39. Back Into Hell

The path back to the clearing feels more hostile than before. Each step I take seems like a direct challenge to the forest, as if it’s trying to swallow the small spark of hope I carry: the flower. I tuck it carefully inside my jacket, making sure nothing can harm it. Shadow will be waiting for me—and I can’t let him down. I can’t let us down.

The air grows thicker, denser, like the forest itself is alive and trying to push me back. The whispers that once were faint now scream inside my mind, each word tangling with my own fears.

“What are you doing here, Eve?” a voice hisses in my ear—so real I stop in my tracks.

I glance around, but there’s no one. Only twisted trees warped by shadow, and shapes that writhe like serpents in the gloom. My breathing quickens, but I shake my head, trying to banish the dark thoughts.

“It’s not real. Just the forest playing tricks,” I whisper, though my voice trembles.

I take a step forward. Then another. But then a figure steps out from between the trees, blocking my path. Tall. Looming. Cloaked in black that blends seamlessly with the darkness. Its face is hidden, but something in its presence chills my blood.

“You do not belong here.”

The voice is low. Cold as winter.

“I didn’t exactly want to be here, but now that I am…” I try to sound brave, though my sarcasm barely hides the fear gnawing at me. “Would you mind stepping aside? I have somewhere I need to be.”

The figure doesn’t move. Instead, it leans forward slightly, and the hood slips just enough to reveal eyes—red and glowing like embers. The air grows even colder, and for a moment, I swear I’m staring into the face of death itself.

“You think you can defy our laws?” it asks, its voice like thunder. “You believe a wolf’s love will be enough to protect you?”

“I don’t care what you believe.”

This time, my voice holds more strength. “I’m not here for your approval. I’m here because Shadow is worth any risk. Even facing something like you.”

The figure says nothing, but I feel its gaze pierce through me. At last, it steps aside, leaving the path open.

“Go on, then, human. But remember: this is only the beginning.”

When I finally break through the trees, the cold night air hits my face like a balm. Shadow is there, exactly where he promised, his eyes locked on the tree line. The moment he sees me, he runs—relief so vivid on his face it chases away the lingering fear inside me.

“Eve!”

His voice is a breathless whisper as he pulls me into his arms. “God, I thought you weren’t coming back.”

“Did you doubt me?” I tease, though my body shakes against his. “You know I’m not easy to scare.”

“That much I know.”

He pulls back just enough to look into my face, his hands cradling my cheeks. His eyes are full of worry—but also something else: awe.

“You’re incredible.”

I kiss him before he can say another word, pouring everything I’ve endured into that kiss. It’s desperate, filled with emotion and raw need—like we’re anchoring ourselves to each other after standing at the edge of a cliff.

When we part, he murmurs against my lips,

“I love you, Eve. No matter what they say or what they do. This… us… is worth more than any stupid rule.”

“I know,” I whisper. “But now it needs to be worth something to them too.”

We return to the clearing, the flower in my hands. A heavy silence falls over the space, thick enough to suffocate. The clan leader watches us with disbelief and disdain, while others murmur behind their hands. I feel their eyes on me—measuring, judging.

“Here it is.”

I raise the flower, my voice firm. “I passed your trial. Now, can I stay?”

The leader approaches slowly, each step echoing on the ground like a drumbeat. When he stands before me, he takes the flower gently, inspecting it as though searching for some flaw.

“You did it,” he says flatly, almost with disappointment. “But it changes nothing.”

“What?”

Shadow steps forward, his body taut with rage. “She did what you asked. The flower is here. What more do you want?”

“Shadow, this isn’t just about her.”

The leader’s gaze is sharp. “It’s about you. You are one of us. You know what it means to defy our laws. If you choose this human, you choose to walk away from the clan.”

“Then so be it.”

His words fall like thunder, and for a moment, the clearing goes utterly still.

“Shadow…”

My voice is barely a whisper. I know what he’s giving up. I can’t let him do it for me.

“No.”

He stops me, eyes burning with a force that silences everything else. “They don’t understand what we have—but it doesn’t matter. I’m not losing you, Eve. Not again.”

The leader watches, eyes shining with something I can’t quite name. Finally, he nods—slowly.

“Very well. But remember this, my son: the path you’ve chosen will be harder than you imagine. And if you fall… no one will be there to lift you.”

As we leave the clearing behind, I feel the weight of it all press down on my shoulders. We’ve won this battle—but I know the war is far from over. Shadow’s world does not welcome me, and mine will never understand what I feel for him. But as his fingers entwine with mine, I make myself a silent vow:

I will not let anything come between us.

Because the love we share is real.

And that… is all that matters.