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
The clearing is bathed in the soft, muted light of dawn as Lukas, Callum, and I stand together, the heavy air of conflict slowly lifting. The intense confrontation has left its mark, but there’s a palpable shift—a dawning realization that the darkness that has consumed us for so long is beginning to recede. Lukas, his fur signed and matted from the battle, stands with a heavy expression. The weight of his past decisions hangs around him like a shroud. Despite the tension that has defined our recent days, there is a glimmer of redemption in his eyes. He’s come full circle, from a troubled figure driven by pain to a man fighting for a cause greater than himself. “I never thought it would end like this,” Lukas says quietly, his voice carrying the weight of his journey. “But here we are, standing on the edge of something new. I’ve made mistakes—so many mistakes. But I’m ready to make things right.”Callum, though still worn from the conflict, nods in solemn agreement. “We all have our d
The last echoes of battle have faded into silence. The pack has finally triumphed over the wolf hunters, and the once-feared shadows have retreated. The weight of the struggle has lifted, leaving behind a landscape of hope and new beginnings. As the dust settles, Luke and I find ourselves at a crossroads, faced with the task of rebuilding our lives and our love after everything we've endured.The camp is a flurry of activity as the pack tends to their wounds and repairs their homes. The air is filled with a sense of relief and accomplishment, but also with the unspoken understanding that the future holds its own set of challenges. For Luke and me, this is not just a time of celebration but also a period of transition—a time to redefine what our relationship will look like now that the danger has passed.We stand side by side, surveying the camp from a small rise overlooking the bustling activity. The sun is setting, casting a golden glow over everything, and for a moment, it feels lik