I don’t answer. I don’t need to. Because if they’re not back soon, I already know what I’ll do.
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Y/N's POV:
The cabin comes into view, its faint glow barely visible through the thick curtain of snow. My legs ache, every step heavier than the last, but I push forward. The storm has gotten worse, the biting wind cutting through my jacket and chilling me to the bone. Every part of me wants to collapse, but the sight of the cabin keeps me moving.
By the time I reach the porch, my fingers are stiff and my cheeks burn from the cold. I fumble with the door, forcing it open as a wave of warmth washes over me. My boots crunch on the wooden floor as I step inside, snow melting into small puddles beneath me.
The sound of the door slamming shut pulls all their attention to me. Jax is the first to speak. “Well, look who decided to come back,” he drawls, lounging on the couch like he’s got nowhere better to be. His knife glints in the firelight as he twirls it lazily between his fingers.
“Y/N,” Ryder snaps, crossing the room in a flash. His eyes are sharp, and his voice is sharper. “What the hell were you thinking? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is out there?”
I try to catch my breath, leaning heavily against the door. My fingers tremble as I pull back my hood. “I needed air,” I mutter, my voice hoarse.
“Air?” Ryder’s tone rises, his frustration spilling over. “You’ve got air in here! What part of ‘don’t go wandering off’ didn’t you understand?”
“Enough,” Ein says, cutting through Ryder’s tirade. He’s standing by the fire, his arms crossed, watching me with an expression I can’t quite read. “They’re back. That’s what matters.”
Ryder glares at him but doesn’t argue. Instead, he takes a step back, running a hand through his hair. “You’re reckless,” he mutters under his breath, shaking his head as he turns away.
I glance at Jax, who smirks at me like this whole situation is just some kind of joke. “Told you they’d be fine,” he says, leaning back and tossing the knife into the air before catching it again.
I push off the door, peeling off my wet jacket and boots. My fingers are numb, and my clothes cling to my skin, damp and uncomfortable. “I wasn’t gone that long,” I say, my voice defensive. “I just needed to clear my head.”
Ein’s gaze stays on me, calm and steady. “And did you?” he asks quietly.
I hesitate, remembering the wolf, the clearing, and that strange door beneath the tree. My chest tightens at the thought, but I force myself to nod. “Yeah,” I lie. “I’m fine.”
Ein’s eyes narrow slightly, but he doesn’t press. Instead, he gestures toward the fire. “Sit. Warm up.”
I don’t argue. My body aches, and I’m still shivering as I sink into the chair closest to the hearth. The heat from the flames seeps into my frozen limbs, but it does little to quiet my mind. I keep replaying what happened in the woods, the wolf’s piercing eyes, and the carvings on the door.
“You’re hiding something,” Ryder says suddenly, breaking the silence. His arms are crossed, his posture tense as he stares me down. “What did you see out there?”
“Nothing,” I say quickly, too quickly. His eyes narrow, and I know he doesn’t believe me.
“Y/N,” Ein says, his voice calm but firm. “Tell us the truth.”
I hesitate, glancing between them. My mouth opens, then closes. Part of me wants to spill everything, but the other part—the part that still doesn’t understand what I saw—holds me back.
“I just... got lost for a bit,” I finally say. “It’s nothing.”
None of them look convinced, but no one presses further. For now. I lean back in the chair, staring into the fire as the warmth finally starts to thaw my body. But deep down, I know this isn’t over. The wolf, the figure—it’s only the beginning.
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Jax's POV:
The kid looks like hell.
I watch Y/N as they slump into the chair by the fire, their clothes soaked and face pale from the cold. They’re trying to act like it’s no big deal, like they didn’t just wander out into a damn snowstorm without telling anyone. Typical. They’ve always been stubborn like that—charging ahead, ignoring the obvious dangers, thinking they’re invincible.
I lean back on the couch, flipping my knife idly in my hand. I should probably say something, but Ryder’s already pacing like a caged animal, his temper doing all the talking for me. I let him rant because, honestly, he’s not wrong. Y/N’s got guts, but sometimes guts get you killed.
Ryder’s tone is sharp as ever. “What did you see out there?” he snaps.
Y/N mumbles something about getting lost, but I can tell it’s a load of crap. I know that look on their face. They’re hiding something, but they’re too damn proud—or scared—to admit it. I glance over at Ein, who’s leaning against the wall, watching the whole thing with that unreadable expression of his. He’s always too calm, like nothing rattles him. It’s unnerving, but I have to admit, it works.
“Tell us the truth,” Ein says, his voice steady.
Y/N hesitates, their eyes darting toward the fire. I can see the gears turning in their head, trying to figure out what to say. And then they settle on the same lie. “It’s nothing.”
I snort softly, shaking my head. “Yeah, sure. Nothing. You’re soaking wet, shivering like a leaf, and you look like you’ve seen a ghost, but it’s nothing.”
That gets their attention. Y/N glares at me, their jaw tightening. “I’m fine, Jax.”
“Fine?” I raise an eyebrow, tossing the knife into the air and catching it again. “You don’t look fine. You look like an idiot who got caught in a snowstorm because they didn’t think it through.”
“Jax,” Ein says, his tone warning me to back off.
But I don’t. Not yet. “You’re lucky you made it back in one piece,” I continue, sitting up straighter. “What if you hadn’t? What if something out there got to you? Do you ever think about that, or do you just assume the rest of us will clean up your mess?”
“Jax!” Ryder snaps this time, but I ignore him. My focus is on Y/N.
Their glare sharpens, their hands balling into fists. “I can take care of myself,” they say through clenched teeth.
“Yeah? You call this taking care of yourself?” I shoot back, gesturing to their soaked clothes and the water pooling on the floor.
“Enough,” Ein cuts in, his voice slicing through the tension. “Jax, sit down. Y/N, get dry. We’ll deal with this later.”
I lean back again, rolling my eyes but keeping my mouth shut. Ein might be calm, but there’s an edge to his voice that tells me not to push him right now.
Y/N doesn’t say anything, but they grab a blanket from the chair and wrap it around themselves, still shivering. I watch them out of the corner of my eye, and despite everything, I feel the knot of worry in my chest tighten.
They’re reckless, yeah, but they’re my kid sibling. My responsibility. And no matter how much they piss me off, I’d tear this whole forest apart if it meant keeping them safe.
“Next time,” I mutter, loud enough for them to hear, “don’t be an idiot.”
Y/N doesn’t look at me, but I catch the smallest flicker of a smirk on their face. Stubborn as hell. Just like me.
Word count: 1302
