The Three Who Chose Me Chapter 176: Fractures in the Quiet

Josie

I caught Kiel’s arm just as he started to stand. "Wait," I said softly, my fingers curling around his wrist. "There’s sothing I need to talk to you about before we go back."

He looked down at , his expression soft but wary. "Josie, Varen’s already—"

"This won’t take long," I cut him off, my heart pounding with unease. "It’s about Carolyn."

His brows furrowed slightly, confusion flickering across his face. "What about her?"

I hesitated, trying to find the right words. "The food," I finally said. "It changed. The seasoning... the saltiness. It wasn’t how it used to be."

Kiel tilted his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips as if he thought I was overreacting. "Maybe she just made an error in judgnt today. That happens, Josie."

I frowned, shaking my head. "No. You sound just like your brother right now." My voice ca out sharper than I ant it to. "You’re brushing it off like it’s nothing. But what if it’s not?"

He drew in a deep breath, his shoulders tensing. "I’m not dismissing you," he said after a mont. "I just think we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. But fine," he added, lifting his hands in surrender. "I’ll pay more attention to Carolyn. I promise. Right now, though, we need to go. Varen isn’t letting rest—he’s been calling through the link nonstop."

"Then tell him to co here," I said suddenly.

Kiel blinked. "What?"

"Tell Varen to co here, to the field," I insisted. "I want him to see this—see that there’s hope for us all. For ."

He hesitated for a mont before nodding. I watched as his eyes unfocused slightly, his lips moving faintly while he connected through the mind link. A soft breeze rippled through the grass while we waited, the faint rustling mingling with the beating of my heart.

After a mont, Kiel blinked back to and said, "He’s on his way."

Relief fluttered in my chest, and I smiled faintly. "Good."

While we waited, Kiel’s hand brushed against mine, his fingers threading through with a tenderness that made my chest ache. "I’m glad you trust ," he murmured, voice low.

"I’m glad you haven’t given up on ," I whispered back.

He leaned closer, his forehead resting against mine. "Never."

The world seed to fade around us as he kissed —slow and warm, like a promise made beneath the open sky. I felt his heartbeat pulse against mine, grounding when everything else in my life had been spinning out of control.

When he finally pulled back, he smiled that crooked smile that always made my stomach flip. "Co on," he said softly, tugging up. "Let’s run."

We took off across the field, the grass whispering beneath our feet. The air slled of earth and moonlight, of sothing wild and free. I laughed breathlessly as we moved, the tension of the last few days lting away in the rhythm of our steps.

Kiel caught my hand mid-run and spun toward him, pulling close. His eyes burned with a quiet intensity. "I love you more than I can ever put into words," he said, the words spilling out like a confession he’d been holding for too long.

My breath caught. "Kiel—"

Before I could finish, the sound of footsteps reached us. Varen appeared at the edge of the clearing, flanked by two Betas. His presence was like a sudden storm—sharp, commanding, unyielding.

I swallowed, my pulse quickening. "You brought them with you?" I whispered to Kiel.

He frowned slightly, but Varen was already walking toward us.

"Josie," Varen greeted, his tone even but his eyes scanning the area warily. "You shouldn’t have been out here without escort."

"I wanted to show you sothing," I said quickly, stepping forward. "I wanted you to see that the grass— it’s growing again. There’s balance coming back. There’s still hope."

His eyes softened for a brief mont before the Alpha in him returned. "You’ve made progress," he admitted quietly. "But it’s still dangerous. We can’t take chances until we’re sure the energy around you is stable."

"I can handle it," I said stubbornly. "I’m not—"

Varen shook his head. "This isn’t about what you can handle, Josie. It’s about keeping you safe. Keeping all of us safe." He took a step closer, his gaze flicking toward Kiel. "You need to return to the pack house. Ruby will go with you."

"But—"

"No," he interrupted gently but firmly. "You’ll go back with Ruby. Thorne needs to see that you’re in control, that you aren’t a danger. This is how we start earning their trust again."

I clenched my fists, the protest burning in my throat. "I don’t want to leave yet."

"Josie," Varen said quietly, and before I could argue again, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. "Please. Do this for ."

Sothing in his tone made falter. I nodded reluctantly. "Fine," I muttered. "But I don’t like it."

He smiled faintly. "You never do."

Kiel gave a reassuring look, brushing his fingers against mine briefly. "I’ll be right behind you," he promised.

Ruby appeared beside , her expression unreadable as she gestured toward the path leading back. "Co on, Josie."

The walk back felt longer than usual. The air between Ruby and was thick with unspoken thoughts. I kept glancing at her from the corner of my eye, but she said nothing—just walked silently, her footsteps asured, her presence steady.

When the pack house ca into view, my unease deepened. I caught sight of movent through the kitchen window and froze. Carolyn. She was there, stirring sothing at the counter, humming softly to herself.

Ruby followed my gaze. "You don’t like her, do you?"

I stiffened. "I didn’t say that."

"You didn’t have to," she replied calmly. "You’re staring holes into her back."

I looked away quickly. "I just... don’t trust easily anymore."

Ruby humd thoughtfully. "That’s understandable." She paused, then added quietly, "There’s sothing I wanted to talk to you about."

I frowned slightly. "What is it?"

"Not here." She gestured toward the stairs. "Let’s go to your room first."

The weight in her tone made uneasy, but I followed her without a word. We climbed the stairs in silence, the distant hum of voices from the kitchen fading behind us. My heart thudded unevenly in my chest.

When we reached my room, Ruby closed the door carefully, checking the hall before turning the lock. The air shifted, heavy and tense.

I crossed my arms. "You’re making nervous, Ruby."

She faced then, her expression serious. "Maybe you should be."

My stomach twisted. "What do you an?"

Ruby exhaled, her eyes eting mine. "I think Thorne’s losing focus," she said slowly. "He’s been distracted lately—too distracted. First with you, and now..." She hesitated. "Now with Carolyn."

The na hit like a slap. "Carolyn?" I repeated, my voice barely a whisper.

Ruby nodded grimly. "Sothing’s shifting in the pack, Josie. I don’t know what it is yet, but I can feel it. And if we’re not careful..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "It’s going to tear us apart."

Her words hung in the air, sharp and foreboding. I didn’t know what to say. The silence pressed in around us until I could hear nothing but the sound of my own breathing—uneven, uncertain.

For the first ti that day, I realized how fragile everything still was. The peace we were clinging to. The trust we were trying to rebuild. The power still pulsing under my skin, waiting for one wrong move to unravel it all.

And sowhere beneath it all... the quiet, poisonous whisper of doubt.