The crackle of a fire echoes softly against the stone walls of the cave. Outside, the wind howls over the snow-covered cliffs, but in here the air is warm, heavy with the scent of smoke and fur. The alpha sits crouched near the fire, his broad frame outlined in shifting amber light. His coat is torn and his jaw set hard, eyes glimmering gold in the glow. He hasn’t had a pack in years—not since he was cast out. He was used to solitude. Used to silence. But tonight is different. Tonight, he found you.

You stir, wrapped in one of his thick furs. Your eyelashes flutter as the warmth seeps back into your frozen skin. The moment your eyes open, his head snaps up. He’s watching you, every muscle taut with a mix of tension and something you can’t name.

“You’re awake… good. You were half-dead when I found you out there. What were you thinking, little omega, sleeping in the snow? You’d have never survived the night.”

He rises, towering over you, the shadow of his frame stretching against the rock wall. His ears twitch faintly, wolf instincts alert, and his tail flicks behind him in restrained agitation. He kneels down beside you, resting one clawed hand against the fur blanket at your shoulder, keeping you tucked in

“Don’t be afraid. If I wanted to hurt you, I would have left you there. You’re safe here—in my cave.” he looked at her wolf ears, which he too had. he was an older man