MARKED BUT UNCLAIMED

The pack meeting started in thirty minutes and I still hadn't decided what to wear.

Stupid. It was stupid to care. But showing up to meet seventy-three wolves who might see me as their future Luna? That required strategy.

I settled on jeans and a simple black sweater. Not trying too hard. Not hiding either.

My wolf paced restlessly. She wanted to meet the pack. Wanted to see if they were worthy of us.

We're not staying, I reminded her.

She didn't believe me.

I walked the path Kade had shown me earlier. Five minutes through the trees to the main pack house. The sun was setting, painting everything gold and red.

Voices drifted through the open windows. Laughter. The sound of people who belonged together.

My chest tightened.

I stopped at the door, my hand hovering over the handle. I could still turn around. Text Kade some excuse. Hide in the guest house until—

The door swung open.

A woman stood there. Tall. Beautiful. Long black hair and sharp green eyes that assessed me in two seconds flat.

"You must be Della," she said. Not friendly. Not unfriendly. Just... measuring.

"Yes."

"I'm Sienna. Kade's second." She stepped aside. "He's waiting for you."

I walked in.

The main room was massive. Stone fireplace. Exposed beams. And at least forty wolves scattered around, all of them turning to look at me.

My instinct screamed to run. To hide. To get out before they saw too much.

But I locked my knees and met their stares.

Kade appeared at my side. I hadn't even heard him move.

"Everyone," he said, his voice carrying easily, "this is Della Hart. She's under my protection and staying on pack territory. Treat her accordingly."

Simple. Clear. No explanation.

A few wolves nodded. Most just kept staring.

"Why?" someone asked. Male. Mid-twenties. Built like he spent all day lifting trees. "Who is she to you?"

Kade's eyes flashed gold. "She's under my protection, Ryan. That's all you need to know."

"Northern Ridge Alpha's daughter." The voice came from the back. Older wolf. Grey at the temples. "She's Lucian Hart's runaway daughter. And you brought her here."

The room went silent.

Shit. They knew.

"Marcus is right," an older wolf said, a woman who looked around forty. "If we're harboring her, Northern Ridge could see it as an act of aggression."

"She's not being harbored," Kade said coldly. "She's a guest."

"A guest who's running from an alpha," Ryan pressed. "That makes us a target."

My wolf snarled inside me. I pushed her down and stepped forward.

"I'm not asking your pack to fight my battles," I said, keeping my voice steady. "I'm here temporarily. One week. Then I'm gone."

"One week until what?" Sienna asked. She was watching me with those sharp eyes. "Until your father comes to collect you? What happens then?"

"That's my problem. Not yours."

"It becomes our problem when Northern Ridge shows up at our border," Marcus said. "We have alliances to maintain. Politics to consider."

"Then maybe I shouldn't stay." I looked at Kade. "I don't want to cause problems for your pack."

His hand caught mine. The touch sent electricity up my arm. "You're staying."

"Kade—" Sienna's voice held warning. "We need to discuss this. Privately."

"There's nothing to discuss." His grip tightened on my hand. "She's under my protection. End of discussion."

"Not end of discussion," another voice said. A younger woman stepped forward. Blonde. Pretty. Possessive look in her eyes when she glanced at Kade. "We have a right to know why you're risking pack safety for some rogue wolf."

"Watch your tone, Amy," Kade said quietly.

"I'm just saying what everyone's thinking." Amy crossed her arms. "She shows up out of nowhere, and suddenly you're ready to start a war? What's really going on here?"

The question hung in the air. Every wolf in the room was watching. Waiting.

I pulled my hand from his.

"I'll leave," I said. "Tonight. I'll find somewhere else to—"

"No." Kade's voice was steel. He turned to face his pack. "Della stays. If anyone has a problem with that, you can take it up with me. After the meeting."

The challenge was clear. Disagree and face your alpha.

Most wolves looked away. But not all of them.

Sienna held his gaze. "We need to talk. Now."

Kade's jaw tightened. "Fine. Meeting's over. Everyone out except Sienna and Derek."

The room cleared quickly. Wolves filing out with backward glances at me. Amy brushed past, close enough that I caught her scent.

Honeysuckle and anger. And something else. Something that made my wolf bare her teeth.

When the room cleared, only four of us remained. Kade. Sienna. A man I assumed was Derek—tall, dark-skinned, built like a fighter. And me.

"Are you insane?" Sienna didn't waste time. "You can't risk pack safety for—"

"For someone under my protection," Kade interrupted. "Which she is."

"Why?" Derek asked. Not hostile. Just curious. "We don't know her. Her father's one of the most powerful alphas in the region. This could go bad fast."

"It won't."

"You can't promise that." Sienna's voice was sharp. "Not unless you're willing to tell us why she matters so much."

Kade's jaw worked. "That's between me and Della."

"No." Sienna stepped closer. "It's between you and the pack you're supposed to lead. We deserve to know what we're getting into."

The silence stretched. Kade looked at me. I could see the question in his eyes.

Should I tell them?

If he did, it would explain everything. Give them a reason they couldn't argue with.

But it would also trap me. Make the decision for me.

"Don't," I said quietly.

His eyes held mine for a long moment. Then he turned back to Sienna.

"She's under my protection. That's all you need to know."

Derek let out a low whistle. "This is going to get messy."

"It already is messy," Sienna said. She was still watching Kade with those calculating eyes. "Her father gave her one week. What's your plan when he shows up with an army?"

"He won't get past our borders."

"And if he petitions the council? Claims you're harboring a pack member?"

"She left his pack. She's not his responsibility anymore."

"That's not how it works and you know it." Sienna's voice was brutal. Practical. "Not unless she's claimed by another alpha. Otherwise, blood ties still hold."

My stomach twisted. I knew pack politics. Knew the rules I'd been running from.

"Then we have one week to figure it out," Kade said.

"Or," Sienna said carefully, "she leaves now. Before this escalates."

"No."

The word was final. Absolute.

Sienna studied him. "You're not thinking like an alpha right now."

"I'm thinking exactly like an alpha. She's under my protection. That means something."

"It means you're willing to risk pack safety for—what? A stranger?"

"She's not a stranger." Kade's voice dropped. Dangerous. "And this conversation is over."

Sienna's jaw tightened. But she nodded. "Fine. But when this blows up, don't say I didn't warn you."

She left. Derek followed with an apologetic glance at me.

The door closed. Silence pressed in.

"I should go," I said.

"No."

"Kade—"

"No more running, Della." He turned to face me. His silver eyes blazed. "You stay. We figure this out."

"Your pack doesn't trust me."

"They will. They just need time."

"We don't have time. One week, remember?"

"Then we make it work in one week."

I wanted to believe him. God, I wanted to believe him so badly.

"I need air," I said. "I need to think."

He nodded. "I'll walk you back."

We walked in silence. The forest was dark now, lit only by the moon filtering through the trees.

At the guest house door, I stopped.

"Thank you," I said quietly. "For not telling them."

"It's your choice to make. Not mine." His hand touched my face. Gentle. "But Della—we can't avoid this forever. Eventually, your father will force our hand."

"I know."

"One week. That's all we have."

"I know," I whispered again.

His thumb traced my jaw. The bond hummed between us, warm and insistent.

"Get some rest," he said. "We'll talk tomorrow."

He left before I could respond.

I went inside. Locked the door. Tried to breathe.

My phone buzzed.

The number was blocked.

Unknown: If you really want to know why you should run, ask Kade about the last Luna who lived in that guest house. Ask him what happened to her. —A Friend

I stared at the message until my eyes burned.

Another woman had lived here. Another potential Luna.

What happened to her?

And why was someone warning me about it now?