-Ember-
"Little wolf, baby, we have landed."
Adrian's gentle voice pulls me from my dreams, his warm breath tickling my ear. I open my eyes slowly, blinking away the haze of sleep to find his beautiful green eyes staring down at me, filled with a tenderness that makes my heart skip.
"Hm?" I mumble, still caught in that dreamy space between sleep and wakefulness.
Adrian smiles softly, his thumb brushing a strand of hair from my face. "It's time to go home."
Home. The word hits me with unexpected force. Home has always been Silver Moon—the cabin I shared with my mom, the woods where I ran with my friends. But now home is supposed to be somewhere I've never been, with people I don't know, and a mate I'm only beginning to understand.
I sit up, stretching my arms above my head. "Did I drool on you? Please tell me I didn't drool on you. That would be a terrible first impression as your mate."
Adrian chuckles, the sound warm and rich. "No drool. Though you do snore a little."
"I do not!" I gasp, playfully swatting his arm.
"Like a chainsaw," he teases, his eyes dancing with mischief. "I thought we were experiencing turbulence."
I narrow my eyes at him. "You're lucky you're pretty."
"So you think I'm pretty?" he asks, his voice dropping to that low register that makes my insides flutter.
"I think you're fishing for compliments," I counter, trying to ignore the heat rising to my cheeks.
Looking around the plane, I notice everyone else has already gotten off. The cabin is eerily quiet after the constant hum of the engines during flight.
Adrian helps me stand, his hand warm and steady in mine as he leads me off the plane. The night air hits me immediately—crisp, pine-scented, and unfamiliar. This is Dark Pine territory, Adrian's territory. My new territory.
Jamison is already loading our luggage into the back of a sleek black SUV while Asher manhandles a still-drugged Tanner into another vehicle. The sight of Tanner—slumped and defeated—sends a complicated mix of emotions through me: satisfaction, relief, and a lingering trace of fear that I hate myself for feeling.
"He can't hurt us anymore," Ivy reminds me. "He's nothing now. Pathetic."
We descend the steps of the plane, and Adrian guides me to where Oaklynn stands alone, her shoulders hunched, eyes fixed on the ground. Something about her posture screams vulnerability, and my protective instincts flare immediately.
"I'll be right back," Adrian murmurs, pressing a kiss to my temple before heading over to Asher.
I stand beside Oaklynn, bumping her shoulder gently with mine. "Where's Carter?" I whisper, scanning the tarmac. "He hasn't said anything to you, has he?"
Oaklynn shrugs but doesn't look up, her usual vibrant energy completely dimmed. "He stomped off that way." She points halfheartedly to her left.
"I don't think I like that guy," I say, narrowing my eyes in the direction she indicated.
"I'm sure he's not bad," Oaklynn replies, her voice lacking conviction. "Maybe just having a bad day."
I snort skeptically. "Yeah, and maybe I'm secretly a mermaid." I study her face carefully. "You know you can tell me if something's going on, right? I may be mated to the Alpha, but I'm still the same Ember."
I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone. It's almost midnight. Ainslee will be sleeping by now, but Stella should be doing her shift on the border. I decide to text both anyway and open our group chat.
Em:We have landed. Jamison is loading the luggage and then we will be heading to Dark Pine.
Not even 30 seconds after I hit send, my phone pings with a message.
Ains:Thanks for letting us know. We miss you guys so much already! Send us lots of pictures tomorrow!
Oak: Shouldn't you be sleeping right now?
Ains:Yep! But I'm worried mr. cranky-butt was being mean to you.
I look from my phone to Oaklynn, who's biting her lower lip anxiously. Her lips thin like she doesn't know what to say, and then her fingers fly across her screen.
Oak:I'm pretty sure mr. cranky-butt will be avoiding me at all costs.
Stel:My alphabetically organized body part removal service is available any time you need it. Either of you. Starting with appendages that rhyme with "halls."
I laugh out loud at that, the sound breaking the tension momentarily.
Em:Shouldn't you be guarding the border from rogues getting in?
Stel:If these guys can't handle a few seconds without me...we have bigger problems than my phone addiction. Besides, I'm multitasking. Just tackled a rogue while texting. No big deal.
Em:Sure you did.
Stel:Don't make me come over there and prove how badass I am.
Em: You'd have to find me first.
Stel:Challenge accepted. Sleep with one eye open, Oak.
"I miss them already," Ivy admits, surprising me with her sentimentality. "They're annoying, but they're our annoying."
"Me too," I whisper to Oaklynn. "It feels weird being without them."
Jamison slams the hatch down and dusts off his hands with dramatic flair. "All loaded and ready to go, Alpha!" he shouts over to Adrian.
Adrian walks back to us, placing his hand on my lower back in a gesture that feels both possessive and protective. "Okay," he says to Jamison. "You go with Asher and the prisoner. Carter will ride with me and the girls."
Carter materializes like he popped out of nowhere, his face hard as stone. "Absolutely not," he snaps, his tone cold enough to freeze fire. "I will go with Beta Asher."
The temperature around us seems to drop as Adrian's energy shifts, darkening dangerously. "That wasn't a suggestion, warrior," he says, his voice deceptively soft but laced with unmistakable authority. "You will be with me and help protect your Luna. Is that clear?"
"Oh, I like when he gets all Alpha," Ivy practically purrs. "Commanding. Powerful. Hot."
Carter's jaw clenches so hard I'm surprised his teeth don't crack. His nostrils flare as his eyes inadvertently drift to Oaklynn, then immediately snap away like the mere sight of her causes him physical pain. His breathing becomes shallow and rapid, the scent of barely contained rage mixed with something else—something raw and anguished—rolling off him in waves.
"With all due respect, Alpha," he grinds out, each word sounding like it physically pains him, "I don't believe I can be near... her." He can't even say Oaklynn's name, can't even look in her direction now, his body angled away from her like she's radioactive. "I can't do it. Not yet."
I glance at Oaklynn, who looks utterly confused and increasingly uncomfortable. She's never met Carter before today, yet he's acting like her mere existence is a personal affront to him.
"You have a problem with my friend?" I step forward, my protective instincts flaring. "Because I don't appreciate your attitude toward someone who's done absolutely nothing to you."
Carter's eyes flash gold, his control slipping. "You don't understand—"
"Enough!" Adrian's voice cracks like a whip, his Alpha command silencing Carter instantly. "Your personal feelings are irrelevant. Your Luna asked you a question. Answer it."
Carter's entire body trembles with the effort to contain himself. "No, Luna, I don't have a problem with your... friend." The word seems to cause him pain. "I have a problem with what she represents." His eyes dart to Oaklynn and away again, so quickly I almost miss it. "
Oaklynn shifts uncomfortably beside me, clearly having no idea why this stranger is reacting so strongly to her presence.
"I would rather have Jamison, if that's okay," I tell Adrian, my voice sweet but my eyes hard. "He's been extremely helpful and hasn't acted like my best friend is carrying the plague."
Adrian looks at me, his eyes softening immediately. "Whatever makes you more comfortable, little wolf." Then, to Carter: "Thank your Luna."
Carter's jaw flexes like he's chewing glass. "Thank you, Luna."
Jamison saunters over and throws his arm around Oaklynn's shoulders, flashing her a flirty smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Looks like you're with me, babe. I'll show you all the best spots in Dark Pine. Starting with my bedroom."
A growl—primal and furious—rips from Carter's throat, the sound so visceral it makes the hair on my arms stand up. His eyes glow fully gold now, fangs lengthening visibly, the shift threatening to take over. He lunges forward, grabbing Jamison by the throat and slamming him against the SUV with enough force to rock the vehicle.
"Touch her and I'll end you," he snarls, his voice barely human. "I'll tear your fucking throat out."
"CARTER!" Adrian roars, his Alpha voice vibrating with command. "STAND DOWN. NOW."
Jamison, to his credit, doesn't fight back, just raises his hands in surrender, his eyes wide with shock.
Carter releases Jamison slowly, his body still vibrating with rage. He looks at Oaklynn one last time, his expression a battlefield of fury, pain, and something that looks almost like desperate longing. "I can't do this," he whispers, more to himself than anyone else. "Not again."
Without another word, he stalks off and gets into Asher's SUV, slamming the door closed with enough force to rock the vehicle.
"Holy shit," I breathe, my heart racing. "What the hell was that?"
"Well," Jamison says hoarsely, rubbing his throat and staring after Carter with wide eyes, "I think I just figured out why Carter's been such a miserable bastard lately."
Adrian runs a hand through his hair, looking troubled. "I'm sorry about that," he says to Oaklynn. "Carter has been... dealing with some difficult things. It's not personal."
Oaklynn stares after Carter, her expression a mixture of confusion, concern, and something else I can't quite name. "It felt pretty personal," she says quietly.
"Let's get you home," Adrian says to me, his voice gentle as he guides me to the passenger's seat. His touch grounds me, reminding me that despite all the drama, I'm here for him—for us.
"Home," I repeat, testing the word. "I like the sound of that."
Adrian's eyes darken as he looks at me. "So do I, little wolf. So do I."
Everyone gets into the vehicles, and we start driving towards Dark Pine. In the back seat, Jamison is talking animatedly to Oaklynn, making her laugh with stories about pack members I've yet to meet. I'm relieved to see her mood lifting, the shadow that's been hanging over her since the strange encounter with Carter temporarily pushed aside.
"So," I say to Adrian, keeping my voice low, "what's the deal with Carter? Because that was not normal behavior."
Adrian glances at me, then back at the road. "It's not my story to tell."
"That's not an answer," I point out.
"No," he agrees, "it's not."
"You're infuriating, you know that?"
His lips quirk up in that half-smile that makes my heart race. "So I've been told."