A Tense Ride Home

ELOWEN

I drummed my fingers against the rusted hood of my beat-up Wrangler. Uncle Gideon had given me this truck when I turned sixteen, and it had been my only true sanctuary ever since. The massive, towering pine trees of the pack territory loomed ahead, their thick branches interlocking like jagged teeth against the graying afternoon sky. They swallowed the sunlight and cast long, imposing shadows over the dirt road. My GPS had died miles ago, losing signal the second I crossed the invisible boundary into the mountainous region. Torin had insisted on meeting me at the nearest train station, but I flat out refused to abandon my truck. That left me waiting right here at the border, staring into the dense woods that felt more like a prison than a home.

Five years. Five long, grueling years. I had lived among humans for so long, navigating crowded city streets and mundane high school drama, masking my true nature. I spent every waking moment pushing away the memory of the wolves who cast me aside when I needed them most. My stomach tied itself into brutal, unforgiving knots. To say I was nervous was a massive understatement. I was terrified, and the worst part was, I had no idea why. Maybe it was the sudden, crushing realization that I was actually coming back to the place that broke me.

How would the pack react when they saw me? Would they accept me back into the fold? Did anyone even care that I existed?

I let out a harsh, sarcastic snort, kicking a pebble into the ditch. Why did I even care what they thought? I did not. I was only here because pack law demanded it. I just needed to survive this upcoming full moon. Once my wolf surfaced and I completed my first shift, I was out of here. I would pack my bags, start the Wrangler, and drive straight back to the human world. I silently vowed never to step foot on this cursed soil again.

"Elowen!"

I jolted, snapping out of my bitter thoughts. The deep voice echoed from the thick tree line. I spun around to see Torin striding down the dirt path. My older brother. He wore a wide, bright smile that instantly cracked the ice forming around my chest. He looked broader, stronger, carrying the heavy muscle of a high-ranking wolf, but his eyes held the same warmth. Over the last five years, he never stopped calling. He never missed a birthday, never missed a holiday, and never stopped trying to convince me to come home. He tried to atone for our father’s abandonment by being the one person who refused to let me go. He was the one who warned me about the shift, threatening to drag me back by my hair if I failed to show up before the full moon.

He threw his massive arms open. My hesitation vanished. I launched myself forward, closing the distance between us, and let him wrap his arms around me in a crushing, bone-deep embrace. As much as I hated this territory, I could not deny how much I missed my brother.

"I missed you." I mumbled the words against his chest, clutching the fabric of his dark shirt with desperate fingers. I inhaled his familiar scent. Pine needles and rain. I used to hate his suffocating bear hugs when we were kids, but right now, it was the only anchor keeping me grounded.

"My sweet little Elwen. I missed you too, sweetie." Torin squeezed me so tight my ribs popped.

I pulled back and swatted his chest, faking a dramatic gag. "Stop calling me sweetie. It sounds wrong. I am way too old for that now, Torin."

He let out a booming laugh that rattled his chest. He ruffled my hair, messing up my curls. "You will always be my little Elwen. Even when we are gray and arthritic and cannot stand on our own two feet." He stepped back, placing a hand over his heart, and dropped into a sweeping, exaggerated bow. "At your service, princess. Now get your ass in my car. Silas can drive your truck to the estate."

I blinked, peering around Torin's broad shoulders. Another wolf stood a few paces back, leaning against a black SUV, keys jingling in his hand. I had not even heard him approach.

I called out, waving a hand at him. "Nice to meet you, Silas. I am Elowen. Please take good care of my baby!"

Silas offered a warm, nostalgic smile, opening the door to my truck. "It is nice to see you again, Elowen."

I frowned, glancing up at Torin as we walked toward the passenger side of his sleek SUV. "Again?"

Torin opened the heavy door for me, gesturing for me to get inside. "I do not expect you to remember everyone from before you left. You were only twelve. But they remember you. You were the little menace who always stole your mom’s fresh pastries and bolted into the woods. The whole guard detail had to hunt you down, or she would refuse to feed any of us."

The casual mention of Mom hit me like a physical blow. The warmth of the reunion vanished in a heartbeat, replaced by a sharp, suffocating ache in my chest. I stared at the dark leather seat. The memory of her flour-dusted hands, her bright apron, and her warm laughter flashed behind my eyes. I swallowed hard, fighting the sudden, unbearable burn of tears. I had spent years shoving my grief down into a dark box, and Torin had just ripped the lid right off.

"I miss Mom." I mumbled the words to the floorboard, keeping my eyes glued down as I climbed in and yanked the seatbelt across my chest.

He started the engine, the low growl of the motor filling the heavy silence. "Yeah. Me too."

The SUV tore down the rugged dirt road, tires kicking up thick clouds of dust as we dove deeper into the forested territory. The thick canopy of branches blocked out the afternoon sky, plunging us into a sea of deep shadows. Every mile we drove cemented my internal vow. I was a visitor here. They cast me out, and I owed them nothing. I hated the suffocating grief hanging in the car, so I forced a bright tone, desperate to change the subject.

I turned my body in the seat, projecting an enthusiasm I did not feel. "So, Gamma, huh? You really moved up in the pack hierarchy. Tell me everything I missed. Catch me up on the pack politics."

Torin let out a breath, clearly relieved by the shift in conversation. He steered the car around a sharp bend, diving into the details. He talked about Dad first, mentioning how the old man still had not found a second mate. Then he moved on to his own promotion. Two years ago, when Alpha Zarek took control, the previous Beta and Gamma stepped down. Zarek elevated Torin and his friend Bram to the highest ranks the second they turned eighteen and shifted.

Torin kept his eyes fixed on the winding road ahead. "Wolves usually shift on the last full moon before they turn eighteen. You know this. But Alpha Zarek was different. He shifted on the last full moon before he turned fourteen. The Alpha lineage usually shifts at fifteen or sixteen. His early shift was unheard of. It just proved his raw power and cemented his grandfather’s decision to bypass his wayward father and leave the entire pack under his direct care."

I leaned against the cool glass of the window, watching the blur of ancient trees. "And Zarek? How is he doing? Is he a good Alpha?"

Torin slammed his foot on the brake. The SUV jerked, slowing down hard. His large hands gripped the steering wheel tight enough to turn his knuckles white. He shot me a sharp, dead serious glare. "Alpha. It is Alpha Zarek. Do not embarrass yourself by calling him Zarek to his face."

I flinched, taken aback by the sudden ice in his voice.

Torin continued, his tone rigid with warning. "We only call him Zarek when it is just the inner circle. Around the pack, it is Alpha Zarek or Alpha Zar. He demands true respect, Elowen. He can be ruthless if he feels challenged or disrespected. The last thing I want is for him to publicly humiliate you in front of the pack because you forgot your place."

My stomach twisted into a cold knot. I remembered Zarek as the older boy who used to train in the yard. Focused, intense, but approachable.

"So he has changed." I spoke quietly.

Torin loosened his grip on the wheel, steering us back up to speed. "People change, Elowen. You cannot expect him to be the same seventeen-year-old boy you knew before you left. He has seen too much. He has carried the weight of this massive territory on his shoulders without a father to guide him."

The words slipped past my lips before I could stop them. Bitter and sharp. "Just like me. No father to guide me."

The SUV grew painfully quiet. Torin stared straight ahead, his jaw ticking.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "I am sorry, Elowen. I am so damn sorry. I was not man enough to stop Dad from sending you away. I should have fought him. I wish I had."

The raw, lingering guilt in his voice chipped away at my resentment. I knew the truth. Torin had been a kid himself. It was a trauma we both shared, a shadow hanging over our family.

I reached across the center console and placed my hand gently over his. "We have talked about this before, Torin. It was not your fault. You were only fifteen. What did you know about fighting an adult and raising a grieving twelve-year-old girl? It was Dad’s choice. And besides, living with Uncle Gid was not the end of the world. I did not turn out bad, did I?"

Torin let out a dry, sarcastic snort. "Overall? Maybe not."

I slapped his shoulder, letting out a bright laugh. "Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean? What is wrong with me?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable. "I just hear things from Uncle Gid. Things a brother really does not want to hear about his little sister. Nothing good."

I clapped my hands over my ears, shaking my head hard to drown out his voice. "Stop! Cut it out, Torin! Do not listen to Uncle Gid! The man is a strict, paranoid tyrant. I did not even have a real boyfriend! I went on a few dates, and that is it! I swear!"

Torin chuckled. He reached over, pulling me into a clumsy side hug while keeping his eyes on the road. "Relax, Elwen. Regardless of what the old man says, I still love you."

I shoved his arm away, crossing my arms over my chest and narrowing my eyes at him. "How could you even believe him? You know what Mom taught me. She always told me to respect the mate bond. I would never just mess around."

Torin raised a single, mocking eyebrow, shooting me a sideways glance. "Saving it all for your destined mate, huh?"

My cheeks instantly burned. Heat flooded my face and neck. This was exactly the kind of conversation I did not want to have with my older brother.

I scoffed loudly. "I am not like you, man-whore!"

Torin laughed out loud but mercifully dropped the subject. The heavy tension in the car evaporated, replaced by the comfortable, easy rhythm we used to share as kids. I stared out the windshield, watching the dense trees begin to thin out. Massive stone structures and well-kept lawns started coming into view. We were entering the heart of the territory.

I expected Torin to make a joke about the giant estate looming in the distance. Instead, his playful demeanor vanished in a heartbeat. His spine stiffened, and his hands locked onto the steering wheel with rigid precision. The sudden shift in his posture sent a jolt of anxiety straight into my chest. The easy sibling banter died on his lips.

He stared dead ahead, his voice dropping into a low, ominous tone. "We are almost here. Get yourself ready."