Chapter 54

Ethan's POV
My feelings were a mixture of confusion and relief. “You wouldn’t let him in? Why?”
“Because you weren’t here, Ethan. I didn’t want to disrupt our bond. I know how Lucas feels about me, and I don’t want anything to get in the way of us. I want you to know that you’re the only one for me,” Isabella replied, her voice sincere.
Seeing the sincerity in Isabella’s eyes made a weight begin to lift from my heart—even though there was still a lingering sense of jealousy. The hardest thing about love is holding back suspicion, but when there’s deep love between us, trust is an important foundation.
“But, Isabella, you know how we are with my family. Lucas might still have feelings, and that’s bothering me,” I said, trying to keep the line of communication open.
“Ethan, I just want you to know that I love you. I love you so much. I promise to never let anything get in the way of us. And even though Lucas is in my life, it will never change the way I feel about you,” she said, trying to reassure me.
After our talk, I felt a sense of relief, but a lingering sense of trepidation remained in my heart. We both knew that we had to keep communicating and maintaining trust between us to face the challenges that might come. I wanted to be there for Isabella and protect her—no matter how complicated the situation got.
In a quiet whisper of love, I resolved to leave my doubts behind and build a future together with the strength of our love.
The next day, I returned to my clan and was greeted warmly by the members. Upon arrival, I found the young wolves waiting to begin training. They looked excited, their faces full of hope and curiosity.
“Welcome back, Alpha Ethan,” one of them said, his voice full of enthusiasm and respect.
“Thank you.” I smiled widely, feeling the warmth of the bond between us. “But there’s no time for that now—we have to train for the good of our pack. Let’s go!”
With burning enthusiasm, we began our training. Seeing them move so agilely and energetically made me proud as a leader. They were the next generation, and it was my responsibility to make sure they became strong and resilient wolves.
The first training session began with physical strengthening. We did long-distance running, agility, and strength training. During this session, I gave them direction and motivation, making sure that they focused not only on physical strength but also on mental strength.
“A resilient wolf is not only one who is physically strong but also one who has mental resilience,” I said as I led them through the training. “You must believe in yourself and each other, like a family. That is what makes us a strong pack!”
After the running session, we moved on to combat skills training. I taught them effective and important techniques to protect themselves in dangerous situations. Seeing them train with such passion and enthusiasm gave me confidence and hope that the future of our clan would be bright.
“Good! You all showed great progress,” I praised them, making them smile widely. “Keep up the good work and we will become an unstoppable pack!”
Each training session gave us a chance to bond, support each other, and strengthen our bonds. As each day passed, I felt the thread of strength between us grow stronger—a reminder that I was not alone in this struggle.
With determination, I committed myself to leading this clan to a better future. The revival of my clan was not just about physical strength, but about love, teamwork, and the belief that we could face any obstacle that came our way. Deep in my heart, I knew that together, we would be stronger and better prepared to face any challenge.
Suddenly, I ran into my brother, Lucas. “So you’re back. I thought you wouldn’t come back,” he said in a sarcastic tone.
“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to keep my cool even as my heart began to shake.
“If you don’t come back, I can take Isabella as my wife and replace you,” he said confidently as if there was no guilt in his words.
Lucas’s words were indeed too much. There was something about him that irritated me—as if he hoped to see me gone forever so that he could get closer to Isabella. He knew how strong our bond was and how important she was to me, but it didn’t seem to deter him.
A rage burned inside me, but I tried to remain patient. After all, he was my young brother. He had lost his mate a while ago, and perhaps that pain had changed his views on love and belonging.
“Lucas, you know Isabella is my wife. Why are you questioning this bond?” I asked, trying to speak calmly.
“But I can still love her, Ethan. She deserves better, and if you’re gone…” He didn’t finish his sentence, but I could feel what he was trying to say.
Anxiety and sadness mixed inside me. I knew that loss could make people act in irrational ways. “Your loss of your mate is no reason to ruin our relationship. We have a bond deeper than that,” I replied, reminding Lucas gently.
He paused for a moment, and I could see the hesitation on his face. On one hand, my heart wanted to scream that Isabella was only for me, but on the other hand, I needed to understand the pain he was feeling.
“Lucas, I understand that you feel hurt. But we are family, and we are supposed to support each other, not take each other. Isabella is a part of my life, and I want you to respect that,” I said, trying to come to terms with my feelings.
After a few seconds, Lucas lowered his head. “I… I’m sorry, Ethan. I didn’t mean to make things worse. I just feel so lost and confused…”