Chapter 16

Ethan's heart was beating fast as he stood at the edge of the Moonlit Meadow. This was where he and Amelia had found peace and fell in love by accident. The full moon lit up the area with a silvery light, making everything look like it was made of clouds. Here, Gabriel, his fated mate, hurtfully rejected him, turning his world upside down.

But everything was different tonight. Tonight, he had to decide what to do.

Amelia stood next to him. Her eyes were as bright as the moon, and her presence helped heal his hurt soul. They had come here to talk and figure out their future, and Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that this night would change everything.

"Ethan," Amelia said in a whisper as soft as the breeze at night. "There's something you need to know."

His heart was in his throat as he turned to her. "What's that?"

"I didn't mean to lie to you," she said sincerely, fixing her eyes on his. "My past, the things I kept hidden, were meant to keep me safe. To keep us safe. But I should have told you the truth from the beginning."

Ethan's face creased, and he felt confused and hungry at the same time. "Amelia, what do you mean?"

She took a step toward him, and their breaths mixed. "Ethan, I love you. It didn't work out the way I thought it would, but it did. And I can't keep acting like it's not the case."

His heart began to beat faster, and he reached out to touch her cheek. "Amelia, I'm --"

Before he could finish, they heard something move in the close woods. They both turned around, their senses heightened. Gabriel came out of the shadows, and his eyes were filled with sorrow.

"Ethan," Gabriel started, his voice full of feeling. "I have been stupid. I'm sorry that I've hurt you so much."

Ethan's heart was beating fast as he looked at the man who had turned him down and broken his world. But he also saw that Gabriel was sincere, which was something he had never seen before.

When Amelia's hand reached Ethan's, she gave it a gentle squeeze. "Ethan, it's up to you," she said in a soft voice.

Ethan was torn between his soul mate and his love for Amelia, which had grown out of the blue. The Moonlit Meadow looked like it was holding its breath while it waited for him to decide.

Gabriel moved toward Ethan and locked his eyes on Ethan's. "Ethan, I love you. More than I could have ever imagined. Give me a chance to make things right, please."

Ethan's heart hurt from the weight of the choice he had to make. The Moon Goddess had made a complicated web of fates, and it was now up to him to choose his own way.

Ethan made his choice as the moon hung low in the night sky and cast long shadows on the area. It was a choice that would go against fate and make everything different.

But Ethan would have to make that choice later. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, a howl echoed through the night and chilled him to the bone. It was a howl that gave him chills and told him that trouble was coming.

The three of them turned to see what was making the sound. Their hearts were running, and they didn't know what would happen to them. 

The howl, an eerie warning cry, broke up the quiet moment. It rang out in the Moonlit Meadow, letting them know that their time away from trouble was over.

Ethan's feelings took over, and he turned to Gabriel with determination in his eyes. "We'll talk later," he said with a note of certainty in his voice.

Gabriel nodded because he knew how important the situation was. Now was not the time for a happy meeting. They had to move quickly because the pack was in danger.

Amelia, too, knew how important the moment was. She told Ethan, "We'll be here for you," and her eyes didn't move.

Ethan gave her a quick, encouraging smile before turning to follow Gabriel, who was already heading in the direction of the howl. The night was full of stress, and they could hear the pack members' growls and yips, which meant trouble was on the way.

When they got to the edge of the Moonlit Meadow, they saw what was making all the noise. A rival pack had moved into their area, which made their eyes shine with hatred. There was a strong smell of threat and anger in the air.

Gabriel moved forward, his instincts to be the leader taking over. "This is our territory," he said in a strong voice. "Leave now, or deal with what will happen."

The head of the other pack, a strong wolf with scars all over his fur, showed his teeth in a threatening snarl. "We've come for a reason," he snarled. "We don't believe what you say, Gabriel Rivers."

Ethan's heart was beating fast as he watched the standoff. He knew that the result would affect their pack and his own confusing love life in a big way.

The stress in the air was so high that it felt like a storm was about to start. Full and watching, the moon cast a pale light on the scene that was taking place. Ethan couldn't help but wonder if the Moon Goddess herself was trying the limits of fate on this unlucky night.

In the middle of the conflict that was getting worse, he looked back at the Moonlit Meadow, where Amelia stood with worried and supportive eyes. It was a stark warning of the decisions he had to make, the love he had to protect, and the pack he had to protect.

As the other pack leader got ready to act, Ethan had only one thought: The night wasn't over yet, and their fates were still up in the air, hanging in the balance between love, duty, and the Moon Goddess's watchful eye.

With that thought, the fight began, and the Moonlit Meadow saw a clash of wills, a test of strength

, and a love that would last through the darkest of nights.