Chapter 37: Calm Before the Storm
Southern Region, Luna Café.
Even though the Southern Region lay far from the Northern, Amber never tired of visiting Luna Café. It was more than just a place—it was her life, her sanctuary, and the young wolves who worked there, the ones they had adopted and nurtured, were her family. She often returned, drawn by the warmth of the café and the laughter that filled its halls.
Yet, she was never truly alone. Zach seemed to shadow her steps, his presence steady and unyielding, like a quiet anchor in her world.
"Why do you always come with me?" Amber asked, a teasing lilt in her voice as she adjusted a tray of pastries. "How can you supervise your business in the North if you're constantly here?"
"Don't worry," Zach replied, stepping closer, his deep voice a comforting rumble. "The Northern operations are strong. Bri has fortified everything. Our legacy will endure, and the business will thrive for generations, even in my absence."
Amber's eyes softened, but she tilted her head with a smirk. "Even so... you need to give me some space now and then."
"I am giving you space," he said, his tone low and intimate, a playful glint in his storm-gray eyes. "That space... is me."
Her lips twitched in a small laugh, the warmth in her chest spreading with an unfamiliar flutter. She shook her head, returning his teasing with a gentle roll of her eyes. "You're impossible," she said softly.
"I'm your kind of impossible," Zach countered, closing the small distance between them until their shoulders brushed. His hand found hers, fingers intertwining with a practiced ease. "And besides, I like knowing you're safe... that you're happy."
Amber's breath hitched slightly, the weight of unspoken words and hidden emotions pressing between them. Her fingers traced the back of his hand, lingering in a silent question.
"Do you always have to follow me everywhere?" she whispered, more vulnerable than she intended.
"Only because I can't stand being anywhere else," he murmured, lips brushing the side of her hair. "And because... you make everywhere feel like home."
Amber smiled softly, leaning into him, the playful teasing melting into something more tender. The faint scent of her perfume mixed with the warmth of the afternoon, the soft rustle of the garden around them a lullaby to the quiet intimacy they shared.
"Then I guess I'll just have to tolerate you," she said, eyes sparkling, her voice a mix of amusement and affection.
"I'll take toleration... if it comes with this," he replied, tilting her chin gently to meet his gaze. "Because nothing else matters right now... just you and me, here."
Amber laughed softly, the sound carrying through the quiet café. She felt a rare lightness in her chest, a fleeting moment of peace and love that had been earned through blood, fire, and survival. And for the first time that day, she allowed herself to simply be—Amber, protected, cherished, and unafraid in the arms of her Alpha.
_______
The morning sun spilled gold across the gardens, but for Amber and Zach, it felt like a quiet reprieve. The café buzzed gently with life—the laughter of children playing among the flowers, the soft clatter of plates, and the warm aroma of freshly baked pastries. For the first time in weeks, Amber allowed herself to breathe fully, letting the weight of the recent chaos fade just enough to feel alive again.
Zach leaned against the counter, watching her move gracefully among the trays of coffee and pastries. His chest tightened—not from fear, but from the simple joy of seeing her safe, radiant, alive. "You're too quick for me," he teased, a playful smile tugging at his lips.
Amber laughed, setting down a tray of moonberry tarts. "And you're just standing there looking broody. Shouldn't you be out in the yard helping with the kids?"
"I'm supervising," Zach countered, stepping closer. His hand brushed against hers as he reached for a plate, lingering just long enough to make her heart flutter. "Someone has to make sure the next generation of Alphas doesn't burn down the garden."
She shook her head, amused, yet a warmth spread through her chest. "You really are impossible."
"I prefer 'unpredictable,'" he replied with a wink, fingers gently tracing her knuckles. "But really, Amber... I just want you to enjoy this moment. We've fought, we've lost, we've survived. And now—" He paused, gaze locking onto hers. "Now we get to live a little."
Amber's lips curved into a soft smile. "Live a little... I like the sound of that."
The day unfolded slowly, the kind of ordinary calm they hadn't experienced in months. Children chased each other across the garden, shifting briefly into wolf form mid-laugh, then returning to human, delighting in their newfound powers. Mamita hummed quietly as she arranged fresh flowers along the windowsills, oblivious to the lingering tension that had once threatened their lives.
Later at Amber house.
Zach and Amber retreated to the balcony, the fading sunlight painting their faces in warm amber and gold. He draped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. "You feel it too, right?" he murmured, voice soft. "This... peace. It's almost unreal."
Amber leaned against him, resting her head lightly on his chest. "It is. But it feels good. Finally... no battles, no fires, no ghosts." She smiled faintly, eyes drifting toward the horizon. "Just this... us."
He pressed a gentle kiss to her hair. "Just this. And I intend to keep it as long as I can."
Their hands intertwined, and for a moment, the world shrank to the space between them—the warmth of fingers, the steady rhythm of hearts, the quiet promise of safety. Zach's lips brushed hers in a soft, lingering kiss, one full of unspoken devotion. Amber smiled against him, melting into the quiet intimacy of the moment.
Yet, beyond the borders of the Southern Region, shadows moved unseen. Life continued in the territories as if nothing had changed, a delicate balance of lawlessness and routine masking the quiet strings being pulled by those who watched from the dark.
Ashmoor Hold's scorched lands still smoldered with the echoes of old feuds, a jagged scar on the earth where only the ruthless survived. Hollowshade Reach lay wrapped in thick mist, hiding secrets behind secrets, every rustle of leaves a whisper of schemes yet to unfold. Ironfang Bastion loomed like a sentinel of stone and steel, its cliffs sharp against the horizon, while Thornveil Glen murmured to the wild spirits of the wind, ancient magic stirring beneath its tangled trees. Even Dreadmere Hollow, the seat of the Ember Council, pulsed with quiet anticipation, plotting and watching, though none of this reached the safety of Luna Café—not yet, and not Amber or Zach, blissfully unaware of the storm gathering just beyond their horizon.
_____
The Ember Council's agents moved like ghosts in the night—figures slipping through forests, observing from hidden heights, taking careful note of every patrol, every pattern. But to Amber and Zach, these were distant echoes, invisible threats that would not yet touch their lives.
Amber tilted her head up to look at Zach, a playful glint in her eyes. "You're keeping me from enjoying this peace, you know?"
He laughed softly, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. "Someone has to keep you on your toes. Besides..." He pulled her closer, lips brushing hers in a teasing, lingering kiss. "I like watching you smile."
Amber giggled, heart full, entirely unaware that beyond the hills, spies of the Ember Council were already moving into position, noting every moment of their calm, calculating how best to disrupt it.
The night settled over Luna Café with a gentle hush, lanterns flickering in the soft breeze. Amber and Zach remained on the balcony, hands entwined, hearts entwined, breathing in the rare serenity. The stars reflected in Amber's eyes, a mirror of hope and joy.
"Do you think... it will always feel like this?" she whispered, leaning against his chest.
Zach tightened his hold, voice low, certain. "I don't know. But I do know that as long as we're together, we'll face whatever comes. And right now... right now, it's just us. That's enough."
Amber closed her eyes, savoring the moment. She had no idea what shadows waited beyond the horizon, no sense of the danger Luna had foreseen. For tonight, she let herself simply be, simply love, simply exist in the warmth of Zach's arms.
And somewhere in the dark forest beyond the Northern borders, unseen eyes watched. They waited. Calculated. Silent.
But for Amber and Zach, the world was still—calm, golden, alive. And they would enjoy this illusion of peace for as long as it lasted.