The Call of the Pack.

Chapter 6

The moonlight filtered through the loft's windows, casting a silver glow across the room. The soft hum of the city outside was the only sound that broke the silence. Inside, the air between Derek and Ember felt thick with unspoken words, a charge that had been building for weeks.

Ever since that first kiss, the distance between them had shrunk-emotionally and physically. Ember could feel it in the way Derek's eyes lingered on her a little longer when they were alone, in the way his hand would graze hers as they passed by each other, leaving a trail of heat behind. But with every step forward, there was hesitation, as if both of them were afraid of what diving deeper into this would mean.

Tonight, however, the space between them seemed even smaller. The loft felt intimate, like it had become their own little world. Ember sat curled on the couch, her legs tucked beneath her as she watched Derek move around the room, cleaning up the remnants of the pack's earlier meeting. She had grown accustomed to these quiet moments after everyone left-moments when it was just the two of them, when the tension that lingered in the air wasn't from a looming threat but from something entirely different.

"You don't have to do all of that, you know," Ember said softly, her voice breaking the stillness. "You could just sit with me."

Derek glanced over his shoulder at her, his lips twitching into a small smile. "I'm almost done," he said, though his movements slowed as if her words had tugged at him.

Ember's heart raced in anticipation. She had gotten used to Derek's reserved nature, his cautious approach to everything, but tonight she wanted more. She didn't just want his presence-she wanted him, fully and completely.

As if sensing her thoughts, Derek set down the papers he had been organizing and crossed the room to where she sat. The air between them shifted the moment he sat beside her, the closeness sparking an invisible thread that pulled them together.

"You're quiet tonight," Derek said, his voice low as he settled into the couch next to her.

Ember smiled softly, her gaze shifting from his face to the hands. "I've been thinking."

"About?"

She hesitated, her pulse quickening as she gathered the courage to speak the truth. "About us," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Derek's expression softened, his eyes searching hers as if trying to understand the meaning behind her words. "And what did you come up with?" he asked, his voice gentle.

Ember took a breath, her heart pounding in her chest. She could feel the weight of the moment, the importance of what she was about to say. "I don't want to keep holding back," she admitted, her voice trembling slightly. "I don't want to pretend like this isn't real-like we don't feel something more for each other."

The silence that followed was thick with anticipation. Derek's gaze was intense, his eyes locked on hers as if he was trying to read the truth in her words. For a moment, she wondered if she had gone too far, if she had said too much too soon. But then, slowly, Derek reached out, his hand finding hers where it rested on the couch.

"I've felt the same," he said quietly, his voice rough with emotion. "From the moment we met, I knew there was something different about you. Something that pulled me in."

Ember's heart skipped

Days turned into weeks, and the rhythm of Derek and Ember's lives began to shift around their growing relationship. In the quiet moments between pack duties, they found solace in each other, a reprieve from the constant weight of leadership and the battles they faced. What had once been unspoken now flourished-there was no more hesitation between them, no more pretending that their bond wasn't real.