Human turned Werewolf (Extremely slow updates)

Chapter 17

Noah's PON

It's been a few days sicne the walk with Ivan, but the memory of it still lingered in the back of my mind, replaying in moments when I least expected it. Every time I closed my eyes, I could feel the forest's cool air on my skin, the quiet companionship between us, and the tenison that hadn't disappeared but had shifted into something else. Something calmer, more bearable.

I carried a basket of laundry toward the omega quarters, trying to focus on the weight in my arms rather than the weight on my chest. The pack's routines had resumed like nothin had changed, but I felt different. More aware of the pack dynamics, of the eyes on me. Especially of Ivan's eyes on me. His presence, even when not physically near, he started to fill in the space around me.

I couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not.

Setting the laundry down, I rubbed my hands together, trying to chase away the chill in the air and the unease that still clung to me. The other had gone about their business as usual, though some continued to eye me with skepticism, as if they were waiting for me to mess up. Some wolves like Stevens barely hid their disdain, but Ivan... Ivan was different.

He was protective. And that made things confusing.

I couldn't shake the feeling of that moment in the forest, when he'd shifted into his wolf form, his powerful body moving with such ease thorugh the trees, like he belonged there. I'd been left standing in awe, unsure if I could ever find that same comfort in my own skin--or in the beast lurking beneath it.

The memory of him standing at the riverbank, the sunlight streaming through the branches, his eyes watching me with that mix of intensity and softness, stayed with me. He had waited for me to follow his lead, but I had hesitated, afraid of what might happen if I let the wolf inside me free.

I sighed, shaking my head as I pulled myself back to the present. Now wasn't the time to get lost in thoughts again, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the effect Ivan had on me. He was the beta, powerful, repsected, and somehow... I felt connected to him in away that made no sense.

A few days had passed, but I could still feel the warmth of his presence, the way he had looked at me by the river, like he was seeing me in a way no one else had. Not as the outsider. Not just as the omega.

But as something more.

My hands worked through the laundry, the monotonous task giving me a moment of peace, but I couldn't escape the sensation that things were shifting. Not just with Ivan, but within the pack. There was tenison--tenison I couldn't quite place, but it was there, like a storm brewing on the horizon.

And I was caught in the middle of it.

Every interaction with the pack felt loaded, every glance filled with judgment or expectation. Stevens and the other middle ranked wolves made it clear that I didn't belong, and that fact seemed to weigh heavier each day. But Ivan... he had stepped in, more than once now, making sure Stevens and the others kept their distance.

But the way he looked at me during those moments--there was more than just protectiveness. It it was like he was staking a claim, a silent declaration that made my pulse quicken whenever his eyes met mine.

Was it all in my head? Or had something changed between us?

The sound of footsteps snapped me out of my thoughts . I looked up, half-expecting to see Ivan, but it was one of the other omegas. He gave me a polite nod as passed, but I could feel the unspoken tenison between us, the constant reminder that I was different.

I let out a slow breath, wondering if I'd ever fully understand me place here. The pack had accepted me, but only on the surface. Deep down, I knew I was still an outsider, still trying to find where I fit in.