Chapter 26 Chapter twenty -six
~Ellie~
I froze in the Cyprus’s cabin, my hands tightening around the edge of the wooden table as her words sank into me like ice water. She didn’t look at me with reproach, only calm, almost sad understanding, and it made my chest constrict.
“You’re playing with fire, Ellie,” she said softly. Her voice carried a weight I couldn’t ignore, even if I wanted to. “You think you can bury your feelings, pretend they don’t exist. But they’re there. They’re dangerous.”
I blinked at her, heart hammering, and forced a laugh I hoped sounded casual. “I… I don’t know what you mean.”
She studied me for a long moment, the quiet in the room thick enough to strangle me. “Ellie,” she murmured, leaning forward slightly, “don’t lie to me. You care for him. And it’s not just admiration or loyalty. It’s—”
I cut her off, shaking my head. “No. I mean… it’s just complicated. You don’t understand. I’m… confused.”
Her eyes narrowed gently, and she shook her head as though I had failed some invisible test. “Confused isn’t an excuse. You can’t pretend that a wolf’s heart is neutral. You’re hurting yourself by pretending you don’t feel.”
I wanted to argue, wanted to insist I didn’t know what she was talking about. But guilt flooded me, a heavy, twisting thing that lodged itself in my stomach. I couldn’t deny it. I couldn’t deny how every time Sylvia’s voice cut through the night air, my pulse jumped. How every brush of her hand against mine made my chest ache and my thoughts scatter. Every stolen glance, every smile—God, I couldn’t stop thinking about him.
I swallowed hard, looking away. My fingers dug into the edge of the table. I wanted to be braver, to tell the Cyprus she was wrong, to convince myself I was safe, that this was nothing. But deep down, I knew better.
“I… I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do,” I whispered.
Cyprus’s gaze softened, but there was still a sharpness there, a warning. “Live carefully, Ellie. One misstep, and the pack, everybody will feel it. And you’ll feel it most of all.”
Before I could respond, voices erupted outside. Sharp, angry shouts that ripped through the calm of the cabin. My stomach sank. I knew that tone anywhere.
“I’ll handle this,” I murmured, more to myself than anyone else, and I bolted for the door.
The wind hit me as I stepped outside, sharp and cold against my skin. I squinted and saw them, Sylvia and Claus, faces flushed with rage, fists clenched, chests heaving. My stomach twisted painfully, not just from the fear of what might happen, but from a gnawing, confusing protectiveness I couldn’t explain.
“Stop!” I called out, my voice louder than I expected. The pack members nearby froze and watched as I pushed through the circle of tension, feeling the heat of anger radiating off both of them.
Sylvia’s eyes, usually calm and knowing, blazed with fury, and Claus’s jaw was tight, every muscle in his body screaming with the need to fight. My chest ached at the sight.
“What’s going on?” I demanded, stepping between them, ignoring the ache in my stomach. My hands hovered near them, not touching, just ready to separate if needed. “Claus, this is ridiculous!”
“I’m not going to let him get away with this!” Claus snapped, his voice sharp, high with tension. “he can’t just—”
“I can't what, Claus?” Sylvia shot back, his voice trembling with anger and something else I didn’t immediately recognize. “ I didn’t do anything wrong! You’re imagining things!”
I felt my stomach knot. This was bad. So bad. I had to stop this before someone got hurt. I took a deep breath and tried to keep my voice steady, even though my heart was hammering.
“Claus, enough!” I snapped, my hands finally pressing lightly against his chest. “You’re overreacting. Step back before you do something you’ll regret!”
He turned to me, his eyes flashing, and the anger in them shifted—just slightly, but enough to make me flinch. “And what, Ellie?” he spat. “You’re going to take his side now? Is that it? You always do, don’t you?”
I felt a sting of guilt mixed with frustration. “I’m not taking anyone’s side! I’m trying to stop a fight before it gets out of hand!”
“You’re lying!” Claus accused, his voice rising. “You don’t even see what’s happening. You never do!”
Sylvia stepped closer to me, his eyes flicking between Claus and me. His lips were pressed together, jaw tight. I could feel his tension through the air, like a tangible pulse, and my chest tightened again.
“It’s okay,” I said quietly, putting a hand gently on his arm. I meant to calm him, but it was just as much for me as for him. “We can sort this out. You don’t have to… fight him.”
“I.... didn't want to...” Sylvia’s voice broke, low and shaky, and I realized how raw he felt. His hands trembled slightly, but he didn’t move away. That made my heart lurch in a way that scared me.
Claus’s gaze dropped to me again, hot with anger and frustration. “You don’t get it,” he said, his voice quieter now but still sharp. “You never do. You always protect him. Even when he’s in the wrong, you protect him. And it’s… it’s not fair.”
I opened my mouth, wanting to argue, but the words caught in my throat. Not because he was right, but because it was true in a way I couldn’t deny. My loyalty, my heart, my confusion—I couldn’t untangle them.
“Claus…” I finally said, my voice trembling, “I’m not trying to take sides. I just… I don’t want either of you hurt.”
His fists dropped slightly, but his shoulders were still rigid, tense with the lingering heat of argument. “Then stop protecting him!” he snapped, voice cracking, full of frustration and hurt.
I flinched at the rawness in his tone, and I felt my chest squeeze with guilt. Protecting him… yes. I couldn’t deny it. Even if I wanted to, even if I tried to pretend I didn’t care, I couldn’t. And the realization made the ache in my stomach worse.
Sylvia stepped closer, brushing past me to face Claus, his voice low but firm. “Claus, you’re letting your anger cloud everything. I didn’t do anything to provoke this. Please...”
“Don’t tell me what to do!” he barked. He swung his arm out, almost too close to her, and I instinctively jumped in, pressing myself between them again. My hands gripped his chest lightly, keeping him from moving forward.
“Enough!” I yelled, my voice cracking despite my best effort. “Both of you! You are acting like children. This isn’t the way...”
“You don’t understand!” Claus shouted over me, his chest heaving. “You never do!”
I closed my eyes for a fraction of a second, taking a shaky breath. My heart was racing, and I could feel the heat of anger and fear in my veins. I opened them again and met his gaze, letting my voice carry the weight of everything I was feeling.
“I do understand!” I said, and my voice came out sharper than I intended. “I understand more than you think! But I can’t let either of you hurt each other over this! I can’t!”
Claus’s chest heaved, and his shoulders sagged slightly, but the tension in his body didn’t fully release. His eyes softened just a little, the fury still flickering behind them, but it was fading.
“You… you always take his side,” he muttered, voice quieter now, almost a whisper.
I didn’t answer. How could I? Because even if I tried, even if I tried to say I wasn’t, he would see the truth in my eyes. And I wasn’t ready for that.