Chapter 54 54
ARIELLE'S POV
I expected a fight – a brutal, messy clash. But it wasn’t a fight. It was a lesson.
Logan, in his half-shifted, furious state, lunged again. He barely got a swipe in before the hooded figure moved. It wasn’t a dodge; it was a simple, effortless redirection. A hand caught Logan’s wrist, twisted, and used his own momentum to send him crashing into another tree trunk. The impact shook leaves loose in a gentle rain.
Logan pushed himself up, shaking his head. A low, guttural growl rumbled from his chest as he turned fully, his wolf now ascendant. Fur rippled over his arms, his face elongated into a snarling muzzle. He was a terrifying sight of primal rage.
I gulped, frozen. I watched him coil, ready to tear the silent intruder to bloody pieces.
The stranger just watched. There was a strange, unnerving calmness to his posture. He didn’t brace, didn’t shift into a fighting stance. He just stood there, a dark, still shadow.
Logan launched himself with a roar that tore through the quiet path. This time, he got closer. I saw his jaws snap, aiming for the stranger’s arm. I think he bit down.
But the stranger barely moved. There was no cry of pain, no jerk of agony. Instead, there was a single, sharp crack of impact. The stranger’s other hand—his fist—shot out in a short, brutal arc. It connected with Logan’s jaw with a sound like breaking stone.
Logan’s wolf form didn’t just stagger; it was flung backward as if hit by a truck. He slid across the leaf-littered ground, brushing through bushes and skidding to a stop against the thick bark of a massive oak, where he lay, dazed and whimpering.
The stranger started walking toward him, his steps slow and deliberate.
That was enough for Logan. The fight, the rage, it all evaporated, replaced by pure, animal instinct for survival. He just managed to scramble onto his feet, his wolf form already receding in his panic, and without a backward glance, he turned and ran, crashing through the undergrowth until the sound of his retreat faded into the distance.
I was astounded. My legs felt weak. I pushed myself up from where I’d been crouching, my heart hammering against my ribs. I took a hesitant step toward the hooded figure, my curiosity overpowering my fear.
Who was he? I needed to see his face, to thank him, to understand his intervention if possible.
But I stopped after two steps. He didn’t turn around. He just moved his neck slightly, a subtle tilt of his head that indicated he was looking over his shoulder… right at me. It felt like a friendly look. A warning, perhaps.
A sudden, sharp caw from a crow in a nearby tree distracted me for a second. I glanced up, startled by the sound.
When I looked back, I heard a soft whoosh of displaced air.
He was gone.
Just… gone. Vanished into the shadows of the trees as if he’d never been there. No footsteps, no rustle of leaves. He’d disappeared before I could even whisper a thank you.
Who was it?
The figure had definitely been masculine, tall, and broad-shouldered. Could it have been an enemy? A rogue? No, rogues didn’t help.
Maybe… maybe it was one of the Gammas? Had my mother, despite her harshness, secretly ordered someone to tail me, to watch over me? The thought was unsettling but strangely plausible.
I didn’t waste another moment. With Logan gone and my mysterious savior vanished, the quiet path felt suddenly menacing.
I turned and rushed off, not stopping until I’d flagged down a taxi on a busier road, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps.
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I arrived at the Dead Moon Pack territory still not quite having caught my breath, my nerves still jangling from the encounter. I stepped into the manicured grounds surrounding the sleek packhouse, my steps hurried.
A Gamma I didn’t recognize stood sentry near the front steps.
I approached him, trying to sound calm and official. “I’m here to see Aes—I mean, Alpha Aeson,” I quickly rephrased, not wanting a lecture about respect.
The Gamma looked at me, his expression neutral. “He’s not around.”
“Huh?” I squinted, confused.
His mouth opened, maybe to give a clearer answer or ask who I was, but then his eyes trailed to something behind me. They moved vertically, tracking something up high, like he was chasing a shadow across the sky.
Amidst that, I heard it—a distant, internal rumble, like far-off thunder, followed by the faint, tinkling sound of breaking glass. It came from the direction of the house.
I wanted to turn and look, but the Gamma’s words stopped me. “Um,” he said, his attention snapping back to me, his demeanor shifting slightly. “You can just wait for him inside. I think… he’s around.” He gestured vaguely toward the massive front door.
I blinked. First, he wasn’t around, and now he thinks he is? Great. Clear as mud. But I wasn’t going to stand out here. “Thank you,” I muttered and walked up the steps, pushing the heavy door open.
The vast, cool interior of the living room was silent and empty. No sign of him reading a gore-filled book in his armchair. Disappointment, mixed with a weird relief, flickered through me. I guess I have to wait.
Then…