Chapter 3 CH 3

It had been two days. Two days since my father was laid to rest. Two days of endless, frantic searching for my mother and sisters. And yet, no matter how hard we tried, we hadn't found a single trace of them, it was like they had vanished into thin air.

I kept telling myself this had to be some cruel dream-a test from the Moon Goddess. Maybe this was her way of pushing me, of telling me that at 23, it was finally time for me to transform and become the wolf I was destined to be.

Everyone else had it easy. By the time they turned 18, they'd already met their wolves, welcomed the transformation, and embraced the life of a werewolf. But not me.

I'd done everything to make it happen. Pushed myself beyond exhaustion. My father, determined not to let me live without my true self, tried everything he could. Rituals, prayers, training nothing worked. I couldn't feel my wolf. I couldn't sense my pack the way everyone else could.

If I'd had that connection, I might have known something was wrong at home. Instead of being at that club, caught up in forbidden moments, I could have sensed the danger. Maybe I could have saved them.

The guilt hit me like a wave, and the tears I'd been holding back spilled freely. I hated this. Hated breaking down over and over again.

"We'll do everything we can to find them," said Luna Verena, her voice soft but firm.

Since I'd come to stay with her pack, she had been my rock, her kindness the one thing keeping me from falling apart completely. Her words gave me hope, enough to keep me moving forward. I believed her when she said we'd find my family, though the uncertainty eluded me.

The dining table was filled with food, but my appetite had long abandoned me. How could I eat when I had no idea what was happening to my mother and sisters?

"My dear Zahra, you must eat something," Luna Verena said gently. "How will you find the strength to find your family? The strength to welcome them back if you get sick before they are here??"

Her kind eyes met mine, filled with concern. She was one of the few people who never judged me for my inability to transform. Even when I was engaged to her son Asael, she had always treated me with understanding and warmth.

Not wanting to take her help for granted, I picked up my spoon and forced myself to take a bite.

But before the food could reach my mouth, he entered the room.

Ashvin.

The last time I'd seen him was yesterday, standing rigidly beside his father as he gave orders. I hadn't dared to meet his eyes then, but now, here he was, pulling out a chair and sitting down as though he didn't see me.

"Vin..." Luna Verena's voice was tinged with exasperation as she addressed him. "It's about time you set work aside and ate something."

He scoffed lightly, picking at the scrambled eggs on his plate. "Everything I do is out of necessity," he replied, his tone clipped.

I froze the moment his gaze turned toward me. My heart stuttered, and I looked away, pretending to focus on my food. I still didn't know how to act around him not after what I'd discovered, and certainly not after what had happened between us.

"You know how he is," Asael said as he entered the room, his voice light. "Always working too hard."

He greeted his mother with a kiss on the cheek before turning to me. "Hello, Zahra-Rose."

His smile was warm, but there was something unfamiliar about it now, something distant. I nodded politely and lowered my head, blocking out the conversation that followed. Instead, I focused on eating, willing myself to gather the strength I needed for what lay ahead.

But when I finally glanced up, I found Ashvin staring at me.

His gaze held that same intensity as the night at the club, the memory of his lips on mine rushing back unbidden. I remembered the way he'd pressed against me, the heat of his body, and the way I'd wanted more, despite everything.

My face burned, and I shot to my feet with a burst of energy I hadn't known I possessed.

"Thank you for breakfast," I said quickly to Luna Verena, forcing a smile before hurrying out of the room.

Her voice called after me, but I didn't stop. My mind was racing, my heart pounding with the memory of that kiss.

God, how could I be so distracted when my family was out there, in danger? I needed to find a way to erase the memory of that moment with Ashvin and focus on what truly mattered.

Outside, I stood beneath the old oak tree, staring out into the distance as my thoughts swirled. I wanted so desperately to wake up and find that this nightmare wasn't real.

I sighed and turned back toward the house, only to stumble over a foot.

A strong hand gripped my waist, steadying me, and I looked up into those same piercing blue eyes that had haunted me since the club.

Ashvin.

He stood there talk and regal as he always looks, there was no mistaking the harsh line that crosses his cheeks.

"Can I have a word with you?" he asked, his voice low and unreadable. His lips tightened as his hands fell from the place they had gripped me, and I shuddered at the sun cold that hit me.

My heart thudded in my chest, but I forced myself to remember the truth. This wasn't a romance. He was an Alpha, someone I needed for help and nothing more.

Someone I knew that could find my family, that was who he is to me.

Swallowing hard, I nodded, bracing myself for whatever he had to say because I knew his words are unkind and I waited for that.