Page 10 of Falling for My Shifter Guardian

“The hunters are a group of humans,” Chloé begins carefully, her voice steady but tinged with gravity, “who believe shifters are dangerous. A threat to their way of life. They’ve been around for centuries, but recently, they’ve become more organized. More ruthless. They don’t just want to hurt us—they want to eradicate us.”

My stomach twists, and I glance at Ethan, whose easy grin is gone, replaced by a serious expression. He steps away from the wall and perches on the armrest of the couch, his amber eyes locking onto mine.

“They’ve been getting bolder,” Ethan says, his tone low and charged. “This… what happened to Sam… it’s just the beginning. They’re not playing games anymore, Olivia. They want us gone. All of us.”

A chill runs through me, and I wrap my arms around myself, trying to process what they’re saying. This isn’t just some isolated incident. This is a war—one I didn’t even know existed.

“Why?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why would they do that?”

Chloé sighs, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. “Fear. Prejudice. Power. Take your pick. They see us as monsters, as something unnatural. They don’t understand that we just want to live our lives, just like anyone else.”

Ethan leans forward, his expression softer now. “I know it’s a lot to take in. Trust me, I’ve seen that look on a lot of faces. Butyou’re safe here. Derek wouldn’t have brought you if he didn’t think so.”

At the mention of Derek, my chest tightens. Safe. The word feels hollow in the face of everything I’ve just learned. If hunters are out there—if they’re willing to dothatto someone like Sam—how can anyone be safe? And Derek… he’s been living in this danger every day, carrying it without ever letting me see the weight of it.

“If this is what Derek deals with all the time…” I trail off, my thoughts spiraling. “How does he handle it?”

Ethan chuckles, though there’s no humor in it. “Derek? He handles it by being a stubborn, overprotective pain in the ass.”

Chloé smirks, but her eyes are kind as she looks at me. “He’s one of the strongest people I know, but he carries a lot of responsibility. Too much, if you ask me. He doesn’t like letting people in—it’s his way of protecting them.”

Her words hit me harder than I expect. Derek’s protectiveness isn’t new; it’s been there since the day we met, always hovering at the edges of our interactions, unspoken but undeniable. But now, knowing what he’s been shielding me from, it feels… different. Bigger. More personal.

My gaze drifts toward the hallway where he disappeared, the memory of his voice in the truck replaying in my mind.“I’m trying to keep you safe. That’s all I’ve ever tried to do.”There was something raw in his tone, something that felt like more than just duty. And the way he looked at me, like I was both the reason for his resolve and the source of his torment…

I shake my head, trying to clear the thoughts. This isn’t the time to dissect whatever complicated emotions are swirling between us. But even as I tell myself to focus, my chest tightens with an unfamiliar mix of worry and longing. I’ve always thought ofDerek as this unshakeable force, but now I see the cracks—the weight he carries, the sacrifices he’s made. And for the first time, I wonder if I’ve been blind to something that’s been there all along.

“You love him,” Chloé says softly, her voice pulling me from my thoughts.

I blink, startled. “What? No—I mean, of course I love him. He’s… he’s Derek. He’s always been there for me.”

Chloé’s smile is small but knowing. “It’s more than that, though, isn’t it?”

I open my mouth to argue, but the words don’t come. Because deep down, I know she’s right. Derek isn’t just my protector. He’s the man I’m in love with. The realization has been there for a while now, growing quietly in my heart, even as I’ve tried to ignore it. And the thought terrifies me as much as it thrills me—especially now, with the hunters out there, threatening everything he stands for.

Chapter 5

Derek

The outskirts of Whispering Pines are quieter than usual, the air heavy with the promise of rain. My boots crunch softly over the dirt path as I patrol the edge of town, the forest to my left, the faint bustle of the Farmer’s Market filtering through the trees on my right. My wolf prowls inside me, restless, his growls low and insistent, vibrating at the back of my mind. Something’s wrong. I can feel it deep in my bones—a sharp, gut-twisting certainty that danger is close.

I’m not the only one who’s felt it. Theo’s been on edge for weeks, ever since we caught wind of the hunters in the area. He’s assigned some of the pack’s most trusted members to take turns patrolling the town’s borders, watching for anything out of place.

I clench my fists, the weight of responsibility pressing heavy on my shoulders. The pack is counting on me—and on Theo—to keep them safe, and I won’t let them down. But the stakes feel higher now, sharper, because Olivia is here.

I pause, inhaling deeply. The air carries the familiar scents of the forest—damp pine, freshly churned earth—but beneath it, something sharper, fouler. It’s faint, but it’s enough to set every nerve in my body on edge.

And then I see him.

Ben Carter.

He’s leaning against a lamppost outside the Whispering Pines diner, phone in hand, his head tilted slightly as if lost in thought. But there’s nothing casual about him. His movements are too sharp, his focus too deliberate. Every muscle in my body coils tight as I watch him. He’s not scrolling aimlessly through social media. He’s observing. Documenting.

I step back into the shadows of the tree line, my breathing steady, my senses sharpened. My wolf stirs, restless, as I track his gaze. It shifts subtly, landing on a pair of people exiting the diner—a man and a woman, both laughing, both oblivious to the fact that Ben’s phone is now angled toward them. He taps the screen once. Twice. Taking photos.

Damn it.

My fists clench at my sides, the urge to confront him nearly overwhelming. But I force myself to wait, to watch. Ben’s actions are too calculated, too precise. This isn’t idle curiosity. He’s gathering information. The man he just photographed—I recognize him. Carl, a shifter from Whispering Pines Pack. The woman, I don’t know, but her scent carries the faint, earthy undertones of wolf. Ben’s targeting shifters.

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