Awakening The Sliver Wolf

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 about for my old pack. I never belonged. But what broke me was my father.

He banished me. It wasn't Lila that banished me but him.

My father had looked at me like he didn't know me. Like I was a stranger.

I guess I was.

I traced my finger through the scar again, and shivered the way it tingles.

I was a survivor. This scar was evidence of that.

I stood up, cleaned my eyes, straightened my back, and stared at the girl in the mirror.

"You're a survivor," I said, pointing to the mirror. "Do you hear me? You are a goddamn survivor. So clear your eyes and go soak yourself in that good looking tub."

I nodded, and the girl in the mirror nodded back.

Good. Now that that's settled: my bath.

I filled the tub with hot water and searched the many cabinets for soap and maybe some healing salt. The scar still burns a little.

I opened a cabinet and saw rolls of soap and shampoo, and—thank the goddess—healing salt.

After spending way too long debating over soaps, I finally chose the lavender one.

I picked one healing salt bag and emptied the whole thing into the tub.

I slipped into the tub and groaned in relief as the warmth hit me.

The moment I settled in, all my aches and injuries seemed to melt away. My muscles slowly untangled themselves, and it felt so good that I didn’t even realize when I drifted off to sleep.

When I opened my eyes, the water had gone cold. It’s a miracle I didn’t manage to drown myself sleeping like that.

I stepped out of the tub and tied a towel around myself.

I really hoped Lilith brought the clothes she promised for me. I couldn't wear those clothes again.

I entered the room to find Lilith lying on my bed, seemingly asleep. I tiptoed quietly, careful not to wake her.

As I reached the bed, I noticed a tray of food and some clothes beside her. Grabbing the clothes, I quickly changed.

It was a black sweatpants and a white hoodie.

It was a little bigger than me, but who was I to complain?

I dove into the food right away, not leaving a single crumb behind.

Lilith didn’t even budge through all of it. She must be exhausted.

When I was done, I crawled into bed, and lay beside her.

As soon as my head touched the pillow, sleep claimed me.

***

"Do you know why they don’t trust outsiders?" Lilith asked, breaking the silence.

I half expected her to be gone by the time I woke up, but there she was, still here when I opened my eyes.

We haven't said anything, just lying side by side, eyes tracing the creaks on the ceiling, enjoying each other's silent company.

I was so grateful for her company. If I was left alone, the voices in my head would come back.

I glanced over, waiting.

"This pack... it wasn’t always like this." Lilth turned, her voice soft but laced with something deeper. "Rowan’s father was a warrior—a fierce leader. He built this pack after years of bloodshed, united the scattered wolves. But not everyone wanted peace. There were factions, rival packs that saw his rise as a threat."

"Enemies," I muttered, shifting uncomfortably.

"Yes," Lilith continued. "Alpha Darius is the most dangerous of them. He’s been attacking our borders for years, trying to claim this territory. The elders say it’s only a matter of time before he tries again. Rowan’s doing everything he can to protect us, but…"

Her words hung in the air like a bitter truth. I could feel the weight of it. The unspoken fear.

"Who's Alpha Darius?"

Lilith remained silent for a long while, and when she finally spoke her voice was hard. "He's a monster," she spat. "He's a vile, wretched thing, deviod of any compassion or remorse. Void of any decency. A souless beast, more animal than man."

She was breathing fast by the time she was done. I could see her chest raising and falling even in the darkness.

I interlocked our fingers together and just held her like that until she calmed down.

"Our pack has been healing from him—is still healing," she continued, her soft barely more than a whisper. "The beast tends to strike when you least expect it. And the aftermath was so…" she trailed off.

"But we'll be ready for him this time," she said, her voice determined.

Desperate to change the subject, I asked, "Tell me about the people here."

Lilith hesitated. "They’re loyal. To Rowan, to this land. But they’ve lost so much. Trust doesn’t come easy anymore."

I closed my eyes, letting the words sink in. I could feel the gulf between me and the pack widening, an invisible wall that no amount of time seemed capable of breaking.

It was like being back in my former pack. But at least this time I had a friend.

For how long? The voices in my head said but I pushed them aside.

I stood up to go use the bathroom but paused when I saw a note slipped under my door.

I looked over at Lilith but she had her eyes closed. I approached the note cautiously, not knowing why I was being scared about a note, but you could never be too careful, right?

I picked up the note and opened it carefully, and my heart skipped a beat.