Chapter 3
Ethan’s POV
I stood at the edge of Shadow Fang’s training grounds, my gaze fixed on the distant mountains. The early autumn wind carried the scent of pine and wild herbs, but my mind was elsewhere, drifting back to that night six years ago.
The Mountain View Resort. I rarely allowed myself to lose control, but that night was different. Our pack had just suffered a brutal wild wolf attack, leaving three of our youngest members dead. The whiskey burned going down, each glass helping to dull the edge of failure that cut deeper than any physical wound. As the future alpha, every loss felt personal.
My memories of that night were fragmented, distorted by alcohol and grief. I remember stumbling down a hallway, the world tilting beneath my feet. An unlocked door. And then… her.
–
Even now, six years later, the memory of her scent made my wolf stir restlessly. It was unlike anything I’d encountered before subtle yet intoxicating, like moonlight given form. But what struck me most was the complete absence of any werewolf markers. No pack scent, no wolf energy. Just that haunting, ethereal presence that called to something deep within me.
“It doesn’t make sense,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. As an alpha heir, I’d been trained since childhood to identify pack affiliations through scent alone. Every werewolf carried distinct markers their personal signature layered with their pack’s collective identity. But that night, it was as if I’d encountered a ghost.
—
The physical memories were seared into my bones – the softness of her skin, the way she fit perfectly against me, as if we’d been carved from the same stone. But in the harsh light of morning, I’d been called away by an emergency at the pack house. In my haste, I’d left behind my silver wolf fang pendant, hoping it would lead me back to her.
Six years of searching, and nothing. My beta David had coordinated discrete inquiries throughout the werewolf territories, but the pendant seemed to have vanished along with its mysterious owner. Meanwhile, my mother – our current Luna grew increasingly insistent about my obligations to the pack.
–
“The alliance with Silver Moon must be honored, she’d remind me at every opportunity. “Olivia gave her life to save yours. The least we can do is fulfill our promise.”
Olivia. The memory of Silver Moon’s former Luna still brought a wave of guilt. She’d died protecting me during that wild wolf attack, throwing herself between me and the savage beast without hesitation. In the aftermath of her sacrifice, our packs had formalized an arrangement – I would take her daughter Aria as my Luna when I assumed the alpha position.
A practical solution, tidily binding our packs together. There was just one problem: I’d never even met this Aria. And how could I pledge myself to a stranger when every fiber of my being yearned for the woman from that night?
Alpha heir. David’s voice cut through my brooding. I turned to find my beta approaching with an urgency that made my wolf take notice.
“What is it?”
“We’ve found something about the pendant.” He held out a manila folder. It was sold to an antique shop three months ago. We’ve tracked down the seller.”
My fingers tightened on the folder, years of frustrated searching crystallizing into this moment. Inside was a grainy security camera photo and an address. After six years of dead ends, finally a real lead.
–
“Who sold it?” My voice was rougher than intended, betraying the emotions I usually kept carefully controlled.
“A woman named Emma Laurent. David’s tone remained neutral, but I caught the slight hesitation. “She’s… currently working as a liaison for the Werewolf Alliance training program.”
The same program I was supposed to be focusing on, rather than chasing ghosts from my past. But I was too close to answers to back down now.
‘I’m going to find her,” I said, already calculating how to approach this without revealing too much. “And David, Keep this between us.”
My beta nodded, understanding the unspoken message. If word got back to my mother that I was still pursuing the mystery woman instead of preparing to honor our arrangement with
Silver Moon…
I turned back to the mountains, their snow–capped peaks catching the morning light. Six years of searching, of fighting the inexplicable pull toward a woman who might not even exist anymore. Logic said I should let it go, focus on my duties, meet this Aria and fulfill my pack’s obligation.
But every time I closed my eyes, I could still feel her – that perfect moment when everything in my world aligned, only to slip away with the dawn. And now, finally, I had a chance to find her again.
The folder in my hands held more than just information. It held the possibility of answers, of understanding why that night had branded itself so deeply into my soul. And maybe, just maybe, it held the key to finding her.
“Soon,” I whispered to the mountains, to my restless wolf, to the memory that haunted my dreams. “Soon and finally, I’ll find you.”
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