10. Echoes in the Dark

The silence in the cabin is broken only by the crackling of the fire. Shadow is near me, but his mind feels miles away. His golden eyes reflect the flames, as if he can see something within them that I can’t begin to understand.

I try to rest, but it’s impossible. Every time I close my eyes, I feel the weight of his world pressing down on me. It’s not just the external threats—Caleb, the clan, the unspoken rules. It’s Shadow himself, with his walls, his secrets, his fears, which only seem taller and more impenetrable the closer I get.

“You can’t keep carrying everything,” I say suddenly, breaking the silence.

He turns to me, raising an eyebrow.

“What are you talking about?”

“This. You. You always put yourself in the middle, like some kind of human shield… well, lycan shield.”

Shadow lets out a dry laugh, but there’s no humor in it.

“You don’t understand, Amelia. If I don’t do it, no one else will.”

“That’s not true,” I insist, sitting up. “I’m here, remember? I’m not useless.”

“I never said you were.”

“But you think it.”

He stares at me, his jaw tight. For a moment, I think he’s going to argue, but instead, he gets up and begins pacing the room like a caged animal.

“It’s not that. It’s just… if something happened to you because of me, I couldn’t live with it.”

“And you think I could live with something happening to you?”

The question stops him in his tracks. For a second, his eyes lock onto mine, and I see something deeper in them—vulnerability. But, as always, it disappears just as quickly as it came.

“This isn’t about me.”

“It’s always about you, Shadow. Because you make all the decisions.”

My words come out harsher than I intended, but I don’t back down.

“You can’t keep me locked up in this cabin, waiting while you decide what comes next. I’m in this with you—whether you like it or not.”

He walks toward me, slow and deliberate. When he’s close, his presence is like gravity—inescapable.

“Do you understand what you’re saying?” he asks, his voice low and edged.

“I do.”

“This isn’t a fairy tale, Amelia. It’s not some love story where everything turns out fine in the end.”

“Who said I wanted that?” I shoot back, meeting his gaze without flinching. “I just want to be part of this. Of you.”

His eyes search mine, as if trying to confirm that I mean it. At last, he exhales, heavy and tired, and turns away.

“I can’t promise you things will be okay.”

“I’m not asking for promises.”

The night drags on endlessly. Shadow insists on staying awake, but I finally surrender to exhaustion and lie down on the couch. Despite everything, his presence nearby brings a strange kind of peace, and before I know it, sleep takes me.

I don’t know how long I’m out before something jerks me awake. It’s not a sound exactly—more like a feeling. The cabin is cloaked in shadows, and Shadow is no longer where I last saw him.

“Shadow?” I whisper, my voice barely audible.

No reply. I sit up, my heart pounding, trying to get my bearings.

Then I see him, standing at the door, his silhouette barely visible in the dark.

“What are you doing?” I ask, moving closer.

“Listen.”

At first, I hear nothing—just the creaking wood beneath my feet and the distant moan of the wind. But then I catch it: a faint sound, like branches breaking under the weight of something… or someone.

“Take it,” Shadow says, still staring out the window.

“What?”

“Amelia, if anything happens—run. Don’t stop, don’t look back.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you.”

He turns, and for a fleeting moment, I see something different in his eyes. Not fear—determination, laced with something else… something I can’t quite name.

“You don’t have a choice.”

Before I can answer, the noise outside intensifies. Now it’s unmistakable: footsteps.

Shadow pushes me behind him just as the door bursts open—and there he is. Caleb.

“Well, brother,” Caleb says, flashing a crooked smile. “I thought I’d lost you.”

The tension in the room is suffocating. Caleb steps inside slowly, like a predator sizing up its prey, and his gaze lands on me.

“And you must be Amelia. The cause of all my dear brother’s troubles.”

I try to stay calm, but the way he looks at me makes my skin crawl.

“Leave her out of this,” Shadow growls, moving between us.

“Oh, don’t worry, brother. I just came to talk.”

“Talking’s never been your style.”

“You’re right. But I thought I’d give you one last chance before I take what I want.”

“Don’t you dare—”

The standoff between them is electric, a collision of wills. Caleb is taller, broader, but Shadow doesn’t flinch.

“You know,” Caleb says, smiling with venom, “I always thought you were the weak one. But now I see you’re just stupid. Risking everything for a human? Pathetic.”

“Leave, Caleb. Now.”

Caleb laughs, but the sound is dangerous, razor-edged.

“Oh, I’m not going anywhere, brother. This is just the beginning.”

And with those words, he lunges at Shadow.