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Howl of the unchosen 65
Chapter 65: Fiona's POV“I’m not doing this for you, Jason,” I said quietly, my voice slicing the silence that lay between us.Jason didn’t blink, but I caught his body tightening slightly as the words left my mouth. He finally faced me, his eyes locking onto mine. These were still the warm, blue eyes I had once loved, but behind them was a hard edge now — something cagey and distant.“I know,” he said softly, with a hint of regret in his voice, but also something else. He was trying to conceal it but I could hear it — the hint of vulnerability he hadn’t expressed before. “I didn’t expect you to. Not after all that’s happened.”I could sense the air that passed between us weighed down with all the things left unsaid, with all the old wounds that both of us still bore. That made me want to scream, to tell him how deeply he cut me, how betrayed I was, but I swallowed the words. Now wasn’t the time for that.Then why, Fiona?" He spoke in a whisper, his voice ragged from whatever had mace
Last Updated : 2024-12-20Howl of the unchosen 66
Chapter 66 - Fiona's POVThere was a tension in the air, a physical sensation. With each thud of my bass, I felt like I was carrying the burden of everything that had happened on my back. Orin Blackclaw was still out there, and building his rogue army, and I was going to need everyone we had — humans and werewolves, outcasts and anyone else willing to fight him.Maeve walked alongside me, soft footfall, intense intent. She didn’t say much, but the force of her presence was like a punch. She was now my constant — my closest ally. She was a powerhouse in her own right, despite once being a spit in the Ashford pack. Her devotion to me, and to the cause we embodied, was unfailing."Are you ready for this?" Maeve’s voice was a whisper, almost inaudible.I looked past her shoulder, my heart aflutter. I didn’t know if I was ready. But I wasn’t going to let fear control me. "We don’t have a choice. Orin is dangerous, and we’re the only ones who can stop him. If we lose everything we’ve fought
Last Updated : 2024-12-20Howl of the unchosen 67
Chapter 67 - Fiona's POVThe reeled around the rich scent of blood and the violent clamor of the battle. But in that moment it felt like everything else had dropped away. Just me and Orin, the tension between us thick and crackly, electric and dangerous.I lunged again, my body moving with an anger that had within it everything I had lost, everything I was fighting for. I raked my claws at the air, trying to get his throat, but Orin sidestepped, a wicked little laugh escaping him.“Do you honestly believe you can stop me? His voice full sour mockery, full of meanness, as he moved back, his dark eyes sparkling perverse. “You’re just a kid playing at war, Fiona.”I ground my teeth, a growl rising in my throat. "I’m no child," I spat. “And you’re gonna pay for everything you did.”Orin tilted his head, his smile curving into a sick smile. "We’ll see about that."He was faster than I expected, his hulking body twisting to guard against my next hit. I was unable to brace myself before his
Last Updated : 2024-12-20Howl of the unchosen 68
Chapter 68 - Jason's POVAnd there was nothing but the wind rustling in the trees and the distant moans of the wounded. What the air smelled of was blood, the must and rot of crunched leaves and earth. My heart still thrummed in my chest, adrenaline surged in my veins, but all that mattered was Fiona.Out of her blood covered fur and skin panting, standing over Orin's corpse. She held his look, no longer the frightened girl I had found but a leader — one who had fought with everything she had. I’d watched her wrestle and doubt herself, and now … I watched something different. Strength. And something more. A quiet grief.I took a step toward her, my legs leaden, made of rock. I hurt everywhere from the fight, from the bruises, the cuts that covered me, but nothing mattered anymore. Not when she was there, triumphant, but shattered in a way I didn’t know yet.“Fiona,” I shouted, my voice low from from the internal struggle I felt.Listen to me. The challenge of meeting her gaze, her eye
Last Updated : 2024-12-20Howl of the unchosen 69
Chapter 69: Fiona's POV The first light of dawn crept down through the trees, smooth and golden, scratching against the ruins of the camp like a tentative apology. We had survived the battle, sure, but the fight was not over. Thing is, it never quite felt like it was over, not with Orin Blackclaw still running loose out there, slipping away like smoke in the wind. His followers had scattered, but the air surrounding me still felt thick, heavy. Almost suffocating.I was standing at the edge of the camp, hands holding myself tightly so as to halt this ceaseless churn of thoughts. I looked out at the forest ahead, the endless stretch of trees becoming a dark, ominous curtain. Relief battled with anxiety in my chest. We were still standing, yes, but was that enough? It didn’t feel like winning to survive.Behind me, footsteps crunched softly on the dirt, breaking me from the storm in my head. I didn’t need to look back to know who it was. Jason. His presence was a palpable thing — steady
Last Updated : 2024-12-20Howl of the unchosen 70
Chapter 70: Author's POV The wind whipped along the measureless trees of snow, its cold breath nipping at Orin’s cloak. He was next to a cliff, above the brodom of the daunting horizon. He could see the landscape stretch before him, a horizon of white, with the mountains in the distance standing tall, yet silent. It had been a land that once belonged to him — and would again.His fiery eyes, blazing with rage, swept the horizon. Jason Frostwood and Fiona Ashford believed they had won. They had rejoiced at their small victory, convinced they had shattered his grip of his forces. But they didn’t know the depths of his vengeance. They hadn’t come to understand that Orin Blackclaw was no mere hunt and kill and forget rogue. No. He was a storm, poised to blow them all into chaos.Fiona and Jason had believed they had gotten the job done, annihilating his supporters, scattering his forces. But what they hadn’t noticed was the seed he had sown in the dark. His escape was no accident. He had
Last Updated : 2024-12-20Howl of the unchosen 71
Chapter 71: Fiona's POVI was stood at the very edge of the Ashford's pack house —my home, the snow that extended endlessly before me, my boots sinking into it. The air snapped against my skin, and every inhalation was a white plume of vapor that simmered and sat still in the weight of the stillness. Then there was the silence, which was not peaceful: It loomed, laden, as if the entire world was holding its breath. Waiting. Watching. I could just feel — it was an intuition — like something bigger than all of us was enclosing on our lives.Jason’s shadow fell behind me, a solid immensity as unyielding as the great pines that enclosed this frozen wilderness. His warmth was a whisper, a suggestion, piercing the scalding chill around me only a little bit, but it was there — a tether to keep me from coming undone completely. And yet, as much as I wanted to lean on it, lean on him, it wouldn’t make a difference about what was to come. It wouldn’t alter what needed to be done.“Do you know
Last Updated : 2024-12-20Howl of the unchosen 72
Chapter 72: Fiona's POVAfter last night's event, I woke up in my cozy bed—the one I was used to for so long. It felt like hike here, but I really need to move back into the woods. Everyone was till asleep so I decided to set out in the forest.As I returned to the forest, the wind was blowing through the trees. It had been a long time since I had felt such a deep sense of coming home — since I had actually belonged to this place. The forest with its ancient trees and hidden secrets had always been my refuge my sanctuary But today, it felt different. More powerful. More mine.A familiar pulse the earth beneath my feet broke through on the way into the woods. The trees towered above, their branches woven together, protecting me from the outside world. And I was once again in the position I was meant to be in: Queen of the Forest, a role that had once being thrust upon me like some tortured prophecy, but now was quite simply the only truth I knew.I had just recently departed from the
Last Updated : 2024-12-20
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Howl of the unchosen 120
Chapter 120: Fiona's POVDespite my determination, something had been eating away at the edges of my confidence. I wasn't scared of Mara. No, I had stared down danger before, had dealt with enemies trying to destroy me and my family, my pack. And I had always won out in the end. But this time… this time was different. This woman was not only powerful — she was primeval. Her magic felt like it infiltrated the soil beneath our feet, so that everything felt heavier, more oppressive.Tightening my fists as fiery rage pulsed in my veins, begging me to do something. I had to defend everything — my house, my family, people I loved. And then, just out of the corner of my eye, I saw him.My father.The patriarch of our family, Lucian Ashford, entered the courtyard. When I first saw him, my breath caught in my throat. He had this calming effect on me in the chaos, his presence an anchor in the storm. He was strong, he was powerful, and yet in that instant I was suddenly inundated with vulnerabi
Howl of the unchosen 119
Chapter 119: Author's POVMara cackled, her voice ricocheting off the cold, the courtyard as Fiona tried to fight through her magic. It was almost too hilarious — the belligerent young wolf, full of fire and fury, attempting to hold her ground. Mara had seen this all before — the resistance, the defiance, the faith that sheer will could do battle against centuries of power. But it was always the same. They never learned.“This is the best you can do little wolf? There was a note of mocking amusement in Mara’s voice. She watched Fiona struggle against the magic, and her age-old eyes sparkled with triumph. “Little flames of yours aren’t going to cut it. There is no fire that can kill me now."Fiona’s hands were still up, the flickering orange of fire dancing around her fingers, but Mara could feel the energy ebbing out of her. She was old—older than most of the men who crossed her path—but not old enough to beat Mara’s decades of practice. Fiona’s flames might roar for attention, but Ma
Howl of the unchosen 118
Chapter 118: Fiona's POV“She’s older than I thought,” I said, my voice steady in spite of the fear snaking up my spine. “Maybe 400 years or more. Her power is not merely about natural talent. It’s honed. Ancient.”Ethan’s gaze flickered to mine, the intensity in his eyes matching the weight of my words. “That’s how she’s been able to manipulate so much so quickly.” She has had time to hone it.”As the crowd began to disperse, the estate buzzing with uncomfortable whispers. My parents were still shaking, their faces looking pale, their eyes flicking to my direction, as if trying to comprehend what had just happened. I wanted to comfort them, but there was no time.But before I took another step, the very atmosphere around me changed. It was subtle at first — a ripple, a hum in the air that raised the hairs on the back of my neck.And then she was back.Mara’s shape coalesced in the center of the courtyard, dark and imposing. This time, she didn’t bother with illusions. The real her wa
Howl of the unchosen 117
Chapter 117: Fiona’s POVI wasn’t surprised.As soon as I arrived at the estate I felt her—dark, intrusive energy that didn’t belong. It made me creast, and boiled my blood that Mara walked through my house pretending to be me.It didn’t surprise me that Maeve, standing next to me, noticed the obvious: “She’s going to tell Ethan she’s the real you.”I grinned grimly, clenching the enchanted stone in my fist. “Let her try. Ethan will see through it.”Maeve arched an eyebrow, her faith in Ethan not as solid as mine. “You have a remarkably steady disposition if you’re being impersonated.”“Calm?” I scoffed. “I’m furious. But this is not the moment to hit the panic button. I have to catch her something that nobody can dispute.”Maeve crossed her arms with a twinkle in her eyes. “What’s the plan?”I raised my hand, allowing a small flame to dance on my palm. Waves come in, back out, suck it all back down for another run. “I will call upon elemental fire and bring her true face to light. Ma
Howl of the unchosen 116
Chapter 116: Mara’s POVI sat in her chambers — no, my chambers now. It was strange how quickly I’d settled into this space, how easily I’d commandeered everything that once belonged to her. My fingers rapped in measured time on the armrest of her chair. Servants moved about the estate, oblivious to the storm I was about to unleash on these walls. They believed I was her. Her parents were convinced, as was she. They had all accepted me, no questions asked, no doubts raised. They didn’t know the truth, nor did they need to.But then there was Ethan.Ethan was the problem.He was in the courtyard, pacing, as I had expected. He was never gone, always looking, always hoping for a slip, for something to tell him the truth. His suspicion had been building for days, ever since I had set foot on the property, and I felt it whenever his eyes landed on me, scrutinizing me, as if I were a problem he was determined to solve. It was maddening, but exhilarating. He was a challenge. And I always lik
Howl of the unchosen 115
Chapter 115: Fiona’s POVThe call with Ethan played in a loop in my brain, like a record that had skipped and wouldn’t stop skipping. The more I thought about it, the louder every word got. Someone was out there, wandering through my life, wearing my name, my face — living as me. It was not only unsettling; it sent a chill deep, deep into my bones. That thought clung to me like a second skin, cold and suffocating.Mara. She’d gone too far this time. Way too far.I sat by the fire, gazing into the dancing flames, but the heat did not comfort me. It was a jumble of hazy thoughts and fears I was afraid to voice. Next to me, Maeve quietly packed our things with an efficiency that was almost reassuring. She always knew what to do when the rest of the world seemed to be spinning out of control. Her calm steadiness kept me grounded when I felt like I was falling apart.“Maeve,” I said suddenly, shattering the leaden silence. My voice sounded odd even to me — hoarse and choppy, like it didn’t
Howl of the unchosen 114
Chapter 114: Fiona’s POVThe wood was disconcertingly silent, the sort of quiet that rubbed my frayed nerves raw. The fire crackled low between Maeve and me, the flames’ warmth no competition for the icy dread in my gut. The stars above us twinkled weakly, shrouded in thin clouds that echoed the haze of uncertainty that clouded my mind.My fingers traced the rough edges of the enchanted stone, the cool surface anchoring me. It hummed dully with energy, a slight suggestion of the link still kept with Ethan, however far away he was from us. He hadn’t replied before, and the lack of his familiar voice had made the pit of unease inside me sink deeper.Maeve shifted, her silver hair reflecting in the firelight. She kept her watchful eyes on me. “You’re going to call him back, right?”I nodded, swallowing the doubt that was choking me. “I have to. That’s not right, Maeve. If Ethan is able to hear me, I want to know what is going on.”She didn’t argue. “Good. If anyone can sort out this tang
Howl of the unchosen 113
Chapter 113: Fiona’s POVEverything in the forest had a life of its own; the breeze rustling the leaves and probably having a conversation of its own; the crickets never stinging still to voice their presence and every other moment the long-measured howl of a wolf that shivered down my spine. It was calm, yes, but not the kind of calm that comforts you. No, this was the kind of quiet where something seemed fishy, like the forest itself was holding its breath.I waited at the edge of the rogues’ training grounds, arms folded tightly across my chest, watching Maeve spar with one of the younger recruits. She was working with the thunderstorm — graceful and deadly. Her silver hair shone in the sunlight, the bright color catching the light every time she turned or crouched, which was not unlike the poor lad she was in training with. He was dirty, struggling to breathe as her blows fell on him. But he was clearly outmatched. Maeve did not give him an inch, honestly I didn’t know if she was
Howl of the unchosen 112
Chapter 112: Mara’s POVI walked through the grand hallways of the Ashford Pack’s estate, my steps slow, deliberate. The air was dense with their trust, their respect — a trust I hadn’t earned, but had surreptitiously plundered. They all thought I was Fiona, their beloved queen, the backbone of their beloved export. How quaint to watch them smile beatifically and bow their heads correctly as I passed. If only they knew what really lay under their fragile veil of loyalty.But not everyone was blind. Ethan. His look was the one scratch on my otherwise immaculate performance. I felt his presence, his eyes piercing, like all sharp silence, wherever I went. He stared out into the hall, observing, calculating, doubting — not like the others. And even though he hadn’t formally gone against me, the energy in his presence served as a reminder that I had to watch my step.I wasn’t going to let his scrutiny rattle me. No, I was Fiona in that part; I played Fiona to a tee. I listened to scouts dr
