Elara stood in the middle of the clearing, her laughter echoing off the tall pines that surrounded the Moonlight Pack's gathering grounds. Sunlight streamed through the canopy above, dappling her golden hair and giving her an almost ethereal glow. She wore a simple pale-blue tunic that clung to her form, the fabric rippling as a gentle breeze kissed her skin. Across from her stood Alpha Kael of the Stormridge Pack, tall, rugged, with an easy smile that made his eyes crinkle at the corners.
Dominic saw them from the edge of the forest, his arms crossed and his jaw clenched so tightly that his teeth ached. He didn't move, not at first. He simply watched.
Kael leaned in slightly, whispering something that made Elara laugh again—a light, melodic sound that twisted something deep in Dominic's gut. She wasn't usually so open. Not with strangers. Certainly not with other Alphas.
Especially not with ones who wore smiles like weapons and looked at her like she was already conquered.
Dominic stepped forward.
He didn't know why his feet moved without his permission, or why the sight of her hand resting lightly on Kael's forearm made his wolf snarl internally. He just knew he couldn't stand there and let it continue.
"Kael," Dominic called, his voice sharp enough to cut bark from trees.
The other Alpha turned, still smiling, though his gaze narrowed slightly. "Dominic," he said. "Good to see you. I was just getting to know Elara."
Elara turned as well, her smile softening when she saw Dominic. "Hey," she said casually, like nothing was wrong. Like the ice between them hadn't started cracking.
He came to stand beside her, far too close to be interpreted as platonic. "She's part of my pack. I'll handle any introductions from here on out."
Kael raised an eyebrow, his tone mocking. "Didn't realize she needed a chaperone."
"She doesn't," Elara said quickly, stepping slightly between them. "Dominic, Kael was just asking about the joint patrol system we've been testing."
"I'm aware," Dominic said coolly. "He could have spoken to me."
"But I didn't want to," Kael replied, his voice still friendly but edged with steel. "Elara explained it perfectly. She has a sharp mind—why not hear it from the source?"
Dominic's fists clenched at his sides.
Elara's brows furrowed. "What's going on with you?"
"Nothing," Dominic lied. "Just making sure our guests understand boundaries."
"I think we understand each other just fine," Kael said, giving Elara a wink before turning to leave. "Pleasure, Elara."
Once he disappeared into the woods, Dominic exhaled sharply, trying to steady himself. The conversation had left a sour taste in his mouth.
Elara rounded on him. "What the hell was that?"
"I didn't like the way he was looking at you."
Her eyes widened. "What does that have to do with anything? I'm allowed to talk to people, Dominic."
"You're not just talking," he snapped, then immediately regretted it. "He was flirting with you."
"So?" Her tone turned defensive. "I didn't flirt back. And even if I did, that's my decision."
He ran a hand through his hair. "You don't understand, Elara. Kael doesn't talk to people unless he wants something. He's not trustworthy."
"And you think I can't handle myself?"
"That's not what I'm saying."
"It sure as hell sounds like it," she said, arms crossing her chest. "I'm not your possession, Dominic."
"I know that."
"Do you?" she asked, stepping closer, eyes flashing. "Because the way you just acted suggests otherwise."
"I—" He stopped himself. He didn't have the words. Not yet. All he had was the burning jealousy that had gripped him the second Kael made Elara smile.
"I don't know why you care so much," she muttered, brushing past him.
He grabbed her wrist—not hard, just enough to stop her. "I care because you matter to me."
She looked down at his hand and then into his eyes. "But I'm not yours."
His grip loosened instantly. "I know."
And then she was gone.
That night, Dominic stood in the shadows of the council lodge, watching the firelight dance across the walls. The alphas from neighboring packs had gathered, sharing plans, resources, and news of the rogues gathering in the east. Elara sat across the room, laughing again—this time with Alpha Mira from the Blazewind Pack. There was nothing flirtatious about their interaction, but still, Dominic felt that same pang in his chest.
He hated it.
Hated the way his mood depended on her smile. Hated that his wolf paced in his mind every time someone else made her laugh. Hated that for all his power, for all his strength as Alpha, he was utterly vulnerable where she was concerned.
They hadn't even defined what they were.
She was part of his pack, yes. A strong warrior, a brilliant strategist, someone he trusted with his life. But beyond that... everything was murky.
They'd danced around the tension for months now. Fleeting touches, late-night conversations that lingered too long, glances that said more than words ever could. But nothing had been said aloud.
And now Kael had shown up, charming, easy, interested.
Dominic's wolf growled.
Later, Elara found him outside near the cliff's edge, where the land dropped off into darkness and stars spilled across the sky like shattered glass.
"You always brood out here when you're upset?" she asked softly.
He didn't turn. "Helps me think."
She stepped beside him. "You were jealous."
Silence.
"I'm not blind, Dominic. You practically ripped Kael's head off."
"I didn't like the way he looked at you."
"So you said. Still doesn't give you the right to control who I talk to."
"I wasn't trying to control you."
She arched a brow. "Then what was it?"
He finally turned, eyes darker than the sky. "I don't want anyone else claiming what I haven't had the courage to."
The air stilled between them.
"You haven't said anything, Dominic. For months. You look at me like I'm the moon itself, but then you act like we're just comrades. You can't have it both ways."
"I know."
"Then say it," she whispered. "Or let me go."
He reached for her hand, this time not to stop her—but to hold.
"Elara, you drive me insane. You're fierce and brilliant and stubborn and... every time someone else gets near you, I feel like I'm drowning."
She stared at him, heart thundering.
"You have every right to be free, to make your own choices. But I can't pretend anymore that watching you with someone else doesn't hurt."
A long pause.
"You're not the only one hurting," she said quietly.
He blinked. "What?"
"You think I haven't noticed the way you pull back every time things get too close? You think I haven't waited for you to say something—anything—for weeks? You're the Alpha, Dominic. But in this... you've been a coward."
That word hit harder than a punch.
"I know," he said, voice low. "I've been afraid. Of messing this up. Of losing you if I got too close."
"You're already losing me by staying silent."
The wind howled past them, cold and sharp.
"I want you," he said finally. "Not because I want to own you. But because you're the only one who sees me. The real me."
She stepped closer. "Then stop pushing me away."
They stood there for a long time, hands clasped, foreheads touching. For the first time in weeks, the silence between them wasn't heavy—it was sacred.
But the crack had already formed.
The next morning, Elara was quieter, more distant. She still did her duties, still attended briefings and helped with training, but something had shifted. Dominic saw it in the way she avoided his gaze, in the hesitation in her voice when she spoke his name.
He wanted to fix it, but didn't know how.
The moment with Kael had awakened something in him. A possessiveness he didn't like. A fear he didn't want to admit.
The truth was, Elara wasn't his. She'd never been. She was her own woman, her own force of nature. He couldn't cage her, couldn't tame her. And somewhere inside, he was terrified that if he truly opened up, she'd walk away.
So he hovered.
Close enough to protect. Too far to fully claim.
And that space between them grew.
At the monthly run, the pack shifted under the moonlight, racing through the forest in a wild blur of paws and howls. Elara, in wolf form, was radiant—her silver fur gleaming under the stars, her movements lithe and untamed.
Dominic kept pace beside her, but when Kael darted up on her other side, his wolf bristled again.
The three of them ran together for a while, but Dominic's jealousy burned like a wildfire.
When the run ended, and the wolves shifted back to human form near the lake, Elara turned to Dominic.
"This isn't sustainable."
"What isn't?"
"You. Me. This tension. I need clarity."
He hesitated. "I want you."
"But do you respect me?"
His eyes narrowed. "Of course I do."
"Then let me be who I am. Don't bristle every time someone else sees my worth."
He exhaled. "You're right. I'm sorry."
She softened. "I need a partner, Dominic. Not a warden."
"I'll do better."
"Promise?"
He nodded. "Promise."
It wasn't a declaration. It wasn't a fairy tale. It was a start.
But deep down, both of them knew the ice had cracked. And cracks, once made, were hard to seal.
Time would tell if they healed—or shattered.