CHAPTER 54
I had been home all day, though “home” now felt heavier than I remembered. Especially since it wasn’t really my home. The packhouse was warm, the fire crackling with a soft glow, but each shadow seemed to stretch longer, reminding me of everything I’d survived–and everything still at stake.
Asher’s family had insisted on a proper dinner. His mother, Petra, had cooked enough food to feed an army, and his father, Dennis, had been fussing over me all afternoon, checking my shoulder, my cuts, and even my hair as if one stray strand could betray my injuries. The twins, Gage and Arlo, never far from my side, darted around the table, giggling, bickering, and occasionally giving me a worried glance.
I sat at the side of the table next to Asher- who lingered really close at all times–feeling a strange mix of comfort and tension. Comfort in the warmth and familiarity, tension because of the conversation I could feel coming, like a storm rolling in through the mountains.
Petra placed a plate in front of me with a gentle smile. “Here you go, darling. Eat slowly, okay? You need your strength.”
I nodded and started, grateful for the small gestures. The food smelled incredible, and even with the ache in my ankle, I could manage a few bites. Gage and Arlo had already claimed the seats across from me, leaning forward eagerly.
I laughed softly, shaking my head. Trying to shake it off. But Asher growled at them. “It wasn’t like anything that you think. I—”
“We know what Asher told us. But we don’t know your version.” Arlo said.
I swallowed, remembering too clearly the rage and desperation in my brother’s eyes, the way he’d cornered me, the way everything had gone wrong. I decided to keep it vague. “It was… complicated. But I’m okay now.”
The twins weren’t entirely satisfied, but they let it go when Asher finally kicked their chairs from under the table and they both toppled backwards. His presence was magnetic, the kind that made the room shrink down to just us. His amber eyes scanned me, lingering on my shoulder where the bandage peeked out from my shirt.
“You’re still having trouble moving your arm.” He said softly, but his jaw was tight, and I could feel the edge in his tone. I looked over at the twins who were pulling their chairs back up to sit back at the table.
“I’ll live.” I said lightly, hoping to deflect.
< CHAPTER 54
+25 Points
Petra noticed the tension immediately and placed a hand on his arm. “Asher, darling, don’t hover. She’s eating.”
He didn’t move, didn’t reply. I could tell he was still simmering, though at what exactly, I didn’t
know.
Dennis cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “Let’s just enjoy dinner. We haven’t had you here in weeks, and I don’t intend to have a somber mood tonight.”
The twins grinned, and soon the table erupted in chatter–mostly Gage asking a million. questions about anything and everything to everyone that was at the table, and Arlo making jokes that only he thought were funny. I laughed along with them, trying to ignore the tension that hung over Asher like a cloud.
After the main course, Asher’s mother suggested dessert in the living room. The twins practically dragged me there, eager to show me a board game they’d been dying to play. I sat on the plush rug with them, gingerly moving and keeping an eye on Asher, who stood in the corner, silent.
“Come on, slowpoke! Roll the dice!” Gage demanded, shaking the box in front of me.
I smiled weakly and reached for the dice, but my thoughts kept drifting. Asher was watching me, jaw clenched, fingers tapping against his leg. I knew that look. He was angry–but not at me. Something else was bothering him, something that had nothing to do with the laughter and light of the room.
Finally, he couldn’t hold it anymore. “I need to talk to you.” He said, his voice low and tense.
I followed him to the front porch, the cool evening air a sharp contrast to the warmth inside. The twins peered out the window, their whispers carrying faintly, curious and concerned, but they didn’t come after us. So Asher hit the window, warning them to back off immediately.
Asher stood silent for a moment, hands buried in his pockets, jaw tight. His amber eyes burned into mine, and I felt a flicker of fear, not for myself, but for what he was about to say.
“It’s your parents.” He said finally, voice rough. “They… they’ve gone to the council.”
I froze, heart hammering. “The council?”
He nodded grimly. “They’re trying to have you arrested. For what happened with your brother.”
My stomach dropped. My abusive brother–the one who had kidnapped me, who had planned to kill me–was gone. And now my own parents were using that against me, dragging me into
the law of the werewolves as if I were the criminal.
“I… I don’t understand.” I whispered. “He tried to kill me. I had no choice. They… they can’t-”
2/1
< CHAPTER 54
+25 Points
“They can, legally.” Asher said, fists clenching at his sides. “If the council believes them, they can detain you. And knowing your parents…” His voice dropped to a harsh whisper. “They want you gone. They want to punish you.”
“When did all of this happen?” I asked, confused.
“Dad got the call this afternoon. After his confrontation with Leo outside.” Asher admitted.
The wind rustled through the trees, cold and insistent, and I shivered–not from the chill, but from the realization that the people I had trusted most, who turned into my tormentors, were about to turn my life upside down…again.
“I won’t let them.” Asher said suddenly, stepping closer. His hand hovered near mine, but he didn’t touch me, not yet. “I swear I won’t let them hurt you. Not now, not ever. You’re mine, and no council, no pack, no law will change that.”
I wanted to believe him with every fiber of my being. I wanted to lean into him, to let the warmth of his presence chase away the fear.
“I… I don’t know what to do.” I admitted, voice breaking.
Asher’s jaw tightened, his frustration palpable. “We’ll figure it out. I’ll handle your parents. But right now, you need to rest. You’re still injured, and we don’t know how quickly they’ll move.”
nodded silently, feeling both relief and dread. The twins‘ laughter echoed faintly from inside, a cruel reminder that life could still be light, even when everything else threatened to collapse.
As we walked back to the living room, the tension between us remained, thick and suffocating. The twins immediately bombarded me with questions, oblivious to the storm gathering outside the walls of our packhouse.
I tried to smile, tried to laugh along, but my mind kept drifting to my parents, to the council, to the terrifying possibility of being taken away from everything I had finally started to call home. Every bite of food felt distant, every laugh from the twins a hollow echo, and I couldn’t shake the knot of worry tightening in my chest. Dinner had been a sanctuary, the twins a brief reprieve, but now the night had turned into something darker, something I couldn’t escape, no
matter how hard I tried.
And as I settled into a chair, bandaged shoulder propped carefully, I knew that nothing would ever be the same. Not the packhouse. Not Asher. Not me.
Because outside, in the shadows of the werewolf world, my parents were moving against me. And soon, their actions would force a confrontation I wasn’t sure I was ready to face.
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)
