The ground beneath me pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat matching my own. I could feel the earth, the air, the life pulsing through every root, every tree, every soul within reach.
"What am I?" I whispered. “What is happening to me?"
Della stepped closer, her expression gentler now. "That’s a question only you can answer, Mira. But you’re not just a wolf. And you’re not just your mother’s daughter."
"What does that mean?" My voice rose, but she only gave me that same unreadable smile.
The clearing was silent, save for the soft crackling of the torches placed around the perimeter and the rustle of leaves dancing in the evening breeze. Through the corner of my eyes, I saw creatures gather, their eyes and undivided attention all on me, and it only made me want to disappear even more.
Della was hovering above me, her voice echoing in my head, probing and intense. “Tell me what you feel, Mira."
It—whatever it was—was starting to overwhelm me. It kept swirling like an over-agigated turnado, threatening to take everything in it's hurl.
"Tell me how you feel, Mirabel.” She pressed.
My nails dug into my palm. "I can't explain. Make it stop. Make it stop, please."
“If we stop now, you'll never discover what's inside you. You have to push, it's not meant to be easy, but you can't give up. Tell me. Tell me how you feel, Mira."
Is this woman listening to me?
“I said make it stop!" I growled angrily, my eyes snapping open.
She took a step back, her expression changing from shock to collected in the twinkle of an eye.
I heard another voice. “Mother, I think we should stop. We don't know what she's capable of. It's dangerous.”
He appeared before me, my vision blurry. Della said, "I'm not in control. She is.”
"Make it stop!” I yelled again, as voices began to echo in my head. I was clearly in pain.
"That's it. I'm putting her to sleep." I heard a voice say, and the next minute, I saw darkness settle.
The shadows shifted at the edge of the clearing, a low whisper curling through the trees, and for a fleeting second, it felt like the forest itself was calling my name.
Mira.
Whatever I was, it was waking up.
***“Mira!"
The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it. Not until I opened my eyes, and I saw him.
A sharp glint flashed through his eyes, as they met mine. “You're awake. Finally!"
I blinked, trying to adjust to all the light. My head was spinning, doing very little to stop the reeling room.
He walked closer to me, waving a palm over my eyes. “Can you recognize me? It's Luca."
I took him in. He was handsome, his eyes were brown and held this calm, yet tempting gaze. His jaws were fixed, and his body was properly masculine, with chest sculpted to perfection.
He reminded me so much of him.
“Say something, Mira." He tried again.
I sat up, taking in the room. “How long have I been unconscious?" I asked, my voice coming out in a tiny whisper.
“About 24 hours, you have us quite a scare." Luca said. “How do you feel?"
My mind drifted back to the scene right before I passed out. I had never felt that way before, like I was someone else entirely—someone I couldn't recognize.
“What is happening to me?" I asked again.
Luca heaved. I watched him pull a chair, and sit beside me. “I’ll tell you the little I know.” He paused slightly, fixing his eyes on me. "Your mother, and mine built this village. A safe place where creatures like us—who people felt were too much for them—could call home. My mum trusted so much in your mother, they were best friends, yes, but my mum looked up to yours more.”
He paused again. "Like I heard, yours was more powerful, and when she died, she made mine promise that you would cross the lengths she couldn't. So it might seem like my mum was doing too much, but I promise she was just trying to fulfill her promise.”
I swallowed, trying to piece everything I just heard.
"You'll get a more reasonable explanation form Mother, or maybe you can get them for yourself, but first you need to figure out who you really are. Are you ready to do that?”
A deep breath escaped as he added, “It's what your mother would have wanted."
I hesitated, feeling the same feeling from earlier rise all over again. “Fine! Let's try again."
He took me to the same field where Della was waiting. She looked briefly at me, then turned to her son. “Is she ready?"
Luca looked at me. "Are you?”
I nodded. "Let's do this!”
They led me to the center, my feet bare against the cool dirt, eyes closed, sweat glistening on my brow. The air felt heavier here, charged with a kind of energy I couldn’t fully understand—like something ancient was watching.
“Again,” Della’s calm voice carried from the edge of the circle. “Feel, don’t force.”
I exhaled sharply, clenching my fists at my sides. My skin tingled with raw, unstable power, just beneath the surface, too wild to grasp. “I’m trying,” I muttered through gritted teeth. “It’s—there, and then it’s not.”
Beside Della, Cara stood with her hands clasped, watching me with an odd mixture of awe and unease. Even the young hybrid could sense it—the shifting energy inside me wasn’t normal. It wasn’t just my wolf.
“You’re not trying to call your wolf,” Della said softly, stepping closer. “You’re trying to call yourself. Every part of you.”
My eyes snapped open. “What does that even mean?” Frustration bled into my voice. “I know who I am.”
“No,” Della said gently. “You know who you were told you were.”
My breath caught in my throat. I wanted to argue, to reject the implication, but some part of me knew Della was right. There had always been something—an undercurrent of difference I couldn’t name, even as a pup. My connection to the land, the way I sometimes sensed things before they happened, the strange dreams I dismissed as fantasy. It was all connected, and I'd been too blind to see.
“Try again,” Della instructed. “This time, don’t just look for your wolf. Look for the piece of yourself you’ve been told to forget.”
I swallowed hard, closing my eyes once more. I inhaled, pulling the cool night air into my lungs, letting it settle. This time, I didn’t reach for the silver thread of my wolf’s spirit, the familiar connection I'd always leaned on. Instead, I let go—opening herself to everything.
The earth hummed beneath my feet, the air shifted, and a faint pulse thrummed through my chest.
And then the visions began.
I didn't know what I was expecting, but this was way beyond it.
The first vision came in flashes—fragments of sound and color, the way memory distorts with time.
A woman stood at the edge of a darkened clearing, her silhouette backlit by a dying fire. Her hands clutched a leather-bound book—the same book I had stolen. Her fingers trembled, not with fear, but with urgency. It was my mother.
“Take it,” her voice said, though her face was blurred in the vision. “Take the book, and take this.”
A glint of silver caught the firelight—a ring, intricately carved with ancient runes I couldn’t read. My mother pressed it into the hands of a shadowed figure. “You must hide it. Both of them. They can never find it.”
“Who?” the figure whispered.
“The Council. The Darkborn. Even the Alphas. They’ll all want it. They’ll all want her.” Her mother’s voice shook. “Please—keep her safe.”
The scene shifted. Blood. So much blood. The book lay open, pages fluttering in the wind, stained crimson. My’s childlike scream echoed through the trees, messing with my head.
The vision shattered.
I stumbled back into reality with a sharp cry, falling to my knees in the dirt. My hands braced the ground, fingers digging into the earth as my breath came in ragged gasps.
“Mira!” Della was at my side in seconds, her hands firm on my shoulders. “What did you see?”
I couldn’t speak right away. My heart pounded so loudly I could barely hear anything else. The image of the ring—silver, ancient, powerful—burned behind my eyelids. “My mother…” my voice cracked. “She gave the book and a ring to someone. She begged them to hide it.”
Della’s face paled slightly, but she hid it well. “What kind of ring?”
I closed her eyes, trying to recall every detail. “Silver… engraved with symbols, ancient ones. I don’t know what they mean.”
Della’s hand trembled against my shoulder. “It’s the Aurora's Seal.”
My gaze snapped to her. “What?”
“The ring isn’t just jewelry,” Della explained, her voice low with reverence. “It’s part of your birthright. Your mother was a Bloodline Guardian, Mira—a wolf born with the ability to awaken and command dormant magic within her bloodline. That ring is the key to unlocking every piece of power sealed within you.”
It took a while for me to process what she had just said, but when I did, all I could ask was, “Why would she hide it?” my voice a whisper.
“Because if the wrong hands got hold of it, they could use you—or your bloodline—for terrible things,” Della said. “Power like that isn’t just rare. It’s dangerous.”
My stomach churned with a mixture of fear and fury. My mother had died for that secret. And all this time, I had been walking around blind to who I really was.
“But if I don’t have it,” I began slowly, piecing it together, “I can’t fully unlock my power.”
Della nodded. “Not safely.”
My throat tightened. “Well, where is it?”
Della’s brow furrowed. “I can try to find it.”
She stepped back, raising her hands. Pale blue light formed between her fingers, swirling like liquid starlight. The spell took only a few moments—a whisper of ancient words, a flicker of intent. Then her eyes flew open, wide with disbelief.
“No,” she whispered.
My stomach clenched. “What?”
Della looked at me, her expression livid. With her next words, the air seemed to leave the clearing all at once.
“It’s in Thane’s pack.”
“What?" I blurted out.Luca appeared behind me, his movements so stealthy that I didn't notice him, until he spoke. “Try again, Mother."She glanced at him. “My spell cannot be wrong. But I will nevertheless."She began again, twirling her hands as a blue glowing back formed again. Her concentration was unbreakable, and her lips moving as she muttered inaudible words. After what felt like ages, she stopped, the glow disappearing into thin air.“What did you see?" I asked hurriedly.“It's the same thing." She held my eyes. "The Aurora's seal is in Alpha Thane's territory.”Wow! “That's strange. Don't they know that the seal is there?" Luca asked.His mother shook her head. “I'm guessing they don't. It was hidden very well, I can tell. She must have given it to a very trusted person, because it wasn't me." Something flashed in her voice, but I was too engulfed in my thoughts to fathom what it was.“We have to get the ring before they figure it out!" Della said.I turned to her, feeling
“What is it with that book anyway that the Alpha wants it back so badly. It’s just an ordinary book!” the other said sounding a little cowardly and ignorant.I turned and spared Luca a glance, he was listening to them intently and I figured that’s what I must do too.“Shhh!” the wolf paused, “You don’t spill words like that.” He warned. “That book is a a very important book and contains all the magic spells used in the ancient history of magic. It contains one of the most powerful spell chants and Alexa needs that book as well.” He explained gritting.I wanted to reposition myself and didn’t know when I stepped on a twig. It cracked sound was like a trumpet through the quiet forest. The two wolves stopped talking immediately and listened, their ears straightening and inclining to the direction of the sound One sniffed the air. “I smell her.” He said sniffing some more taking steady but calculative strides towards me.My heart skipped a bit as I was afraid of being caught. I didn’t kn
I exhaled and muttered inaudibly… “They are both death traps anyways.” I lowered my head-guilt tripped. I knew I had won because she had nothing else to say to me.I stood quietly, still weighing my options. I tightened my eyelids and clenched my fist. I didn’t care about me anymore, “I’m going save him!” I said.“Save who?” A baritone voice ransacked my thoughts and I instantly popped my eyes open.“Luca?” I called out, excitement bursting through my nerves the moment I laid my eyes on him, he stood there so casually by the threshold.“Is that how much you were worried about me?” he said.I ignored his sly comment and ran towards him engulfing him in a tight hug. I stayed that way without saying a word. “I was scared that something had happened to you.” I muttered, giving him a gentle squeeze.“If this is the kind of treatment I will be getting then I promise to always get in trouble for your sake all the time.” He jested and I pushed him away playfully, detaching from him.We laughe
“Have you forgotten you were the one who denied her in front of the entire pack? Took a new mate and had her banished from the pack!” a voice countered.“It was for the pack! I did it for the unity of the pack!” he argued, trying to convince himself.“Deal with it then!”-The voice disappeared.Alexa got up and started pacing the room. “She’s hiding in that small village.” She muttered.“We will have to smoke her out then.” She said, the idea igniting a smile conclusively that as her final decision on this matter.Thane was quiet but he didn’t like the idea. “Did you have the book in sight?” he asked the soldiers instead.“No Alpha, but we believe she’s still in custody of it.” They responded.“Good. Until we decide on what next to do, don’t breath a word of these to anyone!” He instructed.Alexa turned to him, her jaw dropped slightly at his pronouncement. What could be his reason for keeping this a secret?The soldiers bowed once more and saluted, making their way out. The metal door
“Thinking about your unfaithful mate?” said the voice as it made a turn and sat beside me.I let out a huge sigh of relief and suddenly calmness eroded my soul.I turned to the person now sitting beside me. ‘Cara!’I suddenly remembered what she did for me. “I’m sorry I never got to thank you for breaking the spell.” I said with a polite smile.“Yeah… I heard you can finally wield your wolf.” She said looking distant.“Nia, right?” she turned to me. “Your wolf.” She asked.“Yeah.” I replied with a nod, a little shy.“How does it feel to finally grow into her under a full moon without any hindrance?” she looked at me with a smirk.“It feels great, it’s something I can’t really explain.” I said.Cara nodded. “That’s great.” She paused, continuing afterwards. “Now one part is over, what’s left for you to do is harness the magical powers handed down to you from your bloodline.” She added.I was quiet. “The aurora’s seal right?” I asked. “That’s what is needed to help me harness my powers.
“You howl beautifully, Mira.” He said while coming towards me and I lowered my gaze shyly. “Thank you.” I blushed.“Alright.” Cara cleared her throat, interrupting the building chemistry between us.“I’ll be on my way now, catch you two later.” She winked and I more than anything wanted to protest and swear on my mother’s grave that there’s nothing going between us let alone be couples but she trotted away before I had the chance to speak.We watched her brown wolf disappear into the woods Luca emerged from.I sighed and looked at the moon, our attention fell on each other again after she went out of sight.“Didn’t know you could howl so well.” Luca said circling me.I exhaled sharply. “I too was surprised at how good I howled.” I shrugged. “I guess they are things I’m still discovering about me.” “You’re indeed a book worth a read.” He commented. “So what brought you out here?” he asked. “Nothing… just wanted to be a lone wolf for a while, playing with my thoughts but Cara didn’t
“And so when everything was calmer, my mom and I scavenged through the forest helplessly until we found this village. It became our home.” He narrated.“We were happy to see people like us here.” He exhaled sharply. “Apparently most of them shared the same fate, casted away, rejected, unwanted folks and no matter our differences. We have learnt to stay in unity and peace for as long as I can remember.” He narrated.Tears gathered in my eyes and I felt their pain. Imagine if I didn’t have anywhere else to go or if he hadn’t rescued me from Thane’s men. What would have been my fate?Perhaps, one day I will read about the founders of this village or probably I could get someone to tell me about its history and then I would write it down in a book so everyone else who comes into this village would know how it became and appreciate those who had come together to make sure the outcasts have a place in the world.“Sorry about that, Luca. You and your mother have been through so much together
I couldn’t help the laughter that erupted through my lungs but I had to look ahead and focus on the race before me.I did my best to out run him but he still had a way to catch up with me. He slowed down and was now running at my own speed.“Who’s about to be the loser now, aye?” he raised a brow and sneered at me.I panted heavily, trying to catch my breath but I didn’t stop running. I laughed and shook my head, he wasn’t even putting half the effort I was putting in this race.For a kiss? That’s not gonna hurt, is it?It’s nothing, it's just a kiss. You can totally rest and catch your breath.Thoughts of giving up to catch my breath were more spontaneous than the thought of winning.“No!” I shook it off. “I won’t give up!” I muttered, building up courage, I increased my strides and fudged ahead.He was surprised at my sudden zeal and determination as I went five times more than my current speed. It so amazed him that he trotted behind while he watched me girdle up ahead.I only stop
I jolted and sat upright in bed... my heart was pounding like a war drum, my chest going up and down like tidal waves. The room was dark, save for the pale moonlight sneaking in through the wooden slits of the window. My skin was clammy, and eyes unwilling to close back to sleep again.I touched my face in panic. Hot? cold?A part hot and the other cold. Literally hot, like I had been physically exposed to raw fire and cold—like I had been dipped in ice or frozen.That dream—it felt too real. I panicked.The man… the seal… his eyes. I could still feel his stare lingering in the corners of my room like a stabbing dagger waiting to take me alive... a nonexistent shadow yet I couldn’t shake it off.I rose quietly and walked to the window, pushing it open and pulling the curtains aside just a little.A rush of wind came blowing in, taking up my hair in the air. I listened, the village was wrapped in silence, save for the occasional whisper of wind. It was quiet, asleep. Peaceful. But I
Luca blinked, clearly taken aback. “She did?” The surprise in his voice was unmistaken and sweet.I nodded. "Hmm-mm"“Well… I guess I should thank her for saving my ass,” he chuckled dryly, scratching the back of his head. “But, I still wanted to be the one to tell you. I owed you that.” he said looking all serious but I knew not to fall for that.I didn't respond. There was a quiet pause. Then, with some more boldness, he stepped closer.“You know,” he began with a sly smile, “For you to have waited for me, it showed you cared and had already forgiven me. Della did a good job of watering the garden for me to come planting." He said feeling funky.I raised a brow. “I was walking on my own. You asked me to wait for you and you just happened to catch up.”“Still counts,” he said with a grin.He walked beside me as we continued the little journey towards the habitable parts of the village.The sky was already getting dark with taints of soft purple and orange hues, colouring the entire s
I raised my head too, to look at the barriers and as I expected, they were invincible. The sun burned its way into my eyes and I looked down immediately quicker than she did.Though my questions about the sword were answered... somehow my mind wasn’t still at ease.I wanted to ask her who the man I saw her speaking to at the barrier was, and how she and Luca are able to go outside the barrier but none of us can.Yet, I couldn't muster the courage to.So I sat quietly.Also, I didn't think it was the right time to ask her to complete my parents' love tale."I'll go now and allow you to enjoy your own company." She giggled and patted me on the shoulders. She got on her feet and moved away gently, leaving me all alone with all my train of thoughts and the buzzing wind.*NARRATOR'S POV The heavy metallic door of the Alpha's throne room was pulled open and a soldier marched in.His armor dusted with ash and some spill of red stains which had a taint of metallic scent in them—blood, of
I sat on the edge of a cliff, legs dangling over the rocky edge. I'm usually scared of heights but right now, I don't care.My mind was a battlefield... I kept wondering why Luca would not want to tell me about the sword?—What if I hadn't been opportune to eavesdrop on his conversation with Falcon? That means I would never have known!Like a pictured image I could replay the scene vividly in my head. The way the sword responded to him, the way the ancient, rune imprinted metal hummed to his touch, the faint glow… it was like it knew him. Like it had chosen him.Somehow, my mind immediately escaped to the time we both stumbled to the ground and he was above me.That was so close... Too close. The closest we've ever been. I felt my heart throbbing so fast like it wanted to fall out of my chest, why though?Love?It's not love.Cannot be love. I’m not loving another man... Not after… My brows furrowed angrily and hands folded into a fist. Betrayers.Suddenly, a voice pierced through he
Is that so?” I pressed. "Or you just don't want to tell me." I concluded.He stepped back, lowering his arms. “Where were you last night?”The switch in topic caught me off guard. “What?” I don’t know when the shocker came out of my mouth.“I saw you… with Nathan. Late. Alone. Just you two.” he continued and tried to indulge me in punching.I narrowed my eyes as I followed his lead. "Seriously? And how did you notice us?""I told you, you're my business so I keep an eye on you." I scoffed unbelievably, shaking my head.“Are you seriously jealous right now?”He stepped forward, voice low, his face an inch from mine—his breath caressing my face. “I’m seriously trying to protect you, and it doesn’t help when you go moonlighting with someone who jokes about everything including his own life.”“I’m not a child, Luca. You don’t get to choose who I go out with.” I stood up to him.His jaw tightened. “I see." He stepped back and looked away. "He's been saying things to you, making you feel
Nathan slowed his pace, his eyes flicking towards me with something unreadable in them. “Not much.” He shrugged.“Only what I overheard Luca and Della say earlier.” He added, wiggling his eyebrows at me.“You were able to eavesdrop?” I gasped almost too excited about it for my own good. I was half impressed, half shocked.“Hey, I’m good at lurking, that’s what I do.” he smirked, spreading his arms in self defense.I chuckled softly, “So what were they talking about?” I inquired curiously.“It’s better your lover boy tells you himself.” He looked at me, the smirk still tugging at the corner of his lips.“He’s not my lover!” I protested, wearing a slight frown.“Yeah you can keep denying it all you want but we all see it, the way he looks at you…” he stops and stared at me. “It’s different.” He added.“Tsk!” I hissed. “That’s how flirty guys are.” I brushed it off.“So you really not going to tell me what you heard?” I cornered our conversation back to the reason I decide to stroll with
Before I could make a move to follow them, I felt a soft tap on my shoulders, I was shocked. My body stiffened before it started turning slowly towards the direction of the touch.Who could it be? Was I already discovered?I hissed, heaving a sigh of relief, I rolled my eyes… it wasn’t anyone to be scared of. It was just—Nathan.But what was he doing out here?He was just above me, crouching awkwardly, his face tense. “What the hell are you doing here?” I whispered loudly.He looked at me then back at Della and Luca, his eyes had a flicker of mischief. “Gathering the truth.” He replied.I looked over my shoulders nervously. “If you’re not careful, you’ll get yourself locked up like Falcon.”“Maybe.” He shrugged. “...but we both know why Falcon is locked up in the first place,” He shot back. “You saw the sword. It isn’t wasn’t ordinary.”I hesitated, then gave a slight nod. “It isn’t. It reacted to Luca. That’s not normal. We both know relics like that choose their wielder.”He nodded
"When I pulled it out… the ground started shaking and I thought I was going to be swallowed up under the ground by the earthquake but shortly after the shaking stopped and I heard sounds… it was the sword, it spoke to me.” He said, his voice mischievous.“What did it say?” Luca asked, leaning forward.“I don’t know… Hums. Voices, ancient songs like a chant in hell!” he replied, exaggerating. “All I heard were these words ‘safe’ the ‘destroyer’ and twisted ancient satanic chants like that.” He grimaced.“They say it was owned by either a powerful sorcerer, a witch, a nine council member? A combination of all? Who knows?.” He shrugged and chuckled.“But whoever possessed this sword according to the legendary tales, had only one intention and that was to stop the rogue wolf from uniting the mythical creatures.” He explained.Luca sighed. “If you couldn’t wield it, why did you keep it?” he asked.“It’s a fucking reward for a fearless, skillful adventurer. The only proof! A monument to add
Luca tilted his head, then smiled—not warmly. “Alright. Let me rephrase that." He sighed."Tell me the truth… and probably I might consider letting you leave." Luca said with a smirk on his face."Out of the village. Beyond the barrier. No more rules. Just total freedom.” He gestured, locking his eyes on Falcon’s face, wearing still, that cunning smirk on his face.Falcon’s eyes lit up faintly, curiosity piqued. He glanced at the sword again, and then back at Luca. “Are you kidding me or you're dead serious?” he questioned, doubt evident in his tone.“I'm dead serious,” Luca lied smoothly, crossing his arm as he leaned back on his seat. “No blade to your throat. No guards. You get your wish—adventure, the wild, the chaos outside these walls, everything!”*I walked by the barrier stealthily as the wind brushed past my face, my eyes narrowed in determination as the moon appeared in the evening sky.The hums and shimmers of the magical wall still flickered faintly under the fading sunl