The Triplet Alphas' Curse: Rejected by the Wolfless Luna.

Aire walked without thinking on without thinking. She felt so numb the cold barely affected her.

The snow crunched beneath her boots, and the cold wind bit against her wet cheeks. She didn’t bother wiping the tears anymore.

There was nobody around to see them, mock her, or tell her that she was weak.

The forest stretched endlessly around her.

Aire lowered her head and kept moving, making sure her silver hair was properly covered, to avoid unnecessary hate from any wolves she might stumbled upon.

She planned to return to her small camp.

Aire swallowed hard. She refused to let her tears drop, as she had cried enough tonight.

The trees thinned the closer she got, and a familiar clearing appeared ahead.

She got closer to her tent, and saw smoke. Thin streams of gray smoke curled upward into the snowy night.

Aire froze. The sight immediately made her heart jump. She rushed forward, scared her tent might be burning to the ground.

She got closer, onely to see that the stranger never left. He was awake now, and before a fire lit before the tent.

Relief flooded her so suddenly it nearly knocked the breath from her lungs.

Aire quickly rubbed at her face with the back of her sleeve. She wiped away every trace of tears she could find.

Then she inhaled deeply. She took one breath, then another, to calm down. Aire straightened her shoulders, having no wish to let a new stranger see her cry.

Only then did she step out from behind the trees.

The stranger sat beside the fire, and the orange glow danced across his face. She saw the rabbit she had left behind for him slowly rotated above the flames.

The smell of cooked warm meat hit her immediately. Her stomach cramped so hard she almost doubled over.

Just then, the stranger looked up.

His brown eyes found her.

His expression softened. "You came back." He said, as if pleased she did.

Aire nodded.

The stranger glanced toward the rabbit, then toward her. "I wasn’t sure I could eat this alone."

Aire said nothing. However, she noticed that his voice sounded stronger than before. She smiled softly at him.

"I’m glad you’re awake." Genuinely, she was, and it made her feel better.

The stranger stared at her for a moment as if he was making some mental decisions. Then, he nodded once.

"So am I."

A brief silence followed.

The fire crackled softly, and snow drifted lazily from the sky.

"Thank you." The stranger spoke again.

Aire blinked. Her jaw dropped at that phase. It felt so unfamiliar, almost foreign.

The stranger continued. "For earlier." His eyes settled on hers. "For helping me."

Aire’s throat tightened. Nobody ever thanked her. Not anymore. Not since her parents died. Now, people ordered, demanded, expected, and blamed her.

But nobody thanked her.

Aire smiled before she could stop herself. It was her realest smie that rarely appeared anymore.

"You’re welcome."

The stranger nodded. His eyes dropped toward the rabbit. "And for the meat."

Aire’s smile widened slightly. She felt relieved. More relieved than she should have. Her heart widened at the realization that the rabbit had gone to someone who appreciated it.

Not to Beta Kole, but someone who actually understood what it meant.

The realization warmed her more than the fire.

The stranger shifted slightly. He moved one of the logs, creating space beside him.

Aire stared at him.

The stranger glanced toward the empty space. "You look cold."

Aire almost laughed softly. She was cold. Freezing, in fact. Her fingers felt numb. Her toes hurt, and so did her ears.

She slowly walked forward and sat beside the fire. The warmth hit her immediately, and a soft sound escaped her.

The stranger pretended not to hear it.

Aire appreciated that. It saved her some further embarrassment. The fire crackled, and the orange light danced across the snow.

For several seconds neither spoke.

The stranger reached toward the rabbit. He pulled it from above the flames, and steam rose immediately.

The smell made Aire’s stomach growl loudly. Mortification hit her, and her cheeks reddened from embarrassment.

The stranger glanced at her, then he smiled.

Without a word, he cut away a piece, then he held it toward her.

Aire froze.

The gesture stunned her.

For a moment she simply stared at the meat he held, not knowing how to react to kindness from people anymore.

The stranger raised an eyebrow. "Take it." He urged.

Aire’s eyes immediately filled with tears. Slowly, she accepted the meat. Her hands trembled as she took it.

The warmth seeped into her fingers immediately.

She stared at it, rhen she looked up.

"How are you feeling?"

The stranger leaned back slightly. The firelight danced across his face. "Better."

Aire visibly relaxed.

His expression softened again. "Because of you."

Aire immediately looked away.

The stranger continued. "Thank you."

The words landed directly inside her chest.

Aire smiled.

A small laugh escaped her as she took a bite from the meat. The moment the flavor touched her tongue she closed her eyes.

A soft sound escaped her. The rabbit tasted wonderful because she was hungry. Very hungry.

The warmth spread through her body immediately. For several seconds she simply enjoyed it.

The stranger watched her, and amusement flickered briefly across his face.

Aire opened her eyes again, and she caught him staring.

Embarrassment flooded her. "What?" She questioned, suddenly cautious.

The stranger shook his head, and Aire narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

He noticed several strands of silver hair falling across her face. Without thinking, he reached out.

Aire swallowed.

His fingers gently brushed the strands backward. He moved them away from her eyes.

The gesture was so casual, yet gentle that Aire stared at him for so long.

The stranger immediately withdrew his hand as though he hadn’t even noticed what he had done, and how little amount of kindness warmed her heart.

Aire smiled. "Thank you."

The stranger looked at her, then nodded once.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!