Page 17 of Fated Wolf's Redemption

I snap the book shut. Silence stretches between us.

Kylie eyes me, something sharp and knowing in her expression. “Until finally… what?”

I shove the book away, crossing my arms. “Doesn’t matter.”

Oscar leans forward. “Doesn’t matter? Or you just don’t want to say it out loud?”

I grind my teeth. “It’s a stupid myth.”

Kylie’s grin is slow, teasing. “So… what you’re saying is, you think Lucas Stone might be your fated mate?”

I grab the nearest book and throw it at her head. She dodges, laughing.

Oscar shakes his head, looking far too entertained for my liking. “It would explain a lot.”

I point a finger at him. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” He tilts his head. “Point out the fact that since we got here, you and Lucas have been dancing around each other like two wolves in heat?”

Kylie snickers. “I’d say they already stopped dancing and got to the fun part.”

I glare. “Not helping.”

Oscar rubs his jaw, his expression shifting from amusement to something closer to concern. “Look, I get it. If this soulbond thing is real, it complicates things. But…” He hesitates. “Sophia, what if it’s not just legend?”

I scoff, but it sounds forced. “Come on, you really believe this crap?”

Kylie leans back on her hands. “I believe that whatever’s happening between you and Lucas, it’s not normal. And considering we’re currently dealing with disappearing wolves, mutated shifters, and land that feels off, I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss an ancient Windrider warning about balance breaking.”

I don’t have a good response to that, because she’s right.

Something is wrong here. And it’s not just the missing wolves or the Crimson Claw attacks. It’s in the air, in the earth, in the way my wolf won’t stop looking toward Lucas like he’s the answer to a question I don’t want to ask.

I sigh heavily and shove the book aside. “Fine. Let’s say for argument’s sake, this story isn’t complete nonsense. What then? What am I supposed to do? Walk up to Lucas and say, ‘Hey, I know we’ve been avoiding whatever the hell this is, but funfact—legend says we’re magically soulbound and fighting it will probably make things worse, so let’s just accept our fate?’”

Kylie grins. “I mean… it’d be a bold strategy.”

Oscar rolls his eyes. “You don’t have to tell him, but you need to be honest with yourself. If this bond is real, you can’t ignore it forever.”

“Watch me.”

Kylie laughs under her breath. “Oh, this is gonna be fun to watch.”

I glare at her. “It’s not happening.”

Oscar leans back in his chair. “You sure about that?”

I don’t answer. Because the truth? After what happened the other night, I’m not sure about anything anymore.

I grab another book, flipping it open, pretending I still give a damn about research. But my mind isn’t on the words. It’s on him. It’s on what happened and why I want it to happen again.

It’s the way he looks at me whenever we see each other, like he wants to tear me apart and put me back together in the same breath… On the way my wolf went still the moment his lips touched mine… On the way my instincts whisper that I already know the truth.

I don’t want to believe in legends. I don’t want to believe in soulbonds. But the problem is… I don’t think I have a choice.

After several days of Oscar, Kylie and I traveling between the Nightshade Pack’s compound and our camp, Ryder has invited us to stay. The lodge is bigger than I expected. Stone and timber, soaring beams, and windows that overlook the ridge like the forest was carved just to cradle it. There’s a quiet power in thearchitecture—a structure made to withstand storms, time, and everything in between.

It fits the people who live here—Ryder, Isabella and Lucas, plus those who work in the house, mostly the kitchen staff.

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