Chapter 4 Orion Nightfang

The dark wolf approached slowly, his presence so overwhelming it felt as though the world itself was announcing his arrival.

I looked at the rogues and saw the fear in their eyes. Their confidence had vanished completely, replaced by something raw and primal.

Then I glanced at the witch and the wizard. A smirk now rested on their faces.

The wolf drew closer, each step heavy, deliberate. I could already picture him tearing the rogues apart without mercy.

He was stronger than the Alpha of Wolfblood Pack.

And yet… it wasn’t just his strength.

It was the feeling he gave me.

A strange sense of safety washed over me just from his presence. It had been so long since I felt anything like it.

The last time… I was still with my parents.

That same warmth. That same certainty. Like nothing in the world could harm me as long as he stood there.

But that comfort came with a bitter reminder.

No pack wanted a latent like me.

The stronger the pack, the more they despised weakness. And an Alpha this powerful would undoubtedly lead an equally powerful pack.

I clenched my fists.

I refused to let myself bask in that false sense of security.

As these thoughts clashed within me, I watched the wolf walk past the rogues.

My eyes widened in shock.

I wasn’t the only one surprised. From the corner of my vision, I caught the witch and the wizard frowning.

The Alpha walked straight toward me.

My heart, already pounding, began to race even faster.

Step by step, he closed the distance, and I found myself retreating instinctively.

Yet… for some reason, I couldn’t look away.

Our eyes locked.

A direct gaze like this was a challenge no Alpha would tolerate.

But I couldn’t tear my eyes from his.

His crimson gaze felt as though it was stripping me bare, seeing through every layer of my being.

At some point, he became the only thing I could see. Everything else blurred into nothingness.

Look away.

I repeated the words in my mind, urging myself to break eye contact.

But I couldn’t.

“Alpha, she is innocent. She even came to help us.”

The wizard’s voice cut through the tension, and suddenly, reality crashed back into me.

Was he about to tear me apart?

The thought made my legs tremble.

For a moment, I was certain I would die.

Then, as if acknowledging the wizard’s words, the Alpha turned away from me and faced the rogues, who were still frozen in place.

“Alpha, we had no idea they were your people!” the leader of the rogues cried, dropping to his knees.

The others followed immediately, bowing and begging for mercy.

For a brief second, I thought he might spare them.

I was wrong.

He pounced.

Never in my life had I witnessed such brutality.

A single swing of his claws split the rogue leader clean in half.

Blood sprayed across the ground, staining everything in sight.

My breath caught in my throat.

The Alpha didn’t stop.

He lunged at another rogue, clamping his jaws around the man’s throat and tearing it out in one savage motion, leaving him to collapse in a pool of his own blood.

The rogue I had injured earlier trembled uncontrollably.

But he wasn’t the only one.

I was trembling too.

The Alpha approached him slowly, almost casually, before placing a paw on his head.

Then he pressed down.

A sickening crack echoed as the man’s skull was crushed beneath his weight.

I flinched.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the witch and the wizard raise their hands, murmuring spells.

The last rogue screamed as blood began to pour from his nose and ears before he collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

For some reason… I felt he was the lucky one.

When it was over, silence fell.

The Alpha turned to me again.

His gaze met mine, and once more, I felt that suffocating intensity.

He stared for a while… then turned and walked away without a word.

Only after he disappeared did I finally release the breath I had been holding.

My legs nearly gave out.

The wizard approached me with a gentle smile.

Only now did I get a proper look at him.

He was a young man with tousled brown hair and a soft, kind expression that made him seem approachable.

“I am Vincent Bass,” he said. “And this is my sister, Carol.”

He gestured toward the witch, who waved at me with a friendly smile.

“I’m Selena,” I replied, choosing not to give my last name.

“We thank you for your help,” Vincent said, bowing slightly.

“I didn’t do much,” I admitted with a quiet chuckle. “I nearly got myself killed because of my own stupidity.”

“Trying to save someone is never a stupid act,” Carol said gently.

Their kindness was clear, and it made me hesitate.

Had they forgotten… that I was a latent?

“Most people wouldn’t step in to help,” Vincent added. “Not to talk of a latent.”

So they hadn’t forgotten.

“Well, I’m just glad your Alpha came when he did,” I said, glancing at the corpses. “Otherwise, we would all be dead.”

“You’re right,” Vincent nodded. Then he hesitated before asking, “Are you part of any pack?”

My heart skipped.

Before I could respond, he continued.

“If you’re not… I would like to invite you to join ours.”

His words stirred memories I would rather forget.

The humiliation.

The rejection.

Luke’s cold gaze as he cast me aside.

I never wanted to experience that again.

“I’m sorry,” I said with a polite smile. “But I prefer to be alone.”

Even if Vincent and his sister seemed kind… what about the rest of their pack?

They were royal witches, a high-class lineage. A pack that held people like them would be incredibly powerful.

Wolfblood Pack that rejected me didn’t even have a single witch, let alone royal ones.

There was no way such a pack would accept someone like me.

A weak link.

“Shouldn’t you at least ask the name of our pack before rejecting us?” Carol asked, frowning slightly.

Clearly, she didn’t like my answer.

Curiosity stirred within me.

Not because of her question… but because of him.

The Alpha.

Something about him had already left a mark on me. I felt the need to know him more.

“What is the name?” I asked.

“Blackmoon Sovereign Pack,” Carol replied proudly.

My eyes widened in shock.

“Then… that means that was Orion Nightfang?” I asked, my voice barely steady.

“The one and only,” Vincent said with a nod.

And just like that…

My heart sank.