"Alpha Thane,” the Head Chief's voice echoed in the huge meeting room which suddenly seemed too small. "Our librarian here, Ms Mira, claims that you are her mate— that you have been all along— and you two had a secret relationship going on already. By any chance, is any of this true?"
I stood in the center of the room, my palms clammy at my sides, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure everyone could hear it. The council, ten in total, sat in a semi-circle, their faces expectant, their eyes shifting between me and the man I thought was mine.
Thane sat directly across from me, his broad shoulders hunched slightly, fingers digging into the armrest of his chair. Beside him, too close for comfort, sat her — Alexa, the witch with the serpent’s smile.
I raised my chin, just a little. My eyes found Thane’s, and for a fleeting moment, I saw it — hesitation, doubt, and underneath all of it, guilt. The silence stretched too long, and each second felt like a knife carving into my chest.
The Head Chief cleared his throat, his brows furrowing. "Alpha, we need a response."
Thane’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his gaze flicking from one elder to the next, searching for something — a way out. Finally, his golden eyes met mine, and I silently begged him. Please. Just tell the truth. Please.
"Alpha Thane?" another elder prompted, their patience stretching thin.
My heart ached so fiercely I could barely stand upright.
I was desperately waiting to hear Thane's response, but when it came, I wished I could unhear it.
"No," Thane said, his voice low, but each syllable might as well have been a blade to my gut. "I don’t know why she’s making these claims, but there was never anything between us."
The room spun. I must have misheard.
"What?" My voice was barely above a whisper.
Thane didn’t look at me this time. "She’s lying."
The ground beneath me vanished. My chest hollowed out, leaving nothing but raw, trembling emptiness.
"She’s obsessed with me," Thane added, each word like a hammer to my ribs. "I don’t know why, but I have never… she was just a librarian."
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t see. The man I had given my heart to, the man who whispered promises in the dark — he denied it all.
"You’re lying!" My voice cracked with disbelief, but the moment I spoke, Alexa stood, her dark curls cascading down her back like black ink.
"Enough of this madness," Alexa said smoothly, her voice laced with mock pity.
The words clung to me like tar.
The Head Chief exchanged glances with the others, some of them whispering to each other. "This is a serious accusation, Alpha Thane. If she’s making false claims—"
"She should be punished," Alexa said, her gaze sharp with triumph. "Lying about the Alpha, disrupting the peace… it’s treasonous."
Treason. My knees nearly buckled.
"We could exile her," Alexa added, and I saw it then — the glimmer of satisfaction in her eyes. This was what she wanted all along.
"No, please…" I stepped forward, but Thane didn’t stop her. He didn’t even look at me.
“Stand back!" One of the elders shot at me, his voice stern.
The Head Chief sighed. "If the Alpha denies it, and if the council agrees, then exile may be the only appropriate response."
I searched Thane’s face one last time, desperately hoping for something — even a flicker of hesitation, a sign he’d fight for me.
But there was nothing.
With a final snap of the gavel, my fate was sealed.
Banished.
Rejected!
At that moment something inside me—something soft, something hopeful—died.
I didn’t cry. Not when they stripped me of my rank. Not when they escorted me to the edge of the territory like some criminal. Not when they warned me that if I ever returned, I’d be hunted like a rogue.
But something had definitely changed The pain didn’t kill me, instead it hardened me.
I waited until nightfall, until the scent of the forest was thick with damp earth and secrets. I knew what I was after — the book.
The ancient tome that had been locked away in the Alpha’s private archives.
I wasn’t supposed to know about it — but I’d spent years in the library, learning, watching, uncovering. And I knew it held something Thane and Alexa wanted hidden.
Something incredibly powerful. Yet no one could even open the book, or understand what was needed to do so. If I could do that, then I might become the most powerful person in the world.
And then, I can take my revenge. Make him pay for rejecting me!
Slipping past the patrols was easy. They underestimated me — the quiet little librarian with no wolf and no spine. I was nothing to them, a ghost they banished without a second thought.
But ghosts know how to haunt.
It wasn't easy getting access to the chamber that held the book—so many locks, and traps—but one of the benefits I got from being with Thane—even though it was only temporary and ended with nothing but pain—was that I knew a few things others didn't. My hands trembled as I lifted the book, its cover worn, symbols etched deep into the leather.
It thrummed beneath my fingertips—alive.
I barely made it past the border before they caught me. Thane’s warriors.
They chased me through the forest, their snarls filling the night. My heart pounded, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.
I wasn’t running to escape.
I was running to survive.
*BACK TO THE PRESENT*
The weight of the memory settled over me like a cold shroud.
I stared at Della, my throat tight. "How do you know my mother?" My voice was softer now, fragile in a way I hated.
Della’s eyes flickered, her expression briefly unreadable. "That’s a story for another day, child."
"No." My fists clenched. "You don’t get to just drop that and walk away. Who was she? Why does she matter to you? And how do you know her?"
Della’s lips pressed into a thin line. "Your mother was a dear friend. She was… special, like you."
"Special? What do you mean?"
Della hesitated before answering. "She carried blood that was more than wolf. More than human."
"What does that mean?" My voice trembled slightly.
"You’ll understand soon," Della said gently. "But first, let’s get your wolf back."
She led me to Cara, the young hybrid girl waiting patiently in the clearing. The girl’s hands glowed faintly, silver runes dancing along her fingertips.
"Sit," Cara said, her voice sweet but firm.
I sat cross-legged on the grass, closing my eyes as instructed. Cara’s hands hovered near my temples, the air vibrating with a soft hum.
I felt it almost immediately — the sensation of a locked door creaking open somewhere inside me. A weight lifted from my chest, and then, I felt her.
My wolf.
‘Nia!’
She surged forward, her presence fierce and protective. I gasped, doubling over as her strength flooded my limbs, as our bond was restored.
"I feel her," I whispered, tears springing to my eyes.
Della nodded at Cara, and the girl left us. Della knelt in front of me, reaching out for my hand. “How does it feel?" She asked.
How did it feel?
The energy still hummed beneath my skin long after Cara’s hands fell away. My wolf wasn’t just awake — she was brimming, her presence sharper, clearer than I’d ever known. Every sound in the clearing seemed magnified, from the crackling torches to the rustling leaves above. I could hear the heartbeat of everyone around me, including Della’s — steady, but layered with something beneath it.
Anticipation? Or was it fear?
I stood slowly, flexing my fingers, watching the way my nails gleamed in the low light — darker, almost metallic. My senses stretched farther than they ever had before, I felt foreign.
This wasn’t normal.
"What did you do to me?" My voice was hoarse, though not with fear — with suspicion.
Della exchanged a glance with Cara before stepping forward. "I didn’t do anything, Mira. This—" she gestured to me, to the faint shimmer around my skin, "—this was always inside you."
"No." I shook my head. "I know my wolf. I know what I am. I’m just…"
"A wolf?" Della’s brow lifted slightly. "Are you sure?"
I opened my mouth to argue, but the words wouldn’t come.
Della took advantage. “You underestimate yourself too much, Mirabel. You have no idea the power you hold within you, the greatness residing in the legacy your mother left you. You—” she took a step closer, “you are much more stronger than you can ever imagine."
“Now take a deep breath and tell me, how does it actually feel?" Her voice was subtle, probing.
I inhaled, then let it out, alongside all the fear and doubt. It was then the feeling soared through my body. “It feels so good to have her back. I can't explain." I mumbled.
“Good!" Della squeezed my hand. “Now, it's time to unlock the other side of you."
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,
“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.
I heard the loud voice from where I hid, and I knew it was game over. I had to run.“Get her!" I kicked against the door as hard as I could, bolting through it almost immediately. They were behind me, all four of them. I didn't stop running.The sound of grasses and twigs being trampled upon by our feets echoed through the night. My hands gripped the object in my hand tighter, as I kept running.“Stop!" One of them yelled. "Stop now, and we will let you go freely."Lies!I'm not a fool, and they're all liars. If their Alpha is a liar, then they are too.My heart ached as I thought about the situation that led me here. I had my doubts, but he overrode them, and made me fall in love with him, only to be rejected at the last minute when it actually mattered.Love sucks, but Alpha Thane sucks even more.A harsh voice pulled me out from my little “That book belongs to the pack, you can't take it. You theif!"I held unto it tighter. I'm not a thief! I ignored them as best as I could, putt
“I'm here to announce to everyone that your Alpha has found a mate. She's Alexa, from a pack that was once our rivals, but will now be joined together in this beautiful alliance."I was frozen into place, for over five minutes. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak, I couldn't think.I couldn't breathe.My eyes met his, and for a second, it felt like I had been restored, but only for a second. When I saw that same unusual far-fetched gaze settle in his eyes, I knew it was all over.“Thane…” How could you do this to me?He tore his eyes away from me, and it felt like a part of me was being torn apart. I'm dreaming, right? This isn't real.It can't be!I swallowed, finally finding my feet. Whispers were beginning to rise from every corner of the huge hall, everyone had something to say—their Alpha had found a mate afterall.If I stood there for one more second, I would probably lose my mind, so I turned and walked away. A part of me wished he would stop me, and tell me all of this was jus
“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.
“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
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
“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
“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
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,
"Alpha Thane,” the Head Chief's voice echoed in the huge meeting room which suddenly seemed too small. "Our librarian here, Ms Mira, claims that you are her mate— that you have been all along— and you two had a secret relationship going on already. By any chance, is any of this true?"I stood in the center of the room, my palms clammy at my sides, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure everyone could hear it. The council, ten in total, sat in a semi-circle, their faces expectant, their eyes shifting between me and the man I thought was mine.Thane sat directly across from me, his broad shoulders hunched slightly, fingers digging into the armrest of his chair. Beside him, too close for comfort, sat her — Alexa, the witch with the serpent’s smile.I raised my chin, just a little. My eyes found Thane’s, and for a fleeting moment, I saw it — hesitation, doubt, and underneath all of it, guilt. The silence stretched too long, and each second felt like a knife carving into my chest.The Head
The crackling sound of fire was the first thing I heard, the scent of herbs and charred wood heavy in the air.The room was dim, the flickering orange light casting shifting shadows along stone walls carved with symbols — ancient ones, some I recognized from the very book I’d risked my life to steal.I bolted upright, pain lancing through my shoulder.“You’re awake.”The voice was deep, but not unkind. A man stepped from the shadows, his face partially obscured by a hood. His scent was unfamiliar — neither part of Thane’s pack nor any of the neighboring clans. Rogue, maybe?“Who are you?” My voice came out hoarse, raw from breathing in too much smoke.He crossed his arms above the other. “Your saviour?"My eyes narrowed in confusion. “Those guys didn't seem willing to take it easy on you. A thank you would be nice at this point." He said.The air seemed to hum between us. “I know you saved me, thank you. But that won't stop me from asking who the hell are you?" I said, my voice coming
“I'm here to announce to everyone that your Alpha has found a mate. She's Alexa, from a pack that was once our rivals, but will now be joined together in this beautiful alliance."I was frozen into place, for over five minutes. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak, I couldn't think.I couldn't breathe.My eyes met his, and for a second, it felt like I had been restored, but only for a second. When I saw that same unusual far-fetched gaze settle in his eyes, I knew it was all over.“Thane…” How could you do this to me?He tore his eyes away from me, and it felt like a part of me was being torn apart. I'm dreaming, right? This isn't real.It can't be!I swallowed, finally finding my feet. Whispers were beginning to rise from every corner of the huge hall, everyone had something to say—their Alpha had found a mate afterall.If I stood there for one more second, I would probably lose my mind, so I turned and walked away. A part of me wished he would stop me, and tell me all of this was jus