Chapter 59 59
AIDAN
Night settled over the forest like a dark cloak, hiding secrets in every shadow cast between the trees. I was alone, with only the moon acting as my accomplice in this search. The collar burned against my skin—an unrelenting reminder of my connection to Lois. Ever since I left the university grounds, I felt the spell pushing me, dragging me toward wherever she was. Instead of following the direction my instincts pointed to, I took a route through the forests—neutral land between one pack and another—where my steps could go unnoticed.
It had been years since I moved through a forest like this. My father had always kept me under strict vigilance, making sure the collar did its job, keeping my true nature hidden. This object, which had been part of me for so long, now seemed eager to fuse not only with me but with Lois as well. From the moment I first met her, I knew something had changed.
What I felt wasn’t normal. I had never felt anything like this for anyone else.
I couldn’t understand how she had been so reckless, running off with Emmanuel. Didn’t she know that being found would mean severe consequences? Why take a risk like that? Those who ran never met a good end—and Emmanuel might survive whatever punishment they gave him, but Lois… she wouldn’t. And I would be the one to catch them. There was no doubt in my mind.
As I ran through the forest, branches whipped against my face, my feet barely touched the ground, and that feeling—an inexplicable pull—grew stronger with every step. After hours of relentless searching, a scent made me stop cold. Someone was in the forest. Probably a wolf. But who?
Who else was following the same trail I was?
I considered turning back, but before I could decide, a figure emerged with supernatural speed and lunged toward me. In an instant, a massive wolf stood before me, baring its teeth in my direction, its imposing presence ready to strike. I watched cautiously—until I recognized him. And he recognized me. It was Ezequiel, Emmanuel’s twin brother. Apparently, we were after the same thing.
Ezequiel stepped back, and his backpack dropped to the ground. In the blink of an eye, his form shifted, returning to his human appearance. His hair was longer than I remembered.
“Aidan?” he said, clearly surprised to see me. “What are you doing out here?”
I needed a believable excuse. We both sought the same goal, but it made far more sense for him—Emmanuel’s brother—to be doing so. I was just Lois’s classmate.
“As you know, my father feels responsible because Lois and Emmanuel ran away from the university,” I said, trying to sound as convincing as possible. “He wants to fix things with both packs, so he sent me to look for them. He can’t forgive himself for not noticing they were gone.”
I wasn’t sure if Ezequiel believed my story. He frowned, thinking, before turning his back on me.
“Leave,” he finally said. “I’ll find them. This isn’t your business.”
His tone was firm—but I couldn’t just walk away. My connection to Lois, driven by the collar’s spell, was too strong to ignore.
I was beginning to call it a spell because I had no other explanation for how the collar knew Lois’s direction. And I knew I was right—finding Ezequiel confirmed that.
“I can’t do that, Ezequiel,” I replied seriously. “I’m here for Lois. I can’t… I don’t want to leave her like this.”
I bit my tongue. I felt I had to move carefully—one wrong word could raise suspicion.
Ezequiel turned to look at me, his dark eyes reflecting a mix of frustration and curiosity.
“What interest do you have in Lois? Doesn’t your father have enough problems running his university? You’re nobody to Lois. You don’t need to be out here searching for her.”
His words hit me like a slap. He was right—I was nobody to Lois. Just another classmate. But this was different. It was personal. I didn’t need to be someone to her to care about what happened to her. What she meant to me was enough.
“Lois isn’t just any classmate,” I insisted, feeling an odd urgency in my voice. “I’m her only friend in class, and I’ve been there for her all this time. Maybe you don’t know it, but she and I are close. I need to find her, make sure she’s safe. And her friend is worried too—both of us are.”
Were my excuses convincing enough?
Ezequiel watched me for a long moment, as if evaluating my words—or trying to read the truth behind them.
“If you’re here for Lois, then you should know that when you find her, you’ll also find my brother. And he doesn’t intend to be found.”
“My only concern is Lois. Her safety. She’s the one who could be harmed in all of this, unlike Emmanuel. And if he ran off with her, then he doesn’t seem to care much about what happens to her. Whatever Emmanuel is dealing with, the solution wasn’t turning Lois into a fugitive. She has enough going on—being an omega at the university is already much for her. Don’t you think so?”
“I’m not here to question my brother’s decisions.”
Ezequiel sighed, running a hand through his hair.
“Fine,” he said finally. “But if I’m going to let you join me, I need to know I can trust you. What do you plan to do once you find Lois?”
The question caught me off guard. What would I do? The truth was, I had no real plan. All I knew was that I needed to be near her—to understand why the collar and the spell kept pulling me toward her.
“I don’t know,” I admitted honestly. “But I promise I won’t interfere in your pack’s matters. My only concern is Lois’s safety. That she comes back before things get worse for her.”
Ezequiel looked at me intently, as if trying to determine whether my words were genuine. After a moment, he nodded slowly.
“All right, Aidan. You can come. But at the first sign of betrayal, I won’t hesitate to act,” he warned—his seriousness making the threat crystal clear.
Betrayal? In what sense? Did he think I was lying? Yes—there were plenty of lies in what I’d said. But he didn’t know that.
I nodded, accepting his conditions. Together, we resumed our search through the forest—two people united by the same goal, but for very different reasons.