SophiaThe air is sharp with the bite of morning as I stretch my limbs, the first traces of light spilling through the trees. My skin tingles, and I feel the familiar pull deep in my bones—my wolf, restless and eager to be free. She’s there, waiting, urging me to give her the control that she wants.I give in.With a sharp exhale, I shift, the bones in my body cracking and realigning, my senses flooding with the sharp clarity of the wolf's world. The air smells richer, the sounds crisper. Every rustle in the leaves, every twitch in the branches, is amplified in a way that feels like everything is coaxing me to let every thought go and focus on this moment.I take off, running through the forest, the ground soft beneath my paws, the wind a steady rush in my fur. My wolf howls with joy, pushing us faster and farther, losing ourselves in the freedom of the run; from a distance, I can hear Mikhail's chuckle as if he is sharing my wolf's joy.The restlessness that’s been gnawing at me begi
SophiaAfter breakfast, I decided to visit Elder Merope with the hope that she could help me find answers. Since I had never visited her before, I asked for her address from Mikhail.Initially, Mikhail was not happy that I wanted to visit her place because she lives a little away from the main pack and near the pack's territory, but when I assured him that I would inform him instantly if I found anything unusual then, he agreed to let me go without him.As I make my way down the trail, the scent of pine and damp earth wraps around me. A few pack members pass by, offering respectful nods and smiles.One of the older she-wolves waves at me."Good Morning, Luna." She bows her head and smiles at me."Morning." Smiling at her, I walk to her."Would you like to try some of my freshly baked cookies?" She looks at me, hopefully."Of course, I can smell your cookies from quite far away." Momentarily, closing my eyes, I inhale and smile at her. "They smell delicious."She beams at me, eyes crin
Sophia"Sophia." Elder Merope looks at me warmly, "I am sure there was some reason why you came here to visit me today." There is a knowing glint in her gaze."Yes." Sighing, I run my hand through my hair and nod my head. "Something doesn't feel right." She silently gaze at me for a few moments, before she gestures for me to follow her to the back of the room where a wide window overlooks a small, flourishing garden. The space is filled with pots of all sizes, some spilling over with herbs and flowers that I don't recognize, their leaves brushing against one another in a soft rustle. Sunlight streams through the glass, painting everything in golden hues."These plants are special," Merope explains as she picks up a small watering can and hands it to me. "They require care and attention, but they give back much more than they take."I take the can, feeling the cool metal in my palm, and move to the nearest pot—a cluster of deep purple blooms that seem to shimmer when the light catches
SophiaAbruptly, there is a knock on the door, sharp and insistent.Before I can even blink, the door swings open, and there he is—Mikhail. His tall figure fills the doorway, eyes locked on me with that familiar intensity that makes my pulse race.Mikhail strides in, eyes blazing with urgency. My heart lurches at the sight of him, and the tension that gripped my body eases in an instant."Sophia," he says, his voice low, almost a growl. "Are you okay?" He doesn’t wait for me to answer, his eyes scanning me like he can see right through to whatever’s going on inside me.I don't need to speak, though. He can feel it. I know he can. His wolf is connected to me, just as mine is connected to him, and right now, I’m a storm of emotions thrashing inside. He can feel that, too. The worry, the anxiety, the anger swirling inside me like a tornado, too strong to be ignored."Your emotions," he continues, stepping closer, his gaze tightening, "they’re… they’re driving my wolf crazy with worry. It
SophiaThe nagging feeling is still there, but it is not as intense as before. When I considered what I could lose instead of gain if anything went wrong, the decision wasn't that difficult for me.Despite all the threats and dangers surrounding us, I am living my dream. And to ruin to find out something that I will eventually find out one day would be foolish of me. And how would I know that I would find out the truth one day? No matter how much anyone tries, the truth always makes itself known."Still thinking about everything?" Mikhail rubs his thumbs over my knuckles and lightly tugs my hand to get my attention."Yeah." Nodding my head, I pull all my hair to my side."Where are we going?" I ask, finally noticing that this isn't the path that I took from home to Elder Merope's place."Finally, you noticed." Mikhail smirks and teases me, "And here I was, getting worried about how clueless my mate was, that anyone could kidnap her, and she wouldn't even be suspicious.""I am with you
Sophia I shift slightly, propping myself up on one elbow so I can look at him. He still looks lost in his thoughts, but knowing him, I know he is alert and ready to take down any threat if it appears.His guards are never down... even while sleeping, there is alertness about him. It's like his mind is up and working even when his body is resting.The gentle sway of leaves above us fills the silence, but a question forms on my lips, one I hadn’t thought to ask until now.“Mikhail,” I begin, my voice low but steady, “tell me about yourself."He blinks as if he’s not quite sure he heard me correctly.Then, with a slow, deliberate movement, he turns to face me fully. A mischievous smile curves at the corners of his lips, one I know all too well—one I’ve seen a thousand times, used to distract, to shift focus, to keep things light. But this time, it doesn’t work.I stay quiet, my expression unchanged as I wait for him to acknowledge the question that still lingers in the air between us.H
Sophia“I had just gone through my first shift. Since our healing strengthened when we found our wolves, everyone thought that maybe after my first shift, I would gain my sight or it would improve. But things weren't simple; even in my wolf form, I was blind. Not as blind as I were in my human form, but still blind." He absentmindedly continues to play with the lock of my hair as if it is the thing that's holding him to the present. "My wolf was wild, and lack of vision made him almost feral. My father's training turned even harsher because he had to help my wolf reign his energy. Even now, a part of him is still feral."A small pout forms on my lips because I don't think his wolf is feral. He has that wild energy that surrounds him, but it makes him lethal and powerful. He is magnificent.Mine. A word echoes in my mind as my wolf agrees with me."In front of you, he behaves like a lovestruck crazy beast, but he is still feral." He softly chuckles and taps my lips with his finger as
Sophia Mikhail pulls me into his arms, his grip firm yet tender, as though he’s trying to anchor himself to the present and shake off the ghosts of his past. His breath brushes against my neck, warm and steady, and I can feel his body relaxing in my embrace. Wrapping my arms tightly around him, I hold him close. My fingers find their way to his hair, threading through the soft strands as I kiss his cheek. I can feel his emotions, raw and unguarded. There’s a strange lightness in him now, as if the burden he’s carried for so long has finally begun to ease. It’s subtle, but I know him well enough to see it, to feel it. With everything that we shared—our past, our experiences, our feelings—the bond between us felt stronger and more real. Closing my eyes, I take a steady breath and let the familiar warmth of my power flow through me. I send it through the connection that ties us together. I can feel his pain, his hurt... his struggles, and I want to erase them and fill every corner
Anastasia I knew I wouldn’t be the same when I came back, but I didn’t think it would feel like this. It’s not just sadness. It’s something deeper. There’s this hollow space inside me, like something important is missing and nothing fits right anymore. Like I left a part of myself behind and now I’m walking around trying to function without it. And maybe that’s exactly what happened. Maybe I did leave a part of me behind. With him. With Jake. The distance between us is eating at me. Four days. Just four damn days, but it feels like I’ve been stuck in this weird stretch of time where everything moves in slow motion and nothing feels real. It’s like my body’s here, going through the motions, but my heart’s somewhere else, still wrapped up in the way his voice sounds when he says my name or how his eyes lock on mine like they know me better than I know myself. Every second drags like it’s meant to remind me I’m not where I’m supposed to be. It punishes me for leaving, and no matter
AnastasiaJake’s arms are wrapped around me, warm and solid, his heartbeat is the only sound I care about right now. It's slow under my ear, steady like the rise and fall of his chest. The grass tickles my arm a little, and the scent of pine and damp earth fills the air, but all I can focus on is the way Jake’s fingers brush lazy circles against my back.I’ve got my arm slung over his chest, my head tucked right into that perfect spot where shoulder meets neck. It feels safe here, even though we’re lying out in the middle of the woods with nothing but leaves above us and sky peeking through.I don’t want to move. I don’t even want to blink too fast, like doing anything more than breathing might break this spell. We’ve both found a kind of peace in this stillness.Jake drops a soft kiss on top of my head, lips lingering for a second, and I feel it all the way through me. My eyes flutter closed just for a beat, soaking it in. Then I feel his chest expand with a quiet sigh, and his arm t
AnastasiaJake presses a kiss just above my collarbone, and a delicious shiver runs through me. My fingers sink into his hair without even thinking, loving the way his lips linger on that exact spot. I feel his smile, soft and warm, against my skin before he kisses the same place again, slower this time like he’s memorizing it.Then he leans back a little and locks eyes with me. There’s something in his gaze that makes my heart stutter."This is where you’ll carry my mark," he whispers, his voice rough, like gravel dipped in honey. "For the world to see that you belong to me… but not now."His eyes drop to my neck, and I see it... the tug of war playing out inside him. The desire for his mate to proudly carry his mark for everyone to see against the instinct to keep her safe."Hey…" I grab his face gently in my hands, thumbs brushing his cheekbones as I smile at him, trying to placate him. "I can’t wait for the world to see that my man is a possessive wolf who totally loses his mind if
AnastasiaJake stares at me like I’ve just dropped the moon in his lap. His mouth parts like he wants to say something, but nothing comes out. His eyes... God, his eyes, they darken so fast, it’s like watching a storm roll in. The idea of marking me has him lit up from the inside out. I can practically feel his need crash into me like a wave. But even though I’ve said yes, even though I’m right here, offering myself to him in a way that’s as vulnerable as it gets... he holds back.I see it all over his face—the war. It’s in the way his jaw clenches, the way his chest rises and falls like he can’t get enough air. His wolf is right there, just under the surface, clawing to get out. I can almost feel it, that hunger. That need. His wolf wants to claim me. To mark me. To pull me close and never let go.But Jake? Jake’s trying so damn hard to hold back. He thinks he’s doing the right thing. Thinks if he lets go, if he gives in, I’ll pay the price. That this will somehow hurt me. That he’s
AnastasiaI think my body forgot how to breathe.Like, actually forgot. My lungs feel like they just hit pause, and my heart... God, my heart... it’s thumping weird, like it’s not sure what it’s supposed to do after Jake said those words. So simple. So calm. Yeah, I do.And now I’m just... frozen.I don’t even know how those words slipped out of my mouth in the first place.But you love me.What was I thinking? I wasn’t. That’s the truth. I wasn’t thinking at all, which is rare for me. I’m usually careful, always in control, always one step ahead. But in that moment, I wasn’t any of those things. I was just... me. And he saw it.I still can’t tell if it was the best thing I’ve ever said or the worst slip-up of my life.My head’s a mess, feelings tangled like wires I don’t know how to separate. But one thing sticks out through all the noise... loving Jake doesn’t scare me. That’s the weird part. It should, right? It should terrify me. But it doesn’t. It feels like I’ve already been doin
JakeI feel like the air just got knocked outta my lungs.She says it like it’s nothing. Like it’s just some random fact. But it’s not. It’s silver. She drank silver.I stare at her, and my brain short-circuits. My ears ring, and I swear for a second I don’t even hear the rest of the room. Just her voice, echoing over and over again in my head.I was made to drink silver.My whole body is shaking. My hands ball into fists and my claws almost break through. I’m trying to breathe, trying to keep control, but it’s not working."They tried to kill you," I whisper, my voice shaking so bad I can barely get the words out.My heart's pounding so hard, I feel it in my throat. I look at Magnus and Melissa, and find the same kind of anger visible of their faces at this discovery, but mine is much worse. My vision blurs red."I’m gonna kill him." I growl it so low, so deep, it barely sounds human. I’m not even sure who I’m talking about, but if I ever find the bastard who did this, they’re dead.
AnastasiaMagnus reacts just as fast, his own shift tearing through the air like thunder.Claws clash. Teeth snap.The two of them collide like a storm, fur, and rage tangling in a blur of violence. Jake’s darker wolf is pure muscle and fury, slamming into Magnus like the thirst of his blood craves him.Magnus isn’t any less fierce—his white-gray coat stands out, but he moves with power, meeting Jake head-on without hesitation.The sound of their snarls and growls tears through the space, sharp and raw. Dust kicks up around them, and the wolves crash into trees like they’re nothing.My legs move before my brain does. I scramble to my feet, my heart slamming in my chest, and I’m halfway to them when a strong grip yanks me back.“Anastasia, no!”He pulls me against him, holding me there as I struggle.“Let me go!” I shout, pushing against Caleb’s arm again, but he doesn’t budge. “They’re going to kill each other!”I glance around, expecting someone — anyone — to jump in to stop this mad
AnastasiaWhat the hell is Jake doing here?First he says he doesn’t care. And now, just when I’ve started trying to pull myself together, trying to not let him take up space in my head, he’s back. Popping up like I somehow invited this mess. Over and over again, he keeps showing up like some test the universe is throwing at me just to laugh at me.I follow right behind Magnus as he walks toward the front of the pack house. His steps are quick, his expression unreadable. I’m not trying to make a scene, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want answers. Especially about who this other Alpha is that decided to tag along with Jake and Caleb.Is one of the other Alphas whose pack is here? If yes, then I need to use this to my advantage and gain his trust as well.I keep my head up and face calm, even though inside, I’m already planning how to make the best of this situation.Jokes on you, universe; I will use every challenge you throw at me for my own benefit.The moment I step closer, I f
AnastasiaWe’re sitting in Alpha Magnus’s office. The room is bigger than I expected, filled with heavy, dark wood furniture and a large desk at the center. Magnus leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, looking at me like he knows I am here not just to meet them but I am something important to share. Luna Melissa stands beside him, one hand resting on the back of his chair, the other idly playing with the pendant around her neck. The quiet in here is heavy, but it feels... comfortable, like something similar to when I discuss something with Mom and Dad.Without wasting any more moment, I come straight to the point, “I’m part of a mission the Hunters are planning. It’s to clear out rogues in the northern region. They’ve been growing in numbers, and it’s becoming too much of a risk. We’re supposed to neutralize them... take them out, wipe them off the map."My gaze travels to Nova, who is standing beside the window with his arms crossed.Then I meet Magnus’s eyes, and I don’t flinch. “