Rings of mushrooms and speckled yellow and purple wildflowers blanketed the grassy hills. Although delicate, the plants were hardy.

They had yet to descend the mountain far enough to reach Olga's family business.

The giant wolf had brought her to a valley where a lone hunting cabin stood in the enclosure of rusting fence post. Olga could hear and see a small creek running by. As with the encounters with water, her legs began to shake and her ears moved back. She didn't know why the source made her so afraid.

"Where are we? I can't smell my mate anymore."

She trotted after the white wolf up to the cabin.

The door was closed. Olga gaped as the wolf wordlessly shifted into a man and opened it. His hair was white and his eyes were a strange crimson hue. His hands were gentle as he picked her up and entered the cabin with her.

Leaves and dirt covered the ground. The wooden floor was rotting. There were four windows in the tiny space with one on each wall. A very old mattress was in the corner of the room and a fireplace with an old rusty bucket next to it. On the walls was a mix of bones and guns.

Old pots and baskets hung from the ceiling. There was a small narrow shuttered room for the toilet and standing shower. In the small kitchen in the corner, there was a ledge with a sink and a pile of tea towels neatly folded.

Old clothes and mismatched shoes were stored in a bin by the door.

It was hard not to stare at him.

She couldn't help saying it, "You are a very beautiful man. I think your hair is pretty."

Ulrich smirked at her innocence. He decided to speak.

"I think you are most beautiful. Want to say we may be here few days until you regain strength unless you wish to breed. I not want to make you do that but it is best way to heal."

"N-no!" she spewed out. The young woman smiled a little understanding the tease in his tone. "I am not in any hurry. I want to wait. We won't be here that long anyway. I'm so glad you can talk!"

"Yes," he paused. As if thinking about his choice of words, he made an effort to not appear frustrated by her nervousness. "...good. I get wood. Best if you clean bed up before night and sweep floor."

Bed? Olga wondered if he was referring to the ratty mattress.

She got a funny feeling watching him walk straight by her and pick up a hanging broom from the wall. Everything was very neatly organized. The floor was dirty, but other than that, the cabin was fairly equipped.

Ulrich handed her the broom. Then, he rummaged through the tiny kitchen and pulled out an old-fashioned lantern. He lit the old wax candle inside with a match.

"How did you find this place?"

"Luck," he answered lightly. He picked up a pair of hunting pants and dressed himself. He gave her a sideways glance before stepping out. "I expect you clean before I return. It will be dark...I not want you to sleep in dirt."

She watched him leave. Olga then shifted into her human form. There was a blanket on the mattress. She tied it around herself.

Anxiety kept her busy while she counted each passing minute he didn't return. She used the broom and swept the floor clean after taking the mattress outside to shake the dust off.

There was something odd about not feeling nervous around him. She had seen his body but even that did not make her uncomfortable. The man seemed familiar.

Olga used a towel to wipe the grime off the windows and then began to organize some of the canned food in the kitchen. There was nothing much left to clean.

She watched her hands shake as she arranged the preserved fruits and vegetables. The dates were expired by over twenty years.

She took a real look around the cabin. Restless, she moved to the door pacing around the humble space and looking out the windows.

Eventually, she sat down on the mattress. Her head felt dizzy and her heart wouldn't stop racing as her eyes darted around the cabin. She couldn't get over the daunting feeling growing within her head.

The feeling seemed to have come out of nowhere.

Olga? came the voice.

I'm scared, she responded uneasily.

Where are you? I'm so glad you're alive! Jax answered, hopeful.

Are you my mate? Olga wondered.

Just as she thought it, the door opened.

***

Ulrich found his way back to the marksman point. There were several, miles apart, on Frost Lock's mountains. This particular one was his favorite. It was surrounded by loud rushing water that would hide sound and scent.

The cabin was one of many that hunters used seasonally, but this cabin was his.

He was happy she was starting to become attached to him. All signs of worry vanished as she watched him come inside.

"I'm going to start fire."

"I didn't really like it when you left. I kind of had a panic attack," she laughed uneasily. Her tone softened, "I think I started hearing voices in my head."

"Sorry, I should have not leave you here. Next time, you come with me?"

"Okay."

Ulrich had to force himself to keep his distance when she laid down on the mattress. It was a full moon.

He sat down beside her.

"How did you find me?"

"I already say...it was luck."

"Why are you lying to me?"

He shrugged. "I'm not," he said. "Why would I lie to you?"

In the small space, all she could smell was the burning wood scent that had absorbed into his jacket. The cloth was still very warm since he had been standing in front of the fire.

"Jacket keep you warmer. You do not need to wear that blanket now."

The jacket reached her thighs. Olga shuffled out of the blanket. Her face felt warm as he climbed onto the mattress. In front of her.

"Hi," he said. He couldn't stop smiling. "It's warm for you?"

Olga giggled. "Yes."

She became quiet as he set the blanket over them both. Wood crackled and popped as heat vented up the old stone chimney.

The same heat created light, and with it, shadows grew across the old chipped walls.

She felt a little bit like she was being cornered. And she was. Ulrich's body blocked her from simply leaving the makeshift bed. Her back was to the wall. His wasn't.

"I used to have a sister...she look like you. When parents came here she drowned."

"Drowned?"

"My mother drown her. Could not feed another child. It was cold winter." Olga shivered feeling his thumb skim over her kneecap. His gaze was tender making her feel safe. "My family not protect me either. I left my life...to be feral."

"Why?"

"Mother would touch me," he whispered while watching the ceiling. His voice had an edge in it, "She sexually abuse me...when I was child. It made me do horrible things. Made me feel no worth." His voice turned curt, "We used to live in here."

The unspoken anger in his tone made Olga feel disturbed. At the same time, she could feel his horror settle over her as his stare hardened on the wall.

"Have you been to therapy?"

"Yes, it help. Not completely though, I still have trouble."

"I'm sorry that happened to you," Olga said in a hollow voice. "Why did you bring us here? Wouldn't you rather sleep outside...or burn this cabin down?" Olga laughed uneasily.

"No...I feel safe now with my sestra."

"Sestra?"

"Yes," he purred. Olga blushed deeply hearing the sound in his chest. "Sestra mean friend like sister. You are my sestra. I feel love for you since I first see you. We are not mates so it confusing."

"Yeah," Olga admitted. She still was shaken from hearing about his trauma and abuse. She was wiping tears from her face still. "What happened to you is h-horrible."

"Sweet, sweet sestra. No cry for me." To test, he brushed his lips against her forehead. Warmth fanned across her face. "Tomorrow, you will forget about me. You will breed with your mate and make happy family."

"W-what?"

Olga shuddered.

There was a heavy silence between them that was tainted with darkening need. She couldn't deny how attractive he was.

"Don't you know?" he asked with a mischievous smile. He was struggling to hide his satisfaction of her fear. "Alphas only want mate for pleasing and breeding."

"But you are one, too, aren't you? You are an alpha."

"I am?"

Olga couldn't tell if he was being serious. Her instincts told her he was stronger than the betas she had seen with her mate. And her eyes told her he was bigger even the one named Jax. The leader.

"Well-" she started.

Ulrich chuckled. He nuzzled the crook of her neck and wrapped his arms around her, scooping her into his embrace. Olga gasped in surprise. Amusement danced in his red eyes as she squirmed in his hold. He breathed in her scent while reading her mind and listening for Jax.

He couldn't hear anything.

"You are right. I am an alpha and you are my mate."

"Then who is Jax?"

His gaze softened as her heart raced against his own.

"You thought you were in love with him too."

Olga folded her arms. She couldn't remember enough.

"What's your name?"

"Ulrich."

She laid down with mixed emotions. Her neck felt like it was aching. There was something electric in his stare. Olga felt like he had purposefully waited to reveal the truth. She didn't know what the point in that was.

Outside, the moon was full behind drifting clouds.

Sensing her worry, Ulrich slipped his hand behind her back and underneath the jacket where he could caress her bare skin. Olga moaned a little as he cradled her body. Her head rested on his shoulder while his touch roamed up and down her back. She unwinded, closing her eyes, as nocturnal instinct kicked in.

Her jaw felt heavy and sore. When she opened her eyes, she saw his shoulder bleeding. She could hear his new purr. Her body felt red as he tilted her chin up.

"It's okay, you didn't hurt me, angel."

Olga's blood went cold.

Angel, her mind echoed.

Then she remembered. She remembered everything.

❄️