Chapter 4 — Aliana’s POV“You look like you haven’t slept in a week, kid.”I checked the rear-view mirror. My face was pale. My eyes looked heavy and dark. I forced a small smile before I reached the pack border. The guards in the booth knew my old car. They just offered a little wave as I drove past. They must have heard the news, I thought. Everyone knew everything inside the territory. Usually, leaving the pack lands gave me a deep, painful pull in my chest. This time, I felt lighter. Every mile put more distance between me and Virginia.I drove toward the nearest large town. I needed cash and a new ride. First stop was the bank. I was eighteen now. I walked in and withdrew everything. My savings from the sawmill, all the birthday money I’d hoarded, and the college fund my parents had started years ago. It hurt to take the last one. The total was a decent sum. Enough for my long road trip and a fresh start somewhere new.The car dealership was next. The car I had was a year old, a

You’re here.”I stopped a little too close. Just close enough to make her shift her weight, to test the boundaries. She was waiting by the lake as she promised. Four days. That is how long a quick lunch stop turned into a stakeout. I smelled the paper bag on the table; it was sweet and delicious.“Said I would be,” she told me. She looked up. Not at my eyes, though. She was well trained. Meeting an Alpha’s gaze is a challenge unless you are his mate or a close friend. She had mastered the respectful glance.“So you did. I thought I might need to eat a couple more meals at Gilad’s to persuade you. You have a stubborn streak,” I pointed out.She still had not moved back. Every other wolf I knew would have backed up the second an Alpha moved into their space. Unless they were an Alpha themselves. But I knew this intriguing wolf was not. I had scented her the moment I walked into the diner four days ago. The wol