Chapter 117

Aria

It was time to leave the pack lands.

It was time to return to the human world.

It was time to go home—to the only home I had never known, anyway.

Darren stood beside me, his hand resting lightly on the small of my back as we prepared to say our goodbyes. Lucas was standing a few paces away, surrounded by other werewolf pups he had grown close to during our time in the pack lands. He was hugging each of them tightly, promising to visit soon.

My heart twisted at the sight. He’d found a sense of belonging here, a connection to his heritage that he’d never known in the human world. And now, we were taking him away from it.

For now, anyway.

“He’ll be back,” Darren murmured, his voice low and reassuring, as if he could sense my unease. “This isn’t goodbye forever, you know.”

I nodded, swallowing the hard lump that had suddenly formed in my throat. “I know. It’s just… hard.”

Darren’s hand tightened briefly on my back, a silent promise that he understood my pain. And he did. This was his home, his pack, and leaving it behind—even temporarily—wasn’t easy for him either.

Wendy approached us then, her silver hair catching the sunlight as she pulled Darren into a tight embrace. “Take care of yourself,” she said, obviously trying not to cry if the tremble in her voice was any indication. “And take care of them.” She glanced at me, then at Lucas.

“I will,” Darren promised. Not that he needed to, of course.

When Wendy then turned to me, her arms open, I didn’t hesitate to step into her embrace. Her scent—so much stronger now that I had developed my keen werewolf senses—was more of a comfort than I expected, and I clung to her for a few moments longer than necessary. But she didn’t pull away first.

“You’re family now,” she whispered, her breath warm against my ear. “Never forget that.”

“I won’t,” I said. “Thank you… for everything.”

I finally pulled back, and Wendy’s hands rested momentarily on my shoulders as she studied me with those piercing eyes. “You’re stronger than you think, Aria. Don’t ever doubt that.”

I nodded, unable to speak past the tight feeling in my throat.

By the time we finally stepped out of the packhouse, the sun was high in the sky, casting golden light over the village square. The pack had gathered to see us off, their faces a mix of sadness and hope and still a bit of distrust.

Darren raised a hand in farewell, his expression stoic but his eyes betraying the depth of his emotions.

Lucas bounded ahead, his small frame disappearing into the trees as he shifted into his pup form. Darren and I followed at a slower pace, our footsteps crunching softly against the forest floor.

The hike through the mountains was quiet at first, the only sounds the rustle of the pine branches in the wind and the occasional chirp of birds. Lucas darted in and out of sight, his little yips and barks echoing through the trees. It was a stark contrast to the heavy silence between Darren and me.

Darren had taken Lucas on a walk earlier after speaking to his father—just the two of them. When they returned, their faces had been different. Changed. Lighter, and yet worlds deeper at the same time.

He hadn’t told me yet what they had discussed, but he didn’t need to. I knew what it was about.

Finally, Darren broke the silence.

“I told him,” he said, keeping his voice low so only I could hear. “About Emilia.”

I glanced at him, my heart skipping a beat. I knew, of course, that he had. But it was still a shock to hear it out loud. “How did he take it?”

Darren’s lips curved into a small, almost wistful smile. “Better than I expected. He said he… had a feeling. That when he visited her grave, he felt her hand on his hair, and his wolf bristled, whispering, ‘Mommy…’”

My breath caught, and I felt a sudden sting of tears in my eyes. “Oh, Darren…”

He nodded, his gaze distant as he stared at the path ahead. “He’s stronger than I gave him credit for. Stronger than I was at his age, that’s for certain.”

“That’s because he’s got you,” I said softly, reaching out to brush my fingers against his. “And he’s got me. We’ll make sure he knows he’s not alone.”

Darren’s hand tightened around mine, his warmth seeping into my skin. “I know. And I’m grateful for that. For you.”

We walked in silence for a while after that, neither of us feeling particularly inclined to speak again. But it was anything but quiet in the world. The forest around us was alive with the sounds of nature, and Lucas was still bounding ahead, barking playfully as a squirrel darted across the path with its cheeks bulging with nuts and berries.

As we crested a hill, the trees parted to reveal a breathtaking vista—the same waterfall we had passed before, only it was now cascading down into the ravine below it, its icy surface now thawed and glistening in the sunlight. The sound of rushing water filled the air, and as I took a deep inhale, the sensation of cool mist filtered up my nose.

Once again, I felt as if I could stay here forever.

Darren paused at the top, his gaze fixed on the waterfall, and I could see the tension in his shoulders slowly easing. He turned to me, his mismatched eyes softer than usual, and without a word, he pulled me close. His arm wrapped around my waist, and he tugged me flush against his side.

“I’m glad to enjoy this view with you a second time,” he murmured, his eyes never leaving the view. “For a while, I thought I might not get the chance.”

I bit my lower lip lightly, if only to keep it from trembling. I couldn’t answer. Not that I didn’t want to, but rather that I feared if I did try to speak, I might become more choked up than I was prepared for.

But when Darren glanced down at me again, that feeling faded. His face was lit up with a tender smile, the sort of smile that made my heart swell with love and yearning. And then he leaned down, his lips brushing against mine.

For a moment, the world fell away, and it was just the two of us, standing on the edge of a new beginning.

But then a sharp bark broke the spell, and we pulled apart to see Lucas bounding toward us, his tail wagging furiously as he darted between our legs. Darren chuckled, the sound deep and warm, and I couldn’t help but laugh too, the sensation bubbling up from somewhere deep inside of me.

“Ready to run?” Darren asked, glancing at me.

Just the thought made my wolf’s presence—so new and fresh it still took me by surprise sometimes, like sharing my soul with something far more profound and ancient than I could ever comprehend, and yet so familiar and comforting at the same time—surge.

“Always,” I breathed.

In one fluid motion, Darren shifted into his wolf form, his dark fur gleaming in the sunlight. I followed suit; I wasn’t quite sure how, but I did, and it felt like cracking my back after a long time sitting or perhaps kneading out a sore muscle.

A relief.

Mere moments later, my white fur bristled in the cool mountain air, and I shook myself, feeling the weight of the world lift from my shoulders.

Lucas barked excitedly, darting ahead as Darren and I fell into step beside each other. And then, soon, we picked up pace. First a trot, then a jog, and then, before I knew it… a full run.

The forest blurred around us as we ran, the wind rushing through our fur and the ground flying beneath our paws. I’d never even dreamed of moving this fast on my own feet before, and yet it felt so right, so… natural. Even more so with Lucas weaving between us, his small form a blur of energy and joy.

In those moments, I felt a surge of happiness so profound it nearly took my breath away.

No matter what the other wolves thought of us, no matter what the humans thought of us, this was our family. Our pack. And for the first time in my life, I felt truly, completely happy.

The world was still uncertain, and the road ahead was still impossible to see through the fog. But in that moment, running through the forest with Darren and Lucas by my side, I knew we could face anything.

So long as we were together.