SIERRAWe stepped inside the room and shut the door behind us. My mom was still crying, her shoulders shaking like her whole world was crumbling.โMomโฆโ I whispered, going to her.She turned and pulled me into a hug so tight, I could barely breathe. โI canโt lose you too,โ she sobbed. โI canโt. Iโm not strong enough.โโIโll be back,โ I told her, my voice shaky. โI promise you, Iโll come back.โBut her tears wouldnโt stop.Alpha Thane walked in and saw her falling apart. Without a word, he came over, gently took her hand, and led her away. She kept looking back at me like I was already a ghost.The door clicked shut behind them. Silence filled the room.I stood there, numb. โWhy is it always like this?โ I whispered. โEvery time I come aroundโฆ someone gets hurt, something breaks. Itโs like I ruin everything.โโStop,โ Zane said, stepping forward.โYou donโt ruin anything,โ Kane added.โYou bring the storm, but you also bring the light after it,โ Dane said softly. โYouโre not the problem,
SIERRAI banged harder on the door. โZane! Dane! Kane! Open this damn door!โMy fists slammed into the wood again and again, my knuckles stinging. It rattled beneath my hands, but it didnโt give way. My throat burned from shouting, and my chest felt like it was caving in, heart pounding so hard it echoed in my ears.โWhat the hell is going on?โ I screamed. โOpen the door!โSilence.Then I heard footsteps. Soft ones. Cautious. Then a voice. Familiar. Quiet.โSierra,โ my momโs voice came, barely above a whisper.I froze. Took a step back. โMom?โ My voice was sharp, panicked. โWhatโs happening? Why am I locked in?โThere was a pause.Too long.I felt it coming before she even said it.โTheyโฆ they left.โI blinked, confusion crawling up my spine. โWhat?โโThey didnโt want you following them,โ she said slowly, voice shaking. โThey left without telling me too. I only just found out.โMy heart dropped to the pit of my stomach.โNo,โ I whispered, shaking my head. โNo. Thatโs not real. Thatโs
THANEI found her curled up on the floor, forehead pressed against the door. My heart twisted. My daughter, my strong, stubborn Sierra, looked so small, so broken.I crouched down slowly and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sierra..."She flinched. Her face lifted, red-eyed and wet with tears. "You let them go."I sighed. "No. I didnโt know. They didnโt tell me either."She turned away from me, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "They left me.""I know," I said quietly. "And I know how much that hurts. But they're doing what they think is right.""Itโs not right," she snapped. "They think Iโm weak. They think I can't handle myself."Her mother appeared behind me, her voice soft and trembling. "Sweetheart... they were only trying to protect you.""I donโt need protection," Sierra said, voice rising. "I need to be with them. I need to fight, not sit locked away like some... prisoner."I stood slowly and turned to my mate. I took her hand. "She needs time. But we have to go. The
SIERRAThe steady rhythm of my breath helped calm my racing heart. For the first time in what felt like forever, I let myself focus on connecting with my wolf. The bond between us was strained, stretched thin from all the chaos and confusion. I shut my eyes, clearing my mind of everything. The voices, the shouts, the arguments , I didnโt want any of that. I needed peace.โCome on,โ I whispered to myself, pushing all the anger and frustration out of my mind. โJust focus.โI reached out to her, feeling the pulse of her energy like a distant hum. At first, it felt like a faint whisper, but as I quieted my thoughts, the hum grew stronger. I felt the presence of my wolf inside me, stirring from the depths, her energy warm and comforting.โHey, you,โ I said softly, a small smile tugging at my lips. I didnโt even know what to call her anymore. We had been through so much together, and now it felt like we were strangers in a way. โAre you still with me?โA growl echoed in my mind, but it was
THANE"Iโm tired of this," I muttered under my breath as we approached the pack house.My fingers gripped the steering wheel tighter than necessary. The meeting had drained every ounce of patience I had left. Again, my leadership was being questioned. Again, the council demanded answers about the vampires. Some even called for war."Theyโre not just rogue vampires, Thane. Theyโre a threat to our entire species," Beta Colin had said, slamming his fist on the table.โThey slaughtered three of our scouts last week,โ another growled. โAnd whatโs your response? Peace?โIt took every bit of control not to explode in that room. I knew they didnโt understand the weight I carried. If I went to war now, weโd lose more than wolves. Weโd lose lives, peace, trustโฆeverything.Beside me in the car, my wife laid a calming hand over mine.โYou need to breathe,โ she whispered gently. โYou canโt help anyone if youโre this worked up.โI glanced at her and gave a small nod. โI knowโฆ I justโฆโI didnโt fini
SIERRAI ran.I didnโt know where I was going. I didnโt care. My paws pounded the earth like drums, pushing me faster and faster. The cold night air stung my face. Leaves crunched beneath me. Branches snapped across my body, scratching my skin through my fur. But I didnโt stop. I couldnโt stop.My heart was thudding so loud I could hear it in my ears. My breath came in short, sharp bursts. My legs moved on their own, driven by panic, pain, and something else I couldnโt explain. It wasnโt me running anymore.It was her.My wolf had taken control of my body, and I was justโฆ watching.I was still there, buried somewhere inside, but it felt like I was floating, helpless, disconnected. I couldnโt speak. I couldnโt stop her. I could only feel the wind rushing against us as she pushed deeper and deeper into the woods as if we were running from everything and nothing at the same time.I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. But all I could do was watch.Then, suddenly it stopped.Just like that.
ZANEI was pacing.Back and forth. Again and again. The floorboards creaked under my feet, but I didnโt care. I couldnโt sit still. My fingers ran through my hair for the tenth, maybe even the twentieth time. My chest was tight. My heart hadn't stopped pounding since the call.โShe ran?โ I asked, even though I already knew the answer. I needed to hear it again. Maybe this time it would sound different. Maybe I had misunderstood.โYes,โ my fatherโs voice repeated over the phone. His tone was heavy. Tired. โShe shifted and bolted into the woods. I found her seizing earlier. She shifted mid-attack.โI froze. My jaw clenched tight, my hand gripping the edge of the table so hard I thought I might snap the wood in half. โWhy the hell didnโt anyone call me the moment she was awake?โ My voice came out sharp, demanding, on the edge of panic.โShe wasnโt awake,โ he replied, quieter now. โShe was barely breathing, Zane. We didnโt think sheโd make it through the night.โI felt like something cold
SIERRAIt was cold. The kind of cold that sneaks under your skin and makes you feel hollow on the inside. I pulled the rough blanket tighter around me and tried to ignore the dust floating in the air, the creaky wooden floor beneath me, and the silence that hung between the four of us.Every corner of the old building felt frozen, like the cold had settled into the walls and decided to stay forever. The air smelled like old wood, mildew, and something faintly metallic, like rust or blood. I couldnโt tell which. The moonlight came in through the broken windows in pale, slanted beams, casting long, strange shadows that danced every time the wind whispered through the cracks.Zane was sitting near the broken window, staring out like he was expecting something or someone to appear.Kane had his arms folded and his eyes closed, but I knew he wasnโt asleep. His breathing was too controlled, too deliberate, like he was trying to calm something raging inside him.Dane was pacing again. Quiet,
SIERRAI stood frozen, my eyes wide and my stomach turning. The rabbits werenโt moving anymore. The white one had stopped twitching first, then the brown one slumped beside it. My hands were still outstretched, fingers trembling as the energy from the failed spell faded into the air like smoke.The silence that followed was unbearable. It was as if the whole world had paused to judge me, to make me feel the weight of what I had just done. I couldnโt breathe. I couldnโt even blink. All I could do was stare at what my magic had done.The warlock didnโt say anything at first. He just walked up to the small wooden pen, stood over the lifeless bodies, and looked down with a heavy sigh. His face gave nothing away, no anger, no sadness, just quiet acceptance of the outcome. Then he slowly turned to face me."This," he said, his voice low and sharp like a blade slicing through still air, "is what would have happened to your sister and Ariel if you had jumped into this blindly."The words hit
SIERRAI had just finished spending time with my mates. My body still felt warm, and for once, my mind was quiet. I was finally beginning to feel like myself again.But then I heard shouting from outside.My heart jumped. I threw on a robe and rushed out.I barely made it past the hallway before I saw everyone gathered in the courtyard. And in the middle of it allโฆ Ariel. Screaming. Crying. Holding a knife.โWhat the hell?โ I whispered under my breath, my eyes widening.โI said let me in!โ she yelled, her voice cracking. โYouโre not the only one who loves them! I deserve to be in there too!โShe was pointing the knife at her own chest, trembling like she was seconds away from doing something stupid.I didnโt even think twice.I raised my hand and whispered the first protection spell that came to mind. A shield burst around her in a dome of blue light. The moment it closed around her, the knife fell from her hand and clattered to the floor.She looked around in confusion, then rage.โW
ARIELI paced the hallway, scowling, my arms folded tightly across my chest. For the fifth time, I tried to step forward, right into the damn hallway, and for the fifth time, it felt like Iโd slammed into a wall. But there was no wall. Justโฆ air. Heavy, invisible, and impossible to pass through."What the hell is going on?" I growled, pushing again, harder this time. Nothing. It was like the space itself refused to let me through. My breath hitched as anger flared in my chest. I wasnโt someone who got denied things. Not rooms. Not people. Not Dane.I turned on my heels and stormed down the hallway, heading straight for Mayaโs quarters. If anyone knew what kind of stupid magic trick was being pulled, it had to be Sierra. I knew her mother was always around the others. Always listening. Watching, and I needed to see her, and I asked what the hell was going on.When I got to her door, I didnโt knock, I kicked it. Hard.โAriel?โ Mayaโs voice called out, soft and hesitant. She opened the d
SIERRAThe warmth of their arms around me made it easier to breathe. The tension that had wrapped around my chest like a tight rope was starting to loosen, bit by bit. Zaneโs steady heartbeat under my cheek, Daneโs arms around my waist, and the calmness in Kaneโs eyes, everything felt safe here. I felt like I was finally home.But it wasnโt just the comfort. It was the way they looked at me. The way they held me was like I was the most precious thing in the world. Like theyโd fight the stars if it meant keeping me safe. I hadnโt realized how much I needed them until this moment. I needed to feel wanted, needed to be touched, loved, needed to feel alive again.โIโve missed this,โ I whispered, glancing up at Zane, my fingers gently resting on his chest.โWeโve missed you more,โ he replied softly, brushing his lips over my forehead.โI donโt like seeing you this stressed,โ Dane murmured behind me, nuzzling into the crook of my neck. โLet us help you relax.โKane was kneeling beside me ag
SIERRAI ran out of the room angrily and frustrated. I didnโt want to talk to anyone. I didnโt want to explain how I felt, not even to Alpha Thane. I just needed to get away, to let the frustration and fear out in a way that made sense. And thatโs why I shifted.The air felt cold on my fur as I ran, my paws pounding the earth beneath me, my mind barely able to process anything except the need to escape. My heart was racing, and the adrenaline pumping through my body only made the anger and fear swirl together like a violent storm.I ran deeper into the woods, ignoring the world around me, just focused on the rhythmic pounding of my paws. The trees blurred by in a mixture of green and brown, the earth beneath me firm and solid. But even in my wolf form, the worry gnawed at my insides, and all I wanted was for the weight to lift, even if just for a moment.Eventually, the tension in my body started to ease just a little, but I wasnโt running anymore. I slowed down and then stopped, my b
SIERRAI walked into the room, my mind racing with questions. The man, the warlock, was standing by a table covered in books and strange artifacts. His eyes flickered up when I entered, and I could feel the weight of his gaze. He knew why I was here."You are here," he said, his voice calm but heavy with something I couldn't place.I didn't waste time with pleasantries. "I need your help," I said bluntly. "I need to learn how to use my powers. And I need to do it fast."The warlock raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "Binding spells," he said slowly, almost to himself, "are tricky. Especially one like the one you're asking for."I didnโt have the patience for his caution. "I donโt care about how tricky it is," I snapped. "I need to stop her. Ariel is... sheโs going to ruin everything. I canโt let that happen. I just need to know how to make it work."He looked at me, the seriousness in his eyes growing. "Binding spells are not something to take lightly. They tie you to someo
SIERRAI could feel my whole body burning with anger as Arielโs voice cut through the garden like a sharp knife. She just stood there, smirking at us like she hadnโt just interrupted something important, something real.I turned to her, fists clenching at my sides. "Donโt you have anything better to do than irritate me?" I snapped, my voice louder than I intended. Dane shifted uncomfortably behind me, but I didnโt care. I was tired of her games.Ariel just giggled like I had told her a joke. "Nope," she said with a sweet shrug. "Turns out, irritating you is way more fun than I ever thought it would be."I wanted to slap that smug smile off her face. I really did. But I held myself back because that's exactly what she wanted, to push me until I broke.Then she turned her full attention to Dane, her smile softening in a way that made my stomach twist in disgust. "I miss Dane," she said in a whiny voice. "I want him to stay with me for a while."I stepped protectively in front of Dane w
DANEI woke up to the sound of soft giggles.My head felt heavy, like Iโd slept for days, and for a second, I didnโt even know where I was. But then I blinked and saw her, Ariel, sitting at the edge of the bed, grinning at me like I was some kind of adorable pet.โYou look so cute when youโre sleeping,โ she said in a sing-song voice.My whole body tensed up instantly. Memories rushed backโฆ.the food, the plan, everything. I shot up, heart pounding.โWhat happened?โ I croaked, throat dry.Ariel gave a playful shrug, almost like she was proud of herself. โYou tried to drug me, silly. But Iโm smarter than that.โ She leaned in closer, lowering her voice like she was sharing a secret. โI swapped the plates. You ate the laced one instead.โI cursed under my breath and swung my legs off the bed. I couldnโt even look at her as I stood up."Aw, don't be mad," Ariel called after me as I stormed toward the door. "You needed the rest anyway!"I didnโt answer. I just left.When I finally made it do
SIERRAI didnโt move. None of us did. We just stood there and took it as Ariel laughed like we were the biggest fools she had ever seen. Her voice echoed off the walls, high and sharp, like a knife digging into my already shredded nerves.โOh, my sweet, sweet Sierra,โ she said between giggles, wiping a fake tear from the corner of her eye. โYou actually think a few little weeds are going to save your precious sister from me?โI kept my face blank, even though my heart was hammering against my ribs. If I gave her any more reason to doubt me, she would tear us all apart.Ariel circled slowly around me, hands clasped behind her back, her boots clicking softly against the floor. I could feel the others tense up, ready to move if she tried anything.She leaned in close, so close I could smell the sickly sweet scent of her perfume. โYou have no idea what youโre dealing with,โ she whispered. โNo idea how deep this bond goes.โI clenched my teeth to keep from flinching. I would not give her t