Chapter 36

Chapter 36
Elara's POV

I walked beside Ethan down the quiet street, my sneakers scuffing against the pavement. Neither of us spoke. The silence pressed down like a physical weight.

The streetlights cast long shadows across the sidewalk. I kept my eyes forward, but I could feel Ethan watching me. His hands were shoved deep in his pockets, shoulders tight.

My mind raced through possible explanations. If he asked about the changes in me—the sudden confidence, the way I'd stood up to the Goldmans—what could I say that wouldn't sound insane?

Sorry, Ethan, but your sister died and I'm actually a dead Alpha from Canada who took over her body. Want to grab ice cream?

Yeah. That would go over well.

I glanced at his profile. His jaw was clenched, a muscle ticking in his cheek. His hands had curled into fists inside his pockets.

Something twisted in my chest. Guilt, maybe. Or fear. I'd never had someone worry about me like this before. In my past life, concern meant weakness. Attachment meant vulnerability.

But this was different. This was family.

The thought made my throat tight.

We turned onto a narrow path that led down toward the river. Trees lined both sides, their branches creating a canopy overhead. The sound of running water grew louder.

Ethan stopped abruptly and turned to face me.

"Elara." His voice was rough. "Tell me the truth. What's going on with you?"

I met his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Don't." He stepped closer. "Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. You've changed. You're... different."

"People change," I said carefully.

"Not like this." His voice rose slightly. "You used to avoid conflict at all costs. Now you're standing up to the Goldmans. Challenging Sophia. You look at people like you're... like you're calculating how to take them down."

My heart rate spiked. Had I been that obvious?

"You used to be scared of everything," Ethan continued. "Now you act like nothing scares you. Like you've seen worse things than anything this town could throw at you."

I forced myself to keep breathing steadily. "I'm just tired of being pushed around."

"It's more than that." He was staring at me now, really staring. "It's like you're wearing Elara's face but you're someone else underneath."

The words hit like a punch to the gut.

For a second, I almost told him. Almost let the whole truth spill out—the death, the soul transfer, Lynette, all of it.

But I couldn't. Because what if he rejected me? What if he looked at me with fear or disgust instead of love?

I couldn't lose this family. Not when I'd just found them.

"Ethan." I kept my voice soft, let it shake slightly. "I'm still me. I'm just... trying to be stronger. Is that so wrong?"

His expression wavered. For a long moment, he just stared at me, and I could see him trying to decide whether to believe me.

Then his jaw tightened. "I don't buy it. Not completely."

My stomach dropped.

"You want me to think this is just about standing up for yourself?" He shook his head. "Elara, I've watched you your whole life. I know what you look like when you're trying to be brave. This isn't that."

He stepped closer, and I forced myself not to back away.

"This is something else," he said quietly. "Something I don't understand. You move differently. You talk differently. Sometimes when you look at me, it's like you're seeing a stranger."

My throat went dry. He was too close to the truth.

"But here's the thing." Ethan's voice softened. "I don't care."

I blinked. "What?"

"Whatever happened to you—whatever's going on that you won't tell me—I don't care." He reached out and gripped my shoulders. "You're still my sister. Maybe you've changed. Maybe something changed you. But you're still here, and you're still fighting, and that's enough for me."

The conviction in his voice made my chest ache.

"I'm not going to push you for answers you're not ready to give," he continued. "But don't mistake that for me being stupid. I know something's wrong. I know you're hiding things from me."

He pulled me into his arms then, holding me tight enough that I could barely breathe.

"So here's the deal," he said against my hair. "You don't have to tell me everything. But you don't get to shut me out completely either. You're in some kind of trouble—I can see it. And whether you like it or not, I'm going to help you."

I stood frozen in his embrace, my mind racing. He knew. Maybe not the specifics, but he knew enough to be dangerous.

And instead of demanding the truth, he was choosing to trust me anyway.

"If you need help, you ask," Ethan said firmly. "You don't try to handle everything alone. Got it?"

I managed a nod against his chest.

"Say it."

"I got it," I whispered.

He pulled back, studying my face with those sharp amber eyes. "I mean it, Elara. Whatever you're planning—and I know you're planning something—you don't do it alone."

"Okay."

"Promise me."

The word stuck in my throat. Because promising meant lying, and I was already drowning in lies.

But I said it anyway. "I promise."

Ethan didn't look entirely convinced, but he nodded. "Good."

Something hot and sharp lodged in my throat.

"If anyone's giving you trouble, you tell me. I'll handle it." His arms tightened slightly. "You don't have to face anything alone."

I stood there, frozen, trying to process what I was feeling. This warmth in my chest—was it Elara's residual emotions? Or something new?

I didn't know. And that terrified me more than any enemy I'd ever faced.

Ethan pulled back, studying my face. Then he smiled slightly. "Come on. I want to show you something."

He stepped away, rolling his shoulders. I watched, confused, as he started to strip off his jacket.

"Ethan, what are you—"

The shift happened fast. Bones cracked and reformed. Fur rippled across his skin. His body contorted, growing, changing.

Within seconds, a massive gray wolf stood where my brother had been.

I stared. I'd known he could shift, obviously. I'd seen wolves before. But seeing Ethan transform, seeing the human I knew become this powerful predator—it still hit different.

The wolf padded toward me. His eyes were still Ethan's eyes—amber and warm. He lowered his head, nudging my hand with his nose.

I touched his fur carefully. It was softer than I expected.

He made a low sound in his throat, then crouched down, clearly inviting me to climb on.

I hesitated. In my past life, I would have been the one in wolf form, carrying others. Being the passenger felt wrong.

But I grabbed hold of his fur and pulled myself onto his back anyway.

The moment I was settled, Ethan took off.

Wind whipped past my face. Trees blurred into streaks of shadow. The ground disappeared beneath us as Ethan ran, faster than any human could move.

I gripped his fur tighter, my heart pounding—not from fear, but from exhilaration.

This. This feeling of speed and freedom and raw power. I'd missed it so damn much.

For a few precious minutes, I let myself forget about Kael and the dawn meeting. Forgot about Derrick and his blood money. Forgot about the rogues and the Wild Hunt and all the impossible choices ahead.

I just held on and let Ethan run.

He carried me through the forest, weaving between trees with practiced ease. Eventually, the sound of rushing water grew louder.

We burst into a small clearing. A waterfall cascaded down a rocky cliff face, moonlight turning the spray into silver mist. The pool at the base was dark and still.

Ethan slowed to a stop. I slid off his back and he shifted back to human form, slightly breathless.

"I used to bring you here when you were little," he said, pulling his jacket back on. "When you were upset about something. You probably don't remember."

But I did. Or rather, Elara did. A fragment of memory surfaced—being small, crying about something, and Ethan carrying her on his back through these same woods.

"You were always trying to cheer me up," I said quietly.

"Yeah." He looked at the waterfall. "You were such a sad kid sometimes. Like you were carrying weight you shouldn't have to carry."

My chest tightened.

"I couldn't fix most of it," Ethan continued. "Mom and Dad being exiled. The other kids at school. Your health issues." He turned to me. "But I could bring you here. Make you smile for a little while."

I didn't know what to say.

"Whatever you're going through now," he said, "whatever's making you change—you don't have to tell me. But I need you to know I'm here. Always."

The sincerity in his voice nearly broke me.

I thought about tomorrow. About facing Kael at dawn.

About all the lies I'd told and would keep telling.

"Ethan." I met his eyes. "I promise I'll be careful. I'll protect myself. And I'll protect you guys too."

It was the only honest thing I could give him.

He smiled and ruffled my hair like I was still a kid. "Good. Because if you get yourself killed, I'm going to be really pissed."

Despite everything, I almost laughed.

We stood there for a while, listening to the waterfall. The peace wouldn't last—I knew that. Tomorrow would bring new dangers, new choices I didn't want to make.

But for now, in this moment, I let myself pretend I was just a normal girl with a protective older brother.

Let myself pretend I belonged here.

Even though I knew I didn't.