Chapter 1 Found in the Wild

The wind howled through the dense forest, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine. Erynn moved swiftly, her sharp eyes scanning the shadows between the trees. She had been tracking a wounded deer, hoping to bring back fresh meat before the sun rose, but something had stopped her.

A sound that didn't belong to the wild.

A cry soft, weak, and unmistakably human.

Erynn's heart pounded as she followed the sound, stepping carefully over the fallen leaves. No child should be out here alone. Wolves roamed these lands, and so did other, more dangerous creatures.

Then, she saw it.

Nestled between the roots of an ancient oak tree, wrapped in a torn piece of cloth, lay a baby.

Erynn's breath caught.

The child's small hands twitched, her tiny face scrunched up as she whimpered against the cold. But what struck Erynn most was her human scent.

She knelt beside the infant, her keen nose searching for any trace of the mother or father. Nothing. No blood trail, no human tracks leading to this spot.

The baby's eyes fluttered open.

Striking blue. Bright. Curious.

Erynn felt something inside her shift. A pull she couldn't explain.

"This can't be..." she whispered, glancing around as if expecting someone to emerge from the trees and claim the child.

But there was no one.

The baby let out another small cry, her tiny fingers curling in the air. Reaching for something someone.

Erynn exhaled sharply.

She should leave her. The laws were clear outsiders had no place in the pack. If she took this child back, she would be challenging everything the wolves believed in.

But as she looked down at the helpless baby, abandoned and alone, she knew she couldn't walk away.

"Whatever happens," she murmured, lifting the child into her arms, "I won't leave you."

The Husband's Warning

Erynn pushed open the door to their small home, the warmth of the fire wrapping around her like a familiar embrace. Her husband, Riven, sat at the wooden table, sharpening a hunting knife. Their son, Ronan, was tending to the fire, while little Sienna slept soundly in her cradle.

Riven glanced up, his brows knitting together when he saw what she carried.

"Erynn," he said, his voice low with warning. "What have you done?"

She pulled back the furs, revealing the tiny face beneath. Samantha stirred, yawning softly.

"I found her in the forest," Erynn said. "She was alone, Riven. Abandoned."

His jaw tightened. "She's human."

"I know."

Riven let out a slow breath, placing the knife down on the table. "You can't keep her."

"I won't turn my back on her."

"It's not about what you want." Riven stood, his tall frame casting a shadow across the dimly lit room. "You know the law. You know what Alpha Darius will say."

Erynn swallowed hard. She had known this would be his reaction, but she had hoped...

Ronan stood nearby, watching the exchange silently. He was still young, but he understood what this meant. Sienna stirred in her cradle, blissfully unaware of the weight of this decision.

Riven sighed, rubbing his temple. "Take her to the Alpha."

Erynn stiffened.

"If you want to help her," he continued, "then do it the right way. Let the Alpha and the council decide. If you keep her here without permission, you're putting all of us at risk."

Erynn looked down at the baby in her arms.

The thought of bringing her before the council made her stomach twist. But she knew Riven was right.

She nodded. "I'll go now."

A Delayed Judgment

The Alpha's Hall was cold, the stone walls towering over Erynn as she stood before Alpha Darius. The firelight flickered across his sharp features, his golden eyes locked onto the small bundle in her arms.

Silence filled the space, thick with judgment.

"You dare bring a human child into my pack?" His voice was low, dangerous.

"She was abandoned," Erynn said, standing tall despite the weight of his gaze. "Left to die in our land."

Alpha Darius's expression remained unreadable.

"Erynn, you know the law," he said. "Outsiders do not belong here. You should have left her."

"I couldn't."

A muscle in his jaw ticked. Around him, the elders of the pack murmured in disapproval.

"She is not our kind," one of them said. "She cannot stay."

Erynn clutched the baby closer, her heart pounding.

"I will take full responsibility for her," she said. "She will not interfere with the pack. I will raise her away from our ways. She will not train with us. But I won't let her die."

Alpha Darius studied her for a long moment. Then, to her surprise, he exhaled slowly and leaned back in his chair.

"Come back tomorrow," he said.

Erynn frowned. "What?"

"I will summon the council," he said. "The decision is not mine alone."

Erynn wanted to argue, but she knew better than to push him. Instead, she bowed her head. "Thank you."

The Alpha said nothing more.

With a final glance at the elders, Erynn turned and left, Samantha cradled against her chest.

The Council's Verdict

The next day, Erynn returned to the council hall this time, with her family.

Riven stood beside her, his expression unreadable, though his hand rested firmly on her lower back. Ronan stood by his father's side, his young face serious. Sienna, too young to understand, clung to Erynn's leg.

The council chamber was silent as the verdict was passed.

"You may keep the child," Alpha Darius declared, his voice cold. "But she is not one of us. She will never train as we do. She will never hunt as we do. And if she ever causes trouble even once she will be cast out."

Erynn's grip tightened on Samantha.

She knew what this meant. The girl would grow up as an outcast, neither fully part of the pack nor fully apart from it. She would be watched. Judged. But she would be alive.

And for now, that was enough.

"So be it," she said.

The Alpha gave a single nod.

Samantha's fate was sealed.

As Erynn left the chamber, her family at her side, she whispered the name once more, softly, to the sleeping baby in her arms.

"Samantha."

She had no idea what the future would bring.

But she swore she would protect her. No matter what.