Chapter 4 COLD WELCOME

I woke up feeling like absolute shit. My whole body ached, especially that empty spot in my chest where the mate bond used to be. It was like someone had ripped out a piece of me and left the hole raw and bleeding. The hard cot made my back hurt worse, and the torn white dress stuck to my skin with mud and dried blood, reminding me exactly how low I’d fallen.

I sat up slow, groaning, and rubbed my chest. My wolf was still quiet inside me, barely there, and that silence scared me more than the pain. I’d always had her fire, even when Lucifer treated me like crap. Now? Just this heavy loneliness that made my throat tight.

A loud knock hit the door.

“Get up,” a woman’s voice barked. “Alpha wants to see you. Don’t make him wait.”

I dragged myself off the cot, wrapped the rough blanket around my shoulders, and opened the door. A tall woman with short black hair and a hard stare looked me up and down like I was garbage.

“Name’s Mira,” she said. “Follow me and don’t touch anything.”

My legs felt shaky, but I limped after her through the camp. The place was rough... old stone buildings and beat-up cabins under thick pines that made everything feel dark and cold. Wolves stopped and stared. Some growled low. A couple of younger ones whispered loud enough for me to hear.

“Stray from Bloodmoon…”

“Smells like fresh rejection…”

“Probably dragged hunters with her…”

Their words cut deep. Shame burned hot in my face and my eyes stung. I kept my head up anyway, jaw tight. I wasn’t going to let them see me cry again. Not after last night.

Mira took me into a bigger stone building in the center. It felt cold and plain inside. Ronan stood at the far end of a long wooden table, arms crossed. His dark auburn hair fell messy over his forehead, and the scar on his collarbone showed above his shirt. His green eyes locked on me right away, sharp and watching.

“Sit,” he said. No hello. No nothing.

I dropped into the nearest chair, wincing as pain shot through my bruised knees. Mira stayed by the door like a guard.

Ronan got straight to it. “You lit up the border last night like a damn flare. Moon power. Strong. Hunters showed up right after. Explain.”

My throat felt tight. “I didn’t mean to. Lucifer rejected me right in front of the whole pack and banished me. The mate bond snapped, then the pack bond broke when I crossed your line. It hurt so fucking bad… something weird woke up in me for a second. That’s all I know.”

He leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “Your wolf is weak as hell right now. Rejection did that. But there’s old blood in you. Sealed tight. I smelled it the moment you stepped over the border.”

I let out a bitter laugh that cracked halfway. “Old blood? Bullshit. I’m just some orphan stray Lucifer’s pack took in out of pity. They made sure I knew I was nothing last night while they humiliated me in front of everyone.”

The memory slammed into me hard...kneeling in the gravel, Cole shoving me, that spit on the ground, Serena’s fake tears hiding her smirk. Shame flooded me so strong my chest squeezed, and fresh anger made my eyes burn. I’d forgiven Lucifer so many times. Believed his lies. And this was where it got me.

Ronan didn’t look sorry. “My pack is cursed. Been dying slow for years. Wolves getting weaker, pups born sick. Last night your power burst felt like the first real sign we’ve had in decades. That’s the only reason you’re sitting here instead of still out there with those hunters chasing your ass.”

He paused, green eyes locked on mine. For a second something flickered in them, a tightness in his jaw, like he was fighting to keep his face blank. “But trust isn’t free. You stay weak and useless, you’re out. You bring trouble, I’ll drag you back to the border myself. Got it?”

I nodded, throat tight. I felt so small and unwanted sitting there.

Mira snorted. “She looks ready to collapse. We even feeding her?”

Ronan ignored her. “Clean up. Clothes in the back room. Eat something. Then Mira will show you around. You work for your keep here. No free rides.”

He turned to leave, but stopped at the door. His shoulders tensed. He didn’t look back, but his voice came out a little rougher. “One more thing. That moon thing in you… if it’s what I think, you might be useful. If not… don’t waste my time.”

The door shut behind him.

Mira jerked her head toward the side room. “Bathroom’s there. Clothes on the shelf. Don’t take all day.”

I went in and stripped off the ruined dress. The hot shower stung every cut and bruise, but it washed away some of the dirt and tears. When I looked in the cracked mirror, I hated the girl staring back...messy brown hair, dull grey eyes, scratched-up face. I looked exactly like the worthless stray they all thought I was. My eyes stung again. I wiped them fast.

I pulled on the baggy black shirt and pants. When I came out, Mira tossed me a plate with bread, meat, and fruit.

“Eat fast,” she said. “Camp doesn’t slow down for weaklings.”

I forced the food down even though my stomach felt sick. Every bite was a struggle. The rejection had drained me so bad I could barely chew. I felt so alone, like no one wanted me anywhere.

After I finished, Mira took me outside and showed me around, training field, food stores, healer’s cabin. Wolves watched me the whole time. Most looked pissed.

One big guy with a scar on his cheek spat on the ground. “We don’t need Bloodmoon trash here.”

I stopped and looked him in the eye, voice shaking with anger. “I didn’t ask to come here. If you’ve got a problem, say it to my face instead of acting like a little bitch.”

He growled and stepped closer, but Mira got between us. “Enough. She’s under Ronan’s word for now. Back off.”

The guy walked away muttering, but the hate in his eyes stayed with me and made my chest feel heavy.

Mira glanced at me. “You’ve got a mouth. That’ll either get you killed or earn respect. We’ll see.”

Later that afternoon I was stacking firewood when Ronan walked by again. He stopped a few feet away, watching me struggle with the heavy logs. My arms shook. Sweat poured down my back.

“You’re barely standing,” he said bluntly. “That rejection is kicking your ass hard.”

“Yeah, no shit,” I muttered, dropping another log. “Feels like I got run over.”

He didn’t smile. “The moon power you showed last night… it’s connected to something old. My pack has been waiting for someone like that. But right now you’re more dead weight than help.”

I wiped sweat from my forehead and looked up at him. “Then why keep me?”

“Because if you really are what I think, you could break the curse that’s killing us.” His green eyes were serious, almost intense. His jaw tightened like he was holding something back. “But if you’re just some weak rejected mate dragging hunters… I won’t risk my pack.”

He started to walk away, then paused. For a second his shoulders looked tense, like the pull was hitting him too but he was fighting it. “Rest tonight. Tomorrow you train with the others. We’ll see how much fight you’ve really got left.”

I watched him go, my hand drifting to my stomach without thinking. A strange little cramp hit me again, deeper this time. It wasn’t hunger. It felt… different. I shook it off. Probably just the stress.

But something was off. I could feel it.

Ronan was watching me like I might be useful or dangerous. The pack hated me. Hunters were still out there. And whatever was waking up inside me was going to change everything.

I wasn’t sure I was ready. But deep down, that stubborn spark was still there. I wasn’t going to let them break me again.