Chapter 17
That night passed slowly.
Every creak in the house, every gust of wind tapping at the windows made my heart jump. I didn’t sleep. I just waited—curled under my blanket with my phone in my hand, hoping for a message from Ian.
None came.
Morning light finally seeped through the blinds, and with it came a knock at the door.
I froze.
“Ian?” I called out, cautiously.
No answer.
My heart thumped hard as I tiptoed toward the door, holding my breath. I checked through the peephole.
It was Abigail.
Relief washed over me as I flung the door open and pulled her into a hug.
“Whoa! You okay?” she asked, blinking in surprise. “You look like you haven’t slept in a year.”
“I didn’t,” I admitted. “Something’s going on. Ian said someone’s watching me. Someone dangerous.”
Abigail’s face went pale. “You’re serious?”
I nodded. “He told me to stay inside, lock everything. He left last night and… I haven’t heard from him since.”
She stepped in, closing the door behind her. “Okay. This is bad. But you’re not alone, alright? I’m here. We’ll figure it out.”
I nodded, but worry still gnawed at my insides. It wasn’t just the fear of being watched—it was the fear that something had happened to Ian.
“I need to find him,” I whispered.
“Ava,” Abigail said softly, “that boy would fight hell itself for you. If anything had happened to him, we’d know. The whole pack would be on alert.”
I wanted to believe that.
But hours passed.
Then the sun began to set again.
Still nothing.
That night, I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed answers. I threw on a hoodie and boots and slipped out of the house, my pulse racing with every step.
I followed the path Ian and I had walked through the woods, retracing the trail with a flashlight in hand. My breath came in visible puffs as the air turned colder. The silence was thick, eerie.
Then I heard it.
A low growl.
My flashlight swung wildly as I turned.
A shadow shifted between the trees. Something large. Not human.
Another growl—closer this time.
My legs refused to move. I couldn’t even scream.
And just as a dark shape leapt toward me from the shadows, a powerful blur crashed into it midair.
A wolf.
Massive. Black. Snarling.
Ian.
He landed on the rogue with a violent growl, fangs flashing, claws slashing. The fight was fast, brutal, and loud. Trees shook. Blood sprayed.
And then… silence.
The rogue was down.
Ian stood over it, panting, his fur matted and stained.
He turned to me, his eyes glowing in the dark, wild with fury… and something else.
Fear.
He shifted back to his human form in seconds, ignoring the cold.
He rushed to me, gripping my shoulders tightly. “Are you insane?! What are you doing out here?”
Tears spilled over my cheeks. “I had to find you.”
His face softened instantly, and he pulled me into his arms, holding me like I was the only thing keeping him standing.
“You could’ve died,” he whispered harshly. “I can’t lose you.”
And for the first time, I realized something terrifying and beautiful.
Ian wasn’t just protecting me.
He was afraid of losing me.