Chapter 4
1259 Words
The silence dragged.
Moira shifted beside me, but I didn’t look at her. I was too busy staring at the door. Two wolves circling a crescent moon. Regal. Intimidating. Extra, honestly
Then it opened.
The man who stood in the doorway filled it. Broad shoulders. Dark hair. Sharp jaw. The kind of face you’d find on the cover of a fantasy novel with a title like The Savage Moon or Alpha’s Curse. He was barefoot. Who looked that intense and didn’t wear shoes indoors?
“Alpha Rowan,” Moira said, her voice neutral.
His eyes locked on me.
And stayed there.
Not in a weird way. Not exactly. But something shifted. His whole body went still, like, prey-sensed-a-predator still. His jaw clenched. Eyes wide. He didn’t blink.
My spine stiffened. “Hi?”
Still nothing.
Moira cleared her throat. “Rowan.”
He blinked once. Twice. Like waking from a trance.
“My apologies,” he said, voice low and even. “You must be Harper.”
“Uh. Yeah.” I glanced at Moira, who was watching him with narrowed eyes. “Nice to meet you.”
He stepped back, gesturing for us to come in. “Welcome to the pack.”
We entered his office, and it was... less throne roomy than I expected. Warm toned wood. A desk big enough to land a plane on. A wall of books. A massive window overlooking the forest. There was a hint of something smoky in the air.. sandalwood? coffee?
“I heard about your parents,” he said, voice softer now. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
I nodded, unsure what to say. Thanks felt too small. Please don’t look at me like that again felt too much.
But then he surprised me.
“I’d like to show you the town. The training grounds too,” he said, glancing briefly at Moira.
She blinked. “You want to give her a tour?”
“She’s part of the pack now. She should see it.”
Part of the pack. Riiiight
Moira looked thoroughly confused,,, paused and just said, “Alright.”
He nodded once, then paused. His gaze glazed over slightly, distant.
What the f**k is he doing... something is wrong with this guy? seriously...
“Alec’s on his way,” he said after a beat. “He’ll join us.”
Moira frowned. “Your Beta?”
“He insisted.”
Right on cue, there was a knock at the door and it opened without waiting for permission.
A man strolled in like he owned the place or at least like he was very comfortable pretending he did.
“Did someone say tour?” he said brightly. “You must be Harper!”
He was all golden boy charm—light brown curls, dimples, mischief practically dripping from him.
I blinked. “And you are?”
“Alec. Beta. Resident eye candy and provider of sarcastic commentary.”
“God help us,” Moira muttered.
Alpha Rowan gave him a look.
Alec grinned like a kid caught with a slingshot behind his back.
This was going to be interesting.
Alec flashed me a wink. “You look just like Moira described... only less murdery. That’s good. We were worried.”
“I... uh.. thanks?”
“You’ll get used to him,” Moira muttered.
Alpha Rowan was already moving, expecting us to follow. Alec caught up with him easily, walking backwards for a few steps so he could keep grinning at me.
“Coming, Harper? If you fall behind, Rowan will pretend he doesn’t know you.”
The Alpha didn’t acknowledge that. He just pushed open the main doors, and we stepped out into the cool morning air.
The Packhouse sat like a watchful guardian over the land, but once we crossed the wide lawn and hit the trail leading into the trees, it felt less like a military base and more like… a suburban town. Hidden, yes, but alive.
As we walked, the trees thinned and buildings came into view.. modern but warm, made of wood and stone. The town nestled into the forest like it had grown there.
“We’ve kept things small,” Rowan said, his voice steady as always. “Tight-knit. Every building has a purpose.”
“To survive the next apocalypse,” Alec added. “Or, you know, winter.”
Rowan ignored him.
“That’s the café,” he said, nodding toward a cozy building with a green awning and small tables outside. “Most of the pack eats there when they’re not at the house.”
“And yes,” Alec said, walking beside him with a dramatic sigh, “they do have oat milk, because we’re civilized.”
A few people sat out front, sipping coffee. One waved. I waved back, awkwardly.
“The library’s next to it,” Rowan continued, pointing toward a two-story building with wide windows and ivy creeping up one side.
“We value knowledge. All ages use it.”
“Except me,” Alec said. “I was banned for returning a book full of sandwich crumbs.”
“Not surprised,” Moira said under her breath.
“Next to that is the school,” Rowan went on. “Small, but well-run. We teach human curriculum, plus… extras.”
“Like ‘how not to shift in class 101,’” Alec chimed in.
“Enough,” Rowan said mildly, not slowing.
I tried to keep up, taking in the way everyone they passed nodded respectfully. There were families, teenagers, even an elderly couple gardening outside a cottage. It didn’t feel like a cult. It felt… like a real place.
“That’s the clinic and infirmary,” Rowan said, gesturing to a low, clean building with a red roof. “We treat both human and wolf injuries.”
“We also do stitches without judgment,” Alec said. “Even if you got it falling out of a tree because you thought you could fly.”
Rowan gave him a sidelong glance. “That was you.”
“I’m saying I was not judged.”
We reached a wide field at the edge of the woods, and I stopped walking. A dozen people were sparring in the open grass barefoot, fast, fluid. Some shifted mid-move, wolves flashing between forms as easily as flipping a switch. It was intense. Beautiful. Terrifying.
“This is the training yard,” Rowan said. “We keep ourselves prepared. Even in peace.”
I watched a younger girl block a much larger guy and flip him on his back. He landed hard, groaning. She offered him a hand up. He took it.
“This is insane,” I said quietly.
“Incredible, you mean,” Alec said beside me. “You’ll learn. Moira’s already vouched for you.”
I looked at her. She just gave me a slow, knowing smile.
Rowan turned to me. “You’re not a wolf. But you’ll be part of this. Protected. Trusted, if you choose to be.”
“Even if I flunk combat class?”
“We all start somewhere.”
Alec grinned. “And some of us just stay somewhere, preferably near snacks.”
Rowan rolled his eyes. Actually rolled them. Progress.
I looked out over the town, the people training, the buildings tucked into the trees. It was still overwhelming. But it was also strangely… grounding.
I wasn’t home. Not the old one.
But this seems like a nice place. Just different... I am starting to feel very very overwhelmed.
- Writer
