Page 92 of Wolf's Providence

Panic gripped me.

My mother was saying what the shadows whispered to me.

I thought it was my demons, the darkness inside me wanting to be free. But…what if I was wrong?

Gasping for air, I closed my eyes, willing myself to calm down and when I opened them, my mother was gone.

Gulping huge gasps of air, I looked around wildly for her, shifting back into wolf form, I sniffed the air for her scent.

She was justhere.I could find her. My paws skimmed across the surface of the peak as I ran recklessly along the ridge, not caring where my paws landed, intent only on finding my mother.

I lost my footing; the fall came too fast for my claws to dig in and halt my momentum as I tumbled down the rock face. Wildly, I jumped, twisting in the air, hoping for better footing upon landing so I could regain control of my descent. The impact jarred me, my paws digging into the ground as I skated along with the landslide racing down the mountain. A flat ledge to my left caught my eye, and I leaped, my body’s momentum carrying me too close, but I managed to catch myself at the very last moment. As I stared into the blackness below, I saw her face.

It is enough, my son, let us go.

The despair and the grief almost overwhelmed me. “I can’t.”

Her frown was so familiar, so missed, that my tears ran freely. “I can’t move past it. I can’t.”

Yes. You can.

My mother’s image faded, replaced with one of Willow. Her steady gaze, the fierce determination in her eyes when she stood her ground against the chaos. I remembered how she had refused to back down when I tried to push her away, how she’d insisted that we were stronger together.

Stronger together.

The words echoed in my mind, a whisper of hope in the storm raging inside me.

I took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly, grounding myself in that thought. It was true, wasn’t it? With her by my side, I could fight against anything. She had been there, ready to fight, unyielding and brave, reminding me of what I was fighting for.

WhoI was fighting for.

The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning, electrifying and terrifying. I was strongerwithher, not in spite of her.

She didn’t make me weak; she made mewhole.

I closed my eyes, remembering her standing next to me, her eyes sparkling with determination and compassion. I remembered the warmth of her hand in mine, the laughter we shared, and the way she lit up even the darkest corners of my soul.

“Willow,” I breathed, the name leaving my lips like a prayer. The thought of losing her was what truly terrified me, not the threat of my own darkness. I needed to protect her, not just from the dangers that lurked in the shadows, but from my own insecurities and fears.

She was bound to me. As strong a tie that any mate bond held.

Because she wasmine.

Suddenly, I felt a surge of resolve, a fire igniting within me. I wasn’t going to let my past dictate my future. I was done letting itdefineme. I was done hiding, done running. I could face the darkness,mydarkness but I wouldn’t have to do it alone. With Willow, I had a chance—a chance to be the man I wanted to be.

ThealphaI wanted to be.

I wanted to fight for the life we could build…together.

I turned away from the edge, my heart pounding with newfound clarity. I needed to return to her. I had to let her in, and show her that I was willing to fight, not just for myself but forus.

As I made my way down the slope, determination surged through me with every step. I wouldn’t let my demons win. I would embrace the light she brought into my life and face whatever threats awaited us together.

“Together,” I whispered, the word settling deep in my heart as I descended into the woods.

It felt right, like a promise I was finally ready to keep.

I moved quicklydown the mountain, each step pulling me closer to Willow. The snow fell softly around me, the cold biting through my fur, but I barely noticed. Everything in me had been sharpened into a single purpose—getting to her. Each step was a reminder of what had happened, of the darkness that was as much a part of Shadowridge Peak as I was, and that each step led to the clear path back.

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