Torn Between Destinies-Chapter 37 - Thirty Seven

I woke before the sun.

The sky was still dark, but it held that quiet blue shade that only comes before morning. A soft wind moved through the trees, and the night’s chill was beginning to slip away. I lay still for a moment, listening. Erya’s soft breathing filled the tent. She was curled up beside me, warm and safe.

Then I turned and saw Darius.

He was already awake, his eyes on me. He smiled.

"Couldn’t sleep," he whispered.

"Me neither."

We watched each other for a few seconds. No rush. No worries. Just this peaceful moment between us.

He reached over and brushed my hair away from my face. "You’re beautiful in the morning."

I laughed quietly. "I probably have grass in my hair."

"Still beautiful."

His voice was soft, but it touched something deep inside me. I reached for his hand and laced our fingers together. Neither of us spoke for a while. We didn’t need to.

After all we had been through—the betrayals, the pain, the fights, the forgiveness—this moment felt like magic. Like we had finally stepped out of a storm and into sunlight.

"Want to see the sunrise?" he asked.

I nodded. "Let’s go."

We dressed quietly, careful not to wake Erya. I wrapped a blanket around my shoulders and stepped out into the early morning air with Darius. The sky was starting to lighten, a pale gold spreading from the horizon. The world was quiet, as if it too was holding its breath.

We walked hand in hand toward the edge of the meadow, where the land opened wide and the hills rolled softly like waves.

There, we stopped.

The wind touched my face, cool but not harsh. Darius stood behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I leaned back into him.

The first ray of sunlight broke through the clouds. It hit the field and turned the wildflowers into flames of gold and orange. The grass sparkled with dew, and the stream glimmered like it held the light inside.

Everything felt alive.

My chest tightened, not from fear—but from something full. Full of love. Full of peace. Full of wonder.

"This is it," I whispered.

"Our first dawn," Darius said.

He turned me to face him, and I saw the shine in his eyes.

"I never thought we’d have this," he admitted. "A real fresh start."

"Neither did I."

He kissed me then. Slow and deep. The kind of kiss that speaks, not with words, but with truth. I melted into him, the warmth of his body grounding me to the earth, the taste of his lips reminding me of everything we had survived to get here.

When we pulled apart, the sun had risen higher. The field was glowing.

"We need to mark it," I said.

He raised an eyebrow. "Mark it?"

"This place. This land. Our land. It needs to know we’re here."

He nodded, understanding me completely.

So, we shifted.

Our wolves burst forth in the morning light—mine silver-gray, his deep black with touches of amber. We ran together across the field, letting our paws sink into the soft soil. I howled once, a long, low note that echoed off the hills. Darius answered with a powerful cry, strong and steady.

We circled the meadow, our scents mixing in the air. With every stride, we claimed the space—not with dominance, but with promise. A promise to protect. To love. To build.

When we returned to the center, I shifted back. Darius did too. We stood there, breathless and bare, watching the sky grow brighter.

"This is ours," I said again, my voice steady.

"Ours," he repeated.

He reached into the pouch he had carried from Thornridge. Inside was a small silver charm. It had once belonged to his mother—a symbol of peace and strength. He knelt by the stream, found a smooth rock, and placed the charm beneath it.

"A gift," he said. "To the land. For letting us belong."

I knelt beside him and added a small bracelet I had worn since I was a teen. Nothing fancy. Just braided thread. But it had been with me through so much. It felt right to leave it here.

"Thank you," I whispered to the earth.

We stood again and looked around us.

Everything had changed.

Not just the place—but us.

We weren’t the same wolves who had arrived here days ago. We weren’t just two broken leaders looking for an escape.

We were something new.

Partners.

Parents.

Builders of a new future.

The rest of the pack began to stir. I could hear Erya waking in the distance, her little whimper turning into a soft cry. But before we returned, Darius pulled me into one last embrace.

"No matter what happens," he said, "I choose this. I choose you. I choose us."

I pressed my forehead to his. "Always."

Hand in hand, we walked back toward the camp. The fire from last night had burned down to soft embers, and the others were beginning to gather for breakfast. There were no titles yet. No Alpha commands. Just friends, family, and fresh starts.

Erya saw us and squealed. I scooped her into my arms and held her close, kissing her cheeks as she giggled.

"Good morning, little one," I said.

She looked at us both, eyes wide and happy. Her tiny fingers touched my face, then Darius’s. She didn’t speak, but in that moment, it felt like she understood everything.

This was her home now.

A place of light.

A place of peace.

I sat down with her in my lap, and Darius handed me a warm piece of bread one of the others had made. We ate quietly as the morning passed around us. Birds sang in the trees. The stream bubbled. The sun climbed higher.

No shouts. No danger. No fear.

Just life.

As we talked about the day ahead—gathering wood, checking the edge of the forest, exploring the caves—I felt calm settle deep inside me.

We had so much work to do.

So much to build.

But we were doing it together.

And for once, the future didn’t scare me.

It welcomed me.

Later that day, I stood once more at the edge of the field. I held Erya close and turned in a slow circle, taking in every inch of the land.

This would be where she took her first steps.

Where she learned to run in her wolf form.

Where she would grow up free.

The thought brought tears to my eyes.

Darius joined me again, resting a hand on my back. "What are you thinking?"

"That I finally feel like I’m home."

He kissed my temple. "Me too."

And as the wind moved around us, carrying the scent of pine and wildflowers, I knew in my soul—

This first dawn was the beginning.

Not just of a new day. freewebnoveℓ.com

But of a new life.