The Silver Refuge
Camilla's POV
The next morning I blinked, trying to adjust my vision in the cozy, wooden cabin I had been brought to the night before. The warm bread and herbs wafted in, mixing with the morning air. It wasn't Moonlight Pack anymore.
No judgmental stares, no whispers and no betrayal.
Just silence and peace.
I sat up slowly, every bone in my body aching from the emotional torment I had endured. My dreams were haunted by the image of Michael marking Caroline — my own twin sister.
The betrayal still wrapped tightly around my heart like a noose.
I touched the spot on my neck that should have carried his mark. It was bare.
I should have been his Luna.
Instead, I was a runaway — marked by humiliation, and chased by shame.
The door of the cabin slightly opened I tensed, my heart skipping. A tall man stepped in. His aura was unlike anything I had ever felt.
Calm but powerful, commanding and yet gentle. He had a streak of silver in his hair, although he couldn't have been older than thirty. His eyes were a stormy blue that seemed to pierce right through my soul.
He wasn't just anyone.
He looked like an Alpha.
And I… was in his territory.
"I hope you're feeling better," he said, his voice calm and deep. "I'm Marcus, Alpha of this Silver Pack."
So I was right.
I stood quickly, unsure of what to do. My instincts told me to bow, but my pride was too raw and broken. Instead, I straightened my back and said softly, "Thank you… for saving me."
He nodded. "You were in the middle of the forest alone, injured and terrified. It would have been wrong not to help."
"Still, I shouldn't be here," I whispered. "I'm from another pack. You don't even know who I am or what I've done."
He studied me in silence for a long second before walking to the table and placing a tray of warm bread and tea on it. "You don't look like a criminal. You look like someone who's been broken."
I turned away, tears welling in my eyes again. "You have no idea."
"I'm not asking," he said. "But when you're ready to talk, I'll listen."
Then he walked away, leaving me alone once more.
I spent the next few days in solitude, tucked away in that hidden cabin deep in Silver Pack territory. Marcus had assigned three maids to take care of me — Mira, Elna, and Bessy. They were soft-spoken and respectful, never asking questions and never judging.
For the first time in weeks, I began to sleep without waking up screaming.
The Silver Pack was so different from Moonlight.
The air was colder, the mountains higher, the trees older — but everything was calmer here. People were not loud or gossipy.
They respected boundaries and most of all, no one treated me like I was broken glass.
Marcus didn't return for three days.
When he did, it was late at night. I was outside, sitting on the wooden step of the cabin, staring at the stars. They looked brighter here, scattered like silver dust over the endless sky.
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked as he approached, his long coat billowing slightly in the wind.
I shook my head. "I think I've forgotten how."
He sat beside me, but not too close. "You've been quiet."
"I'm used to being loud?" I asked, arching a brow.
He smiled. "No. But pain makes people either scream or silence themselves. You chose silence."
"I've had enough screaming," I said, hugging my knees. "I screamed on the night my mate rejected me. I screamed when my own sister took my place.
And when my father—" I choked back tears. "He believed her. Not me."
His jaw tightened. "You were betrayed."
"Yes," I whispered. "By everyone I ever loved."
He was silent for a long time before speaking. "This place… it's a haven for those like you. Silver Pack has seen its share of refugees. Some came from war-torn territories, others… ran from pain."
"Why would you help strangers?" I asked.
"Because the Moon Goddess gave me strength not to hurt others — but to protect them."
His words warmed something inside me, a place that had gone cold ever since Michael's betrayal. I looked at him properly this time.
He was strong, powerful, and carried the weight of his pack with pride — but there was sadness in his eyes too.
Maybe he had known betrayal too.
"I still don't understand why you helped me," I admitted.
He shrugged slightly. "Because when I looked into your eyes that night, I saw a warrior trapped inside a broken heart. And I believe warriors deserve a second chance."
Weeks passed.
I moved into a small cottage near the main village, under Marcus's protection. He told the pack that I was someone he trusted, and that was enough for them. Not once did they ask who I really was or what I had done.
But something was changing.
A sickness had settled over me. I felt tired all the time. Nauseous every morning. My senses were heightened, and my mood swung violently.
Then Mira suggested we see the healer.