Skye’s POV

“Leon, I… I didn’t mean to,” I stammered, taking a step toward him, hands outstretched in a helpless gesture. “I was so scared of the bear…”

He regarded me with those piercing blue eyes. His expression remained unreadable as he said flatly, “It’s fine. We should head back.”

Without another word, he gathered some nearby vines and wove them into a makeshift rope with practiced skill.

I stepped forward, reaching out to help him.

“Let me—” I started.

“Don’t,” Leon said, his voice cool as he pushed my hands away. “Just take care of yourself. That’s enough.”

I stepped back, feeling the sting of his rejection. My cheeks burned with embarrassment as I watched him secure the rope around the grizzly’s massive carcass and begin dragging the impressive trophy through the snow.

Guilt gnawed at my insides. Was he angry with me?

It had to be because I had shot him. I wanted to apologize again, but the words stuck in my throat as I watched his rigid back moving away from me.

I followed silently behind Leon, the only sounds in the wilderness being our footsteps and the soft scraping of the bear’s body across the snow.

That unique scent continued to plague my senses.

Questions burned in my mind, threatening to consume me from within. Finally, I gathered my courage.

“You showing up here wasn’t a coincidence, was it? Did you… did you sense me too? Are we… are we mates?”

Leon halted so suddenly I crashed into his solid frame, my body pressing against the hard planes of his chest.

The impact sent a jolt through me, but it was the unmistakable hardness pressing against my thigh that made my breath catch.

His cock, rigid and unyielding, sent a flush of heat coursing through me, pooling low in my belly.

His breath, warm and ragged, carried the scent of pine, blood, and raw masculinity. My heart pounded.

He’s my mate.

The thought seared through me, undeniable, intoxicating.

I tried to step back, nerves sparking, but Leon’s hand shot out, gripping my waist with possessive strength, pulling me closer.

My pulse thundered as his fingers slipped beneath the waistband of my pants, delving into the sensitive heat between my thighs. A shiver raced through me, my body arching instinctively into his touch. I closed my eyes, a soft moan escaping as his fingers explored, teasing the edges of my desire.

In that moment, I was his, ready to give in to his desires, longing for things I couldn’t name.

But then, nothing.

His hand withdrew abruptly, and he shoved me back.

“Mate?” His voice was a low, guttural growl, dripping with disdain. “You could never be my mate.”

I staggered backward, my boots sinking into the snow as a searing pain tore through my chest. It felt as though something essential was being ripped from my soul, leaving behind a raw, gaping wound.

I’d always had a crush on Leon. What girl in the pack hadn’t?

He was the Alpha’s son. With his golden hair and ice-blue eyes, he looked like prince from a fairy tale.

Yet my feelings for him had only ever been admiration, maybe attraction—certainly not love or obsession. So why did this hurt so deeply?

“Thanks,” I murmured, leaning into my brother’s warmth.

Ethan squeezed my shoulder. “Don’t let her get to you. Maya’s just jealous because you’ve always been smarter than her.”

I tried to smile, but the pain in my chest had returned, a dull, persistent ache that made it hard to focus on anything else.

Leon returned to the bonfire, now dressed in dark hunting clothes, his hair slightly damp as though he’d hastily washed away the blood from the hunt. My eyes followed him involuntarily, drawn to him despite the agony his words had caused me.

Alpha James began his inspection of the night’s bounty, moving methodically from one kill to the next with appraising eyes.

Finally, he stood beside the massive grizzly, placing one hand on its thick fur.

“The champion of this year’s Hunt Festival,” he announced, his voice ringing through the clearing, “is my son, Leon!”

Cheers erupted around us. Some wolves even threw back their heads in celebratory howls.

Ethan stepped forward to clap Leon on the back.

“Where did you find such a beast?” my brother asked, admiration clear in his voice. “You’ve got the luck of the Ancestors this year!”

Leon didn’t respond to Ethan. Instead, his gaze traveled over the crowd until it found me standing at the edge.

After a moment of charged silence, Leon turned to his father. “Alpha,” he said, his voice carrying across the now-quieting crowd, “I have something to announce.”

The clearing fell silent, all attention riveted on the Alpha’s son.

My heart began to race, a sense of foreboding washing over me like the first chill wind before a blizzard.