Third-Person POV:

By evening, the entire Blackthorn Pack was preparing for the Crimson Moon Night. Families were returning to their homes, and mated couples had already begun making arrangements to spend the night together.

Rick, however, had other plans. He intended to spend the night with Vikki and Victor. He knew Vikki would need him when the Crimson Moon appeared, and he had been looking forward to being with her.

Angela found him near the front door, putting on his coat. Her heart sank at the sight. She had been dreading this moment all day, but a small part of her had still hoped he would change his mind and stay with her.

“Rick, please don’t leave tonight,” she begged, following him as he reached for his keys. “The moon could appear any minute. What if my heat starts while you’re gone? At least stay until we know what’s going to happen.”

Rick continued getting ready, barely paying attention to her. “I’ve already told you I’m not spending the night with you, Angela. How many times do I have to repeat myself before you understand?”

“But you don’t have to touch me if you don’t want to. Just stay here in case something happens. Please, Rick, I’m scared.”

He pulled the door open, forcing her to move aside. “Then lock yourself in your room and stop worrying about it. I’m not going to sit here all night listening to your complaints.”

Angela caught his sleeve, desperate to make him understand, but Rick pulled his arm free and walked out without looking back.

She stood at the doorway until he disappeared down the path. With no one left to turn to, Angela finally went upstairs and locked herself in her bedroom.

She had already prepared a few things in case her heat became unbearable. A jug of cold water stood beside her bed, along with some damp towels. She had also filled the bathtub with cool water, hoping it might help if her body temperature rose too much.

Her last resort was a few sleeping pills, which she hoped would help her sleep through the night.

Angela knew they weren’t meant to suppress a she-wolf’s heat, but she hoped they might at least help her sleep through the worst of it.

She swallowed several tablets with water before lying down and pulling the blanket over herself.

If it gets too bad, I’ll stand under the cold shower, she thought. Maybe the water will help until morning.

For a while, everything seemed fine. The tablets made her drowsy, and eventually, she fell asleep.

Sometime during the night, Angela jolted awake. Her entire body felt as though it were burning.

She threw the blanket aside, struggling to sit up as an unbearable heat spread through her lower abdomen. The discomfort between her legs was particularly intense, accompanied by a maddening itch that made it impossible to remain still.

“Oh, Goddess… what’s happening to me?” she whimpered, pressing a hand against her stomach.

Her wolf was restless, desperately seeking the comfort of her mate, but Rick was nowhere near her. Angela tried reaching for the water beside her bed, only to knock the jug onto the floor.

The sleeping pills had done nothing to prevent her heat. If anything, the lingering drowsiness made it harder for her to move.

She forced herself out of bed and stumbled toward the bathroom, supporting herself against the wall. By the time she reached the shower, her nightclothes were damp with sweat.

Angela turned the cold water on and stepped beneath it without bothering to remove her clothes. The sudden chill brought some relief. She closed her eyes and leaned against the tiled wall, allowing the water to run over her face and shoulders.

But the relief lasted only a few moments. The burning sensation inside her body returned, growing more uncomfortable despite the cold water. Angela slowly sank onto the shower floor, pulling her knees toward her chest as the water continued pouring over her.

She had hoped she could somehow endure the night alone.

But the Crimson Moon had only just risen, and she was beginning to realize how terribly she had underestimated its effects.

***

Angela was still beneath the shower, writhing in pain on the wet floor as she struggled to find a comfortable position.

The cold water had soaked her nightclothes, but the unbearable heat inside her body showed no signs of easing. She tried directing the cool water spray between her legs, hoping it might soothe the terrible discomfort, but even that brought no relief.

“Oh, Goddess, please help me,” she whimpered, pressing her back against the cold tiles.

Her wolf was becoming increasingly restless, repeatedly calling for her mate. Angela tried calming her, but she could barely manage her own suffering.

She had lost track of how long she’d been sitting there when she heard a knock at the front door.

Angela frowned and lifted her head. Who could possibly be visiting at this hour?

Even the Omegas had been given the night off because of the Crimson Moon. Everyone was supposed to be indoors, either with their mates or safely away from unmated wolves.

Another knock followed, louder this time.

Angela considered getting up, but the moment she tried, another wave of unbearable pain swept through her body, forcing her back against the wall.

She couldn’t possibly make it downstairs in this condition. Perhaps Rick had returned.

But if it was him, he had his own keys and could easily let himself inside. There was no reason for her to drag herself all the way to the front door.

With that thought, Angela remained beneath the shower, hoping whoever was outside would either enter or leave.

What she didn’t realize was that her pheromones had already begun drifting beyond the cottage, drawing the attention of unmated males nearby.

As Alpha Cedric’s daughter, Angela carried the blood of a powerful Alpha, and the Crimson Moon had made her scent unusually strong. With no mate nearby to help calm her wolf, she had no control over the signals her body was releasing.

Outside the cottage, those pheromones were beginning to attract the attention of unmated males. The knocking continued, growing louder and more impatient.

Little did Angela know that the locked door was the only thing standing between her and a fate far worse than the heat tormenting her.