Chapter 253 The Ride Home
Macey
The engine purrs beneath us, low and steady, a heartbeat I can feel through my legs. The air is cool against my face as Elliot steers the bike down the narrow road that cuts through the woods. I’m pressed against his back, my arms wrapped snugly around his waist, my chest rising and falling with his. Every time he shifts, every time the bike lean: into a curve, I feel it deep in my stomach, like the world could fall apart around us and I’d still be safe right here. The wind whips through my hair that comes out from the helmet, tugging strands loose from the braid I threw together earlier. I close my eyes for a moment, resting my head against his shoulder, breathing in the scent of him, smoke and cedar and something that’s just Elliot. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this free. Not in my entire life. He doesn’t ride fast. He rides smooth, unhurried, like he knows I need a minute to breathe before I face what’s waiting. His hand squeezes mine briefly where it rests at his stomach, a silent check–in, and I squeeze back.
You’re safe now, the gesture says.
And for the first in what feels like too long, I believe it. I drop my head forward against his back, eyes closed. The hum of the engine and the rhythm of his breathing lull me into a kind of peace I didn’t think I’d feel again. That’s
when I hear her.
“You like him,” a voice lilts through my mind, amused, smooth as smoke.
My eyes fly open. “Are you my wolf?”
The voice laughs, “Yes, I’m your wolf, Saphra, little goddess–blessed”
I nearly choke on a breath. Saphra?
“Mm.” I can feel her grin inside my head, warm and wicked all at once. ‘Keeper of your fire, guardian of your banes, Nice to finally meet you properly.”
Properly? You nearly ripped me apart back there!”
She laughs, the sound echoing like silver bells. “Pain is the price of power. You handled it well.”
“You’re not supposed to be here yet, I whisper in my mind. It’s not my birthday
And wet, here I am Her tone tnftens. Arvause you needed me early. Because you earned me early Sametimes the sends make exceptions for the anes who bleed for light
A shiver runs through me. “What does that mean?”
“It means there are others coming.”
“Others?”
Her voice fades a little, like she’s moving farther away. “You’ll see soon enough, little flame.”
Pi30
“Wait, what do you mean?”
Before she can answer, Elliot’s hand slides down, finding mine again. “Hey,” he says, his voice loud enough to carry
over the wind. “You ready?”
I lift my head. We’re turning off the main road, the trees parting to reveal the clearing that leads to home, the packhouse standing tall at its centre, its windows glowing with soft golden light.
“Yeah,” I breathe, the word half a sigh. “I’m ready.”
Elliot slows as we pull up to the house. Even before the bike stops, the front doors burst open, and then they’re all there. Literally, everyone. For a moment, no one moves. It’s like the whole world has paused, everyone trying to make sure this is real, that I’m really here, alive and breathing. Then Noah moves first, breaking the spell. He barrels forward, pulling me straight off the bike and into his arms. “You’re home,” he murmurs against my hair. “You’re
actually home.”
I can barely get the words out. “Yeah,” I whisper, clutching him tighter. “I am.”
Haiden’s next, dragging Noah back just long enough to pull me into his chest. “You scared the shit out of us,” he
mutters, voice rough
“I scared myself,” I mumble back, laughing through the tears that are already stinging my eyes.
Levi’s arms come around me next, quick and fierce. “Don’t do that again.”
“I’ll try my best,” I promise, though my voice cracks halfway through it.
Xaster’s waiting when (turn. He doesn’t say anything at first- just cups the back at my neck and presses his forehead to mine, breathing me in like he’s memorising the scent. “Welcome back, trouble.”
And then Elise stope forward, a email poole breaking through the worry carved into his fare. He doesn’t rush me the hout brakes at quietly By a minen, ever scanning me from head to toe. “You smell different,” he says finally
I glance back at Elliot, who’s standing a few feet behind me, watching silently, the faintest curve tugging at his
mouth.
“I, uh…” I clear my throat, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “I got my wolf.”
The silence that follows is heavy, charged.
“Already?” Haiden blurts out, disbelief etched across his face. “That’s not possible, you’re-”
“Two days early,” I finish for him, a small smile pulling at my lips. “Yeah, I know. Tell that to her.” I tap my chest lightly. “Saphra decided she was done waiting.”
Levi whistles low. “Saphra, huh? Sounds dangerous.”
“She is,” I admit with a half–laugh. “But I think she likes me.”
Xavier shakes his head, muttering, “Of course she does. You’re a magnet for chaos.”
I’m about to roll my eyes at him when Elliot finally steps forward, the weight of his gaze making the air shift around us. He looks at me, then at the others. “You should know,” he says, his voice steady but full of quiet awe. “She’s not
just any wolf.”
Noah blinks. “What do you mean?”
Elliot’s eyes flick to mine before he says it. “She’s a white wolf.”
The words hang there, echoing through the night like a spark waiting to catch.
For a heartbeat, no one speaks. Then Elias exhales sharply, eyes widening. “White?” he repeats softly. “As in-
“Goddess–blessed,” Envy finishes for him, her tone reverent.
Haiden lets out a low whistle, shaking his head. “Another legend to add to the family tree”
1 blush, dunking my head, but Elias steps forward, his hand finding my shoulder. “No,” he says gently. “You always www gawal The goddess just decided to make it official.”
Laughter exppies through the group–wet, shaky, disbelieving laughter–but warm. Someone pulls me into another
hug. Someone else ruffles my hair. And through it all, I find Elliot’s eyes again across the crowd. He’s smiling, quiet, proud, a little in awe, and in that moment, surrounded by the people I love, I finally understand what Saphra meant.
This is what she gave me early.
Not just power.
Not just a wolf.
But the chance to come home, whole.