Chapter 2 Luca

I could tell what was happening half a mile away mostly due to my heightened senses. It was both a gift and a curse. Well, mostly a curse when I caught the smell of paint, cheap perfume, rotting dumpsters and stinky humans. From my bedroom window, the forest stretched endlessly, thick and familiar. I’d grown up here, in the shadows of Silverpine, where the trees never seem to stop growing.

To most people, it was just a quiet mountain town but to me, it was a cage. I sought to explore more of the outside world and what lay beyond Silverpine. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to ignore the sound of the moving vehicle groaning next compound. Another family was moving in, again. Another set of clueless humans thinking this place was peaceful and calm. I almost pitied them. Almost.

“Luca!” My cousin Mason yelled from downstairs. “You coming or what?”

I didn’t answer immediately. My wolf was restless pacing inside me like a caged animal. I hadn’t felt this kind of pull in months, not since the last full moon when we’d chased off rogues near the ridge. But this was different.

“Yeah,” I finally called, grabbing my jacket. I needed a distraction before it got worse.

Downstairs, Mason was leaning against the doorframe, chewing on an apple noisily like he owned the place. “You’re edgy,” he said, watching me.

“Maybe because someone’s eating the last apple in my house,” I muttered, shoving past him.

He laughed. “You felt it too, didn’t you?”

I froze halfway through the doorway. “Felt what?”

“That scent.” He tossed the apple core into the sink. “New humans in Silverpine.”

I didn’t respond, I didn’t need to. Mason could probably see it written on my face. Every Hale could sense changes like that. Like the way our bodies reacted when something unfamiliar crossed its border. It was part of our ability and who we were.

We stepped outside. The sun was low, spilling gold across the rooftops. The scent hit again and stronger this time. The new neighbours were still unloading boxes. The woman was chatting on the phone, her laughter too bright for this town. But it wasn’t her that caught my attention. It was the girl. She was standing by the car, hoodie pulled tight, her expression caught in a frown. I could tell from her pursed lips and drawn eyebrows. She was a city girl. I could tell by the way she looked at her surroundings, hating every inch of the place. I chuckled. She was going to need a lot more if she was gonna survive here. And yet, for some reason I couldn’t name, I couldn’t stop watching her.

“Don’t even think about it,” Mason muttered. “You know the rules.”

“I’m not thinking anything,” I lied.

He gave me that look, the one that said don’t mess this up. “Humans don’t belong in our world, Luca. You know what your father would say.”

I clenched my jaw. “I don’t need a reminder.”

We walked toward the woods pretending not to stare at the new arrivals. I told myself it was curiosity and nothing more. But the closer I got to the trees, the louder my heartbeat became. Something about her scent was stirring the part of me I couldn't understand. By the time we reached the clearing, the rest of the pack was waiting with a few older werewolves in human form, their expressions grim.

“Rogues again,” one of them said. “Near the southern ridge.”

I nodded. “I’ll take Mason and handle it.”

My father’s voice cut through the air like a blade. “You’ll do no such thing, Luca!”

I felt my fists clenching. Dad had always been overprotective and the incident with Mom had only strengthened his resolve. But I didn't want him always hovering me like I was gonna cut myself with a knife like a six year old. I wasn't six and I just turned nineteen some months back.

He stepped out from behind the trees, tall, stern, carrying the weight of the Alpha title like armour. “The council will handle the rogues. You stay out of it.”

“Doing nothing won’t stop them,” I shot back.

He growled low, the kind of warning that made everyone flinch. He was the Alpha, afterall and I was just next-in-line. Our pack was the oldest and dated back to many generations. “You’re not ready to lead. I don't need your interference and remember your place.”

The words hit harder than I wanted to admit. I turned away, fists tight, and stalked toward the way home. Mason followed, silent this time.

When we were far enough from the others, he exhaled. “You’re gonna explode one of these days.”

“I hope I do,” I said, gritting my teeth. “My father barely listens to me.”

"He’s worried, you know." Mason replied, kicking a stone out of the path.

I scoffed at this.

“Oh shit!” Mason cursed suddenly, “I’ve got Algebra homework. Mr Rogers is gonna skin me alive if I don't turn it in tomorrow.”

I let out a chuckle. Everyone in Silverpine High was scared of the old man. “It’s okay, man. I’ll see you in school tomorrow.”

The air grew colder as night crept in and I was back home before dinner. My father was not yet back, probably still dealing with the rogues. The house was silent except for the ticking clock in the hallway. I wasn’t really hungry but I still grabbed some chips from the fridge. I could feel my wolf pressing closer to the surface curious about the human next door. I tried to focus on something else—homework, the sound of crickets outside, or the hum of the fridge. But none of it drowned out the pull. My instincts to find her, to see her up close again, and to understand why she had my wolf on an edge, was overwhelming. My human side said that was insane.

Feeling a migraine, I closed the homework I was doing, more like trying to do and trudged to bed. I couldn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her— the girl next door. I didn’t know her name yet, or who she really was but I knew she was trouble. And I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to keep her safe from Silverpine or keep Silverpine safe from her.