登入When we stepped through the portal, the wind disappeared, and suddenly my feet landed on what felt like polished marble.I blinked, and I slowly turned in a circle as I looked around."...Whoa," I scoffed.Derek let out a low whistle. "This..." he said as he looked around the enormous room. "...is a house?"It didn't feel like one to me cause the living room alone looked larger than our entire home back at the pack. The ceiling stretched impossibly high above us, there was a massive chandelier hung overhead. Bookshelves climbed two floors up the walls, filled with books that looked older than anything I'd ever seen.A grand fireplace burned quietly at the far end of the room. The furniture in the room looked handcrafted, and every painting hung on the walls looked expensive.I looked at Bri. "Your aunt lives here?" I asked.She scratched the back of her head. "I know how this looks. Trust me, I had the same reaction."Derek wandered toward one of the giant windows. "Ethan," he called.
Derek was the first to move... after all, she was his little red first."Bri!" he squealed as he practically ran into her.She laughed as he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her so tightly that she stumbled backward a step."I missed you too, big boy," she said, laughing."My turn," I said as I pulled her into another hug the moment Derek let go, and for a few seconds, none of us spoke. This felt perfectly normal.When I finally stepped back, I looked at her properly, then blinked."...Hold on."Derek frowned too."Wait..." He leaned closer and gestured awkwardly. "Weren't you smaller?"She raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?""You..." I pointed at her face and down her body. "You look..."I searched for the right word."...older."She smiled knowingly.I hadn't noticed it at first because I was too happy to see her, but now, it was obvious. The Bri standing before us wasn't the—what? Sixteen... seventeen-year-old friend we'd gone to school with. She looked like a woma
A few seconds later, the forest swallowed the sounds of the pack behind us, and only the pounding of paws against the earth could be heard. Kael nor Sarafina slowed down even for a second.I finally leaned forward against Kael's neck."Kael..." I said as he kept running, but my voice cracked. "Please, we're far enough."After another stretch through the trees, both wolves gradually slowed down before coming to a stop in a small clearing, and the sudden silence rang in my ears.I slid off Kael's back while Derek climbed down from Sarafina's, and we just stood there for a moment, none of us spoke. Then I walked closer to them. They were still in their wolf forms, both breathing heavily from the run.I reached out and rested a hand on Kael's head, then Sarafina's."Thank you," I muttered.Both wolves lowered their heads slightly beneath my touch."But..." I forced myself to smile. "...it's time for you two to go home."They didn't move."You've done enough," I added.Kael let out a low g
Every eye turned toward me, and one of the elders stepped forward, his voice measured."Ethan," he whispered as his gaze searched mine. "Is it true?"I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out."Ethan," another elder urged. "Have you truly lost your wolf?""I..." Before I could force the words out, Lucas answered for me."He has."The crowd shifted, and Lucas folded his arms."And I know because his own mother admitted it to me last night."My head snapped toward him."You liar," I snapped.He didn't even acknowledge me."She was drunk," I argued.His eyes drifted toward the house."People are usually most honest when they're that way," he chuckled.Footsteps sounded behind us, and I turned. It was Mother, and beside her walked Elder Mira. The elders immediately made space for them.The oldest among them looked directly at my mother. "Luna. Tell us plainly, has your son lost his wolf?"Mother looked at me, and our eyes met instantly. I could see the fear in hers because I knew t
I couldn't breathe while Lucas, on the other hand, didn't even look surprised, he just smiled."I'll be right there," he called back to the warrior outside.Lucas turned toward me, and then he laughed."So..." he shook his head. "I guess Derek couldn't escape quietly after all.""Lucas," I called, but he ignored me, and he walked toward the door. "Lucas!" I called, but my voice cracked this time. "Don't lay a hand on him!"He didn't answer me and just opened the door and stepped outside. I lunged after him, and before I could reach the doorway, a hand grabbed my arm."No," my mother snapped as she held me firmly. "Ethan.""Let me go!" I said."No," she muttered."They'll kill him!" I cried. "I have to—""Ethan." She pulled me back again. "Think, please. Just think.""I can't!" I tore my arm free. "You can't hold me back!"She reached for me again, and this time I stepped away before she could."I'm sorry," I said, then I ran outside.The noise led me straight to them. A crowd had form
Derek was still curled against me when I woke up. His breathing was slow and I simply watched him. His hair was a mess. One of his hands was still gripping the sleeve of my shirt, even in his sleep.I smiled to myself.Maybe... maybe we really could make this work. Maybe hiding him here had been the right decision after all.Then—BANG!The front door shook so violently that the walls seemed to vibrate.Derek's eyes flew open."What was that?" he asked.Before I could answer—BANG! BANG! BANG!This time accompanied by shouting, lots of shouting. My smile disappeared while Derek sat upright."Ethan..." he mutteredI climbed out of bed."Stay here," I said softly.He caught my wrist."Be careful," he said with soft puppy eyes.I squeezed his hand. "I will."Then I hurried downstairs.The voices outside grew louder with every step, and by the time I reached the sitting room, Mother was already standing near the front door. She looked pale.She turned as I approached."Ethan," she said"W







