The Ones We Carry
1078 Words
*Hayden’s POV*
The sun was barely cresting the treetops when Hayden opened her eyes.
The quiet hum of the forest around Silas’s packhouse drifted through the open window, filtered by birdsong and the occasional rustle of distant patrols. She lay still for a moment, tucked against the steady rhythm of Silas’s heartbeat.
Three months of waking like this. Three months of clinging to warmth while the world grew colder and darker.
Three months of holding on.
She shifted gently and Silas stirred beside her, already awake but silent, like he always was when his thoughts ran heavier than usual.
“We should train before the alphas arrive,” she said softly.
He nodded, brushing a kiss to her temple. “Meet you outside in ten?”
Hayden smiled. “Only if you don’t mind losing again.”
He chuckled, the sound low and warm. “Arrogant much?"
“So what if I am Mr big bad wolf.”
Ten minutes later, they were in the courtyard—her hair braided back, his shirt already discarded as he shifted easily into the fluid stances they’d honed together.
Their bodies moved in unison, blades of magic and muscle syncing like breath and heartbeat. The sparring had become ritual—anchor, therapy, a way to bleed frustration into something useful.
Silas had been her tether, and she had been his.
Neither had said it out loud, but they both knew it: without each other, they would’ve shattered by now.
Afterwards, sweaty and out of breath, they sat together on the deck, sipping cold tea and watching the sun stretch over the hills.
“You’re glowing,” Silas murmured.
Hayden arched a brow. “From sparring or because I won once again?”
Silas smirked, but his eyes were distant. “Both.”
They had breakfast in the kitchen—a rare moment of domestic softness. Silas leaned across the counter to steal bites from her plate while Hayden mock-scolded him. His smile tugged at her chest; these were the pieces of him she wanted to protect. The man behind the title. Behind the pain.
But the world waited for no one. Especially not people in love.
Hayden stood, brushing crumbs off her pants. “I’m going to talk to Emma.”
Silas paused, then nodded. “Be gentle.”
“I will. And we’ll be back soon.”
She kissed his forehead, then turned and headed upstairs.
---
Emma’s door was slightly ajar. Hayden knocked gently before slipping inside.
Emma sat near the window, legs curled beneath her, untouched breakfast tray on her lap. She stared outside as though the forest could somehow offer her a way back to the life she’d lost.
“Hey,” Hayden said softly.
Emma blinked, then managed a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Morning.”
“Mind if I sit?”
Emma nodded, and Hayden settled beside her.
They sat in silence for a few moments. It wasn’t awkward—just quiet. Grieving kind of quiet.
“How are you?” Hayden asked eventually.
Emma shrugged. “Still waking up expecting him to be there. Still pretending it doesn’t hurt when he’s not.”
Hayden nodded. “I know.”
Emma looked at her, something vulnerable flickering behind her stormy eyes. “Do you?”
“No,” Hayden admitted gently. “But I want to understand.”
Another pause. Then Hayden added, “I’m going to Dominic’s. There’s… a lead. On Sarena.”
Emma’s head snapped up. “You’re serious?”
“I don’t know how solid it is yet, and I haven’t told Silas. Not until I know more. But I’d like you to come with me.”
Emma blinked. “Why me?”
Hayden gave her a small smile. “Because I think you’ve forgotten how powerful you are. And I want to remind you.”
Emma stared at her for a long moment. Then something shifted—just slightly. Her spine straightened. Her voice, when it came, was pure Alpha.
“Give me fifteen minutes.”
---
That afternoon, they packed light. Hayden explained the wards protecting the Walton estate and how secure Dominic’s residence was.
Silas wasn’t thrilled, of course. But he trusted her. And that trust ran deeper than any fear.
“I’ll keep her safe,” Hayden whispered as she hugged him goodbye.
“I know you will,” Silas replied, brushing a kiss over her lips. “And you’ll keep yourself safe, too.”
She nodded. “Always.”
Then, with one last glance back, Hayden took Emma’s hand and they teleported
---
They landed gracefully in the middle of the sitting room—if one could call such a lavishly modern space a “room.” The Walton estate was a fortress dressed in elegance. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed the skyline of Khelam City, while marble and steel coexisted with warm wood and velvet in a harmony that only old money and older magic could achieve.
Dominic was already there, dressed in dark slacks and a charcoal shirt, arms crossed as he leaned against the doorway.
“Well, well,” he said dryly. “You didn’t trip during landing. Is it my birthday?”
Hayden grinned. “Not everyone makes dramatic entrances, Dominic.”
He chuckled, then straightened and walked over, brushing a kiss to her cheek. “Welcome back, Snail.”
Then he turned to Emma and offered a respectful nod. “Alpha.”
She nodded back, voice calm but clipped. “Thank you for having us.”
Dominic led them through to the dining room where a fresh lunch had been laid out—grilled vegetables, spiced meat, and warm herb bread that made Hayden’s mouth water.
“I forget you can enjoy food now,” she teased as they sat.
Dominic raised a brow. “One of the few upsides to having a wolf spirit sharing your headspace. Kane’s a nightmare, but at least he brought tastebuds.”
Emma raised an eyebrow but said nothing, too busy inhaling the scent of garlic butter and roasted lamb.
They ate in relative peace. Small chatter, occasional barbed teasing from Dominic, and the quiet companionship of people who had been through too much and still had further to go.
As the plates were cleared and the sun dipped lower outside, Dominic stood and gestured toward the door behind him.
“Alright,” he said, eyes sharpening. “Now let’s talk about business.”
--
- Writer
