The Alphas house
664 Words
Aria’s POV
The truck slowed as the paved road turned into a long private drive cutting through the forest.
Aria sat up a little straighter in the back seat, watching the familiar trees pass by the window.
It had been months since she’d been here.
Moonridge always felt different the moment you entered pack land.
The air was cleaner. The woods felt thicker, alive somehow. Even the silence between the trees felt watchful, like the forest itself belonged to the wolves.
Lena barely looked up from her phone as they drove.
Aria, on the other hand, felt that same mix of nerves and excitement she always did when returning.
Then the trees opened.
And the house appeared.
Even though she had seen it a hundred times growing up, the sight of it still made her breath catch.
Rowan Ashwood’s home wasn’t just a house.
It was practically a mansion.
The massive structure sat at the center of the clearing, surrounded by acres of forest land belonging to the Moonridge Pack. Built from dark stone and thick timber, the house looked like something pulled straight out of a mountain lodge—only much larger.
Tall windows stretched across the front, reflecting the sunlight like sheets of glass. Large wooden beams framed the roof, and two massive stone chimneys rose into the sky.
A wide wraparound porch circled the entire front of the mansion, complete with heavy wooden railings and lanterns hanging from thick chains.
Aria remembered countless summer nights sitting on that porch with Lena, watching the wolves run through the fields beyond the trees.
Rowan turned the truck up the circular driveway.
A massive black iron gate stood open at the entrance of the property, the Moonridge pack crest carved into the metal.
Aria leaned slightly toward the window as they rolled closer.
To the side of the house were several other buildings scattered across the land—training grounds, garages, and the large pack house where meetings were held.
But Rowan’s home stood apart from everything else.
The Alpha’s territory.
Power radiated from the place.
And somehow…
It felt even more intense with him sitting just a few feet away in the driver’s seat.
The truck finally came to a stop in front of the wide stone steps leading up to the front doors.
Two enormous wooden doors stood at the entrance, carved with intricate wolf designs.
Lena immediately grabbed her bag.
“Home sweet home,” she said lazily before jumping out of the truck.
Aria reached for the door handle but paused for a moment.
Her eyes drifted forward.
Rowan had already stepped out of the truck.
He stood near the front, stretching slightly after the drive. The movement made his shirt tighten across his back and shoulders.
Aria swallowed.
Why am I looking again?
The sunlight hit his dark hair as he turned slightly, revealing the strong line of his jaw.
He looked exactly like what he was.
An Alpha.
Strong.
Dangerous.
Completely in control.
Aria quickly opened the door and stepped out before her thoughts got any worse.
The moment her feet touched the gravel driveway, Rowan looked at her.
Not just a quick glance.
A long look.
His dark eyes moved slowly over her again in a way that made heat creep up her neck.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then Lena’s voice broke the tension from halfway up the steps.
“Aria! Are you coming or what?”
Aria snapped out of it.
“Yeah,” she called.
She hurried toward the house, but she could still feel Rowan’s gaze following her.
Heavy.
Watchful.
It made her stomach twist in a way she didn’t quite understand.
Aria climbed the stone steps beside Lena, trying to ignore the strange electricity still buzzing under her skin.
But one thought kept creeping into her mind.
This place always felt safe.
But with Rowan looking at her the way he was today…
It suddenly felt a lot more dangerous.
- Writer
