Chapter 183
Ellie's POV
I found Ethan an hour later at Pine Trail, exactly where Jackson's tracking app said he'd be. The nature path was deserted this time of evening—too cold for casual hikers, too late for joggers. Perfect for a panicked lone wolf trying to think.
He heard me coming. Of course he did.
"You need to leave me alone." Ethan didn't turn around, but his shoulders were rigid, his hands clenched at his sides. "I don't want to join your pack. I don't want an Alpha. I just want to be left alone."
"I know." I kept my distance, hands visible and empty. "I know exactly how that feels."
"You don't—" He spun around, and oh, there it was. The same gold flash I'd seen in my own reflection. "You have no idea what it's like."
"I was alone for eighteen years," I said quietly. "Except for my parents and Lucas. I thought I was the only one our age. The only one who had to fake being sick every full moon, who couldn't wear silver jewelry, who heard every whispered conversation in a hundred-foot radius whether I wanted to or not."
Something flickered in his expression.
"I thought I was a freak," I continued. "A monster. Something that had to be hidden and managed and never, ever let out." My voice cracked slightly—not an act. The memory still hurt. "So yeah, Ethan. I think I have some idea."
"Then you know why I ran." His eyes were wet now. "Every time I've trusted someone, every time I've thought maybe I wasn't alone—" He broke off, pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes. "My parents died when I was fifteen. 'Car accident,' they said. But I know better. Someone found out what we were."
Oh, kid.
"I'm not asking you to trust me," I said gently. "Not yet. I'm just asking you to listen."
"To what? Another promise that this time it'll be different? That this pack won't treat me like property, won't try to force me into some hierarchy, won't—"
"We don't have a pack." Jackson's voice came from the tree line, calm and clear. He'd been waiting, letting me take the lead, but now he stepped into view. "We have a network. Anonymous or not—that's your choice. Voluntary. No Alpha commands. No forced loyalty. You keep your freedom—all of it."
Ethan's eyes widened as he registered Jackson's presence. Then wider as he felt the Alpha bloodline underneath.
"My parents were Alpha and Luna of a major pack," Jackson continued, stopping a respectful distance away. "They were murdered by their own family for trying to change the system. So trust me when I say—I despise the traditional pack structure as much as you do."
"Then what do you want from me?" Ethan's voice was small now, exhausted.
I pulled out my phone, opened the darknet interface. "To show you that you're not alone. That there are others like us—young, scared, just trying to survive—and that maybe, maybe, we're stronger if we can at least talk to each other. Safely. On our own terms."
He stared at the screen, then at me, then at Jackson. "How do I know it's real? How do I know this isn't just another trap?"
"Come back to our place," I said. "Let us show you how it works. If you don't like it, you walk away. No strings, no obligations. I swear on my life."
The silence stretched. I could feel Thalia pressing against my consciousness, urging me to protect this frightened cub. To bring him home.
Finally, Ethan whispered: "Okay. Show me."
---
The safe house felt warmer with three of us crowded around my laptop. Ethan perched on the edge of the couch like he might need to run any second, but at least he was here.
"Registration takes thirty seconds." I pulled up the interface. "You create an ID—whatever username you want. The system verifies you're actually a werewolf through biometric markers we can't fake: heart rate variability under stress, pupil response to simulated moonlight, energy signature pattern." I demonstrated on my own profile. "It never asks for your real name, address, phone number, nothing traceable."
Ethan leaned forward despite himself. "How does it know I'm not lying about being a wolf?"
"Zero-knowledge proof." Jackson moved to stand behind me, his presence reassuring. "The system can verify you meet the criteria without actually seeing the data. Like proving you're over nineteen without showing your birthdate."
I pulled up the features list. "Once you're in: full moon countdown timers, safe shift location sharing—we've already mapped Pine Trail, parts of Yellowstone, anywhere humans won't stumble across us. Emergency broadcast if you're in danger. Encrypted messaging with auto-destruct timers you control. And—" I clicked to the support channel "—anonymous emotional support. No judgment. No hierarchy. Just wolves helping wolves."
"Can I really leave anytime?" His voice was barely audible.
"One click." I showed him the account deletion button. "All your data gets wiped. The system forgets you existed. You go back to being alone, if that's what you need."
Miles's face appeared on my screen via encrypted video call. Ethan flinched, but Miles just offered a tired smile. "Ethan Rodriguez, I'm guessing. I'm Miles Wilson—Jackson's uncle." He paused, glancing at me briefly. "Ellie hasn't formally joined Martinez Pack yet, but we all agreed that having an established pack vouch for this network would give it credibility."
"To be clear," Jackson added, his hand resting on my shoulder, "this network doesn't belong to Martinez Pack or any single pack. But having a recognized council say 'yes, this is legitimate and safe'—that matters. Especially for lone wolves who've learned the hard way to question everything."
Miles nodded. "The Martinez Council has reviewed the security protocols and the governance structure. This is the first time in centuries we've had technology that can connect wolves across territories without creating another power hierarchy. You're not joining our pack, Ethan. You're joining a movement that exists between packs—for everyone who needs it."
Before Ethan could respond, someone knocked on the door. Jackson's whole body went tense.