Chapter 6
1075 Words
CHAPTER SIX
The flickering flames cast a warm, orange glow across the gathering of wolves, both in human and animal form. I stand just at the edge of the light, feeling its heat l*****g at my skin. Ethan is close by, his presence like a magnetic force that I'm trying not to give into. But it's hard—so hard—when every nerve in my body is attuned to his every breath.
"Tonight, we call upon the spirits," Kyle, the pack's Beta, announces. His voice is strong, confident, but I can't help but feel a twinge of something else when I look at him—a mixture of loyalty and a pang of old affection. "We ask for guidance, for strength. May our hunt be successful."
The pack echoes his words, a low rumble that vibrates through the ground and up my legs. I glance at Ethan again, catching him staring back at me with those piercing blue eyes. There's a question there, something unspoken that hangs heavy between us.
"May the fire cleanse our intent," an elder wolf chants, and we all toss small bundles of herbs into the flames. They sizzle and pop, releasing a heady scent that makes my head swim.
"Remember your first hunt, Ava?" Kyle whispers, leaning closer so only I can hear. His hot breath fans over my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
"Yes," I manage to say, my voice barely above a murmur. How could I forget? The thrill of the chase, the unity of the pack moving as one—it's something primal, something that never quite leaves you.
"Good times," he murmurs, and I can hear the smile in his voice. Is he reminiscing or teasing? With Kyle, it's hard to tell.
"Focus on the ceremony," I chastise, though my heart isn't in it. I want to lean into him, want to let that electric tension engulf us both. But this isn't the time or place.
"Always so serious," he teases, but complies, straightening up.
As the fire reaches its peak, crackling with energy, Jones steps forward, his face lined with age and experience. He's been with the pack longer than I've been alive, and his word carries weight.
"Something's different tonight," he says, his gaze lingering on Ethan. "I remember now where I saw you before, young one."
Ethan stiffens beside me, and I can sense his discomfort. I narrow my eyes at him, wondering what secret he's keeping.
"Redwood forest pack," Jones continues, his voice deep and resonant. "I visited many years ago."
The pack stirs, murmuring among themselves. Redwood forest pack? That was one of the great packs, known for their strength and elusive nature. What was Ethan doing here, so far from his home?
"Is that so?" Ethan replies, his tone even. "It was a long time ago, Jones."
"Indeed," Jones says, but there's a knowing look in his eyes that suggests there's more to the story.
The tension crackles in the air, mixing with the smoke of the ceremonial fire. It’s thick enough that I could cut it with a claw. I can feel Kyle's eyes on me, questioning, protective. And Ethan... well, Ethan is an enigma, a rogue wolf whose past is suddenly casting shadows on the present.
The fire ceremony ends, but the questions are just beginning.
The pack circles tighter, the fire's glow painting flickering shadows on their faces. Ethan stands in the center, a lone figure against the backdrop of expectant eyes and whispering pines. His posture is rigid, his jaw clenched. I can almost hear the thunderous pounding of my heart over the crackle of the flames.
"Speak, Ethan," our Alpha commands, his voice slicing through the tension.
"Fine." Ethan's gaze finds mine, holds it for a moment that feels like forever. "I'm not just from the Redwood forest pack. I am... was their Alpha."
An audible gasp ripples through the crowd. My own breath hitches. Alpha? The implications churn in my mind, heavy as stones in a swift river.
"Was?" Kyle steps forward, suspicion lacing his tone. His arm brushes against mine, a reminder of our history, but all I can feel is the magnetic pull of Ethan's revelation.
"Alpha no more," Ethan admits, meeting Kyle's challenging stare with a defiant lift of his chin. "I left. That part of me is behind now."
"Left?" I echo, the word sharp, brittle. "An Alpha doesn't just leave."
"Things change." There's a storm brewing in Ethan's blue eyes, one I can’t quite read.
"Change." Kyle’s scoff slices through the charged air. "Or forced out?"
"Kyle!" I snap before I can stop myself, shooting him a glare. But there’s a sliver of doubt inside me too. What aren't you telling us, Ethan?
"None of your concern," Ethan fires back at Kyle, his voice low and dangerous. But then he turns to me, his expression softening. "But you, Ava... you deserved to know the truth."
"Truth or convenient lie?" I can't help the skepticism that bleeds into my words. An Alpha, here, among us? It seems far-fetched, yet the earnestness in his gaze tugs at me, unsettling.
"Believe what you want," Ethan says, but his voice cracks with something raw, something achingly vulnerable.
"An outsider leading a great pack," Jones muses aloud, breaking the silence that follows Ethan’s confession. "What brings an Alpha to hide among us?"
"Hide?" Ethan repeats, a bitter laugh escaping him. "I'm not hiding. I chose this."
"Chose," I mutter, the word tasting like betrayal on my tongue. Chose to be here, with us, close to me. My pulse races, anger and something dangerously close to desire warring within me.
"Enough," our Alpha interjects, stepping between Ethan and the rest of us. "We will discuss this further. Privately."
"Of course." Ethan nods, though his eyes never leave mine.
"Come," Kyle says softly, reaching for my hand. But I don't move, caught in the gravity of Ethan's confession, of his presence.
"Let her be, Kyle," Ethan's voice cuts through the night, possessive, protective. And I hate that it sends a thrill down my spine.
"Enough!" our Alpha repeats, louder this time. "Disperse. We hunt at dawn."
The pack members begin to retreat, murmuring amongst themselves, their whispers mixing with the crackling of the dying fire. But I remain rooted to the spot, torn between my duty and the enigma that is Ethan—between loyalty to my past and the uncertainty of my heart.
- Writer
