Chapter 4 Cinderella among the wolves

The shower didn't help much. I still felt uneasy as I stepped out, wrapping myself in a towel. The living room was quiet-too quiet. Mum wasn't on the sofa.

I checked her room, hoping to find her asleep, but the bed was empty. My heart sank.

The leaflets she'd been clutching were gone too. My throat tightened. If she'd gone out, with pollen still messing with her head... she wouldn't stand a chance.

Her talisman caught my eye, glinting in the firelight. It looked different now, with a leather cord strung through it. I picked it up, feeling its strange warmth.

"Where did you even get this, Mum?" I muttered, turning it over in my hands. It looked like something a faerie might sell, and she'd always been too willing to make those kinds of deals.

I slipped it around my neck, tucking it under my dressing gown. The weight of it felt wrong, like it carried more than just its metal frame.

As I turned to head to my room, a knock at the door made me freeze.

It wasn't Mum-she wouldn't need to knock.

"Who is it?" I called, my voice sharper than I intended.

No reply.

I swallowed hard, glancing at the wards that protected the house. They'd hold, but the silence outside didn't feel right.

"Alright, stay out there, then," I muttered, heading for my room.

The knock came again, louder this time.

"Yes?" I snapped, my patience fraying.

"Ayla?" A deep voice.

I paused, frowning. "Who's asking?"

"Dolph. Dolph Gundahar from the Norse Pack."

My stomach dropped. What the hell was he doing here?

My wolf stirred, her ears perking up but staying silent. I hesitated for a moment before opening the door.

Dolph stood there, his sharp blue eyes meeting mine. His gaze flicked past me, and his expression shifted to something between shock and pity.

"How are you living in a place like this?" he asked, his voice low.

"I don't feel like explaining right now," I said quickly, my cheeks burning.

"This isn't right," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Did someone in your family-"

"I said it's none of your business!" I interrupted, glancing at the weasel shifter across the street who had cracked his door to listen. The last thing I needed was an audience.

"Fine," I muttered. "Wait here. I'll get dressed."

He nodded, his frown deepening as he glanced at the shack again.

I shut the door and leaned against it, my heart racing. An alpha's son. Here. My wolf nudged me, urging me to move. This was no time to freeze.

I pulled on jeans and a tank top, tying my damp hair into a messy bun. My reflection in the mirror startled me-bright eyes, flushed cheeks, like my body already knew this wasn't just any visit.

I opened the door again.

Dolph hadn't moved an inch from where I'd left him. His shoulders were rigid, his features sharp with something that looked like pity or discomfort. But when I opened the door, his expression smoothed, and he extended an arm toward me.

"Care to take a walk?"

For a moment, I just stared at him, unable to process the request. Nobody from the pack ever asked me for anything, let alone something that felt almost... cordial. Dolph didn't know my history, though. He hadn't grown up under Alpha Mondo's thumb or spent years trying to curry favor with his spoiled sons.

"Sure," I said, slipping my arm through his. His warmth was a stark contrast to the chill of the evening air as we started down the cracked road.

Nivalis Row was its usual mess. Few of the houses had proper windows, let alone doors that could lock. People lingered outside or stood framed in doorways, their gazes following us. This wasn't a place where people walked for leisure-it was where you went looking for trouble or trying to escape it.

Dolph's eyes roamed over the scene, his expression carefully neutral. "Interesting place," he said, his voice low. "From the way my father described Logris, I thought it would be... less divided."

I shrugged. "It's run by seven monarchs, sure, but we're all in our little corners. Subspecies don't mix much unless they have to."

Ahead, one of the shacks burst open, and Big Felipei, a weasel shifter, stumbled out clutching an empty bottle. His wife, Chubby Cheryl, stormed after him, flinging a sack of clothes at his head with a string of curses.

Dolph's nostrils flared as he wrinkled his nose. "Why are you living here? Among rodents? I don't scent any other wolves."

I hesitated, my attention drifting back to Cheryl as she grabbed a broken broom handle and took a swing at her husband. Someone else-a smaller shifter-tackled Big Felipei to the ground before the fight could escalate further.

"My dad used to be alpha," I said, the words sticking in my throat. "The beta and his mate ambushed him one night-with a gun."

Dolph's steps slowed. "The alpha before Beowulf?"

I nodded. "If you ever see twins with scars down their backs, those are the former alpha's sons."

His brows furrowed, but he didn't say more as we reached the end of Nivalis Row, where the road opened onto a highway circling the village of Lunaris. We crossed it, weaving through a narrow alley until the air shifted, the scent of poppies filling the space. The meadow stretched out before us, glowing faintly in the moonlight, with the human territories of Richmond Park visible in the distance.

We walked along a path near the ward lines, the silence between us heavy.

"A new alpha should've elevated your status," Dolph said finally.

"Should've," I echoed, my voice hollow.

A low growl rumbled in his chest. "Why didn't Beowulf relocate you? He had the authority."

"That's a good question." I sighed, keeping my gaze fixed on the horizon. "Maybe he didn't understand our ways. Coming from another pack, he wasn't familiar with... customs."

It was a safe answer, one that wouldn't invite more questions. I wasn't about to share the ugly truth with someone who'd only just arrived in my world. Beowulf had swept in, killed Alpha Mondo, and claimed his place at the top. By then, my family's reputation was already in ruins.

Mum's injury-losing her wolf during an attack that nearly cost her my life-had marked us. Then Alpha Mondo's mate spread a vicious rumor about her having syphilis. People latched onto it, ignoring the real reason behind the attack. Truth didn't matter when gossip was more interesting.

"Ayla!"

I turned at the sound of Phina's voice. She was jogging toward us, her dark eyes gleaming with urgency.

"A friend?" Dolph asked, his tone light but curious.

I gave a small smile. "The girl from two doors down. Phina."

Phina was only sixteen, still attending the academy, and I'd known her since she was a tiny, wide-eyed child. Her father had been Dad's administrator before that fateful night when Alpha Mondo attacked. The last thing she needed was unnecessary attention for associating with me, especially negative attention.

She appeared beside us, her gaze flickering over Dolph's towering frame. Her wide, eager smile lit up her youthful face. "I just wanted to see if you needed anything else."

"Thanks for rehanging the door," I said warmly.

Phina shifted on her feet, her eyes sparkling with unrestrained excitement as they darted between us.

Ah, I thought. She's intrigued by the stranger.

"Phina," I said, gesturing toward the man at my side, "this is Dolph-"

"Dolph Gundahar from the Norse Pack!" she burst out, her words rushing together. Then, blushing furiously, she added, "God aften."

Dolph chuckled, his grin charming and effortless. "You know Danish?"

She grinned sheepishly. "Google Translate. I heard your name and, um... looked you up on Supernet." Realizing what she'd admitted, she slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. "I shouldn't have said that! Sorry! I'll, uh, just go now!"

Before I could reply, she turned and bolted down the street.

Dolph chuckled softly. "She's lively. Another rodent shifter?"

I shook my head. "Her parents are Neutrals. She may never shift."

Dolph raised a brow. "Neutrals?"

"They're supernaturals without manifested abilities. They live longer than humans, but their magic never... blooms. Every species has them, though no one understands why."

His expression softened, and he nodded thoughtfully. "We have a few Neutrals in my pack. They channel their energy through shamanism."

My brows lifted. "We were taught that Neutrals couldn't use magic at all."

As we walked, Dolph turned his attention fully on me. His intense gaze sent heat rushing to my cheeks.

"What?" I asked, suddenly self-conscious.

"What does your wolf feel about me?" His voice dropped, losing its earlier playfulness.

I froze mid-step, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

"When we met, my wolf almost lost control the moment he caught your scent." His words carried a weight that made my pulse stutter. "It's never happened before. But when I look at you... I don't see the same pull in your eyes."

My heart thudded in my chest as silence stretched between us. "I don't know what to say," I murmured. "This is all... new to me."

"Has someone warned others off you?" he asked, his voice sharper now.

"What?" I blinked, startled. "No one's warned anyone. I'm just... no one notices me like that."

He stopped walking, turning to face me. His piercing gaze searched mine, and it felt like he was trying to unearth secrets I didn't even know I was hiding.

Unease stirred in my chest. "Let's keep moving," I said, gesturing ahead. "Too much time around these poppies can mess with a wolf's head."

Instead of questioning the odd statement, Dolph followed silently.

But after a few steps, he said, "Your heart races every time I mention Beowulf."

I flinched. "I hadn't noticed."

"Do you have history with him?"

My cheeks burned as embarrassment and frustration bubbled up. "Do you always ask such personal questions?" I shot back.

"Only when my wolf feels this strongly." He stopped me again, resting a hand gently on my arm. "Our shaman is preparing a ritual to match soulmates. If we're matched... would you consider leaving your pack?"

The question hit me harder than I expected. Leaving Logris? The thought sent a flicker of hope through my chest. But only one answer came to mind.

"Only if my mother can come with me."

His expression softened, and a small smile tugged at his lips. "And what about your alpha?"

"There's nothing between Beowulf and me," I said quickly, though the slight tremor in my voice betrayed me.

My wolf whimpered softly, her unease echoing mine.