Between the Storm

I shifted back into human form, the cool breeze brushing over my skin, but the fabric of my clothes—already worn and torn from the shift—did little to shield me from the chill in the air. It wasn't like they hadn't seen me in this state before, but I hated feeling exposed.

Caleb ran toward me the second I was fully human, his small body clinging to me like a lifeline. His tiny arms wrapped tightly around my neck, his sobs shaking through me, making it nearly impossible to get up.

"It's okay, baby. Mama's fine," I whispered, pressing a kiss to his head as his sobs hitched in the quiet.

A distant howl pierced the air, sending a shiver down my spine. It was followed by a chorus of others, and I watched as some of the pack members nearby darted into the trees, probably joining Joel in the hunt.

"Here," Camden said, his voice tight with urgency as he draped a blanket around my shoulders. The warmth of the fabric contrasted with the cold edge in his tone. "Let's go inside. The storm's coming in early."

I hoisted Caleb onto my hip, his tear-streaked face buried into my neck, and started toward the house, Camden close behind. His eyes were trained on the tree line, scanning for any threats, while the pack members who had been watching peeked nervously out from windows and doorways. The pack was on high alert now. Around us, curious pack members peeked out from windows and doorways, while others waited silently for their Alpha's command.

"Notify me the moment Joel and Josh return, Luke—my office," Camden barked, his voice commanding.

"Yes, sir." came the immediate reply.

Once we were safely inside my room, Camden's usual cold demeanour slipped, and the raw panic I hadn't seen in him in years broke through. He began pacing in front of me, his movements sharp, restless.

"Avery, are you sure you're okay?" His voice was softer now, the anger gone, but something else lingered—something I couldn't quite place. His eyes were frantic, scanning me for any sign of injury. "You're shaking."

I sighed, rubbing my face, feeling the weight of the moment crashing down on me. "Cam, I'm fine," I said, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice, but it was hard to mask the exhaustion that had settled deep in my bones. "Give me some room to breathe."

He didn't move. Instead, he stepped closer, his hands hovering near my shoulders like he was afraid to touch me, but couldn't help himself. His eyes never left mine, his gaze searching—looking for something, anything to calm himself down.

"I'm fine, Camden," I repeated, my voice quieter this time. I needed him to understand that I couldn't keep living in constant fear. I needed him to trust me.

But as I said it, the fear that had gripped me earlier returned, creeping back into my chest. It wasn't the rogues or the danger outside that shook me now—it was the look on Camden's face. The worry, the guilt, the unspoken things between us. It was the realization that my fear wasn't just about protecting Caleb anymore. It was about us—what we used to be and everything we had lost.

Caleb whimpered softly against my neck, his little fingers clutching at the blanket around my shoulders, his tears soaking through the fabric.

"Baby, I'm okay. Mommy's fine," I murmured, trying to soothe him, but my own heart was breaking as I said it. He was terrified. And how could I blame him? What had we walked into by coming back here?

A flicker of guilt hit me. I hadn't even thanked Alex for saving my life. Instead, I'd barely looked at him. He probably thought I was ungrateful—or worse, still scared of him.

Maybe I was. Not of Joel, exactly, but of the memories he stirred up.

"I'm going to get the doctor to come check on you," Camden said abruptly, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Cam, would you please stop? I told you, I'm fine. Joel showed up just in time, and I had the guards with me—well, kind of. I might have snuck off without them knowing."

His jaw tightened, the muscles in his neck working hard as he tried to keep his anger in check. "It's their job to protect you, Avery," he said, his voice low but carrying an edge I couldn't ignore. "What would I have done if I lost you today?"

The words hit me harder than I expected, and something inside me crumbled.

What would I have done if I lost you?

I shook my head, unable to let the bitterness consume me.

"You'd go on," I said quietly, my voice barely a whisper. "You'd go on living just the way you have these last five years—without me.

Camden stepped closer, his anger slipping back into something softer, something more desperate. "Yeah? And what about Caleb ? What do I tell him when his mother's gone? You think it's easy growing up without your mom?"

I recoiled at the words, the finality in his tone stinging more than I wanted to admit. I didn't know how to respond—not when he had a point.

I wanted to throw his absence in his face—to tell him how I had spent years alone, raising our son without him. But I couldn't.

Instead, I glanced away, holding Caleb closer to me. "You don't need to yell," I whispered, my voice trembling slightly.

I glanced away, holding Caleb closer. "You don't need to yell," I said quietly.

Camden sighed deeply, his shoulders sagging.  For a moment, he didn't seem like an Alpha at all. He looked like the man I once knew—a boy who had lost his birth mother to a cruel twist of fate.

"I'm not yelling, Avery," he said softly, stepping back slightly. "I'm scared. For you. For him. For us."

And just like that, everything felt too heavy. Too much to carry alone.

Camden ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident in the way his jaw clenched. He was used to being in control, used to handling everything, but right now, nothing made sense. I couldn't even tell what he wanted from me anymore—was it just to protect me

"Avery," he began, his voice thick with emotion. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do here." His eyes flickered to the floor, like the words were too much for him. I can't keep living in this limbo. You—" he stopped himself, looking at the floor. "I can't lose you!"

His voice dropped, barely above a whisper. "I already lost you once, and I won't go through that again."

I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt at his words. He had his faults—more than a few—but I knew Camden wasn't a man who could sit idly by when things were falling apart.

The raw emotion in his words sent a wave of conflicting feelings through me. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that what we had before wasn't lost forever. But too much had happened between us. Too much pain, too much history.

"Cam, you don't get it," I said softly, my voice cracking slightly. "I'm not the same person I was. I can't just pick up where we left off, pretending that nothing's changed. Everything has changed."

I could see the hurt in his eyes, the flicker of something he wasn't ready to confront. But he didn't push it. Instead, he looked at me, his gaze filled with a strange mix of longing and resignation.

"I know things are different," he said finally, after a long pause. "But that doesn't mean we can't try to make it work. I won't give up on us. Not now. Not when we have a son depending on us."

The mention of Caleb sent a jolt through me. Our son. That was the one thing I couldn't ignore. The one thing that kept me tethered to Camden, no matter how much I wanted to pull away.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing thoughts. "We need to focus on him," I said softly, my voice steadying. "We need to make sure he's safe. That's all that matters right now."

Camden nodded slowly, his gaze never leaving mine. "You're right. But I also need you to know that I'm here, Avery. I'm here for you. No matter what."

I felt a pang in my chest at his words. He was trying. I knew he was. But I wasn't sure I could be what he wanted me to be anymore.

A knock at the door broke the tension, and we both turned to see Luke standing in the doorway. His face was serious, his posture rigid.

"Alpha, they're back," he said, his voice clipped. "Joel and Josh. They need to speak with you."

Camden straightened immediately, slipping back into Alpha mode. "Tell them I'll be right down," he said, his voice authoritative, the cold edge returning.

Luke nodded and disappeared, leaving me with Camden. The silence between us stretched long, thick with unspoken words. I knew he had to go, that he had a responsibility to the pack. But I wasn't ready for this conversation to end—not when everything was still so unresolved between us.

"Cam," I started, but he was already moving toward the door. He paused, glancing over his shoulder at me.

"I'll be back soon," he said softly, and for a moment, I could have sworn I saw the smallest hint of uncertainty in his eyes. But it was gone before I could fully process it.

I nodded, but I didn't speak. What was there left to say?

As the door clicked shut behind him, I let out a shaky breath, sitting down on the bed and pulling Caleb tighter into my arms.

The storm outside hadn't fully arrived yet, but I could already feel the pressure building, thick and heavy, like the air before a storm. It wasn't just the weather that was about to break. There was something darker on the horizon. Something I couldn't avoid much longer.