Chapter 61 61
LOIS
My legs tremble; it’s the first time I’ve stayed in this form for so long. The cabin is only a few meters away, and above us, the moon casts its light.
Emmanuel’s fur definitely glows. He seems to be asleep, so I stand, almost staggering.
It must be close to dawn.
Twigs crunch under my paws with each step.
It feels right—everything feels right. Nature surrounds me, and it’s the first time I’ve ever felt free to be myself. After all the pain I went through to reach this form, I don’t want to change back. I want to stay like this longer.
Omegas don’t have the freedom to shift whenever we want—not because we’re physically incapable, but because it’s not allowed. That makes every transformation more painful than the last. I knew it hurt, but I didn’t think it would be this intense. I’m small, but being like this gives me a kind of freedom I never appreciated before, because we’re never given the chance to experience it—not in our inferior position within the pack.
Emmanuel watched me as I prepared to take a walk in the middle of the night, wanting to enjoy my form as much as I could.
I started running as fast as I could, then I caught a familiar scent—two scents. My heart sped up when I couldn't identify them, only that I knew whoever it was... and they were getting closer.
Emmanuel sensed my unease through our bond, and before I could turn around, he was already behind me. His speed overwhelmed me; I had never seen anything like it.
Instinctively, I followed him. Emmanuel lowered his muzzle to the ground and sniffed, then let out a growl.
“Stay here and don’t move,” he ordered before taking off.
What was happening? Where was he going? He was getting farther away—I could feel it. I stepped back when I heard a sound, turned on my paws, and looked in that direction.
The branches kept cracking. Someone was here, but the scent was so faint I couldn’t tell if it was a forest animal or…
Emmanuel! I shouted in my mind, calling him.
Lois! His voice echoed in my head.
There’s someone here… I think, I warned him. My heartbeat was getting faster, much faster.
I stumbled backward and hit a tree. Every hair on my body was standing on end—I didn’t know if from fear or because I was ready to defend myself. Aidan had tried to teach me; I must have learned something.
From the darkness, five wolves emerged—large, huge, and among them was… an alpha. A very powerful alpha.
My body collapsed instantly, flattening against the ground as his presence crushed me. With a single growl from him, I couldn’t move. My body shifted painfully, dissolving into nothing until my human form lay naked, trembling, exposed before them.
The alpha stepped forward, his imposing presence making me shake even harder. Our eyes met, and a shiver ran down my spine. His gaze was cold, calculating, and I knew I was in danger.
I tried to speak, but my voice broke. Fear had me paralyzed.
Emmanuel! I screamed mentally, desperate.
The wolves approached, surrounding me. The alpha leaned down, sniffing me with curiosity. I knew I couldn’t defend myself—not like this. I was completely at his mercy.
And even if I had still been shifted… a fly like me wouldn’t have been able to so much as growl in the presence of this Alpha.
Emmanuel was close, but it didn’t soothe me. A deep growl shook the leaves, and some wolves stepped back. Emmanuel wasn’t alone—I could feel… I could feel Ezequiel.
A massive wolf leapt over everyone and landed over me. My mate. Mine. My alpha. My partner, Emmanuel.
I stopped trembling, feeling safe under him.
The one in front—he recognized Ezequiel.
What was he doing here? How did he get here? Were those first steps his?
“Don’t worry, you’re safe, Lois,” Emmanuel’s soft voice said in my mind, trying to calm me. And it was working—because I knew he would never let anything happen to me. “It’s my father,” Emmanuel added.
“Step aside!” a thunderous voice commanded. It had to be Emmanuel and Ezequiel’s father.
That Alpha… terrifying. That man was their father—for a reason his pack was the strongest, the largest, the most respected.
They had been hunting us ever since we escaped—that much was certain. And there was a punishment for running away.
“You deceived me!” That was Ezequiel, though I didn’t know what he meant. He was shouting at his father. Soon I heard pained howls. There was no fighting, no violent movement—just that wounded sound, a whimper of submission. Emmanuel didn’t move, didn’t react, and I realized the one suffering was Ezequiel. After all, his father was his Alpha; he couldn’t defy him.
I lifted my head, sadness spreading through me—pain, maybe from Emmanuel, watching his brother suffer, his twin. Both had been my partners once, and Ezequiel had been forced to give up our bond. But knowing he was hurting… it tore at me.
“Ezequiel!” I cried out, seeing him tremble, seeing him suffer for the first time. He began to whimper, and I tried to move toward him, but Emmanuel’s paw stopped me.
“Don’t move, Lois. This is very dangerous,” he told me.
“But they’re hurting Ezequiel!” I screamed.