Chapter 6: Shelter and Secrets
913 Words
The moon had begun to dip beneath the horizon, casting long silver shadows across the forest floor. After what felt like hours of running, the howls of the rogue wolves finally faded into the distance. The trees thinned into a rocky hillside, and there—tucked into the jagged edge of a cliff—was a narrow cave mouth, hidden behind a curtain of moss and bramble.
“This way,” Riven growled, his voice low but steady. His fur rippled, then shimmered as he shifted back into his human form—bloodied, bruised, and breathless.
Luna followed in silence, her legs aching and lungs burning. Inside the cave, it was dry and dark, the air cool against her flushed skin. She leaned against the stone wall, trying to calm her racing heart while Riven quietly started a small fire from the dry sticks hidden in a crevice.
As the fire crackled to life, casting dancing shadows against the rock, Luna finally spoke—her voice flat, but her eyes sharp.
“You’re an Alpha.”
Riven didn’t look up. “Yes.”
“For how long were you going to hide that from me?”
He tossed another branch into the flames. “As long as I needed to.”
She crossed her arms, biting back the frustration curling in her chest. “So you just happen to be an Alpha who found me in a dungeon, helped me escape, and now risks your life to keep me alive?”
His eyes finally met hers—steady, unreadable, but not cold. “That’s the truth.”
“But why, Riven?” Her voice cracked slightly. “Why me?”
The fire popped between them, but he didn’t answer right away. Instead, he studied her like he was weighing every word.
“I’m not here because of politics or power,” he said finally. “I saw what they did to you. I knew it was wrong. And I don’t follow broken traditions.”
Luna narrowed her eyes. “That’s not an answer.”
“It’s all you’re getting right now.”
She exhaled slowly, gaze lingering on him, mind still reeling.
Riven leaned back against the stone, arms resting on his knees. “You don’t have to trust me, Luna. Just know that I’m not the enemy.”
She studied him in the firelight—his guarded face, his battle-worn hands, the Alpha presence he carried so effortlessly—and for a moment, her instincts warred with her anger.
“I don’t know who you are,” she murmured, voice quieter now, “but you keep saving my life.”
Riven glanced at her, a hint of something softer in his voice. “Then maybe that’s enough. For now.”
Luna looked away, hugging her knees to her chest.
For now… it would have to be.
The fire crackled softly in the cave, its warmth a small comfort against the cold seeping in from the outside world. Luna sat in silence, staring into the flames, her mind spinning with too many questions and not enough answers.
She glanced sideways at Riven—his back leaned against the cave wall, his breathing steady but labored. Scratches marked his arms, his shoulder was bruised, and dried blood crusted near his ribs.
"You should let me see that," Luna said, her voice quiet but firm.
"I'm fine," Riven replied, not meeting her eyes.
She moved toward him anyway, grabbing a small cloth and dipping it into the waterskin. "That wasn't a suggestion."
Riven hesitated but finally let out a breath and pulled off his torn shirt. Luna's eyes flicked over the angry red marks on his side, and something twisted in her chest—not just sympathy, but guilt and... something more complicated.
"You took all those hits because of me," she murmured, gently dabbing at the wounds.
"And I'd do it again," he said softly, flinching only slightly from the sting.
She paused, looking up at him, her hand still resting on his skin. "Why?"
Riven’s jaw clenched, his eyes fixed anywhere but her. “Because I couldn’t stand seeing you hurt.”
The silence between them stretched, thick with tension.
Luna swallowed, suddenly aware of how close they were. Her body was still slick with sweat from the run, her shirt clinging to her in the wrong places, exposing curves she'd long forgotten to think about. The firelight traced her silhouette in gold.
She noticed the way Riven tensed, his eyes darting away quickly, his throat bobbing with a swallow.
He wouldn’t look at her.
“Riven,” she said softly, almost teasing, “are you shy?”
He let out a slow breath, his voice rough. “I’m trying to be respectful.”
Luna raised an eyebrow. “Of what?”
“Of you,” he said, finally meeting her eyes. “Because you’ve already been stripped of too much. I won’t take more—not even with a glance.”
Something fluttered inside her. Not desire—not yet—but a feeling she couldn’t name. Warm, strange, unexpected.
Luna dropped her gaze and resumed cleaning his wound, her voice quieter now. “You’re not what I expected.”
“And neither are you,” Riven murmured.
For a long while, they stayed like that. Two scarred souls, too close to retreat, too uncertain to move forward—bound by silence, firelight, and something delicate beginning to stir beneath the ashes.
- Writer
