She escaped one alpha’s cage. She never expected to find safety—in the arms of another. Annabelle has only one goal: keep her younger siblings safe and out of Daniel’s reach. No more alphas. No more mate bonds. Just survival. But when their stolen car dies on a mountain road and a storm traps them in the wilderness, she’s forced to seek shelter on a remote ranch. What she finds is Elias Blackwood. He’s gruff, territorial, and pure alpha. A man with scars—some visible, some not—and eyes that see too much. Annabelle should run. Instead, her heat breaks early, her body betrays her, and Elias is the only one who can help without claiming her. Because Elias doesn’t want to own her. He wants to protect her. And when the past comes hunting—with enforcers and threats and blood in the snow—Annabelle must decide: keep running, or stand her ground for the alpha who offers her something she’s never had before. A choice. A future. A home. One omega on the run. One alpha who refuses to let her go. One last stand at the edge of freedom.