**Elena’s POV**The forest was a tapestry of greens and browns as Jake, Rykor, and I continued down the winding pathway, our footsteps creating a hushed rhythm that resonated through the silent woods. We had been walking for hours, guided only by rumours and the elusive trail left by those who had come this way before us. I felt lost, both physically and mentally, as the weight of our journey pressed down on me.Jake’s voice broke the stillness. His usual playful tone tinged with agitation. “Do you even know where we’re going, Elena?” he asked, his footfall a little louder as he moved to my side.I paused, looking around at the towering trees and the canopy of leaves filtering the dappled sunlight. The path seemed to stretch endlessly, each twist and turn indistinguishable from the last. “I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice tinged with uncertainty. “I’ve never been to Beneath Elders. This is all new to me.”“Oh great, so what I’m hearing is we’re lost,” Jake muttered, a grumble of ann
**Elena’s POV**As the fire crackled softly, casting playful shadows that danced among the trees, I allowed myself a moment of calm to reflect. The warmth was a comforting balm against the night’s chill, a stark contrast to the chaos that lay ahead. The rhythmic snapping of burning wood was soothing, a lullaby that momentarily eased the tension thrumming beneath my skin.Rykor sat next to me, his presence a solid anchor amid a whirlpool of uncertainty. The thought of Winter out there, facing unknown dangers, was a persistent ache that refused to fade. I couldn't shake the feeling that time was slipping through our fingers like sand, yet I knew we couldn't rush blindly into the night with fatigue clawing at us.Jake was sprawled opposite the fire, his head resting on a makeshift pillow comprised of his folded jacket. He seemed to doze off easily, probably exhausted from our unending trek. I envied his ability to find rest, with the knowledge gnawing at me like restless ghosts.Turning
**Winter's POV**As Enzo and I stood before the gates of the Elders, my heart pounded with anticipation and dread. The gates seemed to hum with ancient energy, their imposing presence a testament to the history and secrets they guarded. Enzo's voice broke the heavy silence, his tone grave. "What's inside... it's sickening."I glanced at him, lines of tension etching his features. "If it's the only way to get where we need to go, then I don't care," I replied firmly, my determination unwavering despite the fear curling in my stomach.Enzo nodded, a silent understanding passing between us as we stepped forward. The moment we crossed the threshold, an overwhelming stench hit me—a putrid cocktail of rotting blood and decaying flesh. I instinctively covered my nose, fighting the bile rising in my throat. We walked into the hall, and nothing could have prepared me for the sight that awaited.Bodies lay scattered across the floor, a morbid tapestry of loss and violence. My gasp echoed throug
**Winter's POV**I stormed out of the Elders' Hall, my heart a thunderous drumming within my chest, beating against my ribcage with a fury that echoed through my very bones. The gruesome sight I had just witnessed burned into my mind, filling every thought with flames of anger and pain. I sensed my wolf beneath the surface, its feral rage simmering, begging to be released, to unleash carnage on those responsible. But I knew all too well the danger of letting go in such a state. It would be chaos and destruction—no calculated justice or order, just raw violence and uncontrollable devastation. I'd let my wolf free in rage once before, and the memory of the aftermath haunted me.Gritting my teeth, I stepped past the threshold into the open air and erupted into a scream of agony and grievance. It was a primal sound, ripped from the depths of my soul—a cacophony of pain and rage that tore through the tranquil evening, sending birds flapping in startled surprise from their roosts as the sou
**Elena's POV** The fire’s warmth wrapped around me like a blanket as I sat nestled against Rykor’s side, feeling the weight of the world slowly lift with each passing moment. This small respite was unexpected yet deeply needed—an oasis of solace amid the chaos. But as the night wore on, fatigue began to slip away, replaced by a growing restlessness that skittered beneath my skin. Then, it happened: a scream pierced through the night, distant yet echoing with undeniable anger and pain. It sliced through the forest's tranquillity like a jagged blade. I jolted upright, my heart leaping into my throat. Instinctively, I knew. It was Winter. “Did you hear that?” I asked, my voice veering toward panic as I scanned the darkened woods, desperate to pinpoint the direction of the sound. Rykor nodded, tension etching his features as he met my gaze. “I did.” Fear wrapped icy tendrils around my heart, squeezing mercilessly. I surged to my feet, urgency propelling me into motion. “We have
**Winter's POV**I stood right at the threshold, staring down at the stairs that led into the unknown. Shadows twisted and curled like smoke beneath the Elders’ domain, a secret world hidden in the veins of the earth itself. My heart thundered in my chest, torn between fear and resolve. I didn’t know what I would find down there after seeing what they had done to the elders, but I couldn’t allow the massacre of the Elders to instil doubt in me now.“We need to be careful down there; legend says that this place will play tricks on you, and many people who came here were never seen again,” Enzo said from behind me.Taking a deep breath, I slowly released it, and, with trembling determination, I took the first step into the abyss.As I descended, my mind echoed with stories my grandparents used to tell me as a child—stories of magic so potent that it lived and breathed within the walls of this place. Until recently, I had assumed they were mere fantastical tales spun to ignite childish w
**Enzo's POV** Descending the winding staircase with Winter in the lead, I felt a creeping unease settle into my bones. Each step seemed to whisper with the voices of those long gone, their memories weaving through the air like an unbreakable thread. The darkness swallowed us, and I clung to Winter's form in front of me—a beacon in the gloom. But then, she was gone. One moment, her silhouette was there, shimmering against the dark, and the next… nothing. I froze, my heart clenching in my chest. I called out, "Winter?" but the only reply was the echo of my own voice, mocking and distorted. The shadows closed in tighter around me, pulsing with a malevolence that clawed at the edges of my mind. Panic threatened to rise, but I forced it back, knowing the dark magic here would feast on fear, amplifying insecurity into madness. Instead, I focused on steadying my breath, reminding myself why Winter and I were here—to save her friends, to break the chains of forbidden bonds. I moved forwa
**Elena's POV**As we navigated the twisted paths through the forest, my heartbeat synchronised with the echoes of my footsteps—a constant reminder of the urgency that weighed upon us. The night seemed to hold its breath, an omniscient force that pressed down on my shoulders with unseen expectations. Panic clawed at my chest, rendering each breath shallow and hurried, but I forced myself to focus, to keep putting one foot in front of the other.“Hold on, Elena,” Jake’s voice pierced through the tumult of my thoughts, steady and reassuring amidst the chaos threatening to overtake me. His hand found mine, warm and firm, grounding me as we pushed onward.Suddenly, the world around me blurred, and a crippling pain seized my mind. It felt as if my veins had been ripped open, each moment pulsating with a feverish agony that tethered me between consciousness and oblivion. “Elena!” Jake shouted, sounding far away and distorted as if the air itself had thickened with the vision descending upo
Elena's POV I looked out over the lifeless bodies, each fallen from a silent reminder of the impending threat that loomed larger than we had realised. The air was thick with tension, every breath a struggle against the grief swirling around us.Lily's voice was a mix of anger and desperation as she pleaded, "We can't just let him go alone! We need to help Enzo!" Her words trembled on the edge of an emotional maelstrom, as if sheer will could bind us together against the darkness threatening to tear us apart.Her plea tugged at something deep inside me, a flicker of the bright, hopeful soul I once was. Yet that light had dimmed, thinned by the endless shadows of loss. Winter’s absence had carved a hollow space within me, a chasm I couldn't bridge, even for friends like Lily.My silence must have felt like an abandonment to Lily, and I could feel her frustration pressing into the air between us. "Elena, you can't just walk away," she shouted, her voice splintering through the sombre at
Moonlight filtered through the broken windows of the old warehouse, casting fractured patterns on the dusty floor. I returned to the last place I'd caught Kenny's scent—a point where all the dark threads of my life seemed to converge. Oddly, I wasn't alone on this journey; a strange new scent lingered here as well, something neither human nor wolf—something entirely alien.I stood in the middle of the empty expanse, tension singing through my veins. The warehouse was silent, filled with the phantom echoes of past atrocities, a place where fear had its own scent. I was certain Kenny had been here, that his relentless chase for power left fragments in places even he could not erase.But there was more lurking than just Kenny's touch—another presence that defied definition. The scent was unsettling, steadily gnawing at the edges of my instincts. Whatever it was, it held embedded markings of magic far older and stronger than I imagined.Suddenly, the grinding sound of the warehouse door r
Enzo pov as i walked away i heard someone coming after me, i didnt slow my pace i couldnt process the chaos unfolding around me. Instead, I pushed onward, driven by the realization that there was more at stake than just Winter's memory. The trees blurred past me, their branches clawing at my thoughts like the doubts that had taken root since Winter's death."Enzo, wait!" a voice called from behind, urgent and pleading.I stopped, my mind knowing the voice even before I turned. Sariah appeared before me, breathless and desperate in the orange glow of the setting sun. Her presence held an air of determination that matched the turmoil in my heart."Sariah now's not the time," I began, willing my voice to be stronger than the uncertainty gnawing at me. The ache of Winter's loss hung around my neck like a yoke, growing heavier at every reminder of her absence."No, you need to hear this." Sariah's voice was firm, cutting through my defences with an edge of certainty I couldn't easily dism
The air held its breath as the tension in the clearing coiled tighter. I turned slowly, my heart hammering against the shroud of uncertainty that had settled around us. There, emerging from the tree line, was Sariah. "I said," she repeated, her voice a quiet command that transcended the chaos, "this is not the work of a witch."Winter's father, his face etched with suspicion and despair, glared at her. "What do you know of this, witch?" he spat, brandishing the word like a curse, his grief turning him into a wary adversary."No witch would ever be stupid enough to use a spell on the dead. The things it causes are something that we as witches wish to forget." Sariah's voice was steady, exuding calm as she stepped forward, placing herself between Lily and the simmering storm of accusation. Her presence was like a cool breeze, offering clarity amidst the turmoil. "This grave wasn't dug up. Someone, or something, has dug their way out. Are you sure it was Winter that you buried here?"My
Enzo's POVThe moon hung low, its silver glow weaving through the trees as Jake and I returned to the sacred grounds of Winter's pack. The journey had been both a welcome distraction and a solemn reminder of the purpose that stirred my resolve. The soft rustle of leaves underfoot was the only sound accompanying our silent pilgrimage, the night a silent witness to our unsaid resolve.A fog of anticipation enveloped me as we approached the clearing, the towering shadows of the trees mirroring the uncertainty cloaked around us. The pack's territory stood like an ancient guardian, whispering tales embedded within its secrets—tales I feared to unravel yet could not ignore.I caught sight of Lily first, a solitary silhouette against the fading twilight, her expression hidden in shadow and suspicion. Her eyes flicked towards mine, revealing a depth of worry that gnawed at the edges of my focus. Whatever brought us back here held an ominous significance, one that demanded unearthing. Jake wal
Enzo's povThe cityscape blurred past me as I drove, my thoughts tangled in the web Jake's call had spun. What could possibly be important enough to warrant this abrupt meeting? The tyres hugged the turns as I sped towards my club, the streets a buzzing reminder of everything that went on around me, oblivious to the tumult within. Hatred mixed with anticipation, a volatile cocktail that fueled my pursuit of revenge. Each tick of the clock was a swing of the pendulum, time measured by heartbeats filled with simmering rage.The club stood as a lonely monument when I arrived, its façade a ghost of vibrancy it once held. A month or maybe even more had passed since it had seen any life, and the dust that shrouded the windows seemed to weigh heavy, like the grief that lingered in my soul. The once inviting place now felt abandoned—a hollow echo of happier times when Winter's laughter danced in the air, a melody of life that was all too final.My heart lurched at the sight of the front door
Enzos povTwo weeks laterThe house creaked with the weight of silence as I entered, the faint aroma of aged wood mingling with the remnants of smoke on my clothes—a testament to another wasted hunt. The dimness of my refuge offered little comfort now, every shadow a reminder of the darkness lurking within me. I couldn't even bring myself to go into my bedroom because every time I did, all I saw was winter.I threw my keys onto the table, their clatter punctuating the stillness. The primal satisfaction of ending those who followed Kenny clung to me, yet a scalding emptiness pervaded beneath the surface. I was hollow—a predator driven by instincts that provided little satisfaction beyond the fleeting.Striding to the sink, I ran the tap, watching the water swirl and disappear, mirroring my thoughts. My reflection—a stranger with wild eyes and a face marked by untold grief—glared back. Winter's absence was a festering wound, a reminder of my failure to protect her.The shrill ring of my
Elenas povThe evening sun cast long shadows across the clearing as we made our way through the forest, the path more familiar than the lines on my own hand. Each step brought me closer to the sanctuary that had borne witness to countless secrets, whispered hopes, and forbidden friendships. I could feel the presence of those beside me—Lily's nervous energy, Jake's steady warmth, and Rykor's silent strength—as we walked, the world around us both oppressive and comforting in its natural chaos.The memory of Winter's funeral clung like a shroud, a heavy veil we wore even as we tried to celebrate her true self. The gathering earlier had not encapsulated the wild essence of Winter nor the choices that defined her. The fact that she was gone felt both surreal and undeniable, each breath imbued with the pain of her absence.We stopped at the edge of the clearing, the dim light of dusk painting the world in shades of memory. Rykor moved to construct a fire, and each piece of kindling was plac
Enzo's povI hadn't slept much since Winter died. Every time I dared to close my eyes, I saw her pain-filled face. The image of her eyes as she drove the knife into her stomach played over and over in my head like a cruel movie. Her sacrifice to save us from Kenny's dark grip only made me more hungry for revenge.Finding Kenny wouldn't be easy. He was on the run, as slippery as a shadow. But he was just a man, and men make mistakes. I needed to find the clue that would lead me to him and tear apart his lies.Going back to where we last saw him, I entered the tunnels under Elders Wall. They were dark, twisting around me like a snake, ready to squeeze out any hope I had left. These tunnels had a bad reputation for tricking tired minds, but I stayed focused. My need for revenge was stronger than any trick they could play on me.The air was damp and chilled as I stepped into the chamber where Winter's life had ended. Her blood still stained the stone floor, a red reminder of the love and