Healing the alpha

Chapter five

The clash between Ethan and Lucas was nothing short of primal. Snarls and growls echoed through the clearing as they moved in a blur of claws and teeth. Claire stood frozen, her breath caught in her throat. She wanted to scream, to do something, but her body wouldn’t respond.

Ethan managed to throw Lucas back, sending him crashing into a tree with enough force to shake the branches. Lucas laughed as he got to his feet, wiping blood from his lip with the back of his hand.

“You’ve gotten soft, Ethan,” Lucas taunted. “Spending too much time with humans will do that to you.”

Ethan growled, his hands curling into fists. “You’ve gone too far, Lucas. This ends tonight.”

Lucas smirked, his amber eyes flicking to Claire. “Does she know what you really are, Ethan? Or have you been playing house, pretending to be something you’re not?”

Ethan lunged again, but Lucas was ready this time. He sidestepped and struck, sending Ethan sprawling. Before Ethan could recover, Lucas was on him, pinning him to the ground.

“You’ve always been predictable,” Lucas sneered. “That’s why you don’t deserve to lead. You’re weak.”

Claire’s heart pounded as she watched, unable to stay still any longer. She glanced around the clearing, desperate for anything she could use to help. Her eyes landed on a thick branch lying nearby. Without thinking, she ran to grab it.

“Get off him!” she shouted, swinging the branch with all her might.

The wood connected with Lucas’s shoulder, the force knocking him off balance. He turned to her, his expression shifting from surprise to rage.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” he growled, advancing toward her.

Ethan seized the moment, tackling Lucas from behind and driving him to the ground. The two rolled across the forest floor, their forms blurring again as they shifted between man and wolf. Claire stumbled back, clutching the branch tightly as she tried to catch her breath.

The fight raged on, and it was clear that Ethan was fighting not just for himself but for her too. Claire’s fear began to shift, replaced by a fierce determination. She couldn’t just stand by and let him do this alone.

As Lucas broke free and lunged for Ethan again, Claire shouted, “Ethan, watch out!” Her warning gave him just enough time to dodge, causing Lucas to crash into a tree instead. The impact was enough to stun him, and Ethan didn’t waste the opportunity. He shifted fully into his wolf form, a massive creature with dark fur and piercing eyes, and leapt at Lucas with a snarl.

Lucas barely managed to shift in time to meet the attack. The two wolves collided, their snarls filling the air as they clawed and bit at each other. The fight seemed to stretch on forever, each moment more brutal than the last. Claire’s hands trembled as she watched, her nails digging into the bark of the branch she still held.

Finally, Ethan gained the upper hand. He pinned Lucas to the ground, his teeth bared inches from the rogue’s throat. Lucas snarled and thrashed, but Ethan held firm.

“Enough,” Ethan growled, his voice distorted but still recognizable. “Leave now, and don’t come back. If I see you again, I won’t show mercy.”

Lucas glared up at him, his amber eyes blazing with fury. For a moment, it seemed like he might refuse. But then he shifted back to his human form, breathing heavily as he spat blood onto the ground.

“This isn’t over,” Lucas said, his voice dripping with venom. “You’ll regret sparing me.”

Ethan didn’t move until Lucas pushed himself to his feet and stumbled back into the forest, disappearing into the shadows. Only then did he shift back into his human form, collapsing to one knee as he tried to catch his breath.

Claire ran to his side, dropping the branch and kneeling beside him. “Ethan! Are you okay?”

He looked up at her, his face weary but intact. “I’m fine,” he said, his voice rough. “Thanks to you.”

She frowned, brushing dirt from his cheek. “You wouldn’t have needed saving if it weren’t for me. He came after you because of me.”

Ethan shook his head. “No. He came because he’s a coward who preys on the innocent. You did more than I could’ve asked for, Claire. You stood your ground.”

Claire’s chest tightened at his words. She wanted to argue, to tell him that she was terrified, that she hadn’t been brave at all. But the way he looked at her made the words catch in her throat.

“What now?” she asked quietly.

Ethan sighed, his gaze drifting toward the forest. “Now, we prepare. Lucas won’t stop, not after tonight. He’ll come back stronger, and we need to be ready.”

Claire swallowed hard, the weight of his words sinking in. Her life had changed irrevocably, and there was no going back. But as she looked at Ethan, battered but unbroken, she felt a flicker of hope.

Whatever was coming, they would face it together.

The morning light filtered through the trees, dappling the ground with patches of gold. Claire stirred awake, her back pressed against the rough bark of a tree. The events of the previous night came rushing back, and she sat up abruptly, her heart racing.

Ethan was nearby, crouched by a small fire he had built sometime during the night. His shirt was torn, revealing claw marks across his chest and shoulder, but the wounds were already healing—a testament to his supernatural resilience. He glanced up as she stirred, his expression softening.

“You should rest more,” he said.

Claire shook her head, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “I’ve rested enough. What about you? You were hurt worse than I was.”

Ethan gave her a faint smile. “I’ve had worse. Besides, I’ve got you to patch me up if it comes to that.”

She tried to smile back, but the tension in her chest wouldn’t let her. The night’s chaos still lingered in her mind, every snarl and growl replaying in vivid detail.

“Is he really gone?” she asked quietly.

Ethan’s gaze darkened as he stirred the fire with a stick. “For now. But Lucas isn’t the type to give up. He’ll come back, and he’ll be more dangerous next time.”

Claire’s stomach churned. “And what are we supposed to do in the meantime? Just wait for him to attack again?”

Ethan stood, brushing dirt from his hands. “We prepare. Lucas isn’t the only threat out there. If you’re going to stay involved in this, you need to know what you’re up against.”

She frowned, crossing her arms. “I didn’t ask to be involved. You brought this to me, remember?”

His expression softened, and he stepped closer, his voice low. “You’re right. And I’m sorry for that. But you’re in this now, whether either of us likes it or not. The best thing we can do is make sure you’re ready.”

Claire wanted to argue, to push back against the idea that her life had been upended without her consent. But deep down, she knew he was right. Ignorance wouldn’t protect her.

“Fine,” she said, squaring her shoulders. “What do we do first?”

Ethan studied her for a moment before nodding. “There’s someone I need to see. Someone who might be able to help us.”

Claire raised an eyebrow. “Who?”

“An old friend,” Ethan said, though his tone carried a hint of reluctance. “She knows more about pack politics and the supernatural world than anyone I know. If anyone can give us an edge against Lucas, it’s her.”

“She?” Claire asked, unable to keep the curiosity from her voice.

Ethan’s lips quirked in a faint smile. “Her name is Marisol. And before you ask, no, she’s not an ex.”

Claire blinked, caught off guard by his candid response. “I wasn’t going to ask that.”

“Sure you weren’t,” Ethan said, his smile widening briefly before fading. “We’ll need to move quickly. Marisol doesn’t stay in one place for long, and I’d rather not wait for Lucas to make his next move.”

Claire nodded, her resolve hardening. “All right. Let’s go.”

---

The journey to find Marisol was grueling. Ethan led Claire deeper into the forest, their path winding through dense undergrowth and rocky terrain. The sunlight barely reached them through the thick canopy, casting everything in shades of green and gray.

“How far is this place?” Claire asked after what felt like hours of walking.

“Not far now,” Ethan replied, though his tone suggested he wasn’t entirely certain.

Just as Claire was about to press him further, they emerged into a clearing. In the center stood a small cabin, its wooden walls weathered by time and covered in creeping ivy. Smoke curled from the chimney, and the scent of herbs and spices wafted through the air.

Ethan approached the door and knocked twice, then paused before knocking three more times in quick succession. Claire stood behind him, her heart pounding as she waited.

The door creaked open, revealing a woman with dark, curly hair and piercing green eyes. She looked Ethan up and down before smirking.

“Well, well. Look who decided to show up,” she said, leaning against the doorframe. “Ethan the Lone Wolf, bringing a human to my doorstep. This is new.”

Ethan sighed. “Good to see you too, Marisol. Can we come in?”

Marisol’s gaze shifted to Claire, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Depends. Is she trouble?”

“She’s with me,” Ethan said firmly.

Marisol studied him for a moment before stepping aside. “Fine. But if she breaks anything, you’re paying for it.”

Claire followed Ethan inside, her curiosity piqued despite her nerves. The interior of the cabin was cluttered but cozy, filled with shelves of books, jars of dried herbs, and trinkets that seemed to hum with an unseen energy.

Marisol closed the door and turned to face them, crossing her arms. “So, what brings you to my humble abode? Need another favor?”

“Lucas is back,” Ethan said, his tone grim. “And he’s not working alone this time.”

Marisol’s expression darkened. “That’s not good. What do you need from me?”

“Information,” Ethan said. “Anything you can tell us about what he’s planning, who he’s working with, or how we can stop him.”

Marisol nodded slowly, her eyes flicking to Claire. “And her? What’s her role in all this?”

Claire straightened, meeting Marisol’s gaze. “I’m here because Ethan saved my life. And if Lucas is a threat to him, then he’s a threat to me too. I’m not going to sit on the sidelines.”

Marisol raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Feisty. I like her.” She turned back to Ethan. “All right, Lone Wolf. Let’s see what we can dig up. But I’m warning you now—the answers might not be what you want to hear.”