Chapter Forty-ThreeJack's POV“Secure the borders, make sure none of them leave with the children.” I shout telepathically.Another bullet sinks into my skin, and I groan painfully as my strength begins to wane. Some of the men have begun to drop dead from the deadlines of the bullet.But I don't allow the bullet attacks to stop me from tearing through the humans and running after those who try to escape.“Scour the surrounding forest, make sure none of them leave with the children.” I order again, a little glad to see some of the fellow fighters run into different corners of the forest.The acute smell of blood and death fills the air, and I am filled with bloodlust. I move through the humans with unrelenting hatred and a violent energy that cannot be tamed. I don't allow myself to feel weakness or pity until the last of them crumble to the ground, so that the only sound that reaches my ears are the soft cries of the women and children as they each try to find their loved ones. My
Chapter Forty-Four Jenna's POVThere's a sense of freedom and complete abandon I experience as I tear through the forest, Veronica right beside me. The soundless wind ruffles my coated fur, and the earthly scent of the forest fills my lungs, causing me to experience the almost alien feeling of happiness. Because yes, this is what happiness feels like. It cannot be further than this. I am filled with a sense of purpose and such vitality as I continue to weave through the forest, the thudding sound of our hoofs against the forest ground like music to my ears. Suddenly, I sense it—the presence of a prey close by. And then, the hunger tears through me again, causing me to race harder, the incessant need to feed overcoming all sense of caution and logic. Soon enough, our prey comes into sight—a large deer with ears perked to catch the slightest sign of movement. “We have to be discreet, or else we lose him.” Veronica cautions through telepathy, and I give a nod in answer. We approac
Chapter Forty Five Jack's POVWhen I step out into the bright sunlight and warm air, I find pack members huddled around each other, faces crestfallen and their expressions bereft of hope. A little boy of five is the first who catches sight of me, his eyes widening and quickly filled with excitement as he points in my direction with an excited shout. “Look, it's the alpha!”“He's awake,” they cry with joy.And just like that, the crowd breaks into a joyous roar of excitement. Seconds later, some of the women begin to dance around me, while the bold men invade my personal space to deliver pats on my back. Jordan is one of those men, his eyes filled with relief and a little bit of mischief. “For two whole days, you kept me worried that I was going to be forced to choose a new alpha for your people.”Jordan's crude joke pushes a short laugh out of me. “Well, it's not my time to join our ancestors yet.”“Welcome back to the land of the living.” Jordan smiles with a fond expression as
Chapter Forty-SixJenna's POV I am harshly woken up by Veronica, who shakes me almost violently. “Wake up, Jenna.” Her voice is a little bit above a whisper, filled with fear. I am instantly awake, alert but confused as I look around through bleary eyes. “What is it?”“We have to leave now.” Veronica drags me out of the bed and creeps towards the door. As we peep through the cracks on her door, I begin to hear the voices of men. “You have to be careful; these animals are ruthless. They'll tear you into unrecognisable pieces before you can say jack. Remember, we are here for the young women and children. We gun down the rest of them on sight.”My eyes widen at their words, and I turn to Veronica, whose heartbeat thumps so loudly and erratically. “Who are these people?”“Humans.” Veronica spits with venom. “Oh gods..” I exclaim as palpable fear snakes through me. “What are we going to do now?”“You have to escape to safety. But I have to try to keep my people safe.”“Safety?” I as
Chapter Forty-sevenJenna's POVThe hurricane roars harder, a monstrous wall of wind and dust that obliterates everything in its path. The humans have begun to flee the natural disaster, their weapons discarded. I look wildly around as everyone continues to scamper towards safer grounds. The whirlwind appears targeted at the humans, whipping them in its terrifying churn, their bodies twisting and turning abnormally in the angry cone of dust and debris. That is when I catch sight of the wolf again, the one who appears to be the instigator of this strange magic. The furious wolf stands tall, still the largest I have ever seen, with its fur fluttering against the wind. As if the wolf can sense my gaze, it turns and its eyes, like molten silver locks with mine, and a shudder goes through me at the almost unnatural sight. And suddenly, I became aware of who this is. Zephyr. Relief washes through me when he gives an almost imperceptible nod of recognition, and I break into a run toward
Chapter Forty EightJack's POV"We should," is my reply. Violet glances back at the trunda from which we had both exited, then turns her gaze back to me."They're preparing Adam's bath." When I'm with him, he cooperates better. Her eyes look deeply into mine, like she really wants me to understand, like she really hopes I do. "The little boy will be fine." "He's been through so much, Jack." Violet says in a shaky voice as she wraps her hands around herself, eyes filled with sorrow. "They took some of the children," she whispers, shutting her eyes, but two lone tears slip down her cheeks, and my heart cracks open at the obvious pain that she is going through. I had failed. I failed to protect the people that I had sworn to. The children, the lovely children, so little and innocent in their ways, without strength and fighting skill, had been rudely taken from their homes. Manhandled like they were adults. I ball my fist as rage surges in me. “I am going to kill every single one of
Chapter Forty NineJenna's POVZephyr does not say anything to me as we continue to make our way towards the castle, the silence between us isn't comfortable, but not overwhelmingly unbearable either. I wonder what is going on in his mind. I am also filled with questions about the attack—questions that I am well aware are too early to ask.“So, Veronica told you about us?” Zephyr is the first one to break the silence with a question that gives a pause. Had he been thinking about what I said? “Yes, she did.” I answer candidly. “What else did she reveal?” Zephyr's voice is brittle, but his face registers no emotion. “I don't think that's what we should be talking about right now. We have someone to find.”Zephyr does not say anything after that. We continue our journey until we arrive at the castle, where we find a few men waiting outside. As soon as they catch sight of Zephyr and me, they move towards us and bow their heads slightly to him. Zephyr regards them with an air of super
Chapter FiftyJack's POV My head spins at Violet's story, and I find it a little hard to wrap my head around all that she's told me. “So, your blood was what brought me back to life?” I ask, unable to keep the disbelief out of my tone. Violet shakes her head like she's disappointed at my unbelief. “You were not dead, Jack.”And then we both fall silent, each lost in thought. I think about the story, which I know to not be entirely bizarre. Papa told tales of how the women in earlier times had the power to heal, and this power only came upon them on rare occasions, like during the blood moon or very brutal wars where too many lives were lost. I had thought of the story as mere tales, told for entrainment. I had never believed that I would ever witness it happen, nor that it would happen to me. “The blood moon came in record time, and I am more than happy that it did, because that means that we still have you.” Violet's voice for the first time is tinged with relief and happiness.
Jenna’s POV The world feels distant, as if I’m watching everything unfold from the outside. My side throbs, a constant reminder of the bullet lodged deep in my flesh. The cool air bites at my skin, but the pain is worse, gnawing at me like an animal digging in my gut. Eleanor kneels beside me, her fingers surprisingly gentle as she peels back the fabric of my shirt, exposing the wound. Her face is set in hard lines, but there’s a quiet intensity to her movements, as though she’s done this a hundred times before. I’ve seen her heal others, but I didn’t expect it to feel so... personal. “You’re lucky it didn’t hit anything vital,” she murmurs, her voice focused. She dabs the wound with a damp cloth, and I flinch, the coolness stinging like fire. “Just get it over with,” I mutter, the words escaping before I can stop them. Eleanor doesn’t respond, but I see her eyes flicker to my face, assessing the depth of my discomfort. She doesn’t push me to talk, just continues working, wh
Jenna’s POVThe smoke clings to my lungs as I crouch by the edge of the forest, my pulse thundering in my ears. The flames consuming the inn crackle and roar, lighting up the dark night like a funeral pyre. My claws ache from the fight, my body trembling from exhaustion, but I can’t stop moving. Not yet. Greta and Mia are safe, but the council won’t let us have this small victory for long. My wolf growls low in my chest, restless and furious. She wants to chase after the hunters to finish what we started. But I force her back, knowing the cost of giving in to that instinct. The council’s hunters are trained for this—calculated, ruthless, and relentless. Tonight was just a warning. I glance around the clearing. Raina stands a few feet away, her usually playful smirk replaced by a hardened glare. She wipes blood from her knuckles, muttering something under her breath. Eleanor is near Caleb, examining the gash across his cheek with her practiced precision. Despite the chaos, her hands
Jack's POV The morning breaks sharp and cool, the kind that gets under your skin and wakes you up fast. I step outside the house, the crunch of frost under my boots the only sound for a moment. The younger ones are already stirring, their faces alight with a mix of excitement and nerves. They hover near the clearing we’ve set up, glancing at the knives laid out on a rough wooden table.And it reminds me of the first turn that they'd learnt to fight, but not without weapons, how they'd learnt to use the forest to their advantage and protect themselves. Eldris stands at the edge of the group, calm and composed, as usual. He’s giving quiet instructions to one of the older wolves, gesturing toward the targets we’ve rigged up from logs and rope. His efficiency never ceases to amaze me.I draw in a deep breath, feeling the weight of the day settle on my shoulders. It’s my job to guide them, to make sure they understand this isn’t about picking fights or proving dominance. It’s about survi
Jack's POV The house is too quiet, even with the faint hum of activity outside. The younger ones explore the space, their laughter and chatter muffled by the walls. It feels wrong—unnatural—to hear those sounds without the rustling of leaves or the distant howls of the pack in the background. Eldris stands in the doorway, his arms crossed and that familiar, calculating look on his face. He doesn’t say anything right away, but I can feel the weight of whatever’s on his mind. “What is it?” I ask, leaning back against the worn chair. “The younger ones,” he starts, stepping into the room and sitting across from me. “They’re restless. Eager to learn. I’ve been teaching them what I can, but it’s not enough. Jack, we need to consider sending them to school.” The words hit me like a blow. “School?” I repeat, leaning forward. “You’re talking about sending our kids into human schools? Among them?” “Yes,” he says, his tone calm and resolute. My fingers tighten around the armrests. “Y
Jack’s POVThe days pass in a blur of unease and fascination. Each morning, we wake to a world that feels alien—smooth floors beneath our feet, no damp earth or leaves clinging to our skin. The house itself is strange, with its glowing orbs that light up the night and its doors that shut with a tightness that keeps the wind and cold completely at bay. On the first day, Eldris shows us how to use the objects around us. He calls them “appliances.” A box that keeps food cold without ice, a stove that heats without fire, and strange fixtures in the walls that bring water at the twist of a handle. It’s all overwhelming, but there’s no denying how useful these things are. For the pack, adapting to human ways is harder than I expected. Eating from plates with knives and forks feels unnatural, but Eldris insists we must. “If you want to pass as human, you must live like them,” he tells us. “They eat with tools, not their hands. They use furniture, not the ground.” At first, the pack res
Jenna's POV The sharp crack of wood splintering jolts me awake, the sound echoing through the inn like a gunshot. My wolf growls deep inside me, her instincts flaring to life. Something is wrong. I’m out of bed in an instant, yanking open my door just as Eleanor appears in the hallway, her expression grim and focused. “They’re here,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “Humans?” I ask, already knowing the answer. She nods, her gaze darting toward the stairs. “Armed. Council dogs."My blood runs cold. The council wasn’t wasting time—they’d sent their human hunters to flush us out. “Wake Caleb and Mia,” I say, my voice hard. “I’ll find Greta." Eleanor nods and disappears down the hall as I race toward Greta’s room. The old wolf is already awake, her sharp eyes scanning the darkness. She doesn’t ask questions—she doesn’t need to. “We’re under attack,” I tell her. “You need to take Mia and run. Get her out of here." Greta frowns, her jaw tightening. “And leave you behind?
Jenna’s POVThe soft knock at my door jolts me awake, my wolf stirring restlessly at the disturbance. The inn is usually quiet at this hour, but the urgency in the sound puts me on edge. I swing my legs off the bed and pad to the door, opening it to find Eleanor. She stands with her arms crossed, her eyes holding a strange mix of calm and tension. “Come with me,” she says softly, gesturing for me to follow. I don’t question her. Something in her tone tells me this isn’t about the spy we’d uncovered earlier—it’s something else. I throw on a sweater and trail her down the creaky stairs, out the back door, and into the crisp night air. Eleanor leads me toward the cluster of trees at the edge of the inn’s property. There, in the faint moonlight, two figures emerge—a young man and a woman, their clothes worn and their faces etched with fatigue. “They showed up tonight,” Eleanor says, stopping a few steps away from them. “They need help." I glance between the strangers and Eleanor, my
Jack's POV The forest opens before us, the dense canopy giving way to the edges of human civilization. For days, we’ve trudged through the wilderness, the ground uneven and slick with fallen leaves, but now the terrain changes. The air smells different—cleaner yet tinged with the faint aroma of smoke and something else I can’t place. Ahead, Eldris halts and raises his hand, signalling us to stop. His sharp eyes scan the horizon, and I follow his gaze. Just beyond the treeline, the human settlement comes into view. It’s nothing like I expected. “Is that... brick?” Violet whispers, her voice unsteady. She steps forward, her amber eyes wide with disbelief, her usual guarded demeanour replaced with genuine curiosity. I nod slowly, though I can hardly believe it myself. The structure ahead is a small house, built from smooth red bricks that seem unnaturally uniform. The roof is sloped, its tiles perfectly aligned, and a strange reflective material covers the windows. The whole thing lo
Jack's POV The forest breathes with life as dawn breaks, the air crisp and laden with the earthy scent of dew-soaked leaves. I rise before the others, my senses attuned to every sound. The pack sleeps in scattered clusters, their forms wrapped in blankets and cloaks against the chill. Last night’s feast brought a rare sense of calm, but it won’t last. It never does. I stretch, my muscles tight from days of travel, and take a moment to survey the clearing. Eldris is awake too, perched on a fallen log near the edge of the camp. His eyes are distant, his posture stiff, as though he’s wrestling with thoughts; he doesn’t dare voice. It’s not unusual for him to keep to himself, but something about his demeanour today feels different. I approach him quietly, my footsteps deliberately light to avoid waking the others. He doesn’t flinch or startle as I sit beside him, his gaze fixed on the horizon. “Couldn’t sleep?” I ask, breaking the silence. He shakes his head. “Not much use in it thes