Adriel's POV
I don't remember the drive back to Mason's building.
I remember flashes—streetlights streaking past the window, Mason's hand steady on the wheel, the echo of Alex's presence fading but never fully gone. My body felt hollowed out, like something vital had burned too hot and left ash behind.
By the time we reached the garage, my legs barely held me upright.
Mason didn't ask if I needed help.
He simply offered it.
His arm slid around my back as we crossed the space, his touch careful, grounding. I let myself lean into it, hating how much I needed the support and needing it anyway.
The elevator ride up was silent.
The soft hum of the cables felt unnaturally loud. My reflection in the mirrored walls looked wrong—eyes too bright, skin too pale, shadows clinging to me as I belonged to the night more than the light.
Mason watched me without staring.
That alone meant more than he knew.
When the doors opened to his penthouse, warmth greeted us immediately—soft lights, quiet music humming low in the background, the faint scent of cedar and coffee. The door closed behind us with a gentle click that sounded dangerously final.
I flinched.
"You're safe," Mason said quickly, catching it. "No locks you don't want. No rules you didn't agree to."
Safe.
The word felt heavy now.
He guided me to the couch and crouched in front of me, his voice steady. "Sit. Please."
I obeyed, sinking into the cushions as exhaustion claimed me fully. My hands trembled again, delayed shock setting in.
"I didn't mean for any of that to happen," I said quietly. "I didn't plan to fight. Or… expose myself."
"I know," he said. "You reacted."
"I always react," I whispered bitterly. "That's what scares them."
Mason straightened, his expression firm. "It shouldn't."
I laughed softly, hollow. "You didn't see their faces. The pack. The elders. Alex."
His name sat between us like a blade.
Mason studied me for a long moment, then spoke carefully. "You don't have to go anywhere tonight. Or tomorrow. Or until you're ready."
I looked up. "You're offering me refuge."
"Yes."
Just like that.
"No contracts," he continued. "No expectations. This isn't charity, Adriel. It's a choice."
My throat tightened. "Why?"
He didn't answer right away.
Instead, he said, "Because when I was surrounded tonight, you stepped in without hesitation. You didn't ask who I was or what I could give you. You just… chose."
Tears burned behind my eyes.
"I don't have anything," I said. "No pack. No name. No control over what I am becoming."
Mason met my gaze evenly. "Then stay until you figure it out."
Something fragile cracked open inside me.
I nodded once. "Okay."
He exhaled, like he'd been holding his breath. "Good."
He showed me the penthouse properly this time—where the guest room was, how to work the security system, and where food lived in the kitchen. He explained things without talking down to me, answering my questions patiently, even the foolish ones.
I learned that silence here wasn't empty.
It was intentional.
Later, wrapped in one of his sweaters, I stood at the window again, watching the city pulse below. From up here, it almost looked peaceful. Orderly. Controlled.
Unlike me.
Mason joined me, leaning against the glass beside me. "They won't get in," he said quietly. "I've upgraded security since the blackout."
"Alex doesn't care about doors," I replied.
Mason's jaw tightened. "Then we'll adjust."
We.
The word echoed.
That night, sleep came slowly. When it did, it was restless—dreams tangled with moonlight and concrete, claws scraping against glass. I woke gasping just before dawn, heart racing, power humming uneasily beneath my skin.
I wasn't alone.
Mason was already awake, standing on the balcony, phone pressed to his ear.
"I know," he said quietly. "No, keep it off-record. If this leaks"
He turned when he sensed me, ending the call quickly.
"Everything okay?" I asked.
"Yes," he said too smoothly.
I frowned. "Mason."
He hesitated, then sighed. "Someone flagged unusual activity near my building last night. Not human."
My chest tightened. "They're watching."
"Yes."
"Because of me."
"Because of what you are," he corrected gently.
I wrapped my arms around myself. "You don't understand. Refuge has a cost. The pack won't let this go."
Mason stepped closer. "Neither will I."
I studied his face, searching for doubt.
There was none.
But there was something else now—curiosity sharpened into intent.
"You said you don't know what you're becoming," he said. "I want to help you find out."
Fear and hope tangled in my chest.
Before I could answer, the lights flickered once.
Twice.
My power stirred instantly, responding without permission.
Mason looked toward the windows. "That's not the grid."
I felt it too.
A presence pressing in.
Not Alex.
Older.
Colder.
Predatory.
I took a step back as a symbol flared briefly on the glass—etched in silver light, then gone.
Mason swore under his breath. "That's not a pack mark."
"No," I whispered, dread curling in my stomach.
It was a summons.
And it wasn't meant for him.
As the mark burned itself into my memory, one terrifying realization settled over me—New York wasn't just a shelter anymore. It was a battleground… and something ancient had just claimed me as its prize.
The symbol lingered behind my eyes even after it vanished from the glass.
Silver lines twisted into a shape I recognized too well—old magic. Not pack-born. Not bound by laws or elders. The kind whispered about in warning stories meant to keep pups obedient.
My knees weakened.
"That mark…" I said slowly. "It isn't a threat. It's a claim."
Mason stiffened. "A claim by who?"
I shook my head. "I don't know yet. But it felt like being seen. Me—every part of me. My wolf. My blood."
The air inside the penthouse felt heavier, charged. My skin prickled as if the moon itself had turned its attention toward me, even though dawn was breaking.
Mason moved fast, activating panels on the wall. "I'll triple the perimeter. No one gets near you."
"You can't stop this with cameras and locks," I whispered. "This is older than the city."
He turned to face me fully. "Then tell me what we're dealing with."
Before I could answer, pain sliced through my chest—sharp and sudden. I gasped, doubling over as heat flared beneath my skin.
"Adriel!" Mason caught me before I hit the floor.
My heartbeat thundered. Power surged wildly, unrestrained. For a split second, my vision fractured—and I wasn't in the penthouse anymore.
I stood in a vast stone circle under a blood-red moon.
A voice echoed through my bones.
Child of the Unbound. The moon no longer commands you—but others will try.
I screamed as the vision shattered.
I collapsed against Mason, shaking. He held me tightly, his pulse steady against my ear.
"What did you see?" he demanded softly.
I swallowed hard, terror crawling up my spine. "Someone just awakened something inside me."
The lights exploded.
Every window in the penthouse went dark at once.
Then the security alarms began to scream.
Mason looked toward the door, eyes blazing. "They're here."
And deep inside my chest, my wolf rose-hungry, furious, and no longer willing to hide.
As footsteps thundered toward the penthouse and my power ignited beyond control, one truth struck me with terrifying clarity that whatever had marked me wasn't coming to hunt me… it was coming to take me back.