Chapter 7
1036 Words
CHAPTER SEVEN
The moon hangs low, a silver sliver in the sky, as I pace outside the Alpha's quarters, waiting for Ethan. The night is cool, pinpricks of starlight piercing the dark canvas above. My heart thuds with anticipation. Since his arrival here, Ethan has been an enigma wrapped in allure, and tonight, I need answers.
Finally, the door creaks open and Ethan steps out, his blond hair catching the moonlight, his blue eyes searching until they land on me. My breath catches at the sight of him, this rogue wolf who’s suddenly become the center of my world.
"Couldn't sleep?" he asks, a teasing lilt to his voice.
"Needed to talk to you," I reply, my tone more serious than I intend.
"Let's walk then." He tilts his head toward the forest. I nod, falling into step beside him.
We tread silently through the trees, our footsteps muffled by packed-down snow. "What did Red want?" I ask, unable to contain my curiosity any longer.
"Questions about my past. Why I left my pack." Ethan's gaze flickers away, lost somewhere in the shadows of the towering pines.
"And? Why did you leave?" The question burns in my throat, mingled with a strange fear of what his answer might reveal.
"Adventure, Ava." His eyes meet mine, shining with a wanderlust that feels so foreign to the rooted life I've always known. "I wanted to see the world beyond pack territories, beyond rules and borders."
My steps falter, a cold seed of doubt taking root in my chest. "Just... adventure?" It sounds so trivial, so unanchored. And it makes me think of Kyle, his brown eyes that held secrets, his sudden departure.
Ethan stops and turns to face me, his expression earnest. "Yes, adventure. Isn’t there a part of you that wants to know what's out there?"
"Maybe," I admit, but my voice is small, almost lost among the rustling leaves. This longing for freedom isn't something I understand. My life has been about duty, about being a Gamma warrior for the West Mountains pack. It's all I’ve ever wanted—or so I thought.
"Seems like you're not telling me everything," I say, arms crossing over my chest. Ethan mirrors my stance, a rueful smile tugging at his lips.
"Everyone has their secrets, Ava. Just like your Kyle."
His mention of Kyle stings, and I bristle. "Kyle has nothing to do with this."
"Doesn't he?" Ethan challenges, stepping closer. "You wonder about him too—why he left, where he went."
"Stop." I don't want to think about Kyle. Not now. Not when Ethan is so close, making my pulse race in a way Kyle never did. But the unease remains, a whispering thought that neither Ethan nor Kyle have shared their full stories with me.
"Fine," Ethan relents, holding up his hands. "But just know, there's nothing sinister in my past. Only a desire for something... different."
"Is that really all?" I ask, searching his face for any hint of deceit.
"Cross my heart." He draws an 'X' over his chest, his playful grin returning.
I want to believe him, I really do. But as we stand there, engulfed by the night, doubts continue to gnaw at me. What aren't they telling me? What am I missing? The romantic tension between us crackles, yet it's entwined with suspicion, and I hate it.
The cool night air wraps around us like a shroud as we walk. Moonlight filters through the branches, casting dancing shadows on the path ahead. Ethan's shoulder brushes mine with every step we take, sending ripples of awareness through my body.
"Are you cold?" he asks, his voice low and laced with concern.
I shake my head. "I'm fine." But the lie doesn't hold when a shiver courses through me that has nothing to do with the temperature.
"Here." Without waiting for a response, Ethan slides off his jacket and drapes it over my shoulders. The fabric is warm from his body heat, and his scent—forest pine and wild freedom—envelops me.
"Thanks." Our fingers graze as I clutch the jacket closer, igniting a spark that threatens to set me ablaze.
We reach the edge of the clearing where the packhouse stands tall and imposing in the distance. Ethan halts, turning to face me. Moonlight glints off his blond hair, giving him an ethereal glow. His blue eyes are deep pools I could drown in.
"Ava," he whispers, cupping my cheek with a hand that's surprisingly gentle. My heart flutters like a trapped bird against my ribs.
"Yes?" My breath comes out in a soft hush, barely audible above the whispering leaves.
"Back there, when I said I left to see the world..." He trails off, searching my face. "It was also to find someone who could look at me the way... the way you do."
My breath catches. Is he saying what I think he's saying?
"Someone who sees the man, not just the Alpha wolf."
"Someone like you," he finishes, his thumb stroking my cheekbone.
"Me?" It's all I can manage, my voice cracking under the weight of emotions swirling within me.
"Only you," he murmurs, leaning in so close that our noses almost touch.
My eyelids flutter shut, anticipation tingling on my lips. We're teetering on the edge of something monumental, something inevitable. His breath mingles with mine, warm and inviting.
"Please," I breathe out, not entirely sure if I'm asking him to cross the line or to hold back.
"Please," he echoes, his voice a husky whisper that reverberates through my core.
And then, inches from my lips, he pauses. The moment stretches—an eternity in a heartbeat—as I ache for the contact.
But it's shattered by a sharp c***k coming from the woods.
Ethan straightens, his body tensing as he scans the treeline. "Did you hear that?"
"Damn." Frustration flares within me. "Yes, I heard it."
"Stay behind me." Protective instincts harden his features as he steps in front of me.
"Always the protector," I mutter, although part of me thrills at his immediate response to danger.
"Always," he affirms, but the word hangs between us, heavy with unspoken promises and interrupted desires.
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