SophiaThree years.Three long years since the old naive Sophia died.Three long years since this new Sophia was born who refuses to forgive and show mercy to people who don't deserve it.Each scar on my body tells a story of survival, and each memory is a lesson learned the hard way. I am no longer the girl who trusted blindly... who believed in the inherent goodness of people. That girl died three years ago, replaced by someone far more resilient and ruthless.Pressing the blade against the hunter's neck, I run it across his neck and push him forward as blood gushes out of his neck. Blankly, I watch his pathetic struggles as life slowly leaves his body.Turning my head, I give Jake a curt nod before I walk back towards the main house.Each step reminds me of the journey and transformation I've undergone.I hear the distant crackle of burning wood and know that the "trash" has been disposed of. In these past few years, Jake, Caleb, and Lucas have become my biggest support. They help
SophiaIt was a very difficult phase of my life because a lot of unexpected things happened during that time. But now, when I look back at all those things, I wouldn't change anything for the world. These three strangers walked into my life and stayed with me and never left my side, even when things took an unexpected turn. Instead, they helped me navigate through the challenges and never let me lose my confidence in myself.It is true that when you lose something that is precious, in return, life gives you something that makes you feel that every pain and hurt is worth it because you gained so much more than you had lost.These are the people whom I have gained every losing everything. I gained a family that I know will never let me down or leave me when times gets tough. Caleb finishes his beer and looks at me with a playful grin. "Soph, you should try this new training routine I came up with. It's supposed to enhance our reflexes and endurance."I nod, a small smile tugging at the
MikhailThree years have gone.And in this three years the only purpose that wakes me up after every night is to wipe off the existence of these hunters. People behind my back says I have gone crazy, but me and my wolf just wants revenge.Revenge of the sufferings that my mate had gone through at the hands of these hunters. I want the hunters to payback for every wrongdoing that they committed against innocent people and my Sophia.Sophia.The name that has still keeps me connected to my humanity. She still manages to bring peace to my cold heart whenever I hear her name. Nothing has been the same since she left and I don't think it will ever be. I am a man driven by vengeance and pain.My pack is thriving, and we are the strongest packs in the north; people fear and respect us, and I have made sure that nobody even dares to attack us.But still all this means nothing to me, because she is not with me.Everytime I have been attacked, I hoped that this time I will be free of my miser
MikhailI have scraf down the food like I have been hungry for ages. But the truth is that I do feel like I have been starving. Once I am done with the breakfast, I carefully stand and put the tray on the table near the door. I am already feeling much better than I have woken up, so instead of going back to bed, I decided to check outside and try to find out more about these people.Opening the door, I step outside, and from the large open space in the center of the house, I can see outside where a group of people are busy in training. There are two men looking over the training, and one of them seems more observant than the other. The observant one seems like he is the Alpha of them because of the energy he is giving off.His eyes land on me even before I walk outside. He is measuring each step with a calculative gaze but doesn't make any moves. Once I am near, breaking away from the group, he walks to me after barking some orders to start practicing hand-to-hand combat."I am Jake.
Mikhail Even if I want, I can't tear my gaze away from her... something about her draws me to her. Even my wolf peeks up at her sight, feeling curious. There is something about this girl that's captivating my attention. My heart jumps into my throat as the little girl darts between the two fighting wolves. Instinctively, I reach out, but I freeze as I witness the scene unfolding before my eyes. "Stop!" Her tiny voice rings with authority, and to my amazement, the growling immediately ceases. The wolves lower their heads near her, their fierce eyes softening. She pats them with a squeal of delight. "Look!" she exclaims, her hands gently stroking their fur. Lucas quickly intervenes, scooping her up in his arms. "Let's get away from these stinky wolves and watch the fight," he says, tickling her sides, causing her to giggle and squirm in his arms. As Lucas brings her over to where Jake and I are standing, Jake's stern expression returns. "What did I tell you about running into
MikhailI can notice her eyes are slightly widen in shock; her gaze swirling with different emotions, happiness, fear, and pain. The last emotions makes me frown, but then she again quickly masks her emotions behind a blank look.Her gaze never wavers from my face as she bends down and picks up her daughter. Seeing their faces, I can clearly see a hint of resemblences in them. However, the pull which I am feeling towards this woman is undeniable, and that is concerning because obviously she belongs to someone else.However, when I try to get a whiff of her smell, I catch a very faint smell of something familiar that stirs restlessness inside me."Do we know each other?" I can't stop myself from asking because I am getting agitated with these overwhelming feelings that I am experiencing at this moment.My wolf claws inside me, but I block him because I can't take the risk of letting my wolf out anywhere near them because he has been unstable since Sophia left.Her hold on her daughter
SophiaAll my fears, hurt, pain, and betrayal come rushing back to me the moment I see him standing in front of me. It's like a tidal wave crashing down, threatening to pull me under.I can barely keep my emotions in check, but I have to. For Rose and for myself, I am not going to fall weak. I have built myself from the ashes of my past, and I refuse to surrender to those memories and feelings that are somewhere still deep buried inside my heart.However, even after everything, I can't control the happiness that momentarily surges through me when I realize his gaze no longer has that blank look. I can't believe that his vision has been restored.He always have that purposeful and confident stride, yet when he walks in my direction the confidence he is radiating is something so different.His eyes are holding mine in an invisible lock, and even if I want to, I can't look away.His eyes search mine, confusion etched into his features. I can tell he's struggling to place me, but he can't
SophiaTears of frustration begin to gather in my eyes when Rose refuses to get down for a nap. Although she is not normally a difficult child, there are times when she becomes cranky and stubborn.However, today, when my emotions are already haywire, it is getting difficult not to feel overwhelmed. Grabbing her arm, I stop her from running away when she tries to sprint outside, most probably to her uncles. Because she knows they always give in to her demands. Even though Jake disciplines her, she still has him wrapped around her fingers, and he will eventually fall weak in front of her cries.Holding her shoulders, I force her to look at me so that I can mindlink her.Very early after her birth, I figured that I could mindlink her. However, as she is growing, she has somehow learned to ignore my voice; that's why I have to make sure she is listening to me."Rose!" I scold her through mindlink, "It's nap time.""No." She shakes her head adamantly and begins to cry, "No, nap, mama."C
JakeMerope’s voice sounds like it is coming from a distance, and it takes me a few moments to recognize her voice.“Keep your focus on them. Continue strengthening them. Don’t break the circle. The moment you hesitate is the moment everything could fall apart." Her eyes are focused on the flame of the candle that is lit between the circles.There's no room for doubt now. Lucas is in another realm, and I don't even know what that means. But I do know that if we stop, if we let go for even a second, we could lose him.We could lose them both.I squeeze Lucas’s hand harder, willing myself to give him all the strength I have. My wolf’s pacing inside me, growling and scratching at the walls of my control. It wants out, wants to do something, anything. But I hold it back. Now isn’t the time for losing control. Now is the time to hold steady.Caleb’s hand tightens around mine, his pulse steady.He’s focused too, locking into the bond just like Mom said.Together, we keep feeding the circle,
JakeCaleb and I walk toward the clearing where the ritual circle is formed.I swear I can feel the tension buzzing like electricity under my skin. The whole place is eerie—candles flicker, shadows twist, and the damn chanting that Merope is doing won’t stop drilling into my head. But none of that matters.My focus is locked on Lucas and Sophia lying in the center.Merope kneels beside Lucas and slices his throat in one swift motion. An involuntary growl erupts from Caleb while even my wolf comes forward, wanting to go and protect Lucas. Blood spills down his chest, bright and horrifying, and for a second, I can’t breathe. My whole body trembles in fury watching Lucas in this condition because I have never thought I would ever witness a day in my life when my brother has to go through something like this.I am almost on the verge of losing my control... as my eyes are fixed on the blood gushing out of his throat and pooling around his body. But I can’t lose it.Not now.I force mysel
LucasI make my way to the ritual circle.The closer I get, the more it feels like something’s pulling me forward, tugging at some invisible thread buried deep inside me.When I step into the clearing, the circle is right there in the middle, carved into the earth like it’s been waiting for centuries. The lines are sharp and perfect, symbols etched into the dirt that I can’t even pretend to understand. Stones sit at the edges, worn smooth by time, each one marking a point on the outer ring.The grass around it is pressed flat, like something too powerful for words pressed its weight here and left behind its mark.And there, in the center, is Elder Merope.She’s sitting cross-legged, her back straight, hands resting lightly on her knees. Her eyes are closed, and her face is calm, almost too calm. It’s like she’s a part of the circle, part of the energy that’s humming through the air. I can feel it buzzing in my chest, crawling along my skin.I stop at the edge, not wanting to step in w
LucasI step out of my room, and the air outside is cooler than I expected. I make my way to the side of the house, where I know Caleb’s been camping out. Sure enough, there he is, sitting on the steps with his elbows resting on his knees.His energy is all over the place, restless and sharp. He’s been like this since Sophia collapsed, and I know why. He hasn’t let his wolf out. That kind of restraint messes with you. I can see it in the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw is locked, and the way his foot taps against the ground like he’s barely holding it together.“Caleb,” I call out, stepping closer.He glances up at me, his eyes narrowed. There’s something in his expression that’s hard to read, like he’s fighting himself. He doesn’t say anything, just stares at me for a second before looking away, his fingers running through his hair.“Elder Merope asked me to meet her at the ritual circle in an hour,” I say, keeping my tone steady.Caleb stiffens at that, his hand freezing
Lucas My chest feels tight, like I can’t get a deep enough breath no matter how hard I try. My thoughts are a tangled mess, looping back to one thing... one person.Sophia.She didn’t ask to be my sister, but she stepped into that role like it was the easiest thing in the world. She didn’t just show up when it was convenient; she was always there. Even when I didn’t deserve it.The day when she risked herself to save me, I swore to never take that for granted.She’s tough as hell, but right now, she’s the one who needs someone to be with her... someone who helps her break the cage and free herself. And that someone is me.I rub my hands over my face, trying to push down the weight sitting heavy on my chest. It doesn’t budge.My wolf, though? He’s steady. Unshaken. Not for a second does he think we can’t do this. He knows we can. I feel his trust in me, in us, like an anchor.If anything, he’s itching to make whoever did this to her regret it. And so am I.I stand up, pacing the room,
MikhailThe ticking of the clock is louder than it should be.Gregor’s words loop in my head, each one sinking its claws deeper into my thoughts. He said I can’t protect her, that I’ve already lost.He’s wrong.He has to be wrong. I grip the edge of my desk, the wood solid under my hands, grounding me.Losing Sophia is not an option. Whatever it takes, whatever the cost, I will find a way to save her. I’ll tear the world apart if I have to, but I will save her.Leaning back in my chair, I stare at the map on the wall as if it holds the answers I need.Every possible lead is marked in red, but none of it feels like enough. I press my fingers to my temples, trying to focus, to think of what I’m missing. There has to be a way to get ahead of Gregor and figure out what he’s planning.He is working alone. Someone is with him, but who are they?The door opens, and Alexei steps inside. His expression is serious, the set of his shoulders tense. He closes the door behind him and strides acro
SophiaThe darkness surrounds me, heavy and oppressive. I don’t know where I am. The air feels cold and damp, and the silence is suffocating, broken only by the echo of my own footsteps. Each step I take feels like it leads me deeper into a place I don’t understand.I try to focus, to find some clue, but everything looks the same. Shadows stretch and shift, playing tricks on my eyes. The walls, if they are walls, ripple as if alive. I move forward, but it feels like I am going in circles. No matter where I turn, there is no end, no exit. Just endless darkness.I stop for a moment and press my hand against what feels like a cold, smooth surface. It pulses under my palm, faint and rhythmic, as if it has a heartbeat of its own. I pull back sharply, my breath hitching.This place is wrong.“Where am I?” I whisper, more to myself than to anyone.My voice echoes, sounding small and fragile against the vast emptiness. There is no response, just the faint whisper of something I can’t quite h
MikhailThe corridor leading to the cells is dark, the faint scent of blood and damp stone filling the air. My steps echo as I descend into the basement.As I approach the row of cells, the dim light reveals Alexei leaning casually against the bars of one. His knuckles are smeared with blood, and a cocky grin spreads across his face when he sees me.“Ah, finally,” he says, straightening up. “I was starting to think you’d keep me waiting all night.”My eyes flick to Gregor, slumped in the corner of the cell behind Alexei. His face is battered, one eye swollen shut, and blood drips from a split lip onto his shirt. He doesn’t look so smug now, his breathing labored and his body trembling.“What happened?” I ask, my voice low and even, though the sight of Gregor like this doesn’t bother me in the slightest. If anything, it satisfies a small part of the beast inside me.Alexei shrugs, flexing his fingers as if shaking off the last remnants of tension. “He was irritating me. Something about
MikhailThe rage inside me hasn’t settled. It simmers, threatening to boil over, and I feel like I’m seconds away from ripping Gregor apart for everything he’s done to Sophia. My hands clench into fists, and I grit my teeth, fighting the pull of the darkness clawing at me. I need Sophia. I need her to calm me before I lose control.I’m about to slide into the car when Artemis and Atlas walk up. Atlas steps closer, his expression unreadable, while Artemis lingers just behind him. My gaze flickers to her, and I pause.She looks fine, as if she wasn’t injured at all.We have fast healing, but she has healed even more quickly than us. The only sign of what happened is the blood staining her shirt, stark against the fabric.“How are you?” I ask, my voice low but steady, masking the storm raging inside me.She smirks, crossing her arms. “I’m not so weak that a pathetic person like Gregor could hurt me,” she says, her tone dripping with mockery.I study her for a moment, noting the confiden