CHAPTER 6 - Whispers in the Pack

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.

CHAPTER 7 -

Rylan's Perspective

The council chamber was uncomfortably still, a stark contrast to the chaos roiling inside me.

Ella sat across the large oak table, her body tense yet her chin held high in that defiant way I recognized too well. Her warm, distinctly human scent brushed against my senses like a provoking challenge.

Since the incident at the border, she hadn't said a word to me. Each moment of her silence felt like a heavy burden weighing me down.

The council members droned on about patrol schedules, alliances, and the growing threat posed by the Crescent Claw Pack... but my attention remained fixed on her.

Her fingers tapped once against the table's surface. Controlled. Precise. Too composed.

Finally, our eyes locked. She didn't look away.

That alone infuriated me more than it should have.

"Alpha Wolfe," Elder Kael interrupted, pulling me back into the conversation. "Your Luna has brought up a valid point. Perhaps you should consider..."

"My Luna can speak directly to me," I cut in.

Ella briefly froze before slowly turning her gaze toward me. There it was again. The quiet fire. The defiance.

"Fine," she said coolly. "Your patrol strategy leaves the eastern border exposed at night. If the Crescent Claws are planning something, that's precisely where they'll strike."

The atmosphere in the room shifted, attention shifting between us.

I leaned back in my chair. "You've been here for, what, two days? And you believe you know my territory better than I do?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "I didn't claim to know it better. I merely pointed out something you missed."

A murmur spread through the council members.

Frustration, admiration, and something else I was reluctant to face sparked within me.

"Dismissed," I ordered abruptly.

Chairs scraped against the floor. The elders hurriedly exited.

Ella remained seated.

Good.

Because I had more to say to her.

"You seem keen to defy me," I remarked once the door was closed.

She adjusted her posture. "I'm not defying you. I'm trying to help."

"By undermining me in front of my council?"

Her jaw tightened. "You invited me to take on the role of Luna. I can't fulfill that role if I ignore threats to this pack. To your people."

Her voice softened at the end, and I hated how it affected me.

For a moment, neither of us broke eye contact.

The air thickened with tension, a charge both familiar and unsettling.

I forced myself to look away first. "Get ready. We leave in an hour."

"Where are we going?"

"To the eastern border. If you believe it's a threat, you're coming with me to assess the situation."

She stiffened but conceded with a nod.

Good. Let her maintain that fire. I'd prefer her anger over her silence.

Ella's Perspective

I couldn't breathe properly until I was outside the council chamber.

Rylan Wolfe was maddening.

Arrogant. Distant. Quick to anger.

Yet... somehow unwavering in a manner that both comforted and frightened me.

The instant our eyes met earlier, something sharp coursed through me. Something I couldn't comprehend, didn't want, yet couldn't disregard.

I exhaled, rubbing my arms as I headed to my room. I needed to change quickly if he was taking me to the border.

A knock interrupted me at the door.

Mara, the head house attendant, smiled gently. "Luna... the Alpha asked me to bring something for your journey."

She handed me a fitted dark jacket lined with light armor.

"It's not too heavy," she said quietly. "But it will keep you safe."

Safe.

He moved around the vehicle and ignited the engine. The sound of gravel crunching beneath the tires resonated as we left the camping site and ventured into the forest.

An awkward silence hung between us, thick and tense.

After a moment, he softly remarked, "If you ever feel uneasy, just tell me."

It wasn't an order.

It felt more like... concern.

I looked at him. "Rylan..."

"Ella," he interrupted, keeping his attention on the road, "just do it. Please."

Please.

That word surprised me more than anything else today.

The Alpha King seldom requests.

He usually issues commands.

Yet here he was, a bit exposed, cautious, revealing a truth he probably wished he hadn't.

I turned my gaze to the outside, my heart pounding.

Maybe he wasn't just infuriating.

Maybe he was complex.

And maybe, just maybe...

That made everything even more dangerous.

That word hadn't been familiar to me for a while.

However, once I donned the jacket, it fit my form perfectly. Almost too perfectly.

As if it had been crafted for me long before this instance.

I dismissed the thought.

When I exited, Rylan was already at the jeep, arms crossed, his expression difficult to read.

He examined me slowly, his gaze evaluating.

"Good," he commented. "At least you sometimes follow orders."

I shot him a glare. To my surprise, he gave a slight smirk.

Just a small one, but enough to make my stomach flutter unexpectedly.

He opened the passenger door for me.

The act took us both by surprise.

His hand hovered near the handle as if he instantly regretted his decision.

I got into my seat without uttering a word.

CHAPTER 8

Rylan's POV

The nightmare resurfaced before I even realized I had dozed off.

It always began the same way: moonlight streaming over the old Silverfang courtyard, which no longer existed. Wolves encircled. Distant shouts echoed. And Selena's voice, soft, warm, and familiar, called my name.

"Rylan."

In the dream, I always turned toward her, convinced she was my anchor. My sanctuary.

In reality, she had been the catalyst that burned everything down.

The scene shifted, as nightmares do, too quickly, too sharply. The courtyard was abruptly filled with smoke. Rogues flooded the walls, slipping in through the concealed tunnel that only Selena knew about.

I remembered that moment vividly-how my heart tightened, how my wolf struggled to break free, sensing betrayal before my mind caught up.

Selena's figure emerged through the smoke.

Unafraid.

Not fleeing.

Waiting.

I reached for her in the dream, just as I had done in the past. "Selena, get back inside! It isn't safe!"

She smiled.

Not lovingly, no.

With triumph.

With something chilling.

"Rylan... this is what you drove me to," she said. "You ignored me. You made me feel unwanted. Now you'll understand."

My stomach twisted with the same dread I'd felt years ago.

The rogues charged. The pack roared in defense. And Selena merely stepped aside, allowing the intruders to enter.

Trust.

Shattered.

My wolf howled in agony.

I lunged for her

but the dream yanked me backward, pulling me through fire, smoke, and despair.

"Rylan."

Her voice echoed again, but this time it wasn't Selena.

It was Ella's.

Light pierced the memory, shattering the nightmare. A warm hand landed on my shoulder.

My eyes flew open.

Ella's POV

He appeared different while he slept.

Not cold. Not unapproachable.

Humans.

His breath came rapidly, uneven as if he were battling something invisible. I had only intended to place the stack of newly delivered documents on his desk, not wake him. But when he jolted in the chair, murmuring something pained and harsh, instinct drew me closer.

"Rylan," I said softly.

His eyes opened wide, golden, sharp, and wild.

For a brief moment, he didn't recognize me. His hand gripped the armrest as if expecting an attack.

"It's just me," I whispered.

Gradually, so gradually, his expression softened. The tension in his shoulders eased, but the storm in his eyes remained.

"You were having a nightmare," I said.

He looked away. "I don't have nightmares."

"Yes, you do," I replied gently. "And that's okay."

He flinched, barely perceptibly, but I noticed it. He didn't like being seen. Not like this.

Not vulnerable.

I stepped back, giving him space. "I didn't mean to intrude. I can leave..."

"No."

The word escaped him too quickly, too harshly.

He cleared his throat. "Stay."

I hesitated, then nodded.

He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly. "What did you hear?"

"Nothing clear," I answered honestly. "Just... pain."

He tensed again.

I moved to the window rather than press him. "The pack is still murmuring about Selena. I don't know what happened, but I can tell it wasn't something minor."

Silence enveloped us.

A long, heavy silence.

Then...

"She betrayed me."

The confession was soft... but it sliced through the room like a knife.

I turned to face him.

Rylan Wolfe, the Alpha King, looked drained. Not weak. Not vanquished. Just... in pain.

"She permitted the rogues into my domain. To the very heart of the pack." His voice was void. "Lives were lost because I trusted her."

My heart ached. "Rylan..."

"I do not seek your pity." He abruptly stood, restless and unable to be still. "Or your understanding."

"I didn't extend either," I replied softly.

He came to a halt.

"Everyone bears their history," I continued. "Yours is clearly... laden with suffering. But that doesn't diminish your resilience."

His jaw clenched. A swirl of emotions danced in his eyes-rage, bewilderment, defiance.

"Ella," he stated, his voice rough, "you should be cautious of me. I'm not-"

"I'm not scared."

The words slipped from my mouth before I could stop them.

A long sigh escaped him, one that had been stored inside for far too long.

"Go get some rest," he eventually said, turning away. His tone attempted to sound commanding, but it now held a crack. A small one. A sincere one.

I nodded and made my way toward the door.

Just before I left, I glanced back one last time.

Rylan was standing with his hand pressed against the wall, shoulders slumped, as though the shadows of his past were clinging to him.

I wished to reach out. To offer some solace, understanding, anything.

But not yet.

We weren't prepared.

As the door clicked shut behind me, I leaned against it for a moment.

Rylan Wolfe...

He was a storm.

A hurt ruler.

A man carrying too much isolation.

And I wasn't certain if I was meant to heal him...

...or be shattered by the burden of his grief.