The Sound That Undoes Him
1123 Words
The cabin had settled into a deep, quiet stillness by the time Rowan finally let himself sit on the edge of the narrow couch in the living room. The fire had burned low, casting long, soft shadows that flickered across the wooden walls. Outside, the storm was still whispering past the windows, brushing snow against the glass like a thousand tiny fingers.
He’d positioned himself between Holly and any possible danger, an unconscious instinct he kept telling himself was practical, reasonable, necessary.
But he knew better.
Asher wouldn’t settle.
The wolf paced in his mind, restless and territorial, growling whenever Holly shifted in the bed across the cabin. Rowan could smell her emotions more than he wanted to admit, fear fading, comfort growing, exhaustion settling deep into her bones.
That was why the sound hit him so hard.
A soft, broken whimper.
Rowan’s head snapped up.
Another.
Then a muffled gasp, choked and shaky.
Holly.
Rowan was on his feet before he even thought about it. Asher surged forward so fiercely that Rowan had to clench his fists to keep the shift from clawing through his skin.
MATE IN PAIN. LET US GO TO HER.
She’s sleeping, Rowan growled inwardly. She needs rest. Not me hovering.
Asher snarled. SHE IS HURTING.
Rowan swallowed hard, jaw tight.
Holly’s breaths hitched again, a quiet sob she was trying, and failing, to swallow down. The sound was small, but to Rowan it was a blade sliding under his ribs.
He moved toward the bedroom doorway slowly, carefully, fighting the instinct to rush. As he reached the edge of the dimly lit room, he paused, bracing a hand against the frame.
She was curled on her side, facing the wall, fingers fisted in the blanket. The pillow beneath her cheek was damp with tears. Her shoulders trembled as another sob slipped out, barely audible, but more than enough to shred him.
Rowan’s chest tightened painfully.
Moon Goddess, he hated this.
He hated feeling powerless.
He hated hearing her cry and knowing exactly why, because someone else had failed to protect her heart. Because someone else had convinced her she wasn’t worth choosing.
Asher pushed again, fierce and insistent.
COMFORT HER.
Rowan closed his eyes, fighting a losing battle.
She’s human, he reminded them both. She doesn’t know what this bond is. She doesn’t know me.
WE KNOW HER, Asher growled. FEEL HER. WANT HER SAFE.
He did.
Gods, he did.
Holly’s breath hitched again, sharper this time.
Rowan’s resolve cracked.
He stepped into the room.
“Holly,” he said quietly.
She flinched at the sound of his voice, quickly wiping at her eyes. “Sorry,” she whispered, breath trembling. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“I wasn’t asleep.” He kept his tone soft, careful. “Can I… sit?”
Holly hesitated, embarrassment flickering across her expression, but she nodded.
Rowan crossed to the chair beside the bed and lowered himself into it. Close, but not too close. Asher snarled at the distance, wanting him on the mattress beside her, wanting skin contact, wanting every instinct acknowledged.
Rowan ignored him.
“Bad dream?” he offered gently.
Holly shook her head. “Just… everything.” She let out a shaky breath. “It all caught up with me, I guess.”
He didn’t push.
Didn’t pry.
Just watched her, letting her speak at her own pace.
“It’s stupid,” she whispered.
“It’s not,” Rowan said immediately.
She blinked, surprised.
“You were hurt,” he continued. “You’re allowed to feel that.”
Holly swallowed. “He made me feel like I wasn’t worth anything. Like I was… inconvenient. Easy to replace.”
Rowan’s jaw locked. Asher roared inside him.
NAME HIM. WE’LL FIND HIM.
Rowan forced his breathing steady, keeping his expression calm even as fury curled warm and sharp in his chest.
“You are not replaceable,” he said quietly. “Anyone who made you feel that way was wrong.”
Holly’s eyes filled again. “Why does it still hurt so much?”
“Because you cared,” Rowan replied. “And when someone betrays that… it leaves a mark.”
She exhaled shakily, curling deeper into the blanket. Rowan watched her fight her emotions, watched her swallow them back down even when they demanded to be felt.
Moon Goddess, she was strong.
Stronger than she realized.
“Rowan?” she whispered suddenly.
He lifted his eyes to hers.
“Why are you being so kind to me?”
The question hit him like a blow.
He could lie.
He could say he was raised to help others.
He could claim it was just who he was.
But she deserved more than that.
She deserved truth, even the gentlest version of it.
“Because I want to be,” he said quietly.
Holly’s breath caught. “But why?”
Rowan leaned back slightly, gripping the armrest until the wood creaked. Every instinct screamed at him to tell her everything. To let the bond spill out between them, raw and undeniable.
But she wasn’t ready.
She didn’t even know werewolves existed.
She didn’t know what she meant to him.
So he offered the truth she could accept.
“You’ve been through enough,” he whispered. “You shouldn’t have to face the rest of this night alone.”
For a moment, Holly just stared at him, eyes shining. Then she nodded, slow and almost fragile.
“Thank you,” she breathed. “I… I feel safe here. With you.”
That did something to him.
Something deep.
Something final.
Asher stopped pacing.
Went still.
She trusts us.
Rowan swallowed hard. “I’m glad.”
Holly blinked tiredly, her lashes damp. “Will you… stay until I fall asleep?”
It was the last thread of his restraint snapping.
“Of course,” Rowan murmured.
He stayed seated beside her, keeping his distance, even though every nerve in his body begged to be closer. Holly’s eyes fluttered closed, her breathing slowly evening out as sleep overcame her again.
But even in sleep, she shifted her hand, letting it fall over the edge of the mattress, closer to him.
Rowan stared at her fingers inches from his own.
Asher growled softly, urging.
TOUCH HER.
Rowan’s hand lifted… hesitated… then lightly brushed his fingertips against hers.
Just a whisper of contact.
Holly exhaled softly, as if she felt the reassurance even in dreams.
And that was all he needed.
He sat there long into the night, holding the silence with her, guarding her sleep, and knowing with terrifying clarity....
He could resist the bond.
He could fight it longer.
But not forever.
Not even close.
- Writer
