🌙 Episode 40: Between the Fire and the Shadows
Lila's POV
The forest was too quiet after the fight. My lungs ached from running, but I didn't let go of Ethan's hand until we reached the abandoned cabin deep in the woods.
His body was trembling, blood streaked across his skin, his eyes still glowing faintly gold. I knew he was fighting the wolf, even now.
"Sit down," I whispered, pushing him gently toward the old bench by the hearth.
"I don't need—"
"Yes, you do."
His lips pressed tight, but he obeyed, sinking onto the bench. I found a rag, dipping it in the basin of cool water, and began wiping the blood from his arms.
For a long while, silence filled the cabin—thick, heavy, but not empty. Just… fragile.
Finally, he spoke, his voice low. "What Marcus said… about the past…"
I stilled, my hand hovering over his scarred skin. "You don't have to—"
"I do." His eyes lifted to mine, haunted but determined. "It's true. I lost control. She… she didn't survive me."
The rag trembled in my hand, but I forced myself to keep cleaning the blood. "And yet you still believe you're the same man you were then?"
His gaze faltered.
I touched his face, forcing him to look at me. "You're not. If you were, Marcus wouldn't need to break you to prove it. He'd already have won."
The bond pulsed warm between us, not burning this time but steady, grounding.
Without thinking, I leaned closer. And he didn't pull away.
His lips brushed mine, tentative, almost afraid. But the moment I kissed him back, his control broke in a different way—gentle, aching, desperate.
For once, there was no blood, no fear. Just us.
Ethan's POV
Her kiss was fire and mercy. My wolf quieted under her touch, as if even it recognized she was the only thing keeping us whole.
But peace never lasted. Not for me. Not for us.
The bond snapped tight, warning sharp as a blade. My head jerked toward the window just as the night shattered.
Glass exploded inward. A shadow crashed through—the scent of Marcus's wolves flooding the cabin.
Lila screamed as I shoved her behind me, claws already sliding free.
"Did you really think I'd give you time to breathe?" Marcus's voice rang from the doorway, smooth and cruel. He stepped into the cabin, slow, deliberate, as more wolves poured in behind him.
My wolf roared, surging forward. "You'll regret this."
Marcus's smile was cold. "On the contrary, Alpha. This is the night you finally lose her."
Lila's POV
Fear clawed at my chest, but I refused to shrink behind Ethan. Not this time. I grabbed the iron poker from beside the hearth, gripping it tight.
Marcus's gaze flicked to me, and he laughed softly. "Brave little human. Let's see how long your courage lasts."
The bond burned hot, fueling me with Ethan's strength. Whatever happened tonight, I wouldn't let Marcus break him. Not while I still had breath in my body.
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✨ End of Episode 40