“Serena! Serena!” Rachel yelled, waking me up my sleep.“What is it?” I asked, itching my eyes and yawning tiredly.“We have to go to the ancient ruins, now.” She said.Just then, everywhere fell silent. Ardan walked in.“Hey” he smiled.“Hi.” I replied with a smile.It was windy as we approached the ancient ruins, a crumbling remnants of a once-great temple hidden deep within the mountains. It was sun set.“Are you sure this is the place?” Ardan asked in a low tone.Rachel nodded, clutching the tattered map we’d used to find the location. “The symbols match the ones we found in the archives. This has to be it.”I stepped forward. The scent of old magic filled the air. Every step felt heavier than the last, as if the ruins themselves were watching us, waiting for something to happen.“This place feels wrong,” I said quietly.“It’s steeped in magic,” Rachel replied. “Centuries old, but still potent. Whatever happened here left a mark.”Ardan moved closer with his presence grounding me.
The tension in the pack house was palpable, the air was dense with unsaid fears and frustrations. Gloria’s warning about Zone still echoed in my mind, but I had no idea how or when the danger she mentioned would strike.Standing outside the room where Gilly was being held, I turned to Zone. His face was tight with worry, the weight of everything we’d been through clearly wore on him.“I need to talk to her,” I said firmly.Zone’s brow furrowed. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? She’s unpredictable right now, Serena. You’ve seen what she’s capable of.”“I know,” I admitted. “But I don’t have a choice. If Gloria has any hold over her, I need to know what she’s planning. And if Gilly knows anything, I’ll get it out of her.”Zone hesitated before nodding. “Fine, but I’m staying close. Just in case.”“No,” I sa
The air in Derek’s pack was heavy with tension, thick enough to choke on. I stood on the steps of the main hall, looking out over the courtyard as the wolves went about their duties. Their movements were stiff and their conversations were hushed. Even the young ones seemed subdued and their usual energy was dampened by the fear and uncertainty that hung over the pack.I was no stranger to pressure or doubt, but this felt different. The weight of Gloria’s warnings, Gilly’s erratic behaviour, Zone’s condition, and now Dominic’s cryptic words before his death—it all pressed down on me and it crushed me. For the first time after Ardan’s disappearance, I didn’t know what to do.“Serena,” Ardan’s voice called softly from behind me.I turned to see him standing in the doorway with a concerned expression. Beside him, Rachel and Tobias waited with their faces mirroring his unease.“We need to
It was dawn and the sun’s ray casted long shadows across the ancient books scattered on the table. Rachel sat among them with her hands moving methodically as she flipped through pages and her brow was furrowed in concentration. The weight of the pack’s survival, of Gilly’s fate, and of Zone’s worsening condition, seemed to press down on all of us, but Rachel carried it with quiet determination.I stood near the door, pacing as I waited for her to find something—anything—that could guide us.“How much longer?” I asked, trying to keep the impatience from my voice.Rachel didn’t look up. “As long as it takes,” she said. “These books are ancient. If there’s an answer, it’s buried deep.”I sighed, turning to look out the window. Derek’s pack had grown quiet since the confrontation during the council meeting, but the silence wasn’t peaceful. It was heavy, unea
The air around us sparkled for a brief moment before settling into the damp, oppressive atmosphere of the swamp. Ardan and I staggered as our surroundings materialised in front of us: a vast expanse of muddy water, twisted trees, and a blanket of fog that shrouded our vision. The teleportation spell had brought us to the right place, but something felt wrong.Ardan ran a hand through his hair, trying to summon the magic that had served him so well before, but nothing came. His focus faltered, and he cursed under his breath."What is it?" I asked, sensing the shift in his mood."My magic…" Ardan began, looking around in confusion. "It’s not working here. I can’t feel the flow of energy."My brow furrowed. "But… we’re here, Ardan. The swamp. This is where the flower should be. I’m sure your magic will come back when we—"Ardan’s eyes were sharp, scanning the surrounding fog. "It’s not just that.
Ardan’s PoVI was ten years old, running through the woods with my best friend, Ren. Ren and I were inseparable, always finding excuses to sneak away from our lessons and explore the forest that bordered our pack’s land.That day, we’d wandered farther than usual, chasing the echo of a distant waterfall. The sound was faint, teasing us with its mystery, and Ren was determined to find it.“Come on, Ardan!” he called with his grin wide as he darted ahead.“Slow down, Ren,” I shouted, laughing as I tried to keep up.We were so caught up in the thrill of the chase that we didn’t notice the stillness creeping into the air. The birds stopped singing, the rustle of leaves quieted, and the usual hum of the forest faded into an eerie silence.It wasn’t until Ren screamed that I realised something was wrong.I came to a stop with my laughter dying in my throat as I turned to see him frozen in place and his eyes wide with terror. At first, I didn’t understand what he was looking at—then I saw it
Serena’s POVThe palace halls were quiet when we arrived and the weight of our mission was still hanging over us. The antidote, carefully wrapped in protective leaves, felt like the most precious cargo I’d ever carried.Rachel led the way to the medical wing, where Zone lay pale and motionless. His breathing was shallow, his chest barely rising with each breath. My heart clenched at the sight of him. He’d always been so strong, so unyielding, and seeing him like this felt like a blow to the gut.“We need to act fast,” Rachel said with her voice clipped as she began preparing the antidote.Ardan stood beside her with his jaw tight as he watched her every move. “How long before we know if it works?” he asked.Rachel didn’t answer immediately, her focus on carefully grinding the petals into a paste. “It depends,” she said finally. “If the poison hasn’t spread too far, we should see improvement within a few hours. If it has…” She trailed off, not needing to finish the thought.I swallowed
Gilly’s POVThe world around me was nothing but darkness, an endless expanse of shadows that stretched in every direction. Time didn’t exist here, nor did sound or sensation. I floated in the emptiness, a weightless figure adrift in an ocean of nothingness.I didn’t know how I’d gotten here, but I knew one thing: I was trapped.At first, I thought this was death—a bleak and silent afterlife where my thoughts were my only companions. But I still felt the faintest pull of something beyond this void. It was like a tether, thin and fragile, connecting me to something—or someone.“Serena.“Her name flickered in my mind, a faint light in the darkness. Memories of her surged forward unbidden: her fierce determination, her unyielding loyalty, the way she had fought for all of us, even when the odds were stacked against her.I tried to call out to her, but my voice didn’t carry. The void swallowed every word before it could form.The shadows shifted. Slowly at first, then faster, swirling arou
Roman’s POVThe night air was cold as I stepped through the trees, holding Gilly captive. My steps were silent, careful as always, but my mind ran through memories that never left me. I couldn’t stop them, even now—especially now.I had always been an observer, even as a boy. I watched my parents, two forces of nature who couldn’t have been more different yet were somehow drawn together like moths to a flame. My father was a man with no sense of mercy. His ambitions were as grand as they were brutal. “Take what you want. Rule without apology.” Those were his words to me as soon as I was old enough to stand in his shadow.My mother… she was different. Controlled, cunning, with a mind so sharp it could cut you before you realised you were bleeding. A witch with power most would have called godlike, but to me, she was something more—something complicated. She loved me, and in her way, she was always there. She was like the constant in a chaotic world. But she wanted loyalty to her coven.
There were sounds of jingling chains coming from the medical wing as I approached it. I had managed to talk Ardan out of keeping Gilly chained up in the dungeon. Gilly sat slumped on the small cot with her wrists bound tightly chains. When her eyes went up to meet mine, the despair in them almost shattered me.“Serena…” she whispered.I moved toward the door slowly, swallowing my saliva. “Gilly, you’re awake.”She gave out a humourless chuckle, and wiped her tears with the back of her hand that was free. “Awake? I wish I wasn’t.” She looked at her swollen pupils in the mirror and also looked at her hands as they continued to shake as though they were still stained with blood. “I killed him, didn’t I?”I dropped to my knees beside the bed and grasped her hand through the iron bracelets. “No, Gilly. It wasn’t you. Gloria did this. She’s manipulating you, using you. This isn’t your fault.”She jerked at my words, shaking her head vehemently. “Serena, you don’t understand. As long as I’m
The sound of Zone’s boots echoed down the hallway as he stormed into the war room. I could see anger in his eyes. Ardan, Rachel, and I were huddled over maps and scouting reports, discussing strategies to secure the territory.“We have a problem,” Zone said as he tossed a worn scrap of fabric onto the table.I picked it up, frowning. The material was torn and dirty, reeking faintly of magic and rogue wolves.“What is this?” Ardan asked coldly as he straightened his back to face Zone.“I found it near the south border,” Zone replied, crossing his arms. “Tracks leading in and out of the pack’s territory. Someone’s sneaking around.”Rachel furrowed her brow as she leaned closer, inspecting the fabric. “It’s rogue,” she muttered, then paused. “But there’s something else here. A faint magical trace.”Ardan’s eyes turned to me. “Roman.”I sighed heavily, already knowing where this was going. “You can’t keep blaming Roman for every problem we have, Ardan. It’s starting to feel personal. I me
Ardan stood at one end of the war table with crossed arms and a dark face with suspicion written all over it. Zone paced near the fireplace, pacing up and down, clearly frustrated. Across from me, Roman leaned casually against the wall, with his usual composed expression giving away nothing, but I could see it—Ardan and Zone’s distrust was starting to chip away at his calm exterior.“Something’s not right,” Zone muttered for the third time, shooting Roman another glare. “We’re chasing leads, scrambling to keep Gilly safe, and every time something goes wrong, he’s around.”Roman let out a quiet sigh and rolled his eyes as he pushed himself off the wall. “You know, Zone, if you’re going to keep accusing me, you might as well bring some proof. I’ve done nothing but help you all since I arrived.”“You mean since you conveniently appeared,” Zone shot back. “No one knows where you came from. You don’t belong here.”“Enough!” I snapped, standing up from my seat and placing my hands on the ta
The sky was filled with grey clouds when I first saw him. A lone figure approached the gates of Ardan’s pack with his dark cloak whipping in the wind. There was something unsettling about his presence. The guards at the gate were already on edge and their hands hovered near their weapons.“Who is that?” I muttered, standing beside Ardan as we watched from the pack house steps.Ardan’s eyes narrowed. “Someone who doesn’t belong here.”We descended toward the gates just as the guards stopped the stranger. He raised his hands calmly with a small, disarming smile playing on his lips. “I come in peace,” he said smoothly. “I’ve heard whispers of a girl - witch touched by magic - and I think I can help.”Ardan growled softly. “And who exactly are you?”The stranger lowered his hood, revealing his face. He had a pale skin that was marked by faint scars which ran along his jaw. His hair was a mix of dark and silver strands which gave him an ageless quality. His eyes were green.“My name is Dra
Very quickly, we got to the pack house. I feared for Gilly. She had been through enough.“What happened, Rachel?” I asked Rachel as we descended the stairs to the medical wing.Rachel looked at me nervously and unsettled. “I found her talking in her sleep again. But this time… it was different. She was muttering strange words, phrases I didn’t recognise. I wrote some of them down. They sound like witch incantations.”“Witchcraft?” I whispered.Rachel nodded. “It’s not normal, Serena. She’s burning up too, as if something inside her is trying to fight its way out.”We reached Gilly’s room, and I hesitated just a moment before entering. Gilly lay on a small bed, drenched in sweat and her hair plastered to her forehead as she tossed restlessly. Every so often, her lips would move and faint whispers would escape from her mouth like a chant.I moved closer. The sound of her mutterings sent a shiver down my spine. Rachel wasn’t lying—the words were not her own. I didn’t understand them, but
The rogue leader struggled to move in the chains we had him in. He growled for his release but I knew neither Zone nor Ardan were willing to let him go, at least until we got our answer. He sweated along his eyebrows, and his eyes darted around as if searching for any way to escape. His wrists were bound tightly with silver chains, making the room scent of burning flesh.Ardan stood over him and spoke with a cold tone. “We don’t have time for games. Speak.”The rogue spat blood onto the ground and then glared up at Ardan defiantly. “I won’t tell you anything.”“You will,” I said, stepping forward to meet his eyes. I crouched so we were eye level. “Because I know how this works. You follow orders. You’re not a leader—you’re a pawn. And I don’t think you want to die for someone else’s game.”The rogue’s jaw tightened, but his confidence faltered. I could see it&m
Rachel’s voice echoed through the dim war room with her fingers running through the pages of a tattered spell book.“It’s called a convergence ritual,” Rachel said. “Gloria isn’t just trying to win a war—she’s trying to amplify her power to unimaginable levels. If this ritual succeeds, she could become something far worse than we’ve ever faced.”I sat at the edge of the table, staring down at the sketch she had drawn of the ritual circle. The intricate lines, symbols, and blood markings on the parchment gave off menace. I didn’t have to understand witchcraft to feel its dark purpose.“How does it work?” I asked with my voice quieter than I intended.Rachel pushed her glasses higher on her nose and looked at me. “The convergence ritual draws magic from various sources—rogues, witches, and any magical being tied to them. It channels their collective power into one vessel, elevating the witch who performs it to a level of control over everyone connected to the magic. That’s why Gloria’s
The forest was eerily quiet, the kind of silence that made my wolf tense and restless. I led the scouting party deeper into the dense wilderness with my senses on high alert as we made our way between tall pines and underbrush’s. A faint mist clung to the ground, curling around our boots and shifting unnaturally. It felt wrong. The air emitted this weird energy—one I couldn’t quite place, but I’d learned never to ignore.Ardan walked beside me. His presence reassured me. He insisted on coming, of course. I hadn’t been able to talk him out of it, though I knew his presence here made Rachel nervous back at the camp. We couldn’t afford to lose Ardan, and yet here he was with his sword strapped to his back and his eyes scanning the trees for any sign of trouble.“You feel it too, don’t you?” I asked, leaning in and speaking to him in a low tone so that the rest of the scouts would not overhear us.Ardan nodded. “It’s too quiet. Something’s waiting for us.”I glanced back at the group foll