MasukDerek was still curled against me when I woke up. His breathing was slow and I simply watched him. His hair was a mess. One of his hands was still gripping the sleeve of my shirt, even in his sleep.I smiled to myself.Maybe... maybe we really could make this work. Maybe hiding him here had been the right decision after all.Then—BANG!The front door shook so violently that the walls seemed to vibrate.Derek's eyes flew open."What was that?" he asked.Before I could answer—BANG! BANG! BANG!This time accompanied by shouting, lots of shouting. My smile disappeared while Derek sat upright."Ethan..." he mutteredI climbed out of bed."Stay here," I said softly.He caught my wrist."Be careful," he said with soft puppy eyes.I squeezed his hand. "I will."Then I hurried downstairs.The voices outside grew louder with every step, and by the time I reached the sitting room, Mother was already standing near the front door. She looked pale.She turned as I approached."Ethan," she said"W
"I can't believe you lost your wolf, Ethan," Lucas said as he let out a short, disbelieving laugh that echoed through the room. "How does someone lose their wolf? Is that even possible?"I stared at him without answering.He shook his head. "Just when I think you've done everything you possibly could to put yourself and everyone around you at risk..." He scoffed. "...you go and lose your wolf."His eyes narrowed."And I know it had something to do with that Ashbound kid."He practically spat the next word."Derek."I clenched my jaw. "You know my mother is drunk."Lucas folded his arms. "And so?""She didn't know what she was saying.""You expect me to believe that?""I still have my wolf," I lied more confidently than I felt.Lucas simply looked at me, then he smiled and it wasn't a friendly smile."Do you?" he asked"I do.""Good." He stepped aside and gestured toward the front door. "Go outside then."I frowned. "What for?""I want you to shift."Silence."Go on," he said again but
I didn't stop walking until I reached our front door, then I pushed the front door open harder than I wanted.Mother looked up from the sitting room. "Ethan?"I walked straight to her. "Lucas knows."Her smile disappeared. "What?""He knows Derek is somewhere in the pack," I said.Her face paled."I don't know how much he knows, but he's suspicious," I spoke quickly, not giving myself time to think. "If he comes here, don't let him search the house."She frowned. "Ethan—""And don't invite him in."She blinked. "What happened?""I don't trust him anymore," I sighed. "He isn't welcome here."Before she could respond, I turned and headed upstairs. I needed to see Derek. I quietly opened my bedroom door, and the moment he saw me, he stood."Ethan."He crossed the room in seconds and wrapped me in a hug. His arms tightened around me."I'm so sorry."I buried my face against his shoulder."For your dad," he said softly.I closed my eyes. "...Thank you."He gently shut the bedroom door behi
As the last handful of dirt struck the fresh grave with a dull thud, there was silence, and no one moved or spoke.I couldn't believe it that my father was gone... he was really gone.I stared at the simple stone that marked where they had laid him to rest, unable to believe that beneath it rested the strongest man I'd ever known. Then, one by one, the rest of the pack stepped forward, and each person bowed their head, and some whispered prayers, and others simply stood there with tears in their eyes before quietly walking away.Soon, the crowd began to thin.Kael was one of the last to leave. He walked over and wrapped me in a firm embrace."I'm sorry, Ethan," he said softly.I hugged him back, and he squeezed my shoulder before pulling away."If you need anything..." he started, but I cut him off."I know," I said."I mean it," he still added. Of course, Kael wants to have the last word.He nodded once before stepping aside, and Sarafina approached next, but she didn't say anything
I pointed toward the door on the far side of my bedroom."The bathroom's in there," I said softly.Derek looked over. "I figured."I smiled. "You can use whatever you need."He nodded. "Okay, but you first."I shook my head. "We'll be quicker if we both clean up now. Mom's probably waiting."He laughed quietly. "I don't think she's waiting anymore."I rubbed the back of my neck, my face warming."...Probably not."Without another word, we disappeared into the bathroom. It wasn't long before we were both cleaned up and drying ourselves with fresh towels. Once we stepped back into my room, I walked to my wardrobe and pulled out another pair of gray sweatpants along with a loose black sweatshirt.I tossed them toward Derek."They should fit," I said.He caught them."You've got a lot of clothes," he snorted."My mother says I never throw anything away."He chuckled. "I can believe that."Within a few minutes, we'd both changed into comfortable clothes, and he looked strangely... at home.
We got to the door, and I took in a deep breath. Then slowly, I grabbed the handle, turned it to the side, and pushed the door open."Welcome to my room," I chuckled, trying to hide my shyness.Derek didn't respond. He was busy checking out the room, and after five minutes had passed, he finally sat down on the bed. I couldn't look away from him. Derek suddenly felt shy as I walked up to him. When he was about to look up, I held his chin and lifted his face towards mine."You don't have to be shy with me," I said softly, but deep down, I was relieved he felt shy as well. That gave me a confidence boost. Seeing him shy with his face red. "I really do love you so much, and you were all that I have been thinking about these past few days. Whenever I wake up here, and you're not beside me, it makes me miss you more.""So... what do you want me to say?" he said, giving me a little shy smile.'Don't say anything," I ran my fingers through his hair."I'm sorry Ethan—"I quickly put a finger







