After the disastrous dance with Sebastian, I'd struggled to find a place to stay for the night. The

only accommodation available for pack guests were either the luxurious guest suites controlled by the alpha, or the poorly insulated mobile trailers hidden behind the cow shed, intended for summer labourers.

I had chosen the freezing trailer over the guest suite. My thinking was that by staying in the freezing cold trailer, I would create some distance between myself and Sebastian.

I hoped it would weaken the bond and dampen the aching need invading my body.

It didn't.

I'd spent the whole night replaying the dance Sebastian and I had shared, recalling every little detail—how he smelt, the warmth of his skin against mine, the way he made me feel completely at ease.

Sleep had been impossible. My thoughts flipped between Sebastian and wondering why the Goddesses continued to punish me with a mate I could never be with.

When morning arrived, I climbed out of bed bleary eyed and exhausted from lack of sleep.

"It's not real," I kept repeating to myself, over and over, like a mantra. "It's just a stupid mate bond."

I would get over the bond in time.

I'd already survived losing my pack and my family. I'm sure I could survive losing my mate.

I wouldn't allow myself to break my heart over a man I barely knew.

A knock on the trailer door disturbed my thoughts. It was a staff member, sent from the main house with a duffle bag of clothes.

They handed me the bag and said, "Mrs. Amber St. James sends her regards."

A smile crossed my lips. Amber must have known that I didn't bring a spare set of clothes with me.

I silently thanked my sister and took the bag inside.

Amber had picked out a selection of winter appropriate clothes, including: warm socks, jeans, thermal leggings, soft t-shirts, sturdy boots, and warm cashmere sweaters. A perfect wardrobe for wintertime on the ranch.

As I unpacked the clothes, a small raggedy purple teddy with frayed ears tumbled to the floor.

"Bear-bear?" I whispered.

Bear-bear had been my teddy that I used to sleep with as a child. Amber had held onto it, keeping it safe for me.

I hugged the bear close to me, determined to find a way to save my sister and steal Selene's medallion back from Devon.

The old sawmill where Devon was a couple of miles west from the trailer. Perhaps, I could take a little walk down by the west boundary and see what the rogues were up to.

The old sawmill sat on a rocky outcrop high above the west boundary. From the boundary line, I should be able to get a sense of how the rogues were protecting the sawmill.

I threw on a pair of jeans, a good pair of hiking boots and a soft lilac cashmere sweater.

Exiting the trailer, I see the night had brought a fresh layer of snow, casting a powdery white blanket over the ranch.

I take a deep breath in and wrinkle my nose in displeasure. The smell of hay and cow manure is heavy in the air.

"Are you regretting your decision to bunker down next to the cowshed," Sebastian asked, suddenly jogging into view.

He stopped in front of me, checking his smartwatch, pretending he happened to be passing by.

I pressed my lips into a thin, irritated scowl. I damn well knew he wasn't here on a casual run.

Nobody ever exercised near the cowshed because it stunk to high heaven.

This meant he had been hanging about here hoping to 'accidentally' run into me.

"I like sleeping in the trailer," I lied, forcing a smile across my face. "After years of living in the city, it's lovely to feel close to nature and listen to the cows mooing at night."

Sebastian raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"So, the smell doesn't put you off?" he enquired.

I took a deep breath in and replied, "What smell?"

The corner of Sebastian's mouth twitched in amusement. He could tell I was lying.

"Oh," he said, folding his arms across his chest. "I thought you would prefer to sleep in one of our guest suites with underfloor heating, room service, jacuzzi spa, and TV."

My face became a mask. I wanted underfloor heating, room service, jacuzzi spa, and TV—but I didn't want to get too close to him.

"Like I said, I prefer being closer to nature and enjoying the simpler pleasures," I smiled back.

"Like the fresh air?" Sebastian teased. "Well, if you change your mind, say the word, and I will arrange for the main house to move you into a suite. These trailers aren't meant to be lived in during the winter."

"Well, thank you for checking up on me," I said through gritted teeth. "But if you excuse me, I need to go for a walk."

I started to walk away from him, but he caught up to my side.

"Are you really going to pretend yesterday didn't happen?" he asked, falling in step beside me. "We're mates—don't you want to talk about it?"

"No," I said bluntly.

"But last night, when we danced, you said that you didn't want to leave me," he pressed.

Shit. I had said that in a moment of weakness. I had let the mating bond cloud my judgement and say something stupid that gave Sebastian false hope.

It would be cruel to string Sebastian along, making him believe we had a chance when there was none.

"People say all kinds of nonsense when they are drunk," I said, dismissively.

"It didn't feel like nonsense," Sebastian said, suddenly stepping in front of me and forcing me to stop. "You were telling the truth—I could feel it."

He placed his hand over his heart and stared hopefully back at me.

"Have you lost your mind? The mating bond is clearly messing with your brain. You are the alpha of Cedar Falls Pack, you have a responsibility to find a suitable mate and produce the pack's next alpha. Do you really want to risk having a child with me—a child that might possess no talent like its talentless mother," I said, hoping to hammer the point home.

Sebastian's eyes darkened with disapproval.

"Don't talk about yourself like that, you are not talentless," he said, his voice becoming firm.

"Okay, let's reframe my answer. I have spent the past eight years living outside this pack. I have not had to answer to anyone but myself. I make my own rules and I decide my own future. Why would I give up all that freedom to be stuck here, being your luna?" I asked.

The muscle in Sebastian's jaw twitched as he struggled to think of an answer.

When he said nothing, I put my hands on my hips and said, "Exactly. Being your luna would be boring. I'd be stuck on this stupid ranch, loathed by the entire pack, unable to shift, just sitting around waiting for my Lord and Master's next command."

My words were a form of cruelty, but I felt compelled to quash any lingering hope Sebastian might be nurturing about us.

"Never," Sebastian responded swiftly, vehemently denying my accusation, "It would never be like that between us."

Raising a sceptical eyebrow, I replied with deliberate calmness, "I'm sure your father told your mother the same thing."

The parallel between us and Sebastian's parents was unfair. Julianne hadn't been Hector's fated mate. But she had lived most of her marriage in a subdued existence, hovering behind her overbearing husband, afraid to speak.

The comparison grazed a raw nerve with Sebastian whose chest rose and fell sharply with each breath, as he tried to control his temper.

"I see what you are trying to do," he said in a low growl. "You're being unkind, Mabel, to drive me away. Fine, if that's what you want then you can go."

He turned away from me, stalking off, but stopped and turned around.

"But I don't believe that is what you want, Mabel. Only you have the power to acknowledge that, and I question whether you have the courage to do so," he said.

I maintained the silence, allowing his parting words to linger in the charged atmosphere.

Sebastian's accusation of cowardice stung, but I refused to defend myself. Sebastian, with his privileged life, could never comprehend the challenges I'd faced. He hadn't experienced the abandonment of his family and pack at sixteen. Nor had he spent his face year living homeless on the streets, unable to buy food.

In his eyes, I might be a coward, but in my eyes, I was a survivor.

I wasn't giving up the security I had painstakingly built for myself to pursue a relationship with the alpha of a pack that had once discarded me. It was clear his pack still hated me.

My heart ached, but my determination to save my sister held firm—I was here for Amber. Nothing else, not even the discovery of my mate, would eclipse the importance of retrieving the medallion and ensuring her safety.

Sticking to my earlier plans, I walked toward the west boundary. My path led me through the West Wood, a small copse of untamed woodland. In the summer, the overgrowth made it impassible for both humans and wolves. However, with winter's arrival the vegetation died back, revealing a network of walkable deer and rabbit trails.

Choosing a deer trail, I absentmindedly followed its winding path. Sebastian's words from our earlier disagreement still swirled in my head.

A twig snapped behind me, and I swiftly turned to face the unexpected sight of familiar tattooed muscles.

"Lachlan?" I exclaimed, surprised to encounter my former dance partner from the previous night.

Lachlan stood behind me clad in dark cargo pants and, unbelievably, a black T-shirt in freezing weather. He raised his hands in a placating gesture and said, "I come in peace."

"Are you stalking me?" I groaned.

"No, I'm protecting you. Alpha's orders," Lachlan shrugged lazily.

I felt irritation bubbling within me. "Sebastian sent you here for my protection?"

"He said you were being unreasonable," Lachlan replied. "I don't know what you said to him this morning, but he's been like a bear with a sore headache ever since talking to you."

"Well, I don't need a babysitter," I said sharply and continued to follow the deer trail.

Lachlan fell in step beside me.

"He cares for you, Mabel. Deeply."

Before I could argue, a yell interrupted our conversation. "Beta."

We both turned to see two security personnel approaching us, one of them being Peter, the guard from last night.

"You're Sebastian's beta?" I hissed, surprised by the revelation.

"Yeah, and don't do anything to make me look uncool in front of my men," Lachlan replied, folding his arms and putting on a serious face as the men approached.

Peter raised an eyebrow when he saw me but wisely kept any comments to himself.

"Beta," Peter said addressing Lachlan, "We have a status update on the missing hen."

My eyes widen—the missing hen?

"Go on," Lachlan growled impatiently.

"The hen was last seen heading through the north pasture," Peter reported.

A curious frown formed across my face. Was Lachlan missing a pet chicken?

Lachlan dragged his fingers down his face in frustration. "Goddamn it, Claudia."

Suddenly, it clicked. The missing hen was Claudia, Sebastian's teenage sister.

"Head to the north pasture. I'll meet you there as soon as possible," Lachlan ordered, dismissing the two men. He then turned back to me and cautioned, "The West Wood isn't safe. You need to head back to your trailer or the main house. There are rogues close by."

Despite already knowing this, I feigned surprise and put on a serious face.

"I'll head back to the main house. You go with the others and find Claudia," I urged him.

Lachlan flashed an appreciative smile. "Thanks, this is the first sighting we've had of her in two days." He began jogging down a rabbit trail.

I turned away, pretending to walk in the opposite direction. However, once he was out of sight, I stopped and retraced my steps towards the west boundary.

Smiling to myself, I thought this might be the perfect opportunity to see if I could steal the medallion back from the rogues.