Chapter Seventy-Nine Jenna’s POVAfter our shift, Raina had suggested we visit somewhere to cool off our heads. The day had been hectic and rush hour had been hellish. Raina and I visit the park, though she promises to take me to more interesting places by weekend. The park is quiet, but my mind is not. As I sit beside Raina, my thoughts start to drift, and I can’t shake the growing discomfort in my body. It’s subtle at first—a restless itch under my skin. Then it starts to build, an unsettling sensation creeping into my bones, making my muscles tense. The pull of the moon is there, faint but undeniable. I try to push it away, to keep it buried like I’ve learnt to do, but the moon is waxing, and I know it won’t be long before the full moon is upon us. The need to shift—to run wild and free under the night sky—hums beneath the surface. It’s always like this as the full moon approaches—an overwhelming desire to let the wolf inside me break free. To feed. To hunt. It’s a primal urge,
Chapter EightyJenna's POVThe pull of the moon had become unbearable. Every step toward the shelter felt like a weight pressing down on me—the hunger, the need to shift clawing at my insides. By the time I reached the door, the pressure in my chest was so intense, it was a wonder I hadn’t already given in. I could hear the blood rushing in my ears and feel the rapid thump of my heartbeat as the wolf inside me stirred, growing stronger and more insistent with each passing moment. I push through the door, barely registering the familiar sounds of the shelter, the quiet conversations, the clatter of dishes. My senses were elsewhere—heightened, sharp. The smell of the earth, the cool night air filtering through the open windows. The world outside was calling to me. And I wasn’t the only one who felt it. Eleanor stood by the window, her back to the room. I could sense the same tension in her, the restlessness radiating off her in waves. Her body was rigid, hands clenched at her sides a
Chapter Eighty-One Jenna's POV Everything at the café is still running smoothly. My relationship with Raina keeps getting better, and I’ve grown accustomed to hanging out with her during her cigarette breaks. I’ve even gotten used to the smoke—my eyes don’t water anymore, which I take as progress.The café is a great place to work, and with my weekly pay cheque, I’ve started saving up. It’s still kind of strange how much humans value these paper bills, but I’ve learnt fast how essential they are in this world. Food, clothes, even a place to live—it’s all controlled by money. The more I understand, the more I adapt.But everything changes when a new hire arrives. Cassie.It’s the middle of the afternoon shift when she walks in, all smiles and wide eyes, looking younger than I expected. She’s introduced to the team by our boss, and the second she steps into the room, I feel it. Something’s off.“This is Cassie,” the boss says, clapping her on the shoulder. “She’ll be working with us f
Chapter Eighty-TwoJenna's POVThe air is thick with tension as I make my way back to the shelter after another day of working alongside Cassie. The café had been its usual bustling self, but every encounter with her leaves me more unsettled. She’s too sweet, too eager, and always watching. The younger lady also has a sunny, bubbly disposition that doesn't match her aura at all. And she always tries to find ways to belittle me. Today, she has her makeup done to perfection, with the perfect cat-eye that causes a few of the male patrons to stop and stare. As we continue to work, I notice that Cassie develops the habit of giving me the wrong order and trying to correct me in the presence of customers, portraying me as incompetent. And then, another time she watches me struggle to balance five coffee cups on a tray and scoffs. “That's not how you do it, Jenna. You're going to end up spilling that whole drink on your shirt, or worse, the floor.” Unfortunately, the rude Mr. Williams i
Chapter Eighty-ThreeJenna’s POVThe café hums with its usual afternoon buzz. Plates clink, coffee machines hiss, and light chatter fills the air. It should be a normal day—just another shift, one that I’ve grown used to—but it feels anything but. Ever since Cassie started, there’s been this growing weight in my chest—a heaviness I can’t shake off. Today, it’s worse.I’ve just finished delivering an order to a couple seated by the window when something feels off. As I walk past a few tables, I notice customers glancing at me, whispering, their lips curling into amused smirks. My pace slows. I catch the reflection of a smudge in one of the glass windows and feel my stomach drop. With a hurried step, I make my way to the nearest mirror behind the counter.Scrawled in thick black marker on the back of my shirt are ridiculous, childish words: "I’m dumb!"My breath catches. The embarrassment floods my face, heat rising up my neck. I whirl around and immediately catch sight of Cassie, loung
Chapter Eighty-Four Jenna's POVRaina, standing beside me, radiates fury in waves, her aura so intense that I feel it before I see it. I turn to glance at her, and the sight is startling. Her jaw is clenched so tightly I can see the strain in her neck, her lips pressed into a thin, rigid line. She's not even looking at Cassie, probably because if she did, her anger would boil over and she'd lose control. That thought sends a shiver through me. I know Raina’s strong, but the way she grabbed Cassie and punched her with such ease earlier... that was no ordinary strength.I can’t help but wonder if there’s more to her. Raina never quite fit the mould of a normal human. There’s something different about her—something off-kilter. Yet, despite her unusual strength, she doesn’t look anything like what our kind typically do. Her pink hair, freshly dyed and matching her dark roots, is eye-catching, and she's honestly the busiest woman I’ve ever met. The door swings open abruptly, and the shar
Chapter Eighty Five Eleanor's POVI am having lunch for the first time by myself. Maddie and Zoe never miss lunch. And I find it oddly strange. I am unable to eat my share of lasagne, and so I decide to take a portion upstairs for Maddie and Zoe. Maybe they'd overslept, Maddie had mentioned that she wanted to nap. She hadn't had a good sleep the previous night, and with obvious circles around her eyes, she'd mentioned that she had a bad dream about a masked man who abused and tortured her. My heart skips a bit at the memory, and I hurry towards their door, knocking lightly before pushing the door open. As soon as I step inside, I catch sight of Maddie and Zoe on the edge of their bunk bed. Maddie looks... broken. Her shoulders are hunched, her eyes red and puffy, staring blankly ahead. Zoe sits beside her, clutching her arm, her small body visibly trembling with fear but pressed beside her mother's, as if she's trying to offer as much silent reassurance as she's hoping for. I mo
Chapter Eighty-SixJenna's POVAfter our shift, Raina walks up to me, calmer and more composed, her earlier rage replaced with something akin to pity. She looks me over, eyes filled with concern, and asks. “Are you alright?”I put on a convincing smile as I glanced her way. “I am alright.” I reply. She cocks her hips to the side, her generous busts more obvious than ever. “Do you need a ride home?”I shake no head without glancing her way. “The stupid son of a bitch might try some funny business.” She's been staring in your direction all day. Raina's voice is almost a growl now, and I look up at her for a moment, shocked at how familiar she sounds. Not for the first time, I wonder whether Raina could be like me. Just because she didn't fit the stereotype of what a wolf should look like did not mean that she couldn't be. I hadn't felt any sort of affinity with her, not in the way that I did with Eleanor. And I wondered whether that was why I had shrugged off the possibility. I n
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
Jack's POV The scent of the buck is sharp in the air, cutting through the familiar tang of the forest. My senses sharpen, every sound and movement amplified. Days of empty bellies and restless nights have made the pack restless, but this kill will change that. It has to. I raise a hand, signalling the pack to halt. “Quiet,” I whisper, my voice low and firm. They freeze behind me, their eagerness palpable, their breaths hushed. Eldris, as always, stays a step behind the group, watching with his usual calm detachment. His presence still stirs unease, though I’ve made it clear that he’s staying. His knowledge of the forest and Nightspire’s plans is too valuable. The buck comes into view—a magnificent creature, its antlers spreading wide, its body taut with strength. It grazes in a small clearing, blissfully unaware of the predators lurking just beyond the trees. My heart quickens, but my movements remain deliberate and precise. I glance back, meeting Violet’s eyes briefly. For a mome
Violet’s POV The pack trudges onward, exhaustion creeping into every step. Jack leads at the front, his movements steady despite the weariness I know he must feel. I linger near the back, my mind clouded not by fatigue but by the whispers of the tether. It coils around my thoughts like smoke, its voice soft and insidious. ‘Eldris doesn’t belong here,’ it murmurs. ‘He’s dangerous, a shadow in the fold.’I shake my head, trying to dispel the thoughts. But the tether persists, weaving doubt into every corner of my mind. It knows how to press against my insecurities, exploiting the fact that Eldris has been with us for days yet remains an enigma. When the pack pauses to rest near a shallow river, I feel the tether’s presence stronger than ever, a cold weight in my chest. Wolves fan out to gather firewood and prepare for the night, but I stay rooted in place, my gaze fixed on Eldris as he speaks quietly with Asa. ‘You should tell Jack,’ the tether urges. ‘Convince him to rid the pac