Chapter 5 A Pull I Can't Escape

I awoke the next morning to the smell of fresh pine and wildflowers.

The sun was still low in the sky, casting pale golden light through the opening of the tent.

For a moment, I lay still, feeling the weight of the blankets around me, trying to hold onto the quiet peace. But it didn't last long.

The questions returned, crashing through the fog of my dreams like waves against the shore.

"What would happen now? Where would I go? And more than that, what was I supposed to do with the strange pull I felt toward the twins?"

Before I could lose myself in those thoughts, the flap of the tent opened with a quiet rustle.

Lykon's broad form filled the doorway. His eyes met mine immediately, steady and unreadable, as usual.

"Morning," he said, his voice low, just above a whisper.

I nodded, though I wasn't sure if I was still dreaming.

His presence always seemed to fill the air, making it feel heavier, like everything around us was suddenly more vivid. I didn't know what to make of it.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked, stepping inside and lowering himself to sit beside me.

There was an intensity to his gaze, as though he wasn't just asking out of politeness.

"I'm... alive," I said, trying to sound stronger than I felt. The words came out more bitter than I intended.

He didn't flinch. Instead, he studied me with quiet understanding.

It was the same look I had seen in his eyes since we met-like he knew something about me that I didn't.

"That's enough for now," he said softly, offering me a warm smile, though it never quite reached his eyes.

I couldn't help but feel like there was more to his words, more to his smile, than he was letting on.

It was almost as if he was silently telling me that there was hope, but I wasn't sure where it was supposed to come from.

I glanced up at him, trying to find an answer in his expression. But there was only silence.

"You don't have to explain everything, you know," I said after a beat, my voice barely above a whisper. The words surprised me, but they felt right. "Not yet."

His eyes softened for the briefest moment, then he stood, giving me space again. "I wasn't planning on it."

His answer hung in the air as he stepped back, and for a moment, the silence felt almost comfortable.

That's when Lyraeus appeared in the doorway, his lean figure silhouetted against the rising light.

His eyes met mine immediately, too, but where Lykon's gaze was intense and watchful, Lyraeus's was quieter, filled with a strange kind of warmth I wasn't sure I was ready for.

"You're awake," Lyraeus said, his voice smooth like honey, though there was an undercurrent of something darker beneath it.

"Seems like it," I replied, my throat dry from sleep and tension.

"Good," he said, stepping inside the tent with an easy grace, like a wolf moving through the forest.

He stood just behind Lykon, and the two of them together filled the small space with their presence. There was something about the way they were so comfortable in their own skin that unsettled me, even as I found myself drawn to it.

"Rest," Lykon said, turning back toward me. "We're leaving soon. But not before we make sure you're ready."

"Ready for what?" I asked, frowning, but they both just exchanged a glance, the kind of look that told me they had a plan and it wasn't meant to be shared with me just yet.

Lyraeus shrugged, a playful glint in his eyes. "You'll see soon enough, Morrigan."

I wasn't sure if I was relieved or frustrated. Every answer they gave only seemed to deepen my confusion, and yet, the more I resisted, the more I was pulled in.

They were trying to protect me, I could feel that much. But what were they protecting me from? And why?

The bond between us was undeniable.

Every time they were near, my heart would race, and the air seemed to shift, charged with some unspoken force.

But it wasn't just attraction. No, it was deeper than that, something ancestral that I couldn't put my finger on.

Maybe it was the connection to my father. Maybe it was something more.

It wasn't just attraction, it was a force pulling me in, like gravity-unseen, unavoidable, and somehow familiar, as if it had always been there, waiting for me.

"I don't understand," I admitted, my voice quieter now. "Why are you helping me? I don't even know who you are."

The question hung in the air like a challenge, but neither brother seemed startled by it.

They were used to keeping secrets, and for some reason, I was starting to feel like I was being kept in the dark on purpose.

Lykon's expression hardened slightly, though his tone remained steady. "You'll understand soon enough. But right now, your safety is all that matters. We won't let anyone hurt you again, Morrigan. Not while we're here."

I swallowed hard, feeling a lump in my throat at his words. There was something about the way he said them that made me believe him.

But then Lyraeus stepped closer, a light chuckle escaping him. "Don't worry, Morrigan. It's not all about protecting you, though. We're not saints. We have our own reasons for being here."

His words made my heart skip a beat. There was something else behind them-something deeper than just duty or protection.

"But what? What could they possibly want from me?"

Before I could voice the question, Lykon raised his hand slightly, his gesture stopping Lyraeus before he could say more.

It was a subtle, protective move, and for some reason, it made me feel like I was being shielded from something I wasn't ready to hear.

"You'll be fine," Lykon said firmly, his gaze never leaving mine. "Just stay with us. We'll figure it out."

I nodded, though the knot in my stomach tightened.

The confusion remained, but so did the pull between us. The more I resisted it, the stronger it seemed to grow.

They helped me to my feet, and the world outside the tent seemed to hold its breath.

~

We walked out of the tent together, the twins' presence a constant comfort, but also a reminder of everything I still didn't know.

The camp was alive with activity, a quiet hum that reminded me of what a real pack could look like, without the cold, oppressive hierarchy of the Silver Bow Pack.

But as I looked around, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was just another piece in some greater game-a game I didn't fully understand.

I glanced up at the twins as they walked beside me.

They exchanged quiet words in their language, something foreign to my ears but somehow familiar.

Their connection was as strong as ever, and despite my confusion, I couldn't deny the strange warmth that spread through me when they were near.

~

I still wasn't entirely sure where I was, but the camp felt different. Calmer.

Even though I hadn't spent much time with this place, there was a rhythm to it that seemed ancient, like the earth itself had a memory here.

The low murmur of voices and the soft thud of feet on the earth echoed like a song of life, steady and unwavering.

The world felt grounded, as if it had always been this way.

The brothers moved with purpose, their bodies acting in sync like two halves of the same whole.

And for some reason, every time I looked at them, I felt this tug inside of me-like I was being pulled in, inch by inch. But I had no idea where it would lead.

"We're leaving soon," Lykon said, breaking the silence between us, his voice barely louder than the wind.

He was walking ahead, a few paces in front of me, as though he was setting the pace for the journey.

Lyraeus, always the more relaxed of the two, slowed his stride to match mine, as if instinctively sensing my unease. "You look like you have a lot on your mind," he said, his voice smooth, almost like a caress.

There was no judgment in his tone, only curiosity.

I sighed, trying to shake the weight that had settled over me. "I don't know what I'm doing. Or where I'm going."

"You're with us now," Lyraeus said with a small, knowing smile. "That's enough for today."

Somehow, despite not knowing what the hell was going on, the connection between us felt right, even when it didn't make sense.

As we walked, I tried to focus on something else-anything else.

The scenery was beautiful, though there was an almost haunting stillness to it.

The trees, tall and dark, whispered with the wind, and I wondered how much of this land they had walked through before.

"How many times had they passed these paths, side by side, before I was even part of the equation?"

A movement to my left caught my attention, and I glanced at Lykon, whose eyes were scanning the horizon as if he were searching for something-or someone.

"Where are we going?" I asked, though I suspected the answer wasn't simple.

"To a place where you can rest," Lykon replied, his voice rougher now, the hint of something unspoken lingering in his words. "A place where no one will find you. Not yet."

"Not yet?" I echoed, my curiosity piqued despite myself.

He didn't answer immediately, his gaze never wavering from the path ahead.

His silence was thick with something-an answer he wasn't ready to give, or a question he didn't want to ask. I couldn't tell which.

Behind us, I heard Lyraeus mutter something to himself in a language I didn't recognize. The words flowed like a melody I couldn't quite place.

When he caught me watching him, his eyes softened, and he gave me that same enigmatic smile. "It's not about the destination, Morrigan," he said, his voice full of that same warmth. "It's about where you go from here."

And just like that, the air between us shifted. For a moment, I could feel it-the invisible thread that pulled us together, tightening the more I resisted it. The connection was growing stronger with each passing second.

I had no idea what it meant. But somehow, I felt like I was standing on the edge of something bigger than I could ever imagine.

~

As the day passed, the camp faded into the distance behind us, swallowed by the wild, unclaimed lands of the world.

It was clear we weren't going back to civilization-not yet, at least.

The camp had been a safe haven, but I could feel the tension in the air now. Whatever lay ahead wasn't just about survival anymore.

We walked on, side by side, as the sun dipped lower in the sky, painting the world in shades of amber and violet.

The evening air was cool, but I didn't feel the chill.

Not when the warmth between us was like a flame I couldn't extinguish.

"You're still thinking about it, aren't you?" Lyraeus's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"I don't know what to think," I confessed. The words were raw, as though I was finally allowing myself to speak the truth.

Lykon, who had been silent for some time, glanced back at me, his expression unreadable. "You don't have to have all the answers now. Just... stay with us, Morrigan. We'll help you find your way."

And in that moment, despite the storm of uncertainty in my mind, I realized something important: I wasn't alone in this anymore.

I wasn't just a runaway. I wasn't just a victim of betrayal or circumstances.

I was something more. Something that had always been here, waiting to be awakened.