Chapter 2: Return to the Pack
1321 Words
Chapter 2: Return to the Pack
(Third Person's POV)
The first light of dawn kissed the Wintercrest border, and the silence was heavy with anticipation.
Marcus Winters stood like a mountain, his expression carved from stone. The weight of his Alpha aura blanketed the air, making it difficult for anyone without comparable strength to breathe easily.
His mate, Serena, squeezed his hand, her own power to heal brushing against his commanding presence, both a comfort and an anchor.
Behind them, their three sons stood like sentinels. Nathan, the eldest, exuded the calm confidence of a true Alpha, though his piercing amber eyes betrayed his unease. His wolf stirred under his skin, tense and ready.
Gabriel stood beside him, his silver eyes faintly glowing in the shadows. Thin tendrils of magic crackled around his fists, responding to the charged emotions of the moment.
His posture was relaxed on the surface, but there was a quiet intensity in his stance.
Ethan, the youngest, shifted on his feet, his youthful energy barely contained. His open features were soft and welcoming, but his wolf was poised and ready, just like his brothers’. His healing aura pulsed faintly in the air, searching, anticipating.
Serena’s voice broke the silence as her gaze darted toward the forest. “She’s close,” she whispered, a flicker of hope dancing in her silver-streaked eyes.
Marcus didn’t speak, but the tightening of his jaw revealed the storm raging within him. His Alpha aura surged again, an unconscious reaction, blanketing the area like a protective shroud. His gaze scanned the tree line relentlessly, searching for the slightest movement.
Nathan shifted, positioning himself slightly ahead of the group as if he could shield them all.
His brothers instinctively mirrored his movements, creating a protective formation behind their parents.
“Relax, boys,” Serena murmured, her voice tinged with warmth. But her knuckles whitened as her grip on Marcus’s hand tightened. Her wolf wasn’t calm either; it clawed for release, sensing what was coming.
The family stood united, strong, and unyielding. The eerie quiet of the forest amplified their every breath.
Then it came, faint but unmistakable—a shift in the air.
---
(Aspen's POV)
From the shadows of the frost-laden forest, I stood unmoving, hidden, a ghost wrapped in submission.
My wolf’s instincts screamed for me to rise, to stand tall and proud as the Alpha I was. But I shoved Cora—my wolf—back into the cage of my mind.
They wouldn’t see me as a threat today. Not yet.
I shifted carefully, adjusting my posture to make myself smaller. A delicate breeze carried their scents to me, and my breath hitched.
My father’s aura hit first, strong and suffocating. His strength rippled through the trees like a force of nature. It demanded compliance, projected dominance.
How long would it take him to sense that same power buried within me?
Then there was my mother’s aura, soft and soothing yet fierce in its protection. Her healing ability stretched out like searching tendrils, and I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to push back.
The bond tugged painfully as my senses recognized my brothers. Nathan’s aura was sharp, his control so solid it felt like a blade pressing into the fragile guise of my pretend Omega self.
Gabriel’s magic bristled, testing the world around him, like fingers brushing the edges of my consciousness.
Then Ethan… innocent, wide-open healing energy, already trying to comfort me without knowing the battlefield we stood on.
Cora howled within me, fighting the divide. She recognized them. She wanted her family. But I forced her down with everything I had.
My pack bonds roared to life, dormant for so long that it jolted me, almost knocking me off balance. The recognition was visceral. My feet felt like they were chained to this territory.
I shook my head, clearing the fog of emotions threatening to break my composure. “Get a grip,” I whispered to myself. “This is the plan.”
With deliberate steps, I moved out of the shadows and walked into the clearing. Small. Submissive. Concealing every ounce of power that my wolf—and my heart—wanted to scream to the world.
---
(Third Person's POV)
The Winters family saw her the moment she emerged.
Serena gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "It's her,” she whispered, half a sob, half a prayer.
Marcus froze, his steely exterior cracking for a fraction of a second. His Alpha instincts surged, but he reined them back.
Nathan’s jaw tightened, his amber eyes drinking in every detail of the figure approaching them—a smaller wolf, her steps hesitant, her aura faint.
Gabriel stepped forward slightly, his magic curling like silvery heat around his hands as though sensing something deeper.
Only Ethan let emotion win, his face lighting up with raw relief and warmth.
Serena didn’t wait. She broke formation, her wolf howling joyfully in her head as she sprinted toward the figure.
Aspen, her daughter.
“My daughter,” she cried, tears streaming freely as she threw her arms around the trembling wolf before her. “My little wolf. You’ve come home.”
Aspen stiffened in her embrace, her body betraying her. The word "Mom" slipped from her lips, quiet, tremulous but genuine, and her Alpha mask threatened to c***k.
Serena kissed the top of her head, stroking her dark hair. “You’re safe now,” she murmured through her tears. “You’re home.”
Behind Serena, Marcus approached cautiously, his expression unreadable. “Come,” he said finally, his voice rough with suppressed emotion. “Welcome home."
Aspen forced a shy nod, her eyes lowering in feigned submission, masking the sharp assessment she conducted of the crowd gathering behind them.
Every pack member lingered at a respectful distance. Dozens of wolves stared with curiosity, some with pity, others with quiet excitement.
‘Catalog them,’ Aspen reminded herself, taking mental notes of the hierarchy and positioning instinctively. They wouldn’t catch her unprepared.
Nathan stepped closer, his towering frame imposing but his gaze soft.
"Sister.” His voice was steady, yet faintly cautious. “It’s… been a long time."
His aura rubbed roughly against Aspen’s suppressed Alpha core. He might have restrained himself, but she could feel his power pressing subtly against her. Testing. Protective.
Aspen bowed her head slightly, whispering, "Nathan."
Her voice was just loud enough for him to hear, just wavering enough to sound believable.
Gabriel followed next, his curious eyes pinning her with an intensity she hadn’t anticipated. “It’s truly you?” His voice held wonder, disbelief, but also a magicked undercurrent that felt like a hook pulling at her wolf.
Cora stirred dangerously, but Aspen forced a tentative smile and nodded. He wouldn’t sense what she hid. Not today.
Finally, it was Ethan.
The youngest grinned with unfiltered joy, his healing energy momentarily warming her like a burst of sunlight. "You're smaller than I imagined," he teased gently before pulling her into a swift, tight hug.
Aspen did not stiffen this time. She allowed a fragile connection to kickstart a shallow pack bond, careful not to let it run too deep.
“You’ve grown,” she murmured, her voice softer than intended. But something about his warmth made the words come easily.
“We’ll get you settled,” Marcus interjected, his voice cutting through the tense air. “We’ve… waited a long time for this.”
The eldest brother nodded once in agreement, his sharp gaze sweeping behind Aspen briefly, as if searching for threats still lurking in the shadows.
Aspen followed as they led her across the territory, her ears tuning into the whispered words of pack members and her eyes soaking in every defense position, every blind spot.
As her mother clung to her hand, and her brothers flanked her protectively, Aspen allowed herself one quiet thought.
Would they really love an Omega family member?
- Writer
