ELLA POV
The Silverfang Pack's grounds buzzed with morning energy; wolves participated in training, mothers gathered herbs, and guards switched shifts. Life moved forward with purpose.
Except for mine.
I lifted my chin as I walked through the courtyard, but the whispers were inescapable.
"Is she still around?"
"A human Luna… and the Alpha can hardly stand to touch her."
"She won't make it through the winter."
Their remarks hurt, but I refused to show it. If they were seeking a broken human, they had made a grave mistake underestimating me.
I headed towards the training area, pretending to admire the scenery. In truth, I craved some distance. Space. Anything to soothe the chaos in my heart after last night on the balcony.
Rylan's hands on my waist.
His breath warming my cheek.
The way he murmured, "Tell me to stop."
A blunder.
I pushed the memory away.
A familiar figure appeared, Lucas, carrying two baskets of herbs. His face brightened the moment he saw me.
"Good morning, Luna," he said teasingly.
I sighed in relief. "Just Ella."
"To everyone else, maybe." He winked. "But to me, you're the girl who nearly stepped into the forbidden wing on her second day."
I groaned. "Can we not revisit that?"
Lucas laughed and handed me one of the baskets. "Walk with me? I could use some help."
I paused, recalling Rylan's reaction the last time he found us together… then shrugged. If he had a problem with it, that was for him to deal with. He was the one who turned me down, not the other way around.
We headed to the greenhouse behind the training field. I helped Lucas sort herbs while he spoke mainly about pack life, the traditions, the little things that had nothing to do with contracts, regulations, or Alpha authority.
It felt freeing.
He passed me a jar of dried lavender. "You're handling this better than most newcomers. Typically, the new Lunas end up in tears."
"I don't cry," I replied automatically.
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
I shifted my gaze. "Not because of him."
He attempted to hide his smile but couldn't. "I didn't mention Rylan."
"I didn't mention him either."
We shared a soft laugh.
But suddenly, our laughter quieted. Conversations halted. Heads lowered in unison.
I didn't need to look back to know who had shown up.
Rylan.
His presence enveloped the room instantly before his voice emerged, low, deadly, and cold.
"What's going on here?"
I stiffened.
Lucas stepped back as Rylan approached us, each movement careful and controlled. Too controlled, as if he were holding something powerful within.
His gaze shifted from Lucas to me and back again, darkening.
"You're meant to be training," he snapped at his brother.
"I was," Lucas replied calmly. "I'm helping Ella…"
"I didn't ask."
Lucas's jaw tightened. "She's your wife. You could address her as one."
Rylan's eyes blazed. "She is my responsibility. I expect her to abide by the rules."
My anger flared. "Is speaking now forbidden?"
"With him?" Rylan growled.
Lucas raised both hands. "I'll step away. Just calm down before you shift in the greenhouse."
He left, creating a silence thick with tension between the Alpha and the human he refused to acknowledge.
Rylan moved in closer.
Too close.
"You're provoking me once more," he whispered.
"No," I said. "I'm simply living."
His jaw clenched, eyes glowing gold. "Maintain your distance from Lucas."
"Why?" I pressed. "Is it because he treats me like I'm a real person?"
Rylan loomed above me, breathing heavily. "Because you belong…"
He faltered.
That word hung in the air between us.
He couldn't finish his thought.
I stepped a bit closer.
"Say it."
His hands balled into fists. "I can't."
But his eyes…
They gave everything away.
---
RYLAN POV
She's driving me mad.
I left the mansion with the intent to check on the border patrols, wanting to immerse myself in responsibility until the spark she ignited last night faded.
But then I caught her scent.
Her. With *him*.
My wolf growled the moment I saw Lucas next to her. They were laughing together. She was beaming, openly, freely, in a way I'd never witnessed directed at me.
Jealousy hit me like a physical blow, almost pushing me to shift.
Everyone bowed when I entered the greenhouse. No one dared to breathe too loudly.
Except for her.
Ella stood firm, chin raised, eyes flashing with defiance. She had no clue how dangerous that was. Or perhaps she did. Maybe she relished pushing me toward the edge.
I could still recall my hands on her waist from the previous night. The warmth of her breath. The way she murmured "I couldn't" when I asked her to tell me to stop.
A mistake.
A damn mistake that replayed in my mind.
I approached her now, unable to hide the urgency in my movements.
"You're testing me again," I said.
She fired back, fearless, sharp, stunning even in her defiance.
"No, I'm living."
My breath hitched. Her scent surrounded me, urging my wolf to pace and snarl within my mind.
I warned her to stay away from Lucas.
She demanded to know why.
"Because you belong…"
I stopped.
Because she doesn't belong to me.
Because she shouldn't.
Because claiming her would break us both.
But when she closed the gap, lifting her chin, her eyes soft yet intense…
"Say it," she whispered.
My control snapped for a brief moment.
My wolf roared.
My hands moved on instinct, pressing against the shelves on either side of her. Caging her in but not touching her. Not daring to.
Her breath hitched.
"Ella," I growled, fighting the urge to close the distance between us. "If I say it… I won't be able to stop."
She maintained eye contact, trembling yet steadfast.
"Maybe I don't want you to stop."
Gods.
I nearly kissed her.
Right there.
In the damn greenhouse.
But a shout from outside broke the moment.
"Alpha! Rogues detected near the west border!"
I pulled away, my chest heaving.
I glanced back at her one last time.
"This isn't finished," I said, my voice raw.
Then I shifted and raced toward the forest, hoping the conflict would douse the fire she had ignited within me.