Chapter 25 - Sera
The house feels far too quiet and empty after Luke leaves, and even if that space is what I asked for, it doesn’t seem peaceful.
I stay where I am for a long time after the door shuts behind him, while I stare at nothing.
He asked me to choose him, not as a symbol or some declaration to the pack, but as him. To put my faith in him regardless of whatever the future brings, even when it’s hard, and even when I want to run away.
It’s tempting to cling to the familiar anger because it’s easier and less loaded than moving toward acceptance. Anger means having something to push against and something to blame.
But in the wake of him putting space between us, it feels pointless to hold onto now. Even with the opportunity in front of him, he didn’t threaten or command me. He seemed more like he was standing on the edge of something critical, waiting to find out if I’d step back or jump in with him.
As dangerous as it seems to join him, the alternative seems so much colder now.
Our connection doesn’t feel as strained as it did before, but it seems more like it’s waiting. It still hums, keeping us aware of one another and our emotions. Through it, I can feel the rhythm of his movements as they brush against my mind.
Luke said he would risk everything for the baby and us, and he meant it. I know he did.
He would step down before he ever walked away from me, and before I could stop it, the realization settled deep within my skin.
As much as I accused him of turning everything into some kind of war, he has never once chosen the pack over me, not at the festival, during the pregnancy announcement, or when the whispers became too much to ignore.
He has chosen me every time, even when it costs him, and even when I push him away.
I don’t know very many men who would do that without thinking twice, and that thought makes my stomach twist.
Glancing down at my stomach, which doesn’t look all that different yet, a thought hits me so suddenly and with such brutal clarity that I can’t just ignore it.
I don’t want to raise this child without him. I don’t want them to grow up without their father because I was too proud and resistant to meet him halfway.
When that notion sticks, the anger dulls further, and while it isn’t completely gone, it’s softer now.
Regardless of how everything started, Luke isn’t my enemy, and he never was.
He’s just a man who’s trying to lead in a different way than he was taught, trying to learn how to become accepting in the face of pack-wide conditioning. He’s trying, and he has been regardless of my refusal to accept it before.
When he easily could’ve, he didn’t try to bury this or retreat into his Alpha authority just to make a point. He didn’t silence me.
Instead, Luke stood there and asked me to fight with him, not against him.
That’s more important than I have any right to deny.
Pushing off the couch with my mind made up, I head for the door.
Even if all of this is still fresh, I don’t want this unnecessary distance to grow into something bigger than it needs to be. If he’s willing to try and fix things, then I can be too.
The air outside is still cool but pleasant, and the usual smells of pine and saltwater drift along with the breeze. Even through it, I follow the faint trace of him instinctively, and thanks to the bond, it makes his scent stand out even more.
Keeping a steady pace through the woods, I mull over everything I need to say to him, even finding a string of words to rehearse, even if they feel inadequate.
Above all, I need him to know I’m not leaving, and I’m not giving up on him, or us. Even if I’m terrified of what’s ahead of us, I’m willing to see eye to eye with him. I’m willing to weather the storm so long as he’s there with me.
Deeper in the woods and away from town now, I hesitate when the wind carries a different scent in, interrupting the path Luke’s created. This one isn’t his at all…he’s farther east.
As more smells flood in, some distantly familiar and some not at all, it becomes incredibly clear that something is wrong. These aren’t our wolves.
Halting my steps, the realization doesn’t come soon enough.
With soft footfalls, they move in at once, like a wave of shadows pooling around me.
Panic floods my system when I see them and their more ragged states, with dark, rough fur that always gives them away.
Aside from their movements between the trees, the woods go deadly quiet, as if even the birds won’t risk any potential fallout by lingering.
Wraith Peak.
While most are shifted as they surround me in a gradually tightening circle, I catch as a few move unshifted, yet their eyes still seem just as hard and focused as their wolf counterparts. Six of them move quietly until one finally speaks.
“You,” he says, dark gaze piercing despite his smug look. “Witch. You’ve been giving us the runaround for quite some time now.”
My blood runs cold as I keep a defensive stance, feeling the immediate presence of my magic just beneath the surface, waiting for the chance to come out.
They didn’t just stumble upon me. This is deliberate, just like the last time.
“You’re in Coldreach territory,” I tell them, trying so hard to keep my voice steady despite the nerves coursing through me.
“Thanks for the reminder,” the apparent leader of the group says sardonically. “But we’re well aware.”
Gritting my teeth, I brace myself. “Then what do you want?”
“What we’ve wanted this whole time,” he says coolly, taking a small step closer. “For you to come back with us without a fight. It’s pointless now. You’re surrounded, so come quietly and make this easier for everyone.”
“No,” I throw back at him, frustration flaring. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“That’s too bad, because we’re not asking.”
“If you take me, then you’ll start a war,” I threaten. “Luke will find you.”
The man makes a show of glancing around, then looks at me again. “Looks like you’re all by yourself to me.” Then, his expression turns more serious as he addresses the wolves with him. “In and out. Don’t waste time.”
There’s no way in hell I’m letting them take me now. Not after everything, and not after I’ve finally come to terms with the hand I’ve been dealt.
Rage and stubborn willpower surge in me now, coming in so sharply as my instincts respond to their threats.
They think I’m still the same girl they bargained away. They think I’m weak and easy to corner, but they’re sorely mistaken.
As one of the wolves lunges forward, my magic answers immediately. With a protective edge to it, knowing exactly what I’m protecting now through my pregnancy, the air between us seems to compress as it slams into it mid-strike.
The wolf flies back, crashing hard enough into a nearby tree to crack the bark with a yelp.
While the others move at once, trying to encircle me even closer, I can’t watch them all at once.
The unshifted one finds a gap, darting in to grab at me. His hand clamps around my wrist before I can spin fully to face him, but in a rush of energy, my magic pulses outward. He has no choice but to let go of the force of it as he’s sent back several feet until he collides with the ground.
The effort steals my breath, but I focus on standing my ground even as they recover quickly, restless in the way they surround me.
As much as I want to fend them off on my own, there are too many of them, all focused solely on me.
They snap at my heels, jumping in to force me back while the others herd me in. I know they’re trying to corner me and wear me down until I have no choice but to exhaust my power or give in completely.
Surrounded by this many, I can’t risk either.
As panic and fear spike all over again, caught on the damning thought of being held captive again and dragged away like prey, I know I’ll only be able to handle so much.
So I do the one thing I haven’t yet, and I reach for Luke. Without hesitation, the bond sparks as I push into it, not remotely gentle or subtle. My fear hits the tether, and in a surge of fury and alarm, he responds so suddenly through the connection that it almost knocks me off balance.
He feels me, and he knows.
Rather than just him, though, I feel as the others in the pack sense it too. I catch what smells like Eve’s scent, and I hear her voice in the back of my mind like she’s trying to reach me.
It’s only a matter of time now. I just need to hold them off long enough for backup to come.
Facing them down all on my own for the time being feels like an impossible task, but I know what’s on the line.
I’m defending myself and my child. I’m fighting for the chance to see Luke again, and for the chance to discover exactly what we might become.
I just have to hold on.