Rodrigo's eyes moved from Nina to the men before he turned, taking a step toward them. Behind him, Nina instinctively covered herself, turning away from the sudden presence of strangers.
He paused when he noticed, then shifted without a word, stepping in front of her, his frame cutting off their view completely.
They bowed as he approached.
"Alpha, we searched day and night for you. We apologize for being late." Seven lowered his head.
Rodrigo gave a short nod. "What happened with the rogues?"
"We killed most of them. Only a few escaped."
"And our men?" His voice hardened slightly. "How many casualties?"
"Three," Seven replied.
Rodrigo stilled, the number settling in his expression before he inclined his head once.
"Get something for the Luna to wear," he said. "If we leave now, we'll reach before the funeral begins."
—
An hour later, they were back in the carriage, heading toward Hades Pack.
Silence settled between them, the air tight. Nina sat rigidly, her gaze fixed on the wooden panels as the carriage rocked beneath them. She had changed into the clothes Seven brought.
They had left ahead of the others.
Rodrigo had sent one of the Lycans back to retrieve the rest.
Nina glanced at him for the first time since the ride began. He had changed as well, into a black shirt over black trousers. Now that she thought about it, he had a thing for black.
The only color on him was his grey eyes and hair, which didn't quite pass as color. His long hair was tied loosely, a few strands slipping free and falling across his face. When he wasn't speaking, he didn't look very intimidating.
He reached for an apple in the basket in front of them.
Nina looked away quickly.
The quiet scrape of the knife against its skin filled the space as he peeled it in a slow, continuous motion. Her gaze stayed on the trees before slowly drifting to him, despite herself.
Her thoughts slipped back to the night before. Who would have thought he had a kind bone in him?
He had saved her from dying and shared his body heat. The tension in her shoulders softened as her gaze remained on his face, unwavering.
The memory of her waking up on his chest flashed back, and Nina glanced away.
Heat crept up her neck.
Should she apologize?
Her fingers pressed into her thighs.
No.
Bringing it up would only make it real. Worse, it might make him angry.
Why did she always go looking for trouble? Why? Now she had something else to apologize for.
Nina shut her eyes briefly, catching her lower lip between her teeth before forcing the thought away.
"Is there anything else I need to know," Rodrigo said, his voice cutting cleanly through the silence, "before we return to Vermont?"
Nina froze. Her thoughts slammed shut.
Her fingers stilled on her thighs as she quickly collected herself. When she looked at him, her face was already composed.
"There's nothing else, Alpha," she replied, her heart thudding loudly against her chest.
His grey eyes held her gaze a second too long, then lowered to the apple in his hand.
"That's good, then."
He finished slicing it and held a piece out to her.
"Because it won't be fun," he added, almost casually, "if I find out you've lied to me twice."
Her jaw tightened. Her gaze fell to the fruit, and then she reached for it, her fingers brushing against his.
She gulped, pulling her hand away.
"Thank you," she said stiffly, looking away from him. She held the apple tightly as her gaze stayed fixed outside.
He wouldn't find out. She would be dead before it happened.
The carriage lurched to a stop.
The sudden halt threw her forward. Nina yelped as the apple slipped from her hand and her balance gave way. She nearly collided with him, but his hand came up fast, catching her by the shoulder, steadying her before she could fall.
For a second, they were too close.
Closer than necessary.
His grip tightened slightly, his gaze dropping—just for a moment—to her lips.
A flicker of something crossed his eyes, gone almost as quickly as it came.
His jaw flexed.
"Do you always move like you're trying to get yourself killed?"
The words came out dry and edged.
Nina blinked, her breath uneven, her mouth parting, but before she could think of an answer, he had already let go.
Rodrigo stepped out of the carriage without another word, then turned back, extending his hand toward her.
She hesitated, only for a second, before placing her hand in his and stepping down.
The moment her feet touched the ground, her gaze lifted.
Massive iron gates rose before them, carved with deep, ancient markings, their tops swallowed by a low drift of mist. At the center, etched into dark metal, was a name that seemed to carry weight on its own—
THE NORTHERN HADES PACK.
Nina stilled.
Her eyes locked onto the crest, something cold slipping down her spine. Her heartbeat faltered, then picked up too fast, too uneven, her fingers curling slightly against her dress.
She felt a sense of déjà vu as she stared at the gates, like she had been here before.
She took a step back, her balance tilting—
Rodrigo's arm came around her before she could fall.
"Are you alright?"
Nina looked up at him, forcing her breathing to steady. She drew a breath, steadying her feet.
"Yes," she said. Her eyes glanced back at the crest, the feeling still there.
Rodrigo watched her for a moment, then turned.
"Let's go."
She fell into step beside him as they approached the gates. Carriages lined the entrance, other packs arriving in quiet displays of status and power. Alphas stepped down first, their presence commanding, followed closely by their Lunas, polished and composed.
Nina's gaze flickered over them before dropping briefly to herself.
Her dress was beautiful, but her hair was not done, and her face was bare from the fall. She had not had time to dress up. She felt very small against them.
Nina gulped, her fingers brushing the fabric at her sides as her steps began to falter.
"Stay beside me."
Rodrigo's voice was low as his hand settled at her waist, pulling her forward.
"I don't want to have to look for you again."
Nina stilled at the contact. His voice sounded like he was scolding, but at the same time laced with something else—something softer.
She glanced at his face, and then slowly her shoulders relaxed.
As they neared the gates, her attention shifted to the man standing at the entrance, receiving guests.
He was tall, his long black hair falling down his back to his waist. The moment his eyes landed on Rodrigo, his smile paused—just slightly.
Then his gaze flicked to Nina. It stayed a second too long before returning to him.
"Alpha Rodrigo," he said, a slow smile returning.
Something in the air shifted as the rest of the Alphas turned, all eyes fixed on them.
Nina held her breath.
"The infamous Alpha…" the man continued, his grin sharpening just a fraction. "I was starting to think you were a myth."
Rodrigo's eyes didn't leave his. The silence was almost deafening. Nina turned slowly to look at him; his gaze was fixed, dark, but his expression gave nothing away.
Another beat passed. Then Rodrigo blinked.
"We finally meet, Hades."