Chapter 3 Three

Chapter 3

Zara’s POV

The forest behind the packhouse was quiet, almost deceptively so. The kind of quiet that made every rustle of leaves, every snapping twig, sound like a warning. I had come here to think, to escape the stifling whispers of the packhouse and the constant judgment that seemed to follow me like a shadow since the kiss.

But I wasn’t alone.

“Zara.”

The voice made me freeze. Low, calm, dangerous. I knew it anywhere. Ezra Johnson stepped from behind the trees, his presence filling the space around him like a storm rolling in. My heart thumped violently, a mix of fear and a thrill I couldn’t name.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

“I could ask you the same,” he replied, stepping closer. Every move he made was controlled, deliberate, the kind that left no room for escape. “You’ve been on my mind since last night.”

I tried to remind myself why this was dangerous. He was the rival alpha. He didn’t forgive mistakes. And yet, I couldn’t stop myself from noticing how close he was, the way his eyes seemed to study me like I was a puzzle he intended to solve.

“I, look, it was a mistake,” I stammered, hating how small my voice sounded. “I didn’t mean, ”

“I know you didn’t mean it,” he said, interrupting me. His tone softened for a brief second, and then the edge returned. “But mistakes have consequences. You should be more careful, Zara.”

“I know!” I snapped, frustrated. “Do you think I don’t know that? I’ve been losing sleep over it!”

Ezra’s lips curved into something almost like a smirk. “Then maybe you understand now. One kiss… and yet, here we are. You can’t ignore me, can you?”

My stomach twisted. He was right. I couldn’t. I shouldn’t. But I couldn’t stop thinking about him, and it terrified me.

Before I could respond, a rustle in the bushes made both of us turn. Orion emerged, his expression stormy, eyes dark as night. “What’s going on here?” His voice was low, dangerous, and full of authority.

Ezra didn’t flinch. Instead, he tilted his head slightly. “Just talking, Orion. Nothing more.”

Orion’s gaze snapped to me, sharp and unforgiving. “Zara… is this true?”

I hesitated. “Orion, it’s not what you think. I, ”

But Ezra stepped forward, his presence suddenly more imposing, and Orion stiffened. “She kissed me,” Ezra said casually, almost too casually. “A mistake, she insists.”

Orion’s jaw tightened. “A mistake,” he repeated, his voice a growl. “Do you understand what that means, Zara? To the pack? To me?”

“Yes!” I yelled, frustration boiling over. “I know! I didn’t mean it!”

Ezra’s eyes flicked between us, an amused, dangerous glint in his gaze. “Seems like the pack isn’t the only thing in trouble,” he murmured.

Orion’s nostrils flared. “Stay away from her,” he said, low and warning. “If you value your life, or hers, you’ll step back.”

Ezra smiled, slow and deliberate. “Oh, Orion… you make it sound so much like a threat. But I’m not threatening. Not yet.”

I felt the tension tighten around me like a vice. Both alphas, one my destined mate, the other a dangerous rival, standing there, eyes locked, measuring each other. And I… I didn’t know what to feel.

Orion’s hands clenched at his sides. “Zara, get back to the packhouse,” he ordered. “Now.”

I nodded quickly, relief flooding me at his protective tone, and bolted before either of them could protest. Behind me, I could hear Ezra chuckle softly, the sound echoing like a warning.

By the time I reached the packhouse, Lola was waiting. “I take it… that went well?” she asked, eyebrow raised.

I sank onto the steps, exhausted and tense. “No. It went horribly. Ezra is… I don’t know. And Orion, he’s furious.”

“You’re in deep,” Lola said, eyes sharp. “This isn’t just a kiss anymore, Zara. He’s Ezra Johnson. He’s going to play his game, and Orion… he’s not going to back down either. And somehow, you’re stuck right in the middle.”

I buried my face in my hands, feeling the weight of both alphas pressing down on me. The kiss had been just the beginning. The real storm was only starting.

The sun was barely rising when I realized sleep had abandoned me entirely. My mind was a storm of thoughts, Ezra’s dark, smoldering gaze, Orion’s furious glare, and the whispered warnings from Lola about what could happen next. I couldn’t think clearly. I couldn’t even sit still.

It was the perfect storm for disaster.

I was wandering near the edge of the packhouse grounds when I heard the sound of movement behind me, a familiar, predatory rhythm. I spun around, heart hammering, and froze.

Ezra.

He emerged from the shadows as if he had been waiting for me all along. There was no fear in his eyes, only focus. “You’re hard to avoid,” he said, his voice low and teasing, but with a dangerous undertone.

“I… I wasn’t hiding,” I stammered, suddenly aware of how exposed I was. “I just… needed air.”

Ezra took a step closer, and I could feel the heat radiating off him. “Air? Or trying to forget me?”

I wanted to deny it, to push him away, but I couldn’t. My lips tingled with the memory of our accidental kiss, and the thought of it made my pulse accelerate. “I’m not… thinking about last night,” I said quickly, hoping he wouldn’t notice the trembling in my voice.

He smiled, sharp and knowing. “You lie well. But I can see it. The moment your mind wanders, it comes back to me, doesn’t it?”

I swallowed hard. There was no denying it. He was dangerous, no, more than that. He was intoxicating, and every instinct in my body screamed that I should run, yet I couldn’t move.

Before I could respond, movement behind me made both of us tense. Orion appeared, muscles coiled, eyes blazing with fury. “Ezra,” he said, voice low and lethal, “step away from her.”

Ezra tilted his head, lips curling into that infuriating smirk. “Orion, always so serious. Don’t you trust her?”

“Trust has nothing to do with it,” Orion growled. “Stay away from her, Ezra. One wrong move, and you’ll regret it.”

I felt a cold twist of fear and excitement in my chest. Both alphas, one my destined mate, the other my dangerous rival, standing there, tension so thick it could be cut with a knife. And I… I was in the middle, powerless to stop the storm.

Ezra’s gaze flicked to me, then back to Orion. “You’re protective, I’ll give you that,” he said. “But perhaps she’s not as weak as you think. Maybe she can handle a little danger.”

Orion’s eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. “She doesn’t need danger. She needs safety. And that’s not coming from you.”

A silence fell between us, broken only by the sound of the wind through the trees. I wanted to speak, to defuse the tension, but the words wouldn’t come. My heart pounded too loudly, threatening to betray me.

Ezra finally stepped back, the danger still simmering in his gaze. “Enjoy your safety while you can, Zara,” he said softly, almost a whisper, meant only for me. “It won’t last forever.”

And with that, he was gone, disappearing into the forest like a shadow that refused to be caught.

I turned to Orion, who looked at me with an unreadable expression. Part anger, part relief, and, something softer I couldn’t quite name. “Zara,” he said quietly, “we need to talk. Properly. Tonight.”

I nodded, though my heart was still racing. “I know,” I whispered.

Orion’s hands brushed mine briefly, a fleeting touch that sent a shiver down my spine. Then he stepped away, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts.

Lola appeared at the edge of the clearing, shaking her head. “You’re going to drive yourself crazy,” she muttered. “Both of them… it’s too much. You need a plan, Zara, before this gets completely out of control.”

I knew she was right. I was standing on the edge of a precipice. One misstep, and everything, my heart, my pack, my life, could fall apart. And yet, despite the danger, part of me couldn’t stop craving the very chaos I should fear.

Ezra had ignited something inside me I didn’t understand. And Orion… Orion had every right to be furious, but the way he looked at me, protective and demanding, made my pulse quicken in ways I couldn’t explain.

I had kissed the wrong alpha. But now… the wrong alpha wasn’t the only danger I had to face.

And somehow, I had a feeling that neither of them was going to let me go without a fight.