LOGINCaleb The doctor finishes his examination and steps back from the bed, his expression thoughtful in a way that does nothing to ease the tension sitting in my chest. I watch him closely, searching his face for something concrete. Something I can hold onto. “There is nothing structurally wrong,” he says after a moment, his voice calm, clinical. “She should be healing.” Should be. The words echo in my head long after he says them. Because she is not. I shift my gaze back to June, lying motionless against the white sheets. The bandage wrapped around her side is clean now, the bleeding stopped after the silver bullet was removed. Everything looks as it should on the surface. But it is not. Her healing is slow. Too slow. Slower than I have ever seen from any wolf. Slower than it should be, even for a human. And that thought alone is enough to make something restless stir inside me. My wolf does not like this. Neither do I. The doctor gives a few final instructions before leaving t
Caleb Her weight settles against me, warm and real, and for a second everything else fades. The noise, the people, the bodies scattered across the yard. None of it matters. It is just her in my arms, her head tipped back against my shoulder, her breath shallow against my neck. “June,” I murmur, but there is no response. I adjust my grip and lift her fully, cradling her against my chest. Her arm hangs loose at her side, her fingers still stained red. My jaw tightens as I look down at her, taking in every detail like I need to memorize that she is still here. Then I see it. The wound on her side. My frown deepens instantly as I shift her slightly, careful not to jostle her too much. The fabric near her ribs is soaked through, darker than it should be. That wound should have been closing by now. It should have at least started to heal. But it has not. It is still raw. Still bleeding. Something cold slides into my chest. Footsteps approach, quick and familiar. Jake, Lucas, and
Caleb June narrows her eyes, locking her gaze onto Hayden with an intensity that seems to vibrate the very air between them. When she speaks, her voice is nothing like the one I have grown to know. It is rougher and hoarse, a jagged sound. It is the sound of a predator finally letting go of the leash. "No body can own us," she says, the words coming out as a low rumble that feels like it originates from a place deep beneath her ribs. "We don’t fight for anyone." I can see the impact of her words hitting him like a physical strike. Hayden’s eyes slightly widen, and for a split second, the mask of arrogance he wears begins to crumble. The fear he has been trying so hard to hide seeps through his gaze, flickering there like a dying flame, yet he still tries to pull himself together and look brave. He swallows hard, his throat working as he tries to find his voice. "You can’t get away from killings everyone," he stammers, though the threat lacks any real weight. "You have to pay the
CalebThe air around June ripples with a force that has nothing to do with the wind. Even though she remains in her human skin, the raw and unfiltered power of her wolf encases her like a shimmering, invisible armor. It is a heavy, magnetic aura that makes the very oxygen in the yard feel thick. I can see the way the light catches the intensity in her eyes, glowing with a golden, predatory heat. She looks like a goddess of the hunt, standing tall while the beast within her provides the muscle and the terrifying grace required to dismantle these invaders. There is a beautiful, terrifying harmony in the way she occupies the space, her presence expanding until it feels like she is the only thing that matters in this clearing.She moves with a speed that the human eye can barely track. One of the men stands in front of Hayden, trying to act as a shield, but June treats him like a minor inconvenience. She reaches out and grabs his arm with a grip that turns his bones to powder instantly. I
CalebThe growl that vibrates through my chest is not just my own. It is a deep, primal resonance that comes from the very center of my being. My wolf is so close to the surface that the world looks sharper, the edges of the trees and the faces of these masked men standing out in high definition. I feel the bond between June and me pulse like a living vein of gold. It is not just her scent or her physical presence anymore. I can feel the raw, untamed energy of her wolf pressing against the back of her eyes. It is a beautiful, chaotic force that is currently steering her human body.Her wolf is right there, peering through the windows of her soul, and for the first time, I am not just looking at June. I am looking at the predator inside her. The connection is electric. My own wolf reaches out, a mental brush of fur and teeth, acknowledging the wild spirit that is currently ruling her. I can feel her readiness to shatter every bone in her human frame to let the fur and claws break throu
CalebThe final tests have turned the Academy into something bigger than just an internal challenge.It has become a spectacle.Alphas from nearby packs have started arriving since morning, some with their Betas and senior warriors, all here to observe the finals. I get why. Not every Alpha has dealt with rogues, hunters, or threats that move beyond normal pack disputes. Watching these scenarios unfold gives them something valuable. A glimpse into what they might face if things ever go wrong in their own territories.Jake, of course, decides this means I get assigned the welcoming duty.Lucky me.I stand at the border with Alexei, waiting as another group approaches through the tree line. Since they have to cross through Mikhail’s pack territory to reach the Academy, Alexei is here to verify and clear them before they pass.He stands a few feet away, calm as ever, exchanging curt greetings with the arriving Alphas while I keep an eye on the perimeter.But something is wrong.I feel it
LucasThe pull reaches me before I consciously name it.It settles deep in my chest, quiet but unyielding, like a hand closing around my ribs and turning me in a specific direction. My wolf stirs at the sensation, not with strength, not with hunger, but with recognition. He is still weak, still rec
JuneWe are halfway to breakfast when the whistle cuts through the morning air.My steps slow with everyone else’s. The sound echoes off the buildings, off the trees, off whatever part of me is still caught on the memory of bare skin and warmth and a hand where it should not have been. That stranger
LucasCaleb rubs the back of his neck like he is smoothing out a bad idea, which is funny because he never regrets his bad ideas. His mouth is already tilted into that familiar smirk, the one that says he enjoyed every second of it. There is sweat drying at his temples, leaving faint salt lines tha
LucasWe sit around a small dining table in the kitchen, close enough that our knees almost touch when someone shifts. The room smells like herbs and heat and something familiar I cannot name, the kind of smell that settles into clothes and memory without asking permission. A large bowl of soup sit







