SWNOVELS Chapter 55
Fenris lunged forward, grabbing Caden by the front of his shirt. “I said that’s enough!” he snarled, his eyes flashing with barely contained rage.
For a moment, the two werewolves stood nose to nose, tension crackling between them like lightning. Then, slowly, Caden raised his hands in surrender. “My apologies,” he said, though his tone held no real contrition. “I seem to have touched a nerve. Perhaps it would be best if I took my leave.”
Fenris released him with a shove, his breathing heavy. “That would be wise.”
Caden straightened his shirt, his composure quickly returning. “Very well. But know this – my offer still stands. When you realize you need me, and you will, you need only howl. I’ll be listening.”
With that, he melted back into the shadows of the forest, leaving Lyra and Fenris alone in the clearing. For a long moment, neither spoke, the weight of Caden’s words hanging heavily between them.
Finally, Lyra broke the silence. “Fenris,” she said softly, “what was that all about? Who is he, really?”
Fenris sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It’s a long story. One I’m not proud of.”
“We’ve got time,” Lyra replied, gesturing to their half-set-up camp. “And I think I deserve to know.”
He nodded, sinking down onto a fallen log. Lyra sat beside him, close enough to offer comfort but giving him space to gather his thoughts.
“Caden and I grew up together in the Silverpelt Pack,” Fenris began, his voice low and filled with old pain. “We were always competing, always trying to outdo each other. In strength, in hunting, in everything. For a while, we were even friends, in our own way. But as we grew older, things changed.”
“How so?” Lyra prompted gently.
Fenris’s eyes grew distant, lost in memories. “There was a girl. Aria. She was… everything. Beautiful, strong, fierce. We both wanted her, and she… well, she couldn’t decide between us. It tore the pack apart. Sides were taken, alliances formed and broken. In the end, Aria left, unable to bear the strife she’d caused. And Caden and I… we became bitter enemies.”
Lyra reached out, taking Fenris’s hand in her own. “I’m so sorry, Fenris. That must have been awful.”
He squeezed her hand, offering a sad smile. “It was. It’s one of the reasons I left the pack, struck out on my own. I couldn’t bear to stay, surrounded by those memories, by the constant reminders of what I’d lost.”
“And now Caden’s here,” Lyra mused, “stirring up old rivalries.”
Fenris nodded, his expression hardening. “He’s always been manipulative, always looking for an angle. I don’t trust him, Lyra. Whatever his true motives are for being here, I doubt they’re altruistic.”
Lyra was quiet for a moment, processing everything she’d learned. Then, hesitantly, she asked the question that had been nagging at her since Caden’s appearance. “Fenris… what he said about werewolf instincts… about needs that I can’t fulfill… is there any truth to that?”
Fenris turned to her, his eyes filled with a fierce intensity. “Lyra, listen to me. What we have, what we’ve built together, it’s more than enough. More than I ever dreamed possible. Yes, there are aspects of being a werewolf that are… different. But I chose this life, chose you, with my eyes wide open. You fulfill me in ways Caden could never understand.”
Relief washed over Lyra, and she leaned in, pressing her forehead against Fenris’s. “I’m glad to hear it. Because I don’t plan on sharing you with anyone, werewolf or otherwise.”
A low chuckle rumbled in Fenris’s chest. “Nor would I want you to. You’re stuck with me, I’m afraid.”
They stayed like that for a long moment, drawing strength and comfort from each other’s presence. But as the night deepened around them, Lyra couldn’t shake the feeling that this encounter with Caden was only the beginning of their troubles.
“Do you think he’ll be back?” she asked softly.
Fenris sighed, pulling back to meet her gaze. “Almost certainly. Caden’s not one to give up easily, especially when his pride is at stake. We’ll need to be on our guard.”
Lyra nodded, her mind already racing with potential strategies. “We should take turns keeping watch tonight. And tomorrow, we’ll need to pick up our pace. The sooner we reach the nexus point, the better.”
“Agreed,” Fenris said, rising to his feet. “I’ll take first watch. You get some rest.”
As Lyra settled into her bedroll, she watched Fenris move to the edge of their campsite, his posture alert and watchful. Despite the turmoil of the evening, she felt a surge of love and pride. Whatever challenges lay ahead, whatever tricks Caden might have up his sleeve, she knew that she and Fenris would face them together.
With that comforting thought, she drifted off to sleep, the sounds of the forest and Fenris’s steady breathing a lullaby in the night.