KADE
“I’m nothing like Lucian,” I muttered under my breath as I made my way down the hallway and took a right turn. I walked past some students, but they seemed too engrossed in their phones to notice me, and I was grateful for it.
An added advantage was leaving Lucian behind, since he was being extra lazy. He didn’t mind, and I would be free from being clustered among people whose guts I couldn’t stand. I liked it that way.
It was a quiet morning in school, which was unusual. I started to wonder if we would find out something the other students thought was newsworthy. I better not be mentioned in any column or gossip, or I’ll have to find that Harper girl and make her pay.
I groaned at the fact that she had become a part of my life. We were mates, and although Lucian and I had rejected her, I could still feel the bond tugging at me. The difference was that the feeling wasn’t as deep as it had been that day.
When we rejected Ella, I felt the pain shoot through my chest too. We were just strong enough to take it, unlike her, whose knees buckled as soon as the words were said.
I chuckled and pushed the door open to the first class I had today. As we waited for the teacher to show up, my mind drifted to a different moment in time. I thought about the day we discovered she was our mate.
I wondered if she had thought we would accept her. Lucian and I never gave her the impression that we liked her, at least, I didn’t, so it was kind of upsetting that she had even considered the possibility.
When she bolted off into the woods, I was visibly irritated because it was so unnecessary. How far did she think she could go as an omega trying to outrun two alphas?
I remembered how it all started. Neither of us had expected that twist, and it upset us a lot. That morning had begun with the usual banter between Lucian and his knuckle-headed friends. I stood in the corner, waiting for them to finish goofing around, when I smelled her scent from a mile away.
Lucian sensed it at the same time, and we slowly left the small crowd and walked to her locker. We had started paying attention to her because we were bored, and it was easier to pick on the weaker links in the pack.
Of all the weak links, she was the weakest. That was my biggest annoyance with her, she never seemed willing to put in any effort to be a better person or a stronger wolf.
During meetings, she barely spoke and went along with everyone’s opinions. In school, she blended into the crowd to hide. I don’t like people who don’t take these things seriously.
We are a pack. If you aren’t strong enough, the others have to make up for it by protecting you while trying to protect themselves if the need arises.
I couldn’t wrap my head around how comfortable she was with being that way. But Lucian enjoyed it. It gave him some sense of accomplishment, like he was playing with a toy. The amusing thing was that he couldn’t see how much of a puppet he was in the grand scheme of things.
He’s my brother, and I will stand by him anytime, but the pack can’t be seriously considering him to lead. All he does is rush into things headfirst, the classic tale of leaping and looking later.
Giving him the role just because he was the first twin wasn’t a good criterion in my book. I would do a much better job, and I was willing to prove it.
Planning how I could get the other werewolves to willingly suggest that I take over leading the pack in his place was a slippery slope. I needed to be sure I had their loyalty, so everything had to be carefully planned.
I didn’t want anyone getting any ideas about harming Lucian, just a gentle nudge, and he’d be out of the way. If I could get the majority of the pack to vote against him during the ceremony, that would be great.
I sighed as the teacher walked into the class, and the room became quiet. As he spoke, I tried to listen as attentively as possible, but I eventually zoned out and became lost in my thoughts once more.
I looked around and noticed that Ella wasn’t in class that morning.
If she was trying to stay away from us, that was a great decision. I needed her to be as far away as possible. The idea that she would be my mate was underwhelming. There were much better options in the pack, and I would be with anyone but her.
She had no ambition or fight in her. I didn’t need that mindset around me, and her vote didn’t count in the grand scheme of things. “Pathetic,” I muttered and tried to focus on the class.
Lucian finally showed up at school, and people started to flock around us as he sat next to me in the open field. I felt irritated and wanted to leave, but I sat still. He was a people magnet. The annoying part was that he drew people who didn’t necessarily like him to his side.
And I don’t think he realized that, because the possibility of turning the minds of the others in the pack wouldn’t even be an option if there weren’t people who knew how to hide their intentions and pretend to be allies.
I knew this because I had stumbled upon a meeting with some other alphas-in-training who felt like they deserved the position. I listened to the plan they had hatched.
Later that evening, I decided to visit the leader of that meeting and told him that the only reason my brother and I hadn’t killed him was that I felt he could still be useful.
He was terrified when I told him that I would inform the council of their plan if anything happened to my brother. If push came to shove, I would fight beside Lucian.
That was enough to seal the deal. In their foolishness, they were focused on taking Lucian out of the way, forgetting that I would be next in line.
I wasn’t sure if it was because they underestimated me or if they just weren’t smart enough to consider all the angles in their scheme. If it was the latter, I was in luck because I decided to use their disloyalty to my advantage.
They were terrified of being reported to the council, which would result in death or banishment from the pack. But I wanted them to hold onto that thought for a while. They were going to be useful tools for my plans. That was the difference between Lucian and me.
While he was bigger and more popular, I was quick on my feet, the better fighter, the one who came up with perfect strategies, and I couldn’t wait to execute my plan.
PROPHECY OR OMEN?The Blackthorn pack was the lead pack in the quaint town of Dennison. Their family had moved into the area over three decades ago when they didn’t find any other pack in the region and decided to make it their home.There, they had their children and started to grow into a bigger family than when they had arrived.This was the pack that the twins belonged to. They had moved from their former place because the seer in their clan had seen a vision that something terrible was going to happen where they were, and the only solution was to move as far away as possible.They had fought with another pack, and their enemies were planning a war like none that had ever been witnessed in all the clans.The seer further explained that non-werewolves would be involved in the battle and that things would escalate beyond measure. While the majority of the pack would have preferred to stay back and fight for their land, the chief decided to adhere to what they had heard from the seer
ELLAI hadn’t healed from the rejection I felt from the twins. I didn’t want to see them, be close to them, or even breathe in their scent, but I knew I was just hurting. I could only stay away from the pack for so long.At some point, I would have to be in the same space as them, and I needed to learn how to deal with my emotions.In school, it was easier to stay away from them as the bullying had drastically reduced. It felt like the rejection was the catalyst they needed to change their minds about picking on me.I didn’t walk past them in the hallway; it seemed like they were doing everything possible to prove that they wanted nothing to do with me. And in a way, that hurt just as much as the bullying.I had grown accustomed to seeing them leaning against my locker with a hateful look in their eyes. Now, there was nothing.I wasn’t sure how to deal with this new development, but I held onto one thing: they rejected me, and I had to live with that for the rest of my life.It probab
ELLAIt was time to train, and Lyla was nowhere to be found. This was the first time she had ever been late for anything we had scheduled.I was a little worried but decided to chalk it up to something keeping her behind schedule. So, I settled on the grass to read a book.I had found the clearing in the woods where she told me to meet her. I could see why she had chosen this place. It was quiet, detached from the town, and had an air of serenity unlike other parts of the woods.On my own, I would have never found somewhere like this. If anything, I would have been locked up in the house with my nose in a book, trying to meet my reading quota.Being outside, enjoying the rare silence I never got in school and the peace I never found anywhere else, was refreshing.At some point, I started wondering if it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if she didn’t show up at all. That would mean rescheduling our training, but I didn’t mind.I could just sit here, enjoying the company of my books and the
ELLAI woke up the next morning feeling out of sorts. Lyla said it was normal, as this was the first time I was really exercising my limbs, and if I kept up with the training sessions, I would feel a lot better in no time.But right now, that felt like something she only said to make me feel better and convince me to keep training.The pain in my arms and legs made me want to opt out and never go back. But there was no chickening out of this. I had started it, and I wanted to see it through.I forced myself to sit up despite the pain and looked out the window as the sun’s rays streamed into the room. It was Saturday, and I was relieved that I didn’t have to walk around the hallways or sit through classes while my body ached in places I didn’t even think could hurt.I had a few chores to do around the house before I could have breakfast, then nothing else to occupy me except reading or lying in bed, lost in a million thoughts. I would’ve taken a walk, but in this state, I needed to sav
ELLAAs Lyla walked away, I realized she had said she’d see me at school on Monday rather than tomorrow. That probably meant we wouldn’t be training.I resisted the urge to call out to her and ask if training was off the schedule, deciding instead that I’d just come here on my own - either to train or to read a book.The spot she had picked for our sessions was beautiful. The sound of water crashing against the rocks as it cascaded down was refreshing, and I didn’t mind spending some time alone here.I turned toward the waterfall, watching the sunlight reflect off the flowing water, and knew this place would soon become my new favorite spot.I sat down for a few minutes, savoring the serenity in front of me. It had been a long time since I’d felt this kind of internal peace, and I wanted to cherish it as much as possible.Whether or not Lyla was with me, I decided I would come here as often as I could - to train, to think, to simply be.I had no friends to visit, no weekend sleepovers
KADEThese meetings bored me.Every time we gathered, the elders droned on about the same ten agenda items, the seers issued vague warnings about impending peril that never seemed to come, and we were reminded - yet again - of our duties as alphas in training.It was a tedious cycle, and I had long stopped expecting anything interesting to happen.Not that there was much to do anyway. The pack knew better than to challenge the authority above them, so compliance was the norm. Everything ran like clockwork, predictable and dull.My mind started drifting, wondering what else I could be doing with my time instead of sitting here, listening to the same old nonsense.I let my gaze sweep over the gathered wolves. Some had come in their wolf forms, others in their human ones, but communication was open to all.They could voice their opinions if they wanted - though most of them never did. They were content with being led rather than thinking for themselves.At least, that’s what I thought.T
LUCIANI refused to let myself be bothered by the way the pack meeting was unfolding.I had come here expecting a straightforward process: the elders would ask if anyone wanted to challenge my right to lead - there would be silence, and then they would move on to the next phase of the meeting.Instead, things had taken an unexpected turn. Not that it mattered.People had a right to voice their opinions; I had the right to decide they were irrelevant. At the end of the day, I was still in charge. Nothing anyone said or did could change that.It was simple, really. I was next in line. If anyone wanted to challenge that, they’d have to face me in combat. I scanned the group stirring up division and chuckled. A handful of betas and mixed omegas, none of them stood a chance against me.If I wanted to make a statement, all I had to do was shift into my wolf form right here in the middle of the meeting. That alone would be enough to send them into submission, to remind them exactly who they
ELLAThe feeling that hit me the day I stepped out to get groceries hadn’t gone anywhere, which put me in a permanently foul mood.On my way to school, I walked past some students who were talking in low tones about something, but I didn’t bother to find out what the topic was. On a normal day, I didn’t speak to them, and I wouldn’t try now that I was in a terrible mood.Whatever it was, I would hear about it when I got to school, or Lyla would meet me at the gate and give me all the details.She was a cheerleader. Nothing went past her eyes and ears around these parts. If anything, her teammates were part of the grapevine that spread gossip around the school, so she was definitely going to be the first to hear any juicy information from the correct source.In all honesty, I wasn’t particularly interested in knowing any gossip or learning about anything anyone had said, would say, or had to say. I simply wanted this feeling that constantly tugged at me to be gone.It was worse than th
ELLAWhen we arrived at the school, the body had been removed from the gate and the blood cleaned up, but I could still smell the stench in the air, and the feeling of dread that I had been walking around with seemed to triple in intensity.I swallowed and tried to ignore it as I walked to the field with the others. Soon after, the tryouts began, and we had to sit through a couple of mediocre performances before it was Quincy’s turn.Once he stepped on the field, I knew he would give the twins a run for their position as team leads, but his composure told me something else—something I had been suspecting for a long time.His moves, his speed, the way he caught the ball and threw it back made Lyla and me pass knowing looks between each other.Unlike the twins, he wasn’t showing any restriction in using his power. The only thing he didn’t do was turn into wolf form, but everything else was enough to confirm everything I needed to know.He was a werewolf—and if I was delusional enough, h
ELLAThe loud sound of Quincy pressing the car horn reverberated throughout the house, and I groaned.We had come to a silent arrangement over the course of this budding relationship—he would pick up Lyla, then stop by my house to pick me up too.We always went to school together. At first, it seemed strange because I was used to walking to school by myself and being alone with my thoughts.Now, I was stuck listening to the sound of their voices talking about the previous day and trying to rope me into the conversation. More often than not, I chose silence, as I would rather listen. Today was one of those days.I picked up my bag and walked to the door, locked it behind me, and got into the car. The ride to school was like any other. Lyla sat in the front seat talking with Quincy, and I enjoyed being ferried from one place to the other.What I didn’t anticipate was that this morning had a lot in store for me. When we arrived at the gate, I saw something that made my heart race.I didn
ELLALyla spent more time talking to Quincy than me at lunch, and I was actually happy about it.It was like watching a kid get a new shiny toy they wanted to play with all day, and it also meant I could retain my quiet time and just watch everything happening around me.To be fair, she was a better host than I was. When she learned he was a new transfer student, she started explaining how things worked in the school beyond his class schedule.She told him about the cliques, the people he needed to avoid or be wary of; which was funny, because she was always talking about inclusion for everyone, but she was right.That group of people who hung around school selling drugs and never graduating were definitely ones to stay away from.Except, of course, if that was your crowd, then they’d be great allies.Still, they had their advantages, and she urged him to learn how to use that to his benefit. I was zoning in and out throughout the conversation and tried to focus on finishing my food.
ELLAWhoever decided that the weekend only consisted of two days was a really terrible person, and they were lucky I couldn’t go back in time to shake some sense into them.It was Monday already, and I hated that I had to drag my barely healed body to this place and force myself to sit through classes.I would’ve stayed home, but that would ruin my perfect attendance, and I had a test coming up after lunch. I wasn’t going to let an aching body take away the chance of increasing my credits.If I started to feel faint, I’d simply go to the infirmary and spend some time with the nurse. I didn’t need to take any medication—if anything, the really sore parts of my body were healed, and the rest would be over before the end of the day. I just needed to rest.I thought about the note I had read earlier. Since I got it, I had been trying to make sense of the text written on it, but to no avail. I couldn’t pinpoint why, but it felt oddly familiar.I couldn’t understand what was written or why
ELLAIf I said the seer’s actions hadn’t taken me unawares, I would be telling a terrible lie. I understood not wanting me around while she worked, but stopping in the middle of a session and refusing to give me the information I needed was another ball game entirely.What were the odds that I would find another seer who’d be willing to tell me what I wanted to know? I didn’t want to walk around telling all and sundry that I was looking for a way to cut ties with Kade and Lucian—word traveled fast in this town.Even faster in the pack. I needed to get it done, but I also needed to know that whoever I was going to meet would be able to help me achieve my goal and be as discreet as possible.I sighed and left the premises. If she didn’t want me around, the only thing I could do was wait. I wasn’t sure how long I had to stay away, but I would try to come around next weekend.Maybe she’d be in a better mood then and would be ready to talk about the things I needed to know.As I walked dow
ELLAI had spent the weekend recuperating—being home and in my own bed did wonders. I was finally in a space no one could barge into and make me feel uncomfortable, except, of course, for the occasional doorbell that went off at specific times of the day.It had started the same morning Quincy dropped me off. That afternoon, I heard the bell and slowly dragged myself to the door, only to find no one there. Instead, a basket filled with food items sat on the porch, with a get well soon note attached.At first, it was strange to receive something without knowing who it came from. But when another basket arrived later that evening, I decided it was a welcome development.Whoever was sending it had saved me the trouble of cooking or spending more money to order food—and for that, I was grateful. I would’ve liked to know who was behind the kind gesture, but if they preferred to stay anonymous, that was fine by me. Sooner or later, I’d find out. Right now, I just needed to get my strength b
ELLAWhen I opened my eyes, it was already morning. Birds were chirping from the tree branches, rays of sunlight streamed through the gaps the leaves didn’t cover, and I could hear the sound of cars driving past a few miles away.I sighed and tried to sit up—my body cooperated a lot better than it had the previous night, and that was a good sign.It meant my healing had begun, and even though I still felt sore in certain places, it was much better than feeling like complete crap yesterday.I looked around and chuckled when the realization hit me—I had slept in the forest like some hobo. When I’d closed my eyes earlier, the plan was to rest for a few minutes and slowly make my way home before dawn. But then again, things don’t always go according to plan.I turned toward the waterfall and marveled at how beautiful it looked in the morning light. I had seen it countless times during the day, but every time I did, it somehow seemed more beautiful than the last.I exhaled slowly and tried
ELLAI opened my eyes, narrowed them for a bit, let out a short chuckle, then closed them again.It took all the self-control I could muster not to unleash a string of curses or lash out at him.I kept reminding myself that I was conserving energy and he wasn’t worth the effort. If I could will myself to fall asleep right now, I would—without a care in the world.He could stand there and talk to himself until dawn if it made him feel better about what he’d done.All I truly wanted was to be left alone. My thoughts were enough company, and I’d rather have them than Lucian’s words.“Beginner’s luck,” I murmured, shaking my head. “Such an asinine thing to say,” I added, a little louder than intended, but I didn’t care what he thought.If he had anything to say about my remark, it didn’t matter anymore. He had already done his worst, and I was determined to start teaching myself how to see past whatever nonsense he threw my way.That was the best option I had now. If I kept letting their
ELLAWhen I had made it into the woods, I turned into my human form and lay on the ground. My heart rate had tripled in the last few minutes, and I simply wanted it to stop racing, but I knew I had to give it time.My body had been through an activity it had never undertaken, and while I was successful at it, I still had to endure the strain I had put it through.The major downside to this experience was that Kade had caught up with me and was slowly walking towards where I lay.I desperately wanted to be alone, and if there was anyone at all that I would prefer to be by my side, it definitely wasn’t one of the twins. But I was already going through a lot of pain to protest this intrusion.“Why are you here?” I whispered as he knelt down and stared at my aching body.“You look like you need help,” he replied and took my arm in his hands.As our skin touched, I felt the same energy that had coursed through my body earlier and tried to pull away, but he held on firmly. “I don’t want you