Lira walked through the moonlit village, her footsteps barely making a sound against the soft earth. The village of Valenwood was beautiful, timeless in a way that made her heart ache. Yet, all the beauty in the world couldn’t ease the weight pressing down on her chest.She had time.But not enough.Six weeks. Six weeks before her twenty-second birthday. The prophecy had made it clear: the wolf would awaken within her, and with it, the bond she shared with Caius would demand to be sealed. Four days after the full moon following her birthday, their bond would either be sealed or broken. She had no choice in the matter. Neither of them did.Lira’s mind raced, a flurry of questions she couldn’t quite answer. What if she wasn’t ready? What if she couldn’t handle the power the bond would bring? What if it overwhelmed her, consumed her, and tore her apart instead of giving her strength?Or worse… what if Caius suffered because of it? What if the bond between them became a chain, not a sourc
Two days passed, Lira could feel the subtle shift in the air. Something was coming.It wasn’t just her, though. The wolves of Valenwood grew more alert, their movements sharper, their patrols tighter. It was as if the very land itself had become restless. The usual hum of life in the village had turned tense, charged with anticipation.Lira couldn’t escape the feeling that everything was leading to something—something that would change everything.Then, one night, it happened.Lira awoke with a start, her body drenched in cold sweat. The room around her was cloaked in darkness, but the air was thick with something unseen, something heavy. It was as if the night itself had taken on a life of its own, swirling with an ominous presence that pressed down on her chest.She lay frozen for a moment, trying to gather her bearings, her breath coming in shallow gasps. There was something wrong. Something… watching.Then, she heard it.A voice."Little Alpha."Her blood turned to ice at the soun
Lira swallowed hard, her throat dry, as the weight of the revelation settled over her like a suffocating fog. "It was him," she whispered, barely able to get the words out. "Malakar. He spoke to me."The room went still. The silence hung heavy, each person in the room processing the implications of what she had just said.Tobias and Dain, who had rushed in at the sound of her distress, exchanged a look. It was one Lira had seen before—the kind that signified something was terribly wrong."How?" Tobias demanded, his voice sharp with concern. "How did he reach you inside Valenwood?"Caius, who had been kneeling beside her, his presence a comforting weight, stiffened. His jaw tightened as his gaze darkened. "You said Valenwood was protected. How could he breach that?"Dain, ever the strategist, nodded grimly, his arms folded across his chest. "It is protected," he confirmed, his tone heavy with disbelief. "There's no way Malakar should be able to reach her—not without—"He stopped abrupt
The night stretched on, heavy with the weight of uncertainty. Valenwood was on edge, its warriors moving like shadows through the trees, searching for any trace of hidden crystals or other dark artifacts. The pack was restless, every member feeling the tension in the air, but none of them were certain who or what to trust.Lira sat at the grand table in the heart of the stronghold, surrounded by the familiar faces of those she trusted most. Tobias and Dain stood near the entrance, their voices low and urgent as they discussed their next steps. Caius sat beside her, his presence a steadying force, though his usual calm had been replaced by an edge of unease. His fingers absently tapped against the surface of the table, the rhythm betraying the tension inside him.The traitor—Lucien, or whoever else had worked with Malakar—had not yet been found, but the certainty that one of them was feeding information to the Dark Lord gnawed at Lira's mind. It was only a matter of time before they we
The sky was an endless black canvas, with only the full moon piercing through the clouds. A chill ran through the air as the warriors of Valenwood formed a protective circle around the clearing, their eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of danger.Lira stood at the center of a ritualistic symbol etched into the ground with silver and herbs. Morgana paced around her, murmuring in a language older than time itself, her voice a low hum that reverberated through the air. The witch's violet eyes glowed faintly, her hands moving in intricate patterns, drawing the threads of magic together."This will not be easy," Morgana warned, her voice edged with both caution and determination. "The bond has only just begun to form, but Malakar is not a force that lets go easily. He will fight back with everything he has."Lira clenched her fists, her body trembling with both fear and resolve. She couldn't let Malakar have control. Not when everything—her life, her future—was at stake. "I don’t care
The moment the howl rang through the air, every warrior in Valenwood tensed. Swords were drawn, and the once-calm clearing turned into a battlefield waiting to ignite.Tobias’s sharp voice cut through the tension. "Positions! Defend the stronghold!"Dain snarled, his gaze scanning the trees. "They didn’t waste time, did they?"Lira struggled to stand, her body still weak from the severing ritual. Caius helped her up, his grip firm.Thoren turned to Morgana. "How did they find us so quickly?"Morgana’s expression was grim. "Lucien. The crystal wasn’t just a message—it was a beacon. Malakar now knows exactly where we are."Then—the forest erupted.Dark shapes surged from the forest’s edge, their eyes gleaming with unnatural hunger. Malakar’s wolves. They were no longer the majestic, noble beasts that had once roamed the lands of Valenwood. These creatures were twisted, corrupted by his dark influence, their bodies contorted and grotesque. Some were barely recognizable as wolves, their f
The flames in Lira’s hands flickered, their blue glow casting eerie shadows across her face. She stared at them in disbelief, unable to comprehend what was happening. It was as if the fire had a mind of its own, a power that surged from deep within her.Caius grabbed her wrist. "Lira, how are you doing this?""I—I don’t know," she stammered. "It just happened."Morgana took a step closer, eyes narrowing. "Her wolf is still dormant, but her other gifts... they’re beginning to manifest."Before Lira could respond, the ground shook with the sound of rapid, heavy footfalls. A massive black wolf—its eyes glowing an unnatural green—lunged at her from the shadows. The creature was terrifying, its fangs bared, its claws extended like daggers.Instinct took over.Lira didn’t think. She didn’t hesitate. The flames that had been dancing on her hands surged, twisting and expanding into a wall of fire that sent the monstrous wolf howling in pain. The heat was intense, almost unbearable, but Lira c
The air was thick with tension as Lucien stood before them, his expression one of dark amusement. His black armor gleamed under the moonlight, his golden eyes locked onto Lira with an intensity that made her wolf stir restlessly, despite still being dormant."I’ve waited so long to see you up close, Lira," he murmured, his voice smooth, almost too casual.Caius immediately moved in front of her, his body rigid with barely restrained aggression. "You won’t touch her."Lucien chuckled. "Oh, I don’t need to. She’ll come to me in time."Lira’s heart pounded in her chest, her wolf stirring restlessly inside her. She could feel its presence, like a dormant ember ready to ignite. Her hands clenched at her sides, trying to suppress the urge to fight, to flee. But Lucien’s voice was like a whispering thread, pulling at the very fabric of her will.His gaze flickered past Lira, and for a moment, Lira felt a shift in the air, a heavy presence she couldn’t quite place. Lucien’s lips curled into a
Lira stood at the edge of the training grounds, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, as shewatched the warriors spar. The icy wind of winter nipped at her skin, but it was nothingcompared to the tension that was coiling tighter and tighter inside her chest. She could feel thepressure, the expectation, and it had been growing stronger every day. Only a week remainedbefore her birthday, and with it, the moment she had both dreaded and anticipated her entirelife.Her first shift.And four days after that—the full moon.Lira’s fingers clenched into fists at her sides as she thought about it. It had been a constantworry in the back of her mind for as long as she could remember. There was so much she hadto prepare for. The full moon would be the moment when everything changed. She would stepinto the world as a fully realized wolf, something she’d been dreaming about for years, but alsosomething she was terrified of. What if she wasn’t ready? What if she failed? There was no way
Lira sat on the log, staring blankly into the crackling fire before her. The flames danced in frontof her eyes, but she saw nothing. Her mind was a void, her thoughts nothing more than atangled mess of confusion, exhaustion, and pure embarrassment.She was numb. Emotionally, spiritually, mentally scarred.Her eyes were glazed, as though nothing in the world could pierce through the haze that hadsettled over her like a heavy fog. Last night’s events replayed in her mind over and over like anightmare she couldn’t escape.Caius sat beside her, an amused glint in his eyes. He wasn’t one to shy away from trouble—hewas the source of much of it, after all. His deep chuckle vibrated through his chest as hewatched her, obviously trying to suppress the amusement bubbling inside him. “You alright,love?”Lira slowly turned her head toward him. Her face was blank—empty, devoid of the usual spark.“I need therapy,” she muttered, her voice flat and devoid of any life.Caius raised an eyebrow,
*WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS R-18 SCENES*Lira was exhausted.The past few days had been a blur of non-stop training—magic training, combat training,strategy sessions. It was more than she could keep up with, especially with Caius constantlypushing her limits in ways she never thought possible. He was relentless, and while the resultswere impressive, she was starting to feel the weight of it all.Her muscles ached with every step, her mind heavy with exhaustion. All she wanted—no,needed—was a long, uninterrupted sleep. It had been days since she’d truly rested, and herbody was screaming at her for a break.She shuffled toward her room in the guest house, dragging her feet, rubbing at the tension inher shoulders. The cold air from outside nipped at her skin, but she didn’t care. She just neededto get inside, strip down to her pajamas, and crawl into bed.As she reached for the door handle, she heard it.A sound so wrong, so utterly nightmare-inducing that her soul nearly left
Lira stood in the middle of the training grounds, arms crossed tightly over her chest, watching asCaius and Ronan sparred. Their movements were a blur of speed and strength, fists connectingwith precision, growls echoing in the crisp air. The power behind each strike resonated throughthe ground, the thud of their feet against the earth punctuating their ongoing battle fordominance.Normally, Lira would have been fully immersed in their movements, analyzing each of theirtechniques, mentally planning her own training sessions, and preparing for the future. Buttoday?Today, she couldn’t focus. Her thoughts kept drifting back to the way Caius had kissed her lastnight—no, the night before that, too. She could still feel the heat of his lips against hers, the wayhis hands had pulled her closer, his touch igniting something deep inside her. Her bodyresponded to him in ways she couldn’t ignore. The warmth of his hands on her skin, the fire thatburned between them every time their ga
Later that evening, Lira sat in the pack house, exhausted from the day's training. The cracklingfire in the hearth provided a bit of warmth against the chill that still clung to her bones. Sheleaned back in her chair, savoring the quiet, a rare moment of peace amid the chaos that hadbecome her life.Then, it hit her.A scent, rich and familiar, so strong that it sent a rush of emotion through her chest. It wasunmistakable.Her heart stopped.No. It couldn’t be...Footsteps echoed down the hall, getting closer, until they stopped right outside the door.“Did you miss me, or did you forget about me completely?”Lira’s breath caught in her throat, and she turned sharply, her eyes widening in pure shock.“Kora?” she gasped.The blonde-haired, hazel-eyed she-wolf stood in the doorway, a grin spreading across her face,radiating the same confidence and energy that Lira had missed so much.“Oh my Moon Goddess,” Lira exclaimed, her voice cracking slightly as she surged forward. Shethrew
Lira tilted her head up, meeting Caius’s intense gaze. The concern in his sharp blue eyes sent awarmth through her chest, a warmth that was different from the fire she had wielded earlier thatday.“You’re pushing yourself too hard,” he murmured, brushing his knuckles over her cold cheek, histouch sending a shiver of comfort down her spine.She gave him a teasing smirk, trying to brush off the seriousness of his words. “I thought youwanted me stronger.”“I do,” he admitted, his voice softened with care, “but not at the cost of your health.”Lira sighed, allowing herself to lean into the warmth of his embrace. She relished these stolenmoments, the rare pockets of time where they weren’t Alpha and Luna, where there was noprophecy to fulfill, no looming war. In these moments, they were just two souls deeplyconnected, not bound by duty, but by something more personal.After a long beat, he gently pulled back, his smirk returning, laced with playful challenge. “You’renot done traini
The frozen winds of Grimhowl howled across the vast training grounds, biting at Lira’s exposedskin. Yet she stood firm, her body steady despite the numbing chill, her eyes narrowed inconcentration. In her palm, a small flame flickered, its golden light casting a warm glow againsther pale skin. The fire was a reflection of the power stirring within her, a force she was stilllearning to control.“Good,” Morgana’s voice cut through the cold, low and almost predatory as she circled Lira.“Now, expand it.”Lira inhaled deeply, focusing on the warmth in her core. The flicker of the flame responded,stretching and twisting, growing larger as she fed it more of her energy. The fire danced wildlyfor a moment, the air around it shimmering with heat, but Lira kept her focus, forcing the fire intocontrol. Slowly, the flame took shape, curling into an orb of bright golden light that hovered justabove her palm.Morgana stopped her pacing, her sharp eyes gleaming with approval. “Better. Now,
The revelations from Morgana lingered in Lira’s mind, gnawing at her as the night stretched on.Lying in the bed, the weight of everything she had learned pressed down on her chest, leavingher restless and unable to sleep. The cold moonlight filtered through the window, casting longshadows across the room, but Lira hardly noticed. Her thoughts were a whirlpool, eachrevelation adding fuel to the fire of uncertainty within her.Her birth had been destined. Morgana had known Malakar. The Dark Lord’s betrayal had turnedthe witch into an ally, yet the depth of Morgana’s story only deepened the complexity of theirsituation. The idea that she had been part of some cosmic design—her existence tied to aneclipse, an event that was supposedly beyond her control—was both comforting and terrifying. Itmade her feel like a pawn in a game that had been set long before she was born.But Lira didn’t want to be a pawn. She wanted to be the player.The sound of a knock at the door broke through he
Morgana led Lira through the winding corridors of Grimhowl’s grand estate, finally stopping at asecluded chamber tucked away from the bustling heart of the pack’s fortress. The room was small, its atmosphere thick with the scent of herbs, dried flowers, and the faint must of oldparchment. Candles flickered in the corners, casting long shadows against the stone walls,which were lined with ancient tomes—some so worn that the titles had faded to nothing morethan ghostly traces.The witch gestured to a high-backed chair, its fabric rich and deep in color, and Lira hesitatedonly for a moment before sitting across from her. The air was heavy with unspoken secrets, andLira could feel the weight of them pressing down on her.Morgana leaned back in her seat, folding her hands in front of her. Her eyes seemed to darkenas she began to speak, her voice low and steady, as though every word carried the weight ofcenturies.“I am older than most beings you’ve ever met, Lira. I have lived for