Chapter 11: Walking the Edge (Sabine's POV)

The woods were eerily quiet the next morning, the usual rustling of leaves and distant bird calls replaced by an uneasy silence. I had stayed awake most of the night, my mind churning over what I'd overheard. The words played on a loop in my head, each repetition hitting harder than the last.

"If we find any, we take them out. No questions."

I hadn't seen the patrol, but I could feel their presence lingering, like the scent of smoke long after a fire had burned out. It wasn't safe here anymore. It had never really been safe, but now I felt like a rabbit trapped in a hunter's snare.

San's voice broke through my spiraling thoughts. You can't stay here, Sabine. You know that.

I know, I admitted.

Then what's your plan? Are we running again? Or are we finally going to see where this bond takes us?

I hesitated, staring at the hut's weathered walls. This place had been my only constant, the one piece of my parents I still had left. But it wasn't home. It never had been.

I need answers, I finally said. If Owen's pack sees me as a threat, I need to know why. And if he's really my mate, he deserves to know the truth about who I am.

That's the spirit, San said, a note of approval in her tone. Besides, I kind of like Fraser. For a wolf, he's not bad.

I rolled my eyes. You only talked to him for five minutes.

Sometimes that's all it takes to know, she replied cryptically.

Shaking my head, I rose from my spot on the floor and began to gather what little I had. A tattered cloak. A small pouch of dried herbs. My mother's pendant, the one she always said would protect me.

The forest greeted me with a cold breeze as I stepped outside, the morning sun casting long shadows across the ground. I shifted into my wolf form, letting San take the lead as we moved deeper into the woods, away from the hut.

The journey to Owen's territory was longer than I expected. I kept to the densest parts of the forest, avoiding open areas where I might be seen. The patrols were still out there; I could smell their scent trails, faint but fresh.

San stayed silent, letting me focus as I navigated the maze of trees and undergrowth. The closer I got to Owen's pack, the more my nerves twisted into knots. What would I even say to him?

"Hi, I overheard your pack might want to kill me, but I'm trusting you anyway because fate says we're meant to be together."

Yeah, that'll go over well, I thought bitterly.

Stop overthinking, San said, her voice cutting through my anxiety. You're doing the right thing. You'll figure it out when you get there.

The scent of the pack's border hit me before I saw it: a mixture of pine, earth, and the unmistakable musk of wolves. I slowed, my paws crunching softly against the fallen leaves as I approached the invisible line that marked their territory.

San stirred. This is it. You're sure about this?

No, I admitted. But I'm not turning back now.

I stopped just shy of the border, my heart pounding as I let out a low, tentative howl. The sound echoed through the trees, and I tensed, waiting for a response.

It didn't take long. Two wolves appeared from the shadows, their eyes sharp and their postures wary. They didn't cross the border, but their presence was enough to make my fur stand on end.

One of them shifted, a tall, broad-shouldered man with dark hair and a deep scowl. "State your business, rogue."

I forced myself to hold my ground, meeting his gaze even as my instincts screamed at me to run. Don't show weakness, San urged.

"I need to speak to your Beta," I said, my voice steady despite the fear clawing at my chest. "Tell him it's Sabine."

The man's scowl deepened, but he didn't argue. Instead, he nodded to the other wolf, who turned and vanished into the trees.

Minutes felt like hours as I waited, the silence around me broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves. I stayed in my wolf form, ready to bolt if things went south.

Then, I saw him.

Owen stepped out of the trees, his presence commanding even from a distance. His gaze locked onto mine, and for a moment, the world seemed to still.

"Sabine," he said, his voice laced with both relief and confusion. "You came."

I shifted back into my human form, standing straighter despite the vulnerability I felt without fur to shield me. "I need to talk to you," I said, my voice firm. "It's important."

Owen nodded, stepping closer. "Let's talk, then. But not here. Come with me."

I hesitated, glancing at the patrol wolf still standing nearby. Owen noticed and waved the man off. "It's fine. I've got this."

When the patrol was gone, Owen turned back to me. "You're safe with me, Sabine. I promise."

The sincerity in his eyes made my chest ache. Despite everything, I wanted to believe him.

Reluctantly, I nodded. "Lead the way."

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