Darkness - Austin

Darkness - Austin
Walking into the packhouse felt like stepping into warmth after days in a blizzard. The moment I crossed the threshold, the hum of voices, the scent of food, the laughter of pack members hit me all at once—and then her. Elara. Standing near the doorway with that familiar soft smile tugging at her lips, cheeks flushed from running around helping everyone settle after the chaos.
My chest tightened in the best way.
Before she could say a word, I swooped in, wrapped my arms around her waist, and spun her in a wide circle. Her surprised laugh filled the whole damn entryway, and for a second, the world narrowed down to just her—her warmth, her scent, her smile pressed against mine.
“You’re unbelievable,” she teased as I set her down, breathless and bright-eyed.
“And you’re perfect,” I murmured back, brushing my thumb across her cheek before kissing her forehead. “Come upstairs with me.”
Her fingers curled around mine, and we headed up the stairs together. The exhaustion in my muscles felt a little easier with her next to me, like our bond was pouring strength straight into my veins. By the time we reached our room, all I could think about was getting out of these filthy clothes and holding her close for five minutes.
I stripped out of what was left of my gear and stepped into the shower, the hot water hitting my skin like fire. Dirt, sweat, dried blood—it all began running off me in dark streaks. I planted my hands on the tile wall and bowed my head, letting the steam swallow me whole.
Elara.
Her name filled every corner of my mind. Her bravery. Her speed in getting everyone safe. The traps she set with Leo. The visions she shoved into my head during the chase. She saved my life. She saved the pack.
I was so lost in thinking about her as she sat on the counter patiently waiting for me to get clean.
Even in this stressful time she still found a way to make me laugh, and as her eyes sparkled with mischief as she darted backward like a little fox, her hair bouncing, eyes sparkling under the warm lights. She was teasing me. My wolf inside surged with playful instinct, heat spiking through my veins—
I lunged toward the door.
My feet slipped. Completely.
I crashed sideways, slamming into the counter with a wet thud and sliding down onto the floor like a damn fool. Elara’s laughter exploded into the hallway, bright and musical.
“Elara—!” I barked with a growl that wasn’t real anger at all. My wolf rumbled happily at the sound of her joy.
I pushed myself up, water dripping everywhere, and sprinted after her. She squealed and ran faster, but the slick tile betrayed me again. My foot flew out from under me and I went down hard. Her laughter doubled.
Then—
Everything went black.
No sound. No pain. No thought.
Just… nothing.
And then, suddenly—
I was standing in the dining hall.
Leo slapped my shoulder mid-laugh, Marcus snorted so hard he nearly choked on his drink, and I was in the middle of telling some ridiculous story about when we were twelve and tried to shift early to impress a girl from another pack. My mouth moved automatically, like I had been talking for minutes—not seconds.
My head snapped slightly, confusion slicing through the haze.
What the hell—?
Had I passed out? Daydreamed? Zoned out mid-conversation? The battle had been long, the adrenaline unforgiving. Maybe my brain was finally catching up to the exhaustion. I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to shake off the weird fog clinging to the edges of my thoughts.
Then her scent drifted in.
I looked up immediately.
Elara stood in the doorway of the hall, wrapped in fresh clothes, hair damp from her shower. But her smile—the one I loved—was gone. Replaced with something heavy. Sad. Almost… confused.
Our eyes met.
Something flickered in my chest. Tightened. Like I was supposed to remember something important.
I blinked—and she turned away, heading back to our room.
Leo nudged me. “What was that about?”
Marcus crossed his arms. “Yeah, why’s Elara looking like you just told her the moon rejected her?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” I replied quickly, waving a hand dismissively. “She’s just being an emotional mate.”
The words slid out before I could stop them.
And they tasted wrong. Bitter. Not mine.
Marcus burst out laughing. “Ohhhh boy. Trouble in paradise.”
Leo slapped the table. “I give it three hours before she throws something at your head.”
I forced a laugh, but inside something twisted like a knot being pulled tight in my gut.
Why did I say that?
I would never talk about her like that. Ever. The sound of the words made me want to spit them back out. My wolf bristled inside me, uneasy and growling softly—as if some part of him knew something I didn’t.
But when I opened my mouth again, everything came out smooth. Normal. Like the weird spike of wrongness had never happened.
I pushed back from the table and raised my voice so everyone could hear.
“Tonight,” I announced, “we celebrate the strength we showed on the battlefield. We protected our home. Our family.”
The pack erupted into cheers. Glasses clinked together across the hall. Wolves howled in approval. Pride swelled in my chest—real and strong.
But under it…
A faint whisper of something unsettling curled at the back of my mind.
Something missing.
Something I should remember.
Something that felt like Elara.
I shook it off and smiled for the pack.
Because whatever this feeling was—it could wait until morning.