The Latent Sentinel

CAUGHT RED HANDED 3

Ethan POV:

That takes me by surprise. She is the youngest among all of us, but she is the wisest and very perceptive. I simply nod. There is nothing I can say which will prove her wrong. Nothing will prove that I don’t think like that. I will just have to show it from here on.

We started walking back towards the pack in an unconformable silence. Even though I am terrified of what the future might hold, I have a tiny sliver of hope. The gloomy woods looked colorful, the same path looked dull and dead when I went to the cave, but now it felt alive and vibrant. Something changed, I have changed. I have hope; hope for my future with Ellasandra Larue, my beautiful lioness.

During the walk it dawned on me, how did Stacey and Luke know how to find me? How did they know exactly where to wait?

“Luke, how did you know where I was?” He looks at me and sighs. Alright, it is bad, but how they discovered where I was doesn’t matter. It doesn’t seem like something I should have asked. I should never have asked them. As they look mad and angry.

“You mister have been so lost in your pain that you didn’t realize our i***t kids were following you. Jia and Jum thought you were going somewhere to help someone, and they wanted to help, so they followed you. I have placed a spell on all the kids to know their whereabouts in case they are in trouble. It doesn’t take away their free will or privacy, but it informs me if they might be in potential danger. And most importantly, it informs me when they are too close to the border. As soon as my magic pulled me here, I informed Luke, and we arrived instantly. Both the kids were standing at the barrier. As they couldn’t understand why the land outside looked unfamiliar. The magic of our pack lands makes it feel like home. Children feel that magic more than us. As they associate that with safety. We arrived just in time to stop them from crossing and sent them back home with the warriors. Oliver and Diana are looking after all the kids for now,” Stacey says, looking away from us.

To say I am stunned is an understatement. I was so lost in my head that I was careless. I didn’t notice that I was being followed. I really need to be careful; I would have risked the kids with my stupidity. I am wallowing in guilt. I have risked the younglings with my stupidity. Luke came to my rescue when I was drowning in guilt.

“They are fine, don’t guilt yourself any further.”

I don’t think Stacey is done with me, because she looks like she has more to say. I can see that she is about to scold me further; it weirdly warms my heart. It has been so long since I felt this warmth. I kept thinking I was alone, and I ignored everything around me. I hadn’t noticed that these people were my family. It is me who is keeping them at a distance. They have accepted me into their little family and their hearts long ago. I was the one with walls around my heart.

“Don’t you dare think, I am done with you, Ethan. I can sense the memory potions' effects on you. It would have driven you crazy if you kept using it. The purpose of the potion is not to relive a memory, but to be used as a medicine when someone is suffering from a memory loss. You have overused it. You abused its power. Magic has its cost. You will be reliving all your horrible memories over and over again even after you think the effects have faded.” She whispers, hitting me with her fist.

Now I feel like a bigger i***t, that’s why I keep reliving my nightmares. I was torturing myself. After that, we all kept quiet, all three of us were lost in our heads. We walked back in a suffocating silence. I don’t have any word about anything. The walk back is painfully long. I think back to everything I did in the past and promise myself to do better. I will take a step and trust these kind people.

I made a promise to myself that I would do better. Determined to do the right thing, I made up my mind that I would let people come closer to me and not create an invisible barrier around me. I won’t live in fear anymore. I will do everything in my power to be a better man. I am not the same child who couldn’t protect anyone, I am more. I will become the Alpha my pack will be proud of. I will win Ella back, or I will get her to give us a chance. I am not going to drown myself in self-pity anymore. I will do everything in my power to make things right, not only with Ella but with my pack. I will take the first step and accept the family who accepted me wholeheartedly a long time ago. My mind races like it is having a round table conference with pro and con members of an office meeting, creating all the scenarios over and over again, and what I could have done differently. I am overwhelmed with emotion when Stacey grabs my hand and gives it a little squeeze and Luke pats my back. Their small gesture made me question everything I believed to be true. I am on the verge of breaking down, but Luke helps me stand tall and walk with grace.

When I think about my beautiful mate, my heart squeezes painfully, reminding me that if I had given a chance to my family, maybe my mate would have been with me all along. They would have convinced her to come here if I couldn’t.

She is all alone; it hurts me to go perch on the trees just to be connected to her. Looking out for her so she is safe makes me feel miserable as I want to be with her. She is vulnerable there; we won’t know if someone attacks her out there. I am going through scenarios regarding how I can approach Ella when I see Blake and Ritz at my cottage. Blake looks his usual self but him being here is proof enough that something is wrong. I look at Stacey and Luke, they both nod and squeeze my shoulder. Stacey leaves instantly without another word.