🌙 Episode 30: Into the Pack
Lila's POV
The clearing was silent except for the crackle of dying embers. Ethan knelt in the dirt, his body trembling from the shift, his skin slick with sweat and blood.
I stayed close, refusing to let go. My hands framed his face, my thumbs brushing dirt from his cheek.
"You need to rest," I whispered.
His gaze lifted to mine—raw, tired, but steady. "We can't. They'll send more."
I opened my mouth to argue, but the wind shifted, carrying a scent sharp enough to make him stiffen.
"What is it?" I asked, my stomach knotting.
His answer came in a low growl. "Not hunters. Wolves."
Before I could process, shadows emerged from the trees. One by one, figures stepped into the clearing. Men and women, tall, strong, eyes glowing faintly in the dark. Wolves in human form.
My breath caught. Ethan rose unsteadily, squaring his shoulders.
Ethan's POV
They'd found us.
My pack.
The moment I'd dreaded.
At the front, Marcus stepped forward—broad-shouldered, his presence commanding as always. His eyes raked over me, then shifted to Lila.
"You've been busy," he said coldly.
I ignored the jab. "Marcus."
His gaze hardened. "You led them straight to us. Do you know how many trails of blood you've left in the last forty-eight hours?"
I clenched my fists. "They attacked us. I did what I had to do."
"And you brought her with you." His lip curled.
Lila stiffened beside me, but I moved slightly in front of her.
"She's under my protection."
Murmurs rippled through the wolves behind him. Marcus's expression darkened. "A human? You broke our law, Ethan."
Lila's POV
The weight of their stares pressed down on me, cold and judgmental. I wanted to shrink back, but Ethan's stance kept me steady.
"I didn't ask for this," I said softly, though my voice trembled. "But I'm not leaving him."
Marcus's gaze cut to me like a blade. "Brave words for someone who doesn't understand what we are."
"I know enough," I shot back, surprising even myself. My hands shook, but I didn't look away. "I know he's risked everything to protect me. Can you say the same?"
A low growl rippled through the wolves.
Ethan's POV
I reached for her hand, a silent warning to stay calm.
Marcus stepped closer, his tone sharp. "Ethan, you know the rules. Humans can't know. Can't stay. You'll bring ruin on us all."
My wolf snarled inside me, demanding I challenge him here and now. But I forced control, my voice even but firm.
"Then change the rules."
Gasps broke through the crowd. Marcus's eyes narrowed. "You think you can stand against me?"
"If I must," I said.
The air turned electric. Wolves tensed, waiting.
Finally, Marcus sneered. "Very well. Bring her to the Alpha. Let him decide if she's worth the risk."
Lila's POV
Two wolves moved to flank us, their expressions unreadable. Ethan's grip tightened around mine, and though fear twisted in my stomach, I didn't let go.
As we followed them deeper into the woods, I whispered, "What if they don't accept me?"
His jaw tightened. "Then they'll have to kill me too."
The certainty in his voice sent chills down my spine.
I glanced at him, the firelight from the torches casting shadows over his sharp features. He looked like a warrior walking into enemy territory, not his home.
And I realized then—Ethan wasn't just fighting for me.
He was fighting against everything he'd ever known.
Ethan's POV
The path ahead opened to the heart of the pack's territory—torches lit, cabins scattered, and at the center, the Alpha's hall.
All eyes turned as we entered.
The battle with the hunters had been nothing.
This was the real fight.
And I wasn't sure we'd walk out unchanged.
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✨ End of Episode 30