The ground beneath my feet feels like it’s slipping away. Original wolves? I don’t even know what that means. But deep inside me, something stirs—something that feels ancient, foreign, and terrifying.“Lies,” Luke snarls. “You’re just trying to confuse her.”“Am I?” Donovan tilts his head. “Tell me, Cheryl, haven’t you felt it? That power growing inside you? The visions? The voices?” His voice drops, becoming a sinister whisper. “That darkness...it’s calling to you because you are one of them.”I stagger back, Donovan’s words echoing in my mind. *One of them?* The darkness I felt in that other realm—it wasn’t just a threat. It was part of me. Luke’s hand finds mine again, his grip strong, but there’s a slight tremor. “Don’t listen to him. He’s trying to manipulate you.”But Donovan’s expression turns predatory. “She can’t fight it, Luke. Not forever. The bloodline is in her, and it’s waking up. You think she’s just another wolf, but she’s so much more. She is the key to opening the d
The power surges through me, and I unleash it. The light within me explodes outward, consuming the shadows, devouring them. Donovan tries to fight back, but it’s no use. His control is slipping.Suddenly, the ground beneath us trembles violently, cracks snaking through the earth like veins of molten fire. Donovan’s eyes darted around wildly, panic now etched across his face.“No!” he roars, clawing at the air as if trying to grasp something just out of reach. “This can’t be happening!”The darkness swirls faster, convulsing, as though it’s alive, desperate to regain its hold. But I won’t let it. I focus, drawing all the power I’ve been gathering—the ancient knowledge, the strength of my bloodline—and I push harder.A blinding light erupts from within me, so bright it scorches the edges of my vision. I hear Donovan scream, his voice filled with a primal terror that sends chills down my spine. But I won't stop. I keep pushing, driving the darkness back, deeper and deeper until, finally,
The dark presence in Cheryl's body sneers. “She’s already mine, Luke. You can’t save her.”The ground beneath us trembles violently, and I feel the world tilting on its axis. This thing—it’s tearing Cheryl apart, and I’m helpless to stop it.But then, in a brief flicker, I see it. Cheryl’s eyes. Her real eyes. There’s a glimmer of recognition, a desperate plea for help buried beneath the darkness.“Cheryl!” I shout, taking another step forward. “I know you’re still in there. Fight it!”Her body jerks, her face contorting in pain as the dark force battles for control. “Luke… help me,” she gasps, her voice faint, fragile, but real.Hope surges in my chest. “I’m here! I’m not leaving you!”But the darkness roars back, drowning out her voice. Cheryl’s body stiffens, and the entity laughs again, louder this time. “You’ve already lost her.”“No!” I roar, and in that moment, I feel a shift in our bond. It’s faint, but it’s there—a connection, a spark that hadn’t been there moments before.I
The darkness oozes through the clearing like a living thing, creeping closer with every beat of my heart. I push Cheryl behind me instinctively, my body tensing as I stare down the shadowed figure standing before us. The air is thick with danger, but all I can think about is keeping her safe.“Luke,” she whispers, her voice trembling, but her hand on my arm is strong. I glance back at her, and for a split second, all the chaos and fear around us fades. The bond between us hums with power, more potent than ever after everything we’ve been through. But her eyes—wide and filled with worry—are what ground me, what keeps me focused.I turn my attention back to the creature, my muscles coiling, ready to spring into action. But something about it makes my wolf hesitate. This thing, whatever it is, isn’t human. It isn’t even fully real. The way it moves—shifting in and out of the shadows—tells me it’s something else, something ancient.“Luke, don’t engage with it,” Cheryl urges softly, her vo
The energy within the pack was shifting now that Donovan had been defeated. There was still a lingering sense of unease in the air, but there was hope — something that had been hard to find in the past few months. I could feel it in the pack members as they moved around, carrying out their tasks with more purpose. The looming threat of the hunters was not gone entirely, but without Donovan, they’d lost their edge. This was the beginning of the end.As I stand at the edge of the pack grounds, I feel Cheryl’s presence behind me before she even touches me. Her warmth, her scent, it all grounds me. Without even turning, I smile to myself, knowing she’s there, and my chest fills with this overwhelming sense of gratitude. “Hey,” she says softly, her hand brushing my arm. The simple touch sends a shiver down my spine. “What are you thinking about?”I turn to face her, taking in the sight of her. Despite everything we’ve been through, she’s still standing tall, her strength shining through e
The air around us seems to thicken as my dad’s brother steps into view. I can hardly believe it, and yet, there he is—alive. The pack stirs in confusion and disbelief. I feel Cheryl tense beside me, her grip on my hand tightening as if grounding herself in the moment. I turn to Callum, who looks like he’s seen a ghost. His eyes are wide, his jaw clenched, as though he’s processing the reality of the man walking toward us. Cillian stands still, his gaze locked on his brother’s, but his expression is unreadable. I know he’s good at hiding his emotions when necessary, but this—this is something else."Is that…?" Cheryl whispers, her voice barely audible.I nod slowly, not taking my eyes off the man who’s just shattered everything we thought we knew. "Yeah, that’s him.""How is this even possible?" Callum murmurs, stepping forward. "He’s supposed to be dead."Dad’s brother—Lukas—pauses a few feet away from us, his eyes scanning the pack, taking in each one of us as though cataloging the
The days following Lukas’s revelation are filled with an undercurrent of tension and urgency. We’re all on edge, our movements more calculated, our conversations laced with underlying worry. The pack is rallying, preparing for the next stage of the fight against the wolf hunters, but the uncertainty surrounding Lukas’s plans makes it hard to focus fully.The night after Lukas’s appearance, I find myself unable to sleep. Cheryl lies beside me, her breathing steady but her mind clearly troubled. I can feel the weight of her thoughts through our bond, and it’s clear she’s struggling with the implications of Lukas’s words.I slip out of bed quietly, careful not to disturb her, and make my way outside. The cool night air is a welcome relief from the suffocating tension inside. The camp is eerily quiet, the only sound the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant howl of a wolf. I walk toward the edge of the clearing, where the shadows of the forest loom large.I’m not alone. Callum steps
We creep through the dimly lit corridors of Lukas’s base, our every movement calculated and precise. The sense of foreboding grows with each step we take, the weight of our mission pressing heavily upon us. I can feel the thrum of tension in the air, and it amplifies as we approach the central chamber.My heart races as we reach the door to Lukas’s inner sanctum. Callum, leading the way, motions for us to stay behind while he and the team prepare to breach. I glance at Luke beside me, his eyes filled with a fierce determination that matches my own. We’ve come too far to turn back now.The door swings open, and we slip inside, our senses on high alert. The room is large and austere, filled with monitors displaying various data points and shelves lined with files and vials of mysterious substances. Lukas stands at the far end, his back to us as he examines a set of documents on a large desk.Callum’s voice is a low growl as he steps forward. “Lukas! It’s over. Surrender now, and this ca
As we all moved to the reception area, the atmosphere was filled with laughter and chatter. Raina and Callum were recounting their own milestones, and Cillian was engaged in a deep conversation with some of the pack members. The sense of unity and celebration was palpable, and it felt like the culmination of so many struggles and victories.I took Cheryl’s hand, pulling her gently aside from the crowd. “Can we talk for a moment?”She looked at me with a mix of curiosity and amusement. “Sure, what’s up?”We walked to a quieter corner of the airstrip, where the sound of the crowd was a distant murmur. I glanced around to ensure we had some privacy before turning back to her. “I just wanted to say how incredibly proud I am of you. This day, this achievement—everything you’ve worked for—it’s amazing.”Cheryl’s cheeks flushed with a pink hue. “It means a lot to hear you say that. I’ve worked so hard, and sometimes I wasn’t sure if it would all be worth it.”“It’s more than worth it,” I sai
We settled onto the couch, my head resting on Luke’s shoulder as he flipped through the channels. He landed on a cheesy action movie that promised endless explosions and improbable heroics. The sheer absurdity of it all was exactly what I needed to distract me from the tangled mess of emotions that had been swirling inside me.Luke grabbed the remote and turned up the volume, the sound of gunfire and dramatic music filling the room. “Prepare yourself,” he said with a grin. “This is about to get incredibly ridiculous.”I laughed, feeling the tension in my shoulders begin to ease. “I’m ready. After today, I think I can handle just about anything, including whatever this movie throws at us.”He pulled me closer, his arm wrapping around me in a protective cocoon. “I’m not sure if I should warn you that there’s going to be some serious plot twists or just let you be surprised.”“Surprise me,” I said, snuggling in against him. “I could use a good laugh.”As the movie progressed, it quickly
The evening felt like the perfect reunion. My parents sat comfortably on the couch, their familiar presence filling the room with warmth and ease. The scent of Luke’s takeout still lingered in the air, mixing with the smell of freshly brewed tea. My mother, Muna, looked more relaxed than she had in months, her dark hair tucked behind her ear as she chatted animatedly with Luke about the city. My father, Ray, though still recovering from the injury inflicted by the wolf hunters, was a quieter but solid presence, his health having visibly improved since the last time I saw him. The sight of him sitting there, looking healthy and at peace, made my heart feel full."You know, Cheryl," my dad began, breaking from his usual quiet demeanor, "there was a time I wasn't sure I'd get to see this—us sitting together like this. I owe a lot of that to you."His words hit me like a soft blow to the chest. I smiled, though there was a lump in my throat. "Dad, you don’t owe me anything. I was just doi
As I dig into the takeout, I catch Luke watching me with that soft, adoring expression that always makes my heart do a little flip. The food is good, and the company is better. After a long day of classes, this is exactly what I need—a quiet evening with Luke, no stress, no pressure, just… us.We settle into a comfortable silence as we eat, the clatter of chopsticks and the hum of the city outside filling the space. Luke’s arm rests on the back of the couch behind me, his warmth seeping into my skin. I lean back slightly, savoring the moment.“How was your day?” I ask, turning to look at him.He shrugs, his lips quirked into a half-smile. “Busy, but not too bad. Had a few meetings this morning, checked in with Callum and Raina this afternoon. Things at the pack are going well.”“Good,” I say, genuinely relieved to hear that. The pack’s been through so much, and knowing that Callum and Raina are slowly finding their footing again makes me happy. They deserve it.Luke looks at me for a
The sunlight spills through the windows, warming the small kitchen of my apartment as I stand at the counter, staring at the half-empty bag of flour. Baking was never really my thing, but after everything that’s happened, I’ve been wanting to try new things—things that make me feel normal, grounded, and more connected to life. But trying to bake cookies without knowing what I’m doing feels like an absolute disaster in progress."Cheryl?" Luke’s deep voice carries from the living room.I hear his footsteps approaching, and I turn just in time to see him leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, with that smirk that makes my stomach flip every time. His black T-shirt clings to his chest in all the right ways, and even though I’ve spent more time with him than I can count, my heart still skips a beat."What’s going on here?" He raises an eyebrow, glancing at the mess I’ve made of the kitchen—flour on the counter, the floor, and somehow even on me. He grins wider when he sees a streak
The sun’s just beginning to rise over the horizon as I pull into the small parking lot outside Cheryl’s apartment. It’s a modest place on the outskirts of the city, not too far from her aviation college but far enough to give her some space from the chaos of the pack. I kill the engine and take a moment to sit back in the driver’s seat, letting the quiet hum of the city wake up around me.It’s been a strange few months since the war ended. We’ve all been healing, some of us faster than others. Cheryl’s been pouring herself into her studies, and I can’t say I blame her. I think we all needed something to focus on after everything that went down. As for me, I’ve been doing my best to juggle a new kind of life—a life that’s split between being the Alpha of our pack and being by Cheryl’s side.Shifting between the city and the pack’s territory hasn’t been easy. I never realized how complicated it could get, managing the responsibilities of leading the pack while also figuring out how to r
The evening air is cool as it wraps around us, the early signs of autumn bringing a chill that makes me snuggle deeper into Luke’s embrace. His arms are warm and strong, holding me close as we stand on the porch of the pack house. The house itself is almost fully rebuilt now, the scaffolding mostly gone, the fresh wood standing proudly where the old had been torn away. It feels like a symbol of our own lives—patched together, but stronger than ever.I’m still riding the high of my first day at the Aviation College. The reality of it is finally sinking in. I’m really doing this. I’m going to become a pilot, something I’ve dreamed about for as long as I can remember. It feels surreal, like a part of me still doesn’t believe it’s possible. But Luke does. He’s believed in me all along.“How does it feel?” he asks, his voice soft as he rests his chin on top of my head.“Better than I could’ve imagined,” I murmur, closing my eyes and letting myself sink into the warmth of him. “I was so ner
The air is crisp as the early autumn wind sweeps through the trees, carrying with it the scent of wood smoke and damp earth. The pack house is finally taking shape again, the framework standing strong after weeks of intense work. There’s still a lot to do—windows to install, walls to paint, but it feels like progress, real progress. More than that, it feels like a reflection of where we all are. We’re all standing on firmer ground now, even if it still feels shaky sometimes.Luke’s been my rock through all of this, and it’s not lost on me how deeply we’ve both changed. Somewhere between the battles and rebuilding, we found each other in a way I never expected. Loving him has been the one steady thing when everything else was chaos. But as strong as my feelings for Luke are, there’s something else that’s been weighing on me, something I’ve been too scared to think about.I haven’t seen my parents since this whole nightmare started.When the conflict with the wolf hunters kicked into hi
Callum and Raina’s relationship is healing, too, though it’s a slower process. They’ve been spending more time together, talking quietly when they think no one is watching. Callum’s still wary—still hurting—but I can see the way he looks at her, the way his walls are slowly coming down.Raina knows that Callum needs time. She knows she can’t undo what’s been done, can’t erase the mistakes she made when she got involved with the hunters. But the way she moves around him now, careful but committed, shows how much she’s trying to make up for it. She never pushes too hard, never demands more than he can give, but she’s always there—steady, like a rock in the middle of a river. I respect that about her, even after everything that happened.Callum, though still guarded, is beginning to soften. It’s in the small things—the way he’ll linger when she talks to him, or how his eyes follow her when she’s near. I’ve known him for most of my life, and I can see the cracks forming in the wall he’s b