The weight of betrayal hung heavy in the air, thick and suffocating. As I stood in the council chamber, the walls that once symbolized strength and unity now felt like the confines of a cage, trapping me in a nightmare that I could hardly believe was real. The faces around me were etched with disbelief and shock, mirroring the turmoil that churned inside me.“Start talking,” I demanded, my voice a cold blade cutting through the tension. My eyes were locked on the one who had brought us to this brink—Gideon, the man I had trusted with my life, now revealed as the architect of our downfall.He met my gaze, his expression an unreadable mask, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—regret, perhaps, or maybe just the satisfaction of a plan that had come to fruition.“You want the truth, Sera?” he said, his voice low but unwavering. “Fine. You’ve earned that much.”“Gideon, don’t do this,” Rowan pleaded from across the room, his fists clenched at his sides. The pain in his voice w
“It is,” Gideon said softly. “The one behind it all—the one who’s been planning your downfall from the very beginning—is Julian.”The name hit me like a physical blow, knocking the breath from my lungs. Julian, the one who had always been there for me, who had guided me, fought beside me—he was the betrayer?“No,” I said, my voice barely more than a whisper. “You’re lying. You have to be lying.”“I wish I were,” Gideon said, his voice filled with regret. “But it’s the truth, Sera. Julian has been working with the enemy from the start. He’s been using you, using all of us, to further his own agenda.”I staggered back, my mind reeling. Julian… My mentor, my friend, the man I had trusted more than anyone else in this world—he was the one behind it all?The betrayal cut deeper than any blade, leaving me raw and bleeding inside. I wanted to scream, to cry, to lash out at the world for the cruelty of it all. But I couldn’t. Not yet.There was still more to understand, more to uncover.“Why?
The council chamber was suffocating. Every eye in the room bore into me with a mixture of expectation and doubt. The tension was palpable, thick enough to choke on. The betrayal had fractured Silverwood, and now, as its leader, it fell on me to piece it back together. But with every moment that passed, the weight of the task pressed harder on my shoulders.Rowan stood beside me, his presence a steadying force, but even he couldn’t shield me from the undercurrents of distrust that rippled through the room. Julian’s shadow loomed large, his absence more powerful than his presence had ever been. The pack was divided—those who still believed in the prophecy, and those who now questioned everything we had been taught.“We can’t afford to waste any more time,” Elder Lucian broke the silence, his voice sharp and commanding. “Julian’s actions have left us vulnerable. If we don’t act now, Silverwood will fall, and everything we’ve fought for will be lost.”His words were like a knife twisti
The wind howled through the trees as I made my way to the hidden meeting spot, the darkness of the forest mirroring the turmoil swirling within me. The letter’s revelations had shaken me to my core, and now I was about to confront the truth that had been hiding in the shadows for far too long.My heart pounded in my chest as I approached the clearing where the moonlight filtered through the canopy, casting eerie shadows on the ground. I wasn’t alone. My senses were on high alert, every rustle in the leaves, every distant sound, making me tense. There was something off about this night—something dangerous.When I reached the clearing, Rowan was already there, his expression grim. He nodded in acknowledgment, but there was a flicker of concern in his eyes. “Sera, are you sure about this? It’s a dangerous gamble.”“I don’t have a choice,” I replied, keeping my voice steady. “If what we’ve uncovered is true, then this alliance threatens everything we’ve fought for. We can’t afford to le
The moment the decision left my lips, a heavy silence fell over the room. The Elders, gathered around the ancient stone table, exchanged uncertain glances. My chest tightened as the weight of my words settled in.I had just made a choice that would alter the course of Silverwood’s future, and the anxiety of whether it was the right one gnawed at me like a persistent itch I couldn’t scratch.“This isn’t going to be easy,” Elder Bastian finally spoke, his voice gruff and weathered. “But it’s the only way forward. We must act quickly.”I nodded, trying to suppress the dread that had been building in my gut since I walked into this room. “We need to unify the pack, solidify our defenses, and—”“What about the divisions within our ranks?” Elder Miriam interrupted, her sharp gaze cutting through the tension like a knife. “The recent betrayal has sown mistrust. How do you plan to heal the rift?”It was a fair question, one I’d been wrestling with since Maura and Julian’s true intentions had
The cool night air bit into my skin as I sprinted through the trees, the shadows casting long, twisted shapes on the ground. The forest was eerily quiet, save for the sound of my heartbeat thundering in my ears. I had to find the source of this new threat before it was too late.Rhea’s words echoed in my mind. The enemy… they’re already inside Silverwood.I pushed harder, my muscles burning with the effort. There wasn’t a moment to waste. Whoever this new threat was, they had breached our defenses with a precision that left no room for doubt. They were skilled, calculating, and they knew exactly what they were doing.But who could it be? My mind raced through the possibilities, each one more terrifying than the last. Had an old enemy resurfaced? Or was this someone new, someone who had been hiding in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike?As I neared the border, the scent of blood hit me like a physical blow. My heart sank. They’d already begun their assault.I burs
The world was spinning around me as I struggled to regain consciousness. My body ached, every nerve on fire from the explosion that had thrown me against the tree. The scent of burning wood and scorched earth filled my lungs, forcing me to cough violently as I tried to clear my senses.I had failed. Damon had won. And Silverwood… Silverwood was burning.But I couldn’t give up. Not now. Not when everything was at stake.Groaning, I pushed myself up, using the tree for support. My vision swam, but I forced myself to focus. The forest around me was in chaos—flames licking at the trees, thick smoke clouding the air, and the distant cries of my packmates as they fought to save what was left of our home.I had to find them. I had to stop this before it was too late.Ignoring the pain, I stumbled forward, each step a battle against the throbbing in my head and the weakness in my limbs. I could feel the weight of failure pressing down on me, but I refused to let it crush me. I had to be st
Darkness clung to me, a suffocating weight that I couldn't shake off. My body felt like lead, and my mind… my mind was lost in a storm of memories and fears I’d tried so hard to bury. Damon’s words, that woman’s eyes, her touch—they’d all left marks on me, marks that wouldn’t heal.Who was she? What did she mean that this was all destined? My thoughts twisted and turned, seeking answers where there were none.The shadows whispered around me, their voices a sinister chorus in my ears. *You’ve failed. You’re nothing. Everything you’ve done, all your strength—it means nothing.* But then, through the murk, I heard another voice. Faint at first, but growing louder. “Sera, wake up! We need you!”Isaac. His voice broke through the darkness like a lifeline, pulling me back, tethering me to reality. I clung to it, forcing myself to focus, to fight through the haze that threatened to consume me.With a gasp, I opened my eyes. The world was spinning, the ground hard and cold beneath me. My b