The Pack (Completed Series)

Chapter 15 - Aria

I woke before dawn, heart pounding.

It wasn't a dream this time. It was her—my wolf.

The air in my lungs felt sharp, charged, like electricity had taken root under my skin. I slipped out of bed and padded barefoot to the window. A low mist clung to the treeline beyond the house, curling around the dark pines like grasping fingers. I pushed the window open and drew in a deep breath.

And froze.

There it was.

A scent—faint, but distinct. Metallic. Musky. Threaded with the sour tang of rot. My wolf bristled instantly, hackles rising in my mind.

Blackfangs.

They'd told me I'd know if they were near. I'd prayed I wouldn't.

My first instinct was to call for Kael, to warn him. But another thought sliced in, sharp and cold. If they're close... it's because of me.

I glanced over my shoulder toward the hallway, where the others still slept. Elias's easy smile. Kael's relentless steadiness. Ryker's watchful scowl that didn't quite hide the way he cared.

My chest tightened. They were warriors, yes—trained, dangerous in their own right—but I wasn't blind. I knew the Blackfangs wouldn't come just to kill. They'd come to take me. And they'd go through anyone who got in their way.

My wolf growled, torn between fear and something fiercer.

Maybe... maybe if I left now, I could lead the danger away. I could shift alone under the Blood Moon, survive on my own. I'd done fine before them. I could do it again.

The thought sat in my gut like ice.

My fingers tightened on the windowsill. I hated the idea of running—it felt like losing before the fight even began—but what was the alternative? Watching these men fall one by one because I was too selfish to walk away?

A floorboard creaked behind me.

I spun, but no one was there. Only the quiet house and the faint scent of pine smoke from last night's fire.

Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that if I stayed, the Blackfangs would find me here—and this time, I wouldn't be the only one to pay the price.

———

The house was still wrapped in that hushed, fragile hour before dawn.

I moved carefully, gathering what little I'd brought here—a worn backpack, a change of clothes, the old pocketknife I'd kept since I was fifteen. I slid it into the side pocket, the sound of the zipper painfully loud in the silence.

Every step toward the back door felt heavier. My wolf was pacing in my mind, not quite agreeing but not quite stopping me either. Torn, just like I was.

I reached for the lock.

"Going somewhere?"

The deep voice came from the shadows to my left.

I froze, heart hammering, and turned to see Ryker leaning against the doorframe that led to the kitchen. He was barefoot, hair tousled, sweatpants hanging low on his hips. He looked like he'd rolled straight out of bed—but his eyes... his eyes were wide awake.

My throat went dry. "I... couldn't sleep."

He pushed off the frame and stepped toward me. "So you decided to take a midnight hike? With a bag?"

I clutched the strap of my pack. "It's better if I go. You know it is."

"No." The word cracked through the quiet like a whip. He kept coming, slow, steady, until he was close enough I could feel the heat radiating off him. "That's exactly what they want—you out there alone. You think the Blackfangs can't track you? You think we can't protect you?"

My chest tightened. "You can't protect me without paying for it. I'm not—" My voice broke, and I looked away, blinking fast. "I'm not worth that."

His hand came up, not touching me, but hovering just near my cheek—a ghost of contact. "You don't get to decide what you're worth to me," he said, voice low and rough. "Or to us."

For a heartbeat, neither of us moved. My pulse thundered in my ears, matching the restless beat of my wolf.

Then, almost imperceptibly, he leaned closer. I could see the faint scar on his jaw, the shadow of stubble, the faint smell of cedar clinging to his skin. I wondered—just for an instant—if he'd kiss me.

Instead, he reached down, took the backpack from my hand, and set it on the counter. "You're not running, Aria," he said, voice final. "Not now. Not ever."

I didn't argue. Couldn't.

Because deep down, a part of me wasn't sure I wanted to run anymore.