeniable. I felt it searing through my veins, binding us in ways I had spent years trying to forget.

His grip tightened on the armrest of his throne, knuckles white. Fury radiated from him in waves, but beneath it, something else lingered—something dangerous.

Possession.

Then it hit me like a thunderbolt.

The mate bond.

Raw. Overwhelming. Inescapable.

Cassian inhaled sharply, his eyes darkening, his jaw tightening. His entire body went rigid, the air between us charged with something dangerous.

His lips curled back, revealing sharp canines. His voice was a low, possessive growl.

"You're mine," he growled, his voice like thunder.

A shiver ran down my spine, but I bared my teeth in defiance. "I belong to no one."

Cassian's eyes darkened, his wolf lurking just beneath the surface, ready to tear me apart—or claim me.

The room felt suffocating, the walls too close. My entire body trembled, not from fear, but from the overwhelming presence of the bond forcing its way into my soul.

I had spent years running, hiding, surviving.

And in one cruel twist of fate, I had walked right back into my own destruction.