Chapter 8: He is a werewolf

Lila’s POV

The next day at the clinic I just went on with my normal routine and handling appointments. I was grateful for the normalcy, given the whirlwind of confusion that had taken over my life lately. The more I thought about what I overheard at the café—the talk of werewolves, Alphas, packs—the more I questioned my sanity. Maybe I had imagined it, maybe my mind was playing tricks on me, but deep down, I knew the truth.

There was something otherworldly happening in Silverwood.

I tried to focus on the animals, on their simple needs and innocent lives. They weren’t bogged down by complicated things like pack rivalries or supernatural beings. I envied them for that.

But my mind kept drifting back to Ethan. Why had he and Marcus been talking about me? What made me so important in all of this? And then, of course, there was the matter of Ethan being a werewolf, which I dont know if it really true. I had seen enough strange things to start believing in the impossible, but I still struggled to wrap my head around it.

It didn’t help that I kept running into him. Every time I stepped outside or headed into town, there he was—like a shadow, always nearby. Our paths seemed to cross too often for it to be a coincidence.

By late afternoon, I was mentally exhausted. I had just finished checking on a group of sickly raccoons that had been brought in earlier in the week, their condition deteriorating faster than expected. Whatever illness was spreading through the local wildlife, it wasn’t normal. I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was connected to Ethan and his pack, he was talking about somehow.

I was closing up the clinic when my phone buzzed in my pocket. The screen lit up with a message from Sarah, my assistant, reminding me that she had a family emergency and wouldn’t be coming in tomorrow. Great. One more thing to worry about.

With a sigh, I locked the door and started walking down the street toward my house, the crisp evening air making me shiver. The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows over the town, and a strange tension seemed to hang in the air. Everything felt… off. 

Halfway home, I heard footsteps behind me. They were faint but unmistakable. My instincts screamed at me to keep walking, to act like nothing was wrong. But my pulse quickened, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me.

I glanced over my shoulder, but the street was empty. Still, the sensation lingered—a prickling at the back of my neck, like unseen eyes were following my every move.

I quickened my pace, clutching my bag a little tighter. Maybe it was just paranoia. Or maybe it was something more sinister. After all, with the things I’d overheard, nothing seemed impossible anymore.

The sound of a car engine suddenly roared behind me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I barely had time to react before a black SUV screeched around the corner, speeding down the street toward me. I froze, my mind racing as the headlights blinded me.

Before I could think, the SUV skidded to a stop in front of me, blocking my path. Two men jumped out, dressed in dark clothes, their faces covered by hoods. Panic surged through me as they moved toward me with deliberate, menacing intent.

“who are you- What—what do you want?” I stammered, my voice shaking. I took a step back, but the men closed in, leaving me nowhere to go.

One of them grinned, a flash of teeth beneath his hood. “We just want to talk.”

“Talk?” My heart was hammering in my chest. “About what?”

Before they could answer, another sound cut through the tension—the deep, rumbling growl of an animal. It was low and dangerous, and it sent a chill down my spine.

I turned to see Ethan standing in the shadows, his eyes glowing a faint gold, muscles tense as he took a step forward. He wasn’t alone. Marcus was with him, and behind them, several other men—members of his suppose pack, if i am not mistaken —emerged from the dark, their presence both reassuring and terrifying.

The men who had been advancing on me hesitated, their eyes darting between Ethan and his pack. “This isn’t your fight, Blackwood,” one of them snarled.

Ethan didn’t say a word. He just moved closer, his growl growing louder. His eyes locked on the men, and I could feel the barely contained fury radiating off him.

One of the men cursed under his breath. “We’ll be back,” he spat before turning and bolting toward the SUV. His companion followed suit, and within seconds, the car roared to life again and sped off into the night, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake.

I stood frozen in place, my body trembling with a mix of fear and adrenaline. Ethan was still watching the SUV disappear into the distance, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. His pack stayed close, their eyes scanning the surroundings, as if expecting more trouble.

After what felt like an eternity, Ethan turned to me, his eyes no longer glowing but still sharp with intensity. “Are you okay?”

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure if I was. “Who were they?”

“They’re Dominic’s men,” Ethan said quietly, his voice laced with anger. “Spies. Kane’s been sending them into town, testing our defenses.”

“Dominic Kane?” I asked, remembering the name from the café conversation and also I remembered that he knew came to my clinic and I can't forget my experience with him. His name alone screams trouble. "The one that came to my clinic weeks ago" I managed to ask 

Ethan’s jaw tightened. “Yeah. He’s the one. He is my rival, He’s been trying to expand his territory, and Silverwood is in his sights.”

My mind was spinning, trying to make sense of everything. Werewolves, rival packs, spies—it felt like I had stumbled into some sort of supernatural war. “What does he want with me?”

Ethan hesitated, his eyes softening slightly as he looked at me. “I don’t know yet. But you’re involved now, Lila, whether you like it or not.”

Before I could respond, something moved in the shadows nearby—a flash of movement that made my stomach drop. One of Ethan’s pack members turned just in time to see a figure dart out from behind a tree.

Suddenly, all hell broke loose.

A group of men, If I am not mistaken more of Dominic’s spies, surged out from the darkness, attacking Ethan’s and the men that came along with him with brutal force. It was chaos—growls, shouts, and the sound of fists meeting flesh filled the air as the fight erupted around me.

I stumbled back, trying to stay out of the way, but I was caught in the middle of it. One of the spies lunged at me, and I screamed, ducking just in time to avoid a blow to my head. I scrambled to my feet, my heart pounding as I searched for a way out.

And then, in the midst of the chaos, I saw something that made my blood run cold.

Ethan.

He stood at the center of the fight, his body tense, eyes blazing with that supernatural glow. And then, before my very eyes, he began to change.

His muscles rippled, his body contorting in ways that defied human logic. His clothes tore as his limbs elongated, fur sprouting from his skin. I watched in stunned horror as Ethan transformed, his human form disappearing, replaced by something far more primal.

A wolf. A massive, black wolf with golden eyes that shone like fire.

My breath caught in my throat, and I stumbled back, my mind struggling to process what I was seeing. Ethan… was a wolf. A werewolf. It wasn’t just a story or a legend. It was real, and it was happening right in front of me.

The wolf—Ethan—let out a deafening growl, baring his sharp teeth at the intruders. His pack fought alongside him, some of them transforming as well, their forms shifting from man to beast in a matter of seconds.

The spies, realizing they were outmatched, retreated, disappearing into the night as quickly as they had come.

I stood frozen, my heart racing, my mind a whirlwind of confusion and fear. Ethan—the man I had been drawn to, the man who had been protecting me—wasn’t just a man. He was a werewolf. And now I was part of a world I had never believed existed.

The fight was over, but nothing felt normal anymore.

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