Luna never expected to find his name in a newspaper.
The town library was nearly empty. Dust coated the old history binders, and the pages crinkled as she flipped through them. She didn't even know what she was looking for—just that something about the name "Gideon" pulled at her.
Then she found it: a clipping from ten years ago, yellowed and almost unreadable.
Violence in Greywood Forest. Two dead. Several injured. Local pack member Gideon Grey suspected to be involved.
No details. No follow-up. Just a whisper of something terrible.
That evening, she walked to the cliffs again, unsure if he'd be there. But he was. Standing like before, arms crossed, face unreadable.
"I found your name in the archives," she said.
"I figured you would," he replied, voice low.
"It said people died. That you were part of it."
His jaw clenched slightly. "I was."
She waited for more, but it didn't come.
"What happened?"
Gideon looked out at the darkening sky. "There was a threat. I made a choice."
Luna stepped closer. "You killed someone?"
He didn't flinch. "Yes."
Her breath caught. She wanted to turn away—but didn't.
"I don't know if I should be afraid of you."
"You should be," he said softly. "But you're not, are you?"
She shook her head.
"Then that's what worries me."
The wind picked up, and Luna stood there, cold and confused, knowing she'd stepped into something far bigger than she'd realized.
And she didn't want to step back out.