× Trix ×
Peaceful.
That's exactly how the house has been for the past nine days. No drama, no chaos. Just Ryder, Alvera and the elders breathing down on my neck.
Like right now.
I sit back in my chair, staring at the ceiling, lost in wherever. The past week has been oddly calm, almost too calm. No Dixie barging in with her smart mouth, no unexpected disasters…
Ryder shoots me a knowing look, breaking through my thoughts.
"What's going on in that head of yours, Trix?"
I sigh, rubbing my temples. "It's been weird, man. Too quiet. It’
× Dixie ×I had insulted an elder.That’s all they hear. Like I am not the victim here. A victim of their scorn and reproach, a victim of evil sneers. I see them all… the silent nods and back words, people looking at me with their eyes wide open. What’s she going to do next?I am always lost, always asking for direction.They act like I’m the problem. Newsflash, folks, I’m not the one stuck in the past, clinging to outdated traditions and power trips.I mean, really, who does Trix think he is? Alpha of what? A bunch of oldies who can’t see past their own egos? They talk about respect, but they don’t give any. They expect me to bow and scrape,
× Trix ×My mind is a market place, like for real. It’s like I’m stuck in some wild fanfiction story where everything’s spiraling out of control, and I’m just trying to keep up. It's like, I don’t even know what exactly it is I feel, anger, frustration, maybe even a hint of guilt, but I know one thing for sure: I’m tired. Tired of this constant battle of wills, tired of the endless drama that Dixie seems to bring into my life.As the door closes behind her, a huge silence falls over the room. The elders shift uncomfortably, glancing at each other, but no one speaks. I can feel the weight of their stares, their unspoken judgments hanging in the room. I’ve just sentenced someone to isolation, for crying out loud, and I can’t help but wonder if I’ve crossed a line. But I had to do something to establish some ground of respect. Dixie challenges my authority at every turn, every chance she gets, always pushing, always testing my limits. It’s frustrating, and yet... there’s a part of me
× Dixie ×This isolation room is a nightmare. It reeks of new materials, that awful almost-sterile smell that makes my stomach turn and churn.The walls around me are padded, like I’m some kind of dangerous lunatic who might hurt myself if given the chance. Even the doors are padded, so thick that I could scream my lungs out and no one would hear me.I keep pacing back and forth, my fists clenched so tight my knuckles turn white. This place is a prison, very plain and simple. And I feel the anger boiling inside me, it's the only thing that can happen to me, given my state of helplessness.How dare Trix? How dare any of them think they can just lock me up like this? Like I’m some kind of
× Trix ×I'm in my office, trying to get through a stack of paperwork that seems to have doubled overnight. Gosh, it's tiring being having so many businesses as a human and taking care of a pack as a wolf.My mind keeps drifting back to the council meeting, to Dixie, to everything that's been going wrong lately. I rub my temples, feeling the stress up my muscles.Just then, Ryder walks in with a parcel in his hands. I’m relieved to see him. I had requested some documents earlier, and maybe this would finally take my mind off things.“Hey, Ryder. You look like you’ve seen a ghost. What’s wrong, dude?” I say, looking up.Ryder doesn’t answer imm
× Trix ×The compound of their house has given off the vibe that something is off. There is this gloomy shadow over the area and it is understandable, given their morning situation.I scanned the area for the girl and Ryder spotted her. She’s sitting on the porch, her face is masked with grief. Seeing her like this makes my heart ache even more, the pain is blending with the physical discomfort I’m already feeling.“Hey, I’m so sorry about your brother. We’re doing everything we can to find out who did this.”I say softly, trying to keep my voice steady.She looks up at me, her eyes red from crying. “Thank you, Al…alpha. It’s just... it’s so hard. He was all I hadddd (sniffs)...”
× Dixie × The food they brought me is already cold. Like, seriously? They couldn't even bring it on time. And the guards, with the way they looked at me, it’s like they were delivering scraps to a criminal. It’s humiliating. I don’t belong here. I sit on the floor, my knees pulled up to my chest, hot tears streaming down my face. I hate crying, but I can't help it. It feels like the whole world is against me, and no one cares. I just want to be free, to feel like myself again.Suddenly, the door creaks open. I quickly wipe my tears and look up, low-key expecting another guard or something worse. Instead, it’s Jennie. My heart skips a beat. Where has she been all this time?She disappears into thin air very often than you can imagine and reappears with that same energy. It is weird. But it feels good to see her.“Jennie?” I whisper, my voice hoarse from all the yelling earlier.“Luna!” she rushes over, her face full of concern. “What the hell happened? Why are you in here?”I shake
× Dixie דIt is,” Jennie agrees to what I said, her eyes filled with empathy. “And it’s not fair. But you’re not alone, like I said before. You’ve got me, and there are others in the pack who care about you, too.”I look at her skeptically. “Sometimes it feels like everyone’s just waiting for me to screw up again. Like they’re expecting me to fail.”Jennie shakes her head. “That’s not true. People are just...scared. They’ve been through a lot, and they’re looking for someone to blame. But that doesn’t mean they don’t care.”“Maybe,” I mutter, not entirely convinced. “But it
× Dixie ד...I promise, the day will come that you'll come yourself to ask me to explain it all to you but it's not today.” My grandma's words replay in my head…I hadn’t understood what she meant back then. Of course, I wanted answers, hell, I wanted them more than anything. But I couldn’t stand the thought of Trix being in our house that day, invading what little peace I had left.Now, though? Now I’d give anything to have those explanations. To know what she was trying to tell me. Maybe it would make all this make sense.As I lay there, staring at the ceiling, rolling my hair with my fingers, my mind racing, I hear it. A soft crack. The kind of s
× Trix דDixie, what’s with that pouty face?” Gran Gran’s voice comes from the hallway, teasing but warm. She steps into the room with that no-nonsense energy she always has. The kind that says she’s got a hundred things going on, but none of them are more important than getting to the heart of whatever’s happening here.“Grandma, it's lovely to see you.” I say, greeting her. “Trix, good to see you sweetheart. I see you're getting handsome by the day.” She says and she winks. Oh my, sometimes I forget how goofy this lady is. I turn to look at Dixie, my heart pounding a little harder now. Dixie’s pouting? She’s always got a way of hiding her feelings, but I can see it now, the tightness around her mouth, the uncertainty in her eyes. But before I can even process it, Gran Gran just waves it off.“Never mind. That’s not why I came down here.” She pauses, her eyes shifting between the two of us, a knowing glint in them. Dixie glances at me, she's curious. The air between us feels he
× Dixie ×Finally, the smell of home. There's this warmth that wraos itself around me as I step into the familiar wals of my Gran Gran’s house. I practically green up here. It’s small but cozy, with little sunlight streaming through the windows and that earthy scent I’ve missed for months. For the first time in what feels like forever, I can breathe easy. No more battles, no more scheming, no more bloodshed. Just the quiet comfort of being back where I belong.I slip my shoes off at the door and head straight to the kitchen, the warmth of the house seeping into my bones. There’s a kettle of tea waiting on the stove, just the way it usually is.I fill a cup and sit at the small wooden table by the window, staring out at the small garden where Gran Gran used to tend to the flowers. The petals are still in bloom, a bright splash of color in the morning light. I take a sip from the cup, the warm liquid soothing my nerves, but no matter how many deep breaths I take, there’s this tension
× Alvera ×It’s a new day, and for once, it actually feels like one. I lean against the wooden post of the meeting hall, watching Trix speak with one of the elders. The elder nods at something Trix says, his stern face breaking into what looks like approval. Approval from him is a miracle in itself, and I can’t help the small smile tugging at my lips. I’ve known Trix for a long time, and seeing this moment of quiet acceptance fills me with a sense of peace I didn’t know I needed. Things are finally falling into place. That doesn’t mean the wounds have healed but the scars are starting to feel like something we can bear. I’m still struggling with my own demons, the battles we fought left marks that don’t just disappear overnight. But today? Today feels lighter. I glance over at Dixie, who’s standing a few feet away, watching Trix with a soft expression. She looks tired, but there’s a warmth in her stare that wasn’t there before. The pack’s whispers about her have quieted, and th
× Trix ×The entire pack compound is filled with killings, and shootings a d fights. I can smell blood and sweat all around me. But I can also see dead bodies on the floor. It's painful but we're not done yet. I can even feel my own exhaustion scratching at the edges of my resolve, but there’s no room for weakness here. Not now. Not when everything depends on this moment. I look around quickly, taking in the scene. Dixie is taking the pack members to safety. Alvera ks fighting both Salcom and Hermes, she looks mad. And her injuries are supposed to slow her down but she isn't giving up.Just then, Blade Alpha fires at me again, his claws aiming for my throat. I barely sidestep in time, the whoosh of his attack grazing my ear. My wolf howls within me, urging me to finish this, to end him. But how? He’s too strong, his skin is thick to everything we’ve thrown at him so far. Every cut we’ve made heals almost instantly, as if mocking us. “Silver,” a voice whispers in the back of my m
× Dixie ×Alvera steps out of the healer’s hut, and for a moment, time seems to pause. “Alvera, no!” I shout, running to her. She waves me off. “I’m fine. Focus on the fight.” I want to argue, but there’s no time. She looks drained, her steps slower than usual. She’s in her battle suit, the dark leather clinging to her like a second skin, and her weapons gleam under the faint light breaking through the smoke-filled air. She looks like someone who crawled straight out of the flames, and trust me, that’s not just a metaphor. Trix notices her too, his head snapping toward her like he’d been holding his breath this whole time. He frowns, his lips moving slightly as if he’s about to tell her to sit back down, but then he stops himself. It’s not his call, and he knows better than to underestimate Alvera’s resolve. "Let’s finish this," she says, her voice a little hoarse but steady. Trix nods, his gaze hardening as he shifts his focus back to Salcom, who’s standing in the middle
× Dixie ×A gunman spots us, his eyes narrowing as he raises his rifle. Trix moves faster than I can blink, grabbing the guy’s arm and twisting it until I hear a sickening crack.Satisfying.The gun falls to the ground, and Trix kicks it away before slamming the guy into the dirt. I don’t have time to be impressed, because another gunman is already running toward us. “Behind you!” I shout. Trix turns just in time to dodge a swing from the guy’s rifle. He grabs the weapon, yanking it out of the man’s hands before delivering a swift punch to his jaw. The guy goes down, and Trix turns to me, his expression grim. “Are you okay?” he asks. I nod, even though my legs feel like they’re about to give out. The sound of a wolf’s howl pierces the air, and I glance over to see one of the Nardoos locked in a vicious fight with a pack guard. It’s a horrifying sight, but I can’t look away. I see Salcom retreating, and his stupid laughter fades as he steps away from the whole drama.
× Dixie ×Why does these things keep happening? It's been one chaotic event to another. One battle to the next and it's tiring.Trix steps closer to me, his hand instinctively reaching out, but I can’t take my eyes off the Bamboo Alpha. His chest rises. It’s slight, barely noticeable, but it’s enough to send a jolt through me. I grab Trix’s arm, my fingers digging into his sleeve as we watch in stunned silence. The Bamboo Alpha’s eyes snap open. I gasp, scrambling back instinctively, as my heart begins to race. His eyes are glowing, a piercing silver light that seems to cut through the darkness around us. His chest heaves again, this time more pronounced, as if he’s taking his first breath in centuries. “Trix…” I whisper, my voice trembling. “I see it,” he mutters, his tone laced with awe and unease. The Alpha’s gaze shifts slowly, locking onto me. It’s like being pinned under a spotlight, every nerve in my body screaming to look away, but I can’t. His expression is unr
× Trix ×The bamboo forest feels colder than usual, even under the faint glow of the moon. Shadows stretch long and thin across the ground, their dark parts weaving between the trees like whispers of things better left unsaid. I shouldn’t feel this uneasy here, not in the heart of my own territory, not in the presence of Dixie, but tonight, nothing feels right. Dixie walks ahead of me, her grip on the bottle of Moon’s Tears is so tight that her knuckles turn white, her other hand trembling at her side. She hasn’t said much since we left Alvera in the healer’s care, and I haven’t pushed her. This moment, this plan, feels too fragile to poke at. One wrong word might shatter whatever thread of hope she’s holding onto. “Are you sure about this?” I finally ask, my voice low as the bamboo alpha’s tomb comes into view. The ancient structure is now overgrown with moss and vines, with its stones worn smooth by centuries of wind, sun and rain. It doesn’t look like much… it's just like a fo
× Trix × My heart feels like it’s been torn straight out of my chest, and I’m running on pure adrenaline. And I'm fueled by a grief so massive I can barely keep it from swallowing me whole. Ryder’s face keeps flashing before my eyes, the bloody mess of him, the way his voice cracked when he told me to leave, and that final, broken smile he wore like some kind of shield. I can still hear him saying, “I’ll be fine,” but we both knew he was lying. My lungs burn, and every step feels like I'm trying to outrun a storm that’s already caught up with me. The forest blurs around us, dark and unfamiliar, shadows twisting like they want to pull us back. Ican hear Dixie’s ragged breaths beside me, and Alvera’s limping footsteps not far behind. Every instinct I have tells me to stop. To turn back for Ryder, to fight until there’s nothing left, but I can’t. We’re alive. For now. And as much as it kills me to admit it, that’s what Ryder wanted. Leaving him wasn’t part of the plan. None o