chapter sixteen

The carriage moved steadily through the forest paths, its wheels crunching softly against gravel and fallen leaves as Bloom Pack slowly disappeared behind them.

Elsie sat quietly near the window, her fingers resting lightly on her lap while she watched the familiar lands fade further into the distance.

She should have felt something stronger.

Sadness.

Fear.

Regret.

But instead—

There was only silence inside her.

A strange calmness she still didn’t fully understand.

Across from her, Rowan sat with one arm resting lazily against the seat, his silver eyes occasionally drifting toward her before returning to the passing scenery outside.

Neither of them spoke much during the first day.

Or the second.

The air between them wasn’t awkward exactly,

Just unfamiliar.

Like two people slowly learning the shape of one another.

By the third day, the tension had eased slightly.

Not completely.

But enough.

Their journey to Nightcrest Pack was long, requiring both carriage travel and occasional stops through smaller territories and forest routes. Guards from Nightcrest traveled with them, always alert and disciplined, though they kept a respectful distance from their Alpha and Luna.

Elsie noticed that quickly.

They feared Rowan.

But they respected him even more.

That alone told her plenty.

The first real conversation between them happened during dinner on the fourth evening.

The camp had already been set up near a quiet clearing, torches glowing softly around the resting area while guards remained stationed nearby.

Elsie sat alone near the fire at first, staring absentmindedly at the food placed before her.

“You barely eat.”

Her gaze lifted.

Rowan.

He sat across from her now, removing the dark gloves from his hands before reaching for his meal.

Elsie looked down briefly.

“I’m eating.”

“Surviving isn’t the same thing.”

The response caught her off guard.

She glanced at him again.

He was calm as always, his expression unreadable in the flickering firelight.

Yet somehow,

She understood he wasn’t mocking her.

For some reason, that made her chest tighten faintly.

“You notice too much,” she murmured.

One corner of his lips lifted slightly.

“I notice you.”

The words settled strangely inside her.

Simple.

Direct.

Elsie quickly looked away, pretending to focus on her food again while warmth crept faintly into her face.

And Rowan,

He noticed that too.

As the days passed, something between them slowly began to change.

Not dramatically.

Not all at once.

Just little things.

Sometimes, he would ask her simple questions during the ride.

About Bloom Pack.

About the books she liked.

About the river she often visited.

And strangely,

Elsie found herself answering.

More than she intended to.

At night, tents would be prepared whenever they stopped to rest.

The first time Rowan entered the tent assigned to them, Elsie froze slightly.

Not because she feared him.

But because suddenly she became very aware that he was her husband.

Her actual husband.

Rowan noticed her hesitation immediately.

Without a word, he spread an extra blanket on the opposite side of the tent before stepping away from her.

“We’ll rest here tonight,” he said simply.

That was all.

No pressure.

No demands.

No expectations.

And somehow that unsettled her more than if he had acted differently.

Elsie laid down cautiously that night, keeping as much distance between them as possible while listening to the soft sounds of the forest outside.

For a while, neither of them slept.

Or at least she didn’t think he did.

But eventually, exhaustion won.

And when Elsie woke the next morning

She was in his arms.

Her breath caught immediately.

One of Rowan’s arms rested securely around her waist while her head had somehow ended up against his chest during the night.

Warm.

Comforting.

Safe.

Elsie carefully tried to move away without waking him—

Only for Rowan’s sleepy voice to stop her.

“You move too much in your sleep.”

Her face burned instantly.

“I do not.”

“You do.”

His voice carried faint amusement now.

Elsie quickly pulled herself free and sat up, avoiding his gaze entirely while he watched her with that annoyingly calm expression.

But secretly

A small part of her remembered the warmth long after they continued traveling.

And then it happened again.

And again.

Every single night.

No matter how much distance she placed between them before sleeping, she always woke up wrapped against Rowan somehow.

At first, she blamed him silently.

Until one night, she woke briefly in the middle of the darkness and realized the truth herself.

She had moved toward him first.

The realization mortified her.

Especially because Rowan clearly knew it too.

“You’re smiling,” she accused one morning after catching the faint curve of his lips.

“I am.”

“That’s unfair.”

“You’re adorable when you’re embarrassed.”

Elsie stared at him in disbelief.

Then immediately looked away again while Rowan chuckled quietly under his breath.

And for the first time in what felt like forever—

Elsie laughed too.

Softly.

Without forcing it.

Without pretending.

The sound surprised both of them.

But Rowan’s gaze lingered on her afterward with an intensity that made her heart stumble slightly.

As if hearing her laugh mattered more than it should.

By the eighth day, the forests began changing.

The trees grew taller.

Darker.

The air cooler and sharper against the skin.

Nightcrest territory.

Even the atmosphere felt different.

Bloom Pack lands had always felt warm and open.

Nightcrest felt wilder.

Untamed.

But strangely beautiful.

The deeper they traveled into the territory, the more Elsie noticed the differences in Rowan’s wolves too.

They were dark coloured and quieter than Bloom Pack members.

More disciplined.

More observant.

There was strength in the way they carried themselves, but not mindless aggression like the stories claimed.

And slowly

Elsie began realizing something uncomfortable.

Maybe everything she had heard about Nightcrest wasn’t entirely true.

On the twelfth day, they finally arrived.

The carriage slowed gradually as enormous black iron gates came into view between towering silver trees.

Elsie’s breath caught softly.

Nightcrest Pack.

The territory was breathtaking.

Massive mountains surrounded the land in the distance while cool mist drifted through the forests like something out of a dream. Dark stone buildings stood proudly among the towering trees, elegant yet powerful, blending into nature instead of overpowering it.

The weather was colder here.

Sharper.

Yet refreshing.

The air itself felt cleaner somehow.

Alive.

As the carriage passed through the gates, wolves throughout the territory stopped what they were doing to bow their heads respectfully.

Not fearfully.

Respectfully.

Elsie watched everything quietly, taking it all in.

This place was nothing like she expected.

And beside her, Rowan watched her reaction silently.

Then quietly

Almost softly

He spoke.

“Welcome home, Elsie.”

And strangely enough

For the first time since leaving Bloom Pack—

The word didn’t feel entirely wrong.