I felt my body jolt with shock as the lightning struck, right at the center of my chest.
It felt like being hit by a massive electric force. I gasped and trembled overwhelmed by the shock and the pain… God, the pain. The pain tore through me like a jogged bolt, sharp and searing, as if every nerve in my body was set on fire. My muscles clenched so hard it felt like my bones might snap under the pressure. Heat—unbearable, burning heat—surged through my skin, hotter than anything I had ever felt before. I could smell it too, the sharp, acrid scent of something burning. My skin? My clothes? It doesn't matter. I just wanted it to end. Breathing was a challenge. Every breath was a struggle, each one clawing at my throat as if my lungs had forgotten how to function. My chest felt tight, like I was suffocating, even though I could hear myself gasping, my mouth opening and closing, but there was no air. My heart hammered so violently in my chest that I thought it might tear itself apart. "Make it stop," I pleaded to anyone up there who cared to listen, my throat burning and aching. "Please..." The river. I had to get to the river. It would stop then, the pain would stop. I managed to get on all fours, my every muscle protesting, but I didn't listen. I had to get to the river. It would end then. I crawled, the agony too much, my vision blurry. Why is the river so far away?! My flesh felt like they were going to fall off my bones, but I still kept crawling, my fingers digging into the earth. I finally made it to the river and crawled right in. The second I hit the water, everything just went away. My body wasn't burning anymore, my muscles weren't screaming. My heart calmed down, my chest felt open, allowing my lungs to function freely once more. I tried to breathe in precious air but it wasn't air that filled my lungs; It was water. Oh. I was in the river. Panic tried to claw its way through my spine, but I passed it aside. Why should I panic? I was finally at peace. My agony has finally ended. And I just wanted to sleep. I was so tired. As I sank deeper, the moon, sitting high and proud in the sky, caught my eye. Has the Lunar Eclipse started or ended? As I sank deeper, the moon seemed to embrace me, its light washing over me. My lungs filled with water, my head growing heavy and foggy. But I still didn't panic. Why wasn't I panicking? Shouldn't I be panicking, standing on the brink of death? Instead, I felt a peace, a calmness I'd never known before. This is how I die, at peace, gazing at the moon. Darkness slowly enveloped me, but my eyes remained fixed on the moon. So beautiful. As my consciousness faded, a face appeared. "Mother?" I whispered, bubbles escaping my lips. I let the darkness pull me under, embracing death as it claimed me. *** "Silly girl, it's too early to sleep." "But I'm tired, mum. Please let me sleep." "Just a while longer, my dear. A little while longer, then you can sleep as long as you want." "You promise?" "I promise." I gasped, consciousness flooding back. I coughed, spitting out water, my lungs burning, my head pounding. I coughed and vomited, expelling the excess water. Tears and snot streamed down my face. I heard voices but I couldn't make out anything from the tearing pain in my head, my chest, my lungs, everywhere. It hurts everywhere. I felt hands rubbing circles in my lower back and I felt a little better. When I finally finished coughing and vomiting—amazed I hadn't expelled any organs—I sat up and closed my eyes. The hand was still on my lower back, still soothing. I could pay attention to the voices and what they were saying. "... would want to know about this," a female voice says. "And he would, just not now," came the reply, this one a male. I finally opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. Standing in front of me were two people, staring at me intensely. The man's eyes were soft and understanding, while the woman's eyes were hard. The man's seems to be around my age, while the woman's was older, late twenties maybe. "Hello," the man said with a small smile. "He—" I couldn't complete the words because my throat hurts like hell. "It's okay. Don't stress your lungs," came a third voice. And I remembered that someone was still rubbing my back. I turned, and my gaze met big green eyes. She seems younger than me, her big innocent eyes giving her away. She smiled and I tried to smile back but failed. I was in so much pain. "Where am I?" I managed to let out. "You're in—" "Shut up, Joseph," the older woman interrupted the man. She peered down at me, her harsh gaze making me want to hide. "What's your name?" she asked cooly. "Ra–Ravenna." Something about this woman makes me nervous. She nodded. "I'm Sofia," she said. "Now, Ravenna, how did you get into our territory?" "I–I don't know." I shook my head weakly. "The last thing I remembered was the river. Me drowning, and I lost consciousness." Sofia nodded again, her eyes still harsh. "Where are you from?" Before I could open my mouth, the girl beside me spoke up. "Sofia, she can barely think straight. Give her time to breathe and organize her thoughts." Sofia clenched her gaze but said nothing else. "Help me lift her, Jo," the girl said and Joseph rushed to help me stand. I stumbled to my feet, swaying. Black spots danced in my vision, and bile rose in my throat. Again. I shoved Joseph aside, barely in time to retch again, expelling the remaining water. The girl was back, rubbing my back, and I felt myself calming down. When I finished, I straightened, feeling a little better but still weak and aching. "Come," the girl said as she and Joseph helped me walk. Sofia followed us behind. I could feel her eyes burning holes at the back of my head. She didn't want me here. I was sure if it was up to her she would leave me to die here, but it seems the girl had more power than she did. We walked in silence, they half-carrying me. I was still weak. The silence was killing me so I had to say something. "Where am I?" "You're in Stonehowl pack territory," the girl answered and I froze. Shit.We walked for a while, Joseph and the girl—whose name I still didn't know—engrossed in a conversation I chose to ignore. Sofia was still walking behind us but it seems she lost interest in the back of my head because I no longer felt her burning eyes. We got to a clearing, and my breath caught in my throat. Standing majestic before me was the pack house. It was massive, but that wasn't what made me stare in awe. It was the modern—sleek lines, endless windows reflecting the sky, and a facade of steel and glass that glinted under the sun. The architecture was bold yet minimalistic, making the entire structure look more like an exclusive resort than a home for wolves.My eyes followed the clean, geometric edges of the building as it seemed to stretch endlessly, merging with the surrounding forest. The walls were a mix of polished concrete and dark wood accents, blending effortlessly with nature, yet remaining unapologetically contemporary. Wide balconies wrapped around each level
"Are you a spy, Ravenna?" Alpha Rowan asked as he rounded the table. His voice was low now. Dangerous. "No. I swear to the moon goddess I'm not," I said with my hands held up. "I knew we shouldn't have brought her here," Sofia grumbled, cutting a sharp look at Lilith, who just stood there still watching me. "Please," I begged, my voice trembling. "Just just let me explain." "What can you possibly tell us? Lies?" This came from Sofia again. I turned to Rowan, my eyes pleading. "Please." He watched me for a while, his face unreasonable. "Go on," he finally spoke. I let out a breath as I tried to steady my voice. "I'm an exile," I began. "I got banished from my pack. I never intended to come here. I swear it." "An exile," Rowan repeated. "What got you banished?" I swallowed, tears forming in my eyes. What was I going to tell them? That I found my ex boyfriend with my step sister and I had dashed her head against the wall? And what was what got me exiled? God, that sounded so p
I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. Everything seemed normal—my silver hair, though a little dull, and my familiar tired pale eyes staring back at me. But that wasn’t what sent ice crawling through my veins.It was my chest. The place where the lightning had struck was different. The scar marred my skin, a branching, jagged pattern that stretched like dark veins. It was swollen, discolored, and burned. I traced it with trembling fingers. I could feel the current in my skin as if the lightning was stored in me. I broke down, the weight of it all crashing over me. It was too much. It was all too much for my heart to take. I haven't even had time to grieve about the loss of my pack, of my father, of my life. And now that I was alone, it all came crashing down. It felt like the floodgates of my emotions had burst wide open. There wasn't really much to cry
I sat next to the grave, holding the flowers I brought. I just stared at the name on the stone, tears flowing freely from my cheeks. "It's my birthday, mum," I whispered, my voice barely audible as I stroked the name on the gravestone. Isla Hale. My mother, my world, my everything. Dead, gone, and left me all alone in a world where I do not belong. "It's my birthday," I said again. "And no one remembered. Not even father. He didn't even look my way." My twenty-one birthday. The tears were flowing wildly, my vision blurry. It hurts. It hurts so much to live like I'm invisible, like I'm nothing, a nobody. My father doesn't even see me, not really. He doesn't look at me, doesn't care. My stepmother treats me like dirt under her shoe, and my stepsister is even worse. The only one who cares is Lucas. Just thinking about him makes the tears slow down. Lucas. My boyfriend. The reason I still get out of bed every morning. We've been together for three years, and Lucas has been n
I stood at the door, frozen, still not believing what I was seeing. Lucas and my stepsister hadn't even noticed I was in the room, too tied up in each other to notice. "Oh, Lucas, you feel so good." Zara kept moaning at the top of her voice. I'm sure the whole house could hear her. She turned her face to my direction and smirked. She goddamn smirk. "Lucas!" I snapped. Lucas peeled himself away from Zara, staring at me with shock. "Ravenna, it's not like that. I can explain," he said in a rush as he tried to put on his clothes. But I wasn't looking at him, I was looking at my stepsister, who still had that smug smile on her face, still lying there naked. "Ravenna let me explain, please," Lucas said as he moved closer to me. I snapped my head to him. "Explain what, Lucas? Explain why you're fucking my goddamn stepsister?" "I... I just..." Lucas stammered, unable to finish. Zara, slithering out of bed with the blanket draped around her, finally spoke. "Oh, poor Ravenna," she