Chapter 5

Ava POV

Every fiber of my being screamed in protest.

Each step sent a jolt of searing pain through my abdomen. The aftereffects of the Wolfsbane were brutal, a poison that lingered in the blood like shards of glass. My head spun, and my legs felt like lead.

But I couldn't stop.

*Run,* my wolf urged, her voice desperate in my mind. *He is coming.*

I made it to the highway, the rain plastering my hair to my face. A Greyhound bus was idling at the station, its engine rumbling like a sleeping beast. The sign on the front read: NAPA VALLEY.

Neutral territory. The wine country. No Packs ruled there. It was a sanctuary for the lost, a place where the politics of Alphas held no sway.

I handed the driver a wad of crumpled cash. He looked at my pale, rain-soaked face, saw the trembling in my hands, and didn't bother asking for a ticket.

I collapsed into a seat at the back. As the bus pulled away, I watched the city lights fade, swallowing the life I was leaving behind.

I drifted into a feverish sleep.

*I was no longer human. I was a wolf. A massive beast with fur as white as fresh snow. I was tearing through a dark forest, paws thundering against the earth. Behind me, a black shadow monster roared, its jaws snapping at my heels. It smelled like lilies and rot-the scent of death.*

*I turned. I didn't run. I bared my teeth and snapped back. My roar shook the trees, a sound of pure, unadulterated dominance.*

I woke up with a gasp, my heart hammering against my ribs.

"Easy there, sugar."

An older woman was sitting across the aisle. She had kind eyes crinkled at the corners and wore a knitted shawl. She smelled of sage and earth, like a garden after rain.

"Bad dream?" she asked.

"Something like that," I croaked, my throat dry as sandpaper.

"You look like you've been through a war," she said, handing me a bottle of water.

"I have."

The bus rattled on, carrying us through the night. We arrived in a small town called Emerald Town on the edge of the valley.

I got off. The air here was different. Cleaner. It smelled of grapes and rich soil, a sharp contrast to the metallic tang of the city.

I found a cheap motel. I just needed to rest.

But trouble always finds the broken.

Two days later, I was walking back from the grocery store. I had bought bread and painkillers, the essentials for survival.

"Well, well. What do we have here?"

Three men stepped out of an alley, blocking my path. They were dirty, their clothes torn. Rogues. Wolves without a Pack. They smelled rancid, like wet dog and stale beer.

"A little Omega," the leader sneered, sniffing the air. "And she smells like... blood. And sorrow."

"Leave me alone," I said, clutching my bag tighter.

"Or what?" He stepped closer, a predatory grin stretching his face. "You gonna cry?"

He reached for me.

Instinct took over.

My vision went silver. Time seemed to warp and slow down.

I didn't shift-I couldn't risk it in public-but the ancient power of the White Wolf flooded my limbs like liquid mercury.

I dropped the bag. I grabbed his wrist.

*Crack.*

I broke it. Like a dry twig.

"ARGH!" He screamed, falling to his knees.

The other two lunged. I moved faster than an Omega should, faster than I ever had before. I kicked one in the knee, shattering the cap with a sickening crunch. I punched the other in the throat.

They were on the ground, groaning, in seconds.

I stood over them, breathing hard. My hands were shaking. Not from fear. From power.

"Get out," I growled, my voice vibrating with a low, animalistic timbre.

They scrambled away, looking at me with abject terror. "Monster! She's a monster!"

I leaned against the brick wall, my energy draining as quickly as it had come. My vision blurred.

"Impressive."

I spun around.

The older woman from the bus stood at the end of the alley. She was leaning on a cane, watching me with an unreadable expression.

"Mrs. Davis," she introduced herself.

"I... I didn't mean to..." I stammered.

"Didn't mean to defend yourself?" She walked closer, the tap of her cane echoing in the quiet alley. She looked deep into my eyes. "Silver. I haven't seen eyes like that in fifty years."

I looked down, ashamed. "Please don't tell anyone."

"Child," she said softly, reaching into her bag. She pulled out a small jar of ointment. "I'm a healer. I don't tell tales. But you can't hide a fire that big under a bushel."

She applied the ointment to a scratch on my arm. The pain vanished instantly, replaced by a cool, soothing sensation.

"Napa is a neutral ground," Mrs. Davis said. "But neutral doesn't mean safe. You have a rare bloodline. You need to learn to control it, or it will consume you."

"Can you teach me?" I asked, desperate.

She smiled. "Come to my cottage tomorrow. We'll have tea. And we'll talk about wolves that walk in the moonlight."

I watched her walk away. For the first time since I left Ethan, I didn't feel hunted.

I felt like I had found a guardian.