CHAPTER 169
The wolf’s growls still echoed faintly in my ears long after we left the clearing. The night had settled heavy and humid, the scent of pine and damp earth clinging to everything. The pen was secure, for now, but something about that creature’s eyes stayed with me. It hadn’t been wild rage. It had been awareness.
Purpose.
By the time Asher and I reached our room upstairs, my body felt drained. The adrenaline was gone, leaving a tired ache in my shoulders. I kicked the door closed behind us and leaned back against it, letting out a
deep breath.
Asher turned on the bathroom light, his expression serious but calm in that way he always managed, even when things were getting complicated. “You should shower first.” He said, his voice steady. “You’ve been on edge since the wolf started testing the pen.”
“Or we could shower at the same time.” I said, making Asher smirk at me.
“We both know that’s not going to lead to either of us getting clean. Only dirtier.” He said.
I nodded, rubbing at my temple. “Yeah. That thing has been staring at everyone all night. But mostly her.
Emily.”
He looked at me through the doorway, his brow furrowing slightly. “You noticed it too.”
“How could I not?” I muttered, peeling off my boots and tossing them near the wall. “It doesn’t react to anyone the same way it reacts to her. It’s like it’s studying her specifically. And she doesn’t even flinch
when it moves. Not once.”
Asher leaned against the bathroom counter, arms crossed over his chest. His damp hair fell over his forehead, making him look even more serious. “That’s what’s been bothering me.” He admitted. “Anyone else would have reacted by instinct. But she doesn’t move. She doesn’t step back, doesn’t blink, doesn’t
tense. It’s unnatural.”
I stepped under the spray of warm water, letting it hit my shoulders, washing away the tension of the night. “And the twins.” I called over the sound of the shower, “they don’t step in front of her when the wolf lunges. They’re always behind her, like she’s the one protecting them. Not the other way around.”
Asher’s voice came through the slightly open door. “Yeah. I caught that too. Every time that thing pushed the pen, they didn’t move. They watched her.”
I tilted my head back, eyes closed, letting the water run down my face. “It’s not right. They’re her mates, and they act like she’s… in charge of them somehow. Not just emotionally. More than that. Like they’re
bound to her in a way that’s not normal.”
There was a pause, the kind that filled the room like thick air. “I hate to say it.” Asher said finally, his voice quieter, “but I think she’s influencing them. Maybe not intentionally, but it’s there. You can see it.”
I turned off the water and grabbed a towel, stepping out. “I can see it too.” I rubbed my hair dry, then met
CHAPTER 169
his gaze. “When she looks at them, they stop thinking. It’s like they’re locked onto her completely.”
Asher reached for a towel, wiping his hands absently as he thought. “You don’t think she’s doing it on purpose, do you?”
“I don’t know.” I admitted, sitting on the edge of the bed. “But I do know it’s dangerous. They’re supposed to be watching for danger, not taking silent orders from their mate.”
He sat next to me, his presence grounding as always. The low hum of the ceiling fan filled the silence.” We’ve seen a lot of things, Trinny. Manipulation, loyalty, fear. But whatever’s happening with them, it’s not just love. It’s deeper. Something’s off.”
I exhaled slowly, twisting the towel in my hands. “And what if it’s not just them? What if the wolf’s connected to her somehow? It doesn’t make sense, but… maybe it’s drawn to her for a reason.”
Asher rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s possible. She’s the only one it doesn’t react to. Everyone else makes it growl, shift, test the fence. But her? It just watches.”
“That’s what worries me.” I stood and walked to the window, looking out toward the training field where the faint glow of the security lights illuminated the pen in the distance. “It’s too calm around her. And when she’s not there, it stirs more. Like it’s waiting for her.”
Asher came up behind me, his hand resting gently on my hip. “You’re thinking the same thing I am, aren’t
you?”
I nodded. “Yeah. That she’s not as harmless as she pretends to be.”
He sighed, resting his chin on my shoulder. “We’ll keep an eye on her. And the twins. But don’t jump to conclusions yet. If she’s hiding something, we’ll figure it out.”
“Do you think it could have something to do with the bond that I have with them? The same one that I
share with all three of you?” I asked.
“If they’ve told her about it, it’s possible. She could have threatened to reject them if they look like they are showing you more attention then her. I mean, I really don’t like the thought of you being bound to my
brothers. But I know that you three have been best friends for years. And no matter what happened
between you and Gage and whatever feelings he had for you, I know that you’re mine.” Asher said. So I
smiled at him and I leaned forward and kissed him.
The sound of distant howling carried faintly through the trees. Not from the pen, somewhere further out. A
normal patrol, maybe. But it still made the hair on my arms stand up.
“You think she’ll come clean if we ask directly?” I asked, still staring out the window.
Asher shook his head. “No. She’s too careful. She’s used to keeping secrets. You can see it in her eyes.”
I turned to face him, wrapping the towel tighter around me. “What do we do then?”
“We do what we always do.” He said simply. “Watch. Wait. And stay ready.”
C CHAPTER 169
I studied him for a moment, the steady confidence in his eyes soothing me more than his words, “You’re too calm about this.”
“Because someone has to be.” He smiled faintly. “You’re worrying enough for both of us.”
I smirked, pushing his shoulder lightly. “That’s part of my charm.”
He caught my hand and pulled me closer, his forehead pressing to mine. “That’s part of why I love you.”
We stood there for a moment, breathing in sync, the steady rhythm grounding us both.
When I finally pulled back, I grabbed my clothes and got dressed. “I’ll take first shift tonight. I want to see how the wolf reacts without the twins nearby.”
He frowned. “You’re not going alone.”
“I wasn’t planning to. You’re coming with me.”
“Good.” He said, already pulling on his jeans. “Because if something happens, I don’t want to hear you tell me later that I should’ve been there.”
I rolled my eyes but smiled. “You know me too well.”
“Yeah.” He said, grabbing his shirt. “And you scare the hell out of me.”
By the time we made it back down to the field, the night had deepened. The air was cool now, still carrying that faint metallic tang that reminded me of rain…or blood. The pen was quiet. The wolf lay stretched out in the center, its fur glinting under the security lights. But its eyes were open, watching.
Emily and the twins were nowhere in sight. They’d gone inside earlier, Emily claiming she was tired. For the first time all day, the air felt clearer. Lighter.
Asher leaned on the fence beside me, scanning the wolf. “See? Even it feels different when she’s not
around.”
I nodded slowly. “Yeah. Calmer in a different way. Like it’s not waiting for something.”
The wolf’s eyes flicked to us, intelligent and calculating, before it rested its head again. It wasn’t
threatening. Not yet. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something larger was in motion.
“She unnerves me.” I admitted quietly. “Not because she’s bad. Because she’s unreadable. I can’t tell what
she’s thinking, and I don’t like that.”
Asher’s hand brushed against mine. “Then we stay alert. We protect the pack first. Always.”
I met his eyes and nodded. “Always. We’re gonna have to tell them about this wolf pretty soon.”
“I know. We will if nothing else changes. I’m just waiting to see if it shifts back into human.” Asher said.
We stayed by the pen for another hour, listening to the soft rustling of leaves and the steady breathing of the massive wolf. The world around us was still, but my thoughts were far from calm. Emily’s steady gaze, the way the twins moved around her, the strange calm of the wolf. It was all connected somehow.
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And as the wind shifted, carrying the scent of rain and pine through the air, I knew one thing for certain.
This peace wasn’t going to last.
Something was coming.
And this time, it wouldn’t announce itself with darkness or power.
It would come quietly…through trust, through influence, through the people already standing beside us.
The wolf lifted its head again, eyes glinting under the lights.
And somewhere deep down, I felt that same uneasy pull.
Something wasn’t right.
And whatever it was. It had already begun.
Kylie K
CRESCENT RIDGE – *ECLIPSE*
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
SUMMARY (~1000 Words in English)
