Whispers of the Pack
1134 Words
Rowan’s POV
The moment Holly drifted off on the couch, wrapped in his coat, soft breaths rising and falling in rhythm with the crackling of the fire, Rowan slipped silently out the cabin door.
Not because he wanted to leave her.
Because he had to.
The moment her scent hit him earlier, something ancient inside him had roared awake. Even now, stepping into the snow-thick night, his wolf paced beneath his skin, restless and wild.
Mine.
The voice was deep, primal, vibrating through Rowan’s bones.
Calm yourself, Rowan snapped internally. She doesn’t know what we are. She’s human.
Doesn’t matter.
His wolf snarled, pressing harder. She belongs to us.
“She doesn’t belong to anyone,” Rowan muttered aloud, breath fogging in the cold. “And you need to stay quiet.”
The wolf only growled again, low, irritated, possessive.
He’d deal with him later.
For now, Rowan moved swiftly through the trees, each stride carrying him deeper into Silvercrest territory. Snow whipped around him, but the storm meant nothing. He knew these woods better than anyone alive. Branches bowed beneath the heavy white, and somewhere in the distance wolves howled, patrols checking boundaries, warriors guarding hidden trails.
The pack would have sensed his agitation hours ago.
And they’d be waiting.
He emerged from the forest clearing into the main compound, an isolated cluster of cabins and larger buildings hidden miles from human paths. Warm lights glowed behind frosted windows, smoke curling from chimneys into the stormy sky.
A figure leaned against the porch railing of the largest cabin, arms crossed, expression unimpressed.
“About damn time,” Dustin called, voice cutting through the wind. “You vanish without a word. Again.”
Rowan sighed.
Of all nights for his Beta to be observant…
Dustin Hale pushed off the railing and approached, snow dusting his dark hair. His eyes, sharp amber, more wolf than human even in this form, narrowed as he got closer.
“You smell like—” Dustin froze mid-step. His nostrils flared. “No. f*****g. Way.”
Rowan kept walking.
Dustin matched him, jaw dropping.
“You found your mate.”
“Dustin,” Rowan warned.
But it was too late. Dustin’s lips split into a wolfish grin.
“Holy s**t, you did. You found her. Rowan, this is—”
“She’s human.”
That shut Dustin up immediately.
His smile fell.
“Rowan…”
“I know,” Rowan growled, pushing open the cabin door.
Inside, the warmth slammed into him. Serena sat by the fire, sharpening a blade the size of Rowan’s forearm. She looked up the second he entered, dark hair braided over one shoulder, eyes as sharp as the weapon in her hands.
“You’re late,” she said coolly. “The patrols are restless. Something’s been stalking the perimeter all night, and you’ve been—”
She stopped.
Her nostrils flared.
“Rowan…” Her voice dropped an octave. “What is that scent?”
Dustin whistled. “His mate.”
Serena shot up so fast her chair tipped over.
“She’s human,” Dustin added quickly.
Serena’s eyes flashed. “Are you insane?! A human mate? Rowan—”
“I didn’t choose this,” Rowan snapped, the Alpha in him rising like a shadow.
Both Dustin and Serena fell silent, instincts bowing to hierarchy even before their conscious minds caught up.
Rowan raked a hand through his hair, pacing.
“It shouldn’t be possible,” Serena said finally, more gently. “Humans don’t… they don’t have the bond. It’s never happened.”
“I thought the same.” Rowan stopped near the window, staring at the swirling snow beyond it. “But the moment I touched her, my wolf recognized her instantly.”
At the mention of his wolf, a growl rumbled inside him again.
Say my name.
Later, Rowan snapped inwardly.
Dustin raised a brow. “Your wolf is being loud.”
“He’s being impossible,” Rowan muttered.
Serena crossed her arms. “What is his name, anyway? You’ve never told us.”
Rowan hesitated.
His wolf pressed forward, hot and insistent.
Tell them. I am not ashamed.
Rowan took a slow breath.
“His name is Asher.”
The room fell silent.
Asher snarled approval inside Rowan’s mind, stretching like a beast uncaged.
Serena recovered first.
“Asher,” she repeated quietly. “Ancient name. Strong.”
“Fitting,” Dustin added dryly. “Your wolf has the personality of a territorial mountain.”
Asher growled again at the insult. Rowan ignored him.
“Where is she now?” Serena asked.
“In my patrol cabin. Asher would tear down the forest if I left her alone any longer.”
Dustin blinked. “You left your human mate alone? Unmarked? With a storm hitting? Rowan, what the hell—”
“She needed rest,” Rowan said sharply. “And I needed time to think.”
Serena softened, stepping closer.
“Is she safe from us?”
Rowan shot her a warning look.
“She’s safe from everyone.”
Dustin nudged Serena. “Translation: try going near her and he’ll bite your head off.”
Rowan didn’t deny it.
After a moment, Dustin ran a hand over his face. “Look, Rowan… what do you want to do? Once word gets out, the pack will lose their damn minds. A human Luna?”
“She’s not Luna,” Rowan said quickly. Too quickly.
Asher snarled furiously inside him.
She is ours. She will lead beside us. Don’t deny it.
Rowan’s chest tightened. He pressed a hand to the window frame, trying to anchor himself.
“I just want her safe,” he whispered.
Serena’s expression softened faintly.
“So go back to her.”
“She’s alone in a storm,” Dustin added. “And you’re here panicking about everything except what matters.”
Rowan glared. “I don’t panic.”
Both Dustin and Serena raised identical unimpressed eyebrows.
“You’re still here, aren’t you?” Serena said.
Rowan clenched his jaw.
They were right.
And Asher was becoming impossible to contain.
Go to her. Now.
Rowan turned toward the door, grabbing his coat.
“I’ll keep the patrols doubled,” Serena said.
“And I’ll keep quiet for now,” Dustin added. “But Rowan… be careful. Humans break easier than wolves.”
Rowan paused just long enough to shoot him a deadly look before stepping back into the storm.
The moment the cold hit his face, Asher surged forward, relief and hunger and fierce possessiveness rolling through their shared body.
Hurry. She needs us.
Rowan sprinted through the snow, faster than any human could move, heart pounding with one truth echoing through him.
He’d left Holly once tonight.
He wouldn’t make that mistake again.
- Writer
