ELIJAH“You must be what they call the Shadow wolf,” I say as I look at him. “I’m you,” he speaks back, his eyes staring at me with a look that’s devoid of any emotions or expressions. “You are the Shadow wolf.” I scoff. “I don’t choose this path.” I spat. “It does not matter what you choose. Fate has chosen for you. No matter how much you resist it, it's going to stay attached to you.” His words make my jaw clench. “Then I’ll control it.” “You can’t. A hunter hunts by choice. But a beast is beastly by nature. You are a shadow wolf by nature. You can’t change nature.” I narrow my eyes. “So what do I do then?” “Accept me.” He says in a nonchalant tone. “We are the same person. I’m just a more powerful version of you. If we become one, the world becomes yours. You’ll rule over it and make everyone worship Lord Umbra. The one and only God of this world.” “Nonsense! I’m strong enough and I rule my pack. And my wife is my world. I don’t need anything else.” “She is your enemy!” He
VERENACeline walks into my bedroom with a look of concern etched on her face and asks me. “Where’s he?” I point towards the bed and she sees him lying on the bed. I told her everything on the phone. When I held him in my arms, I could feel his heartbeat. I know he’s alive. But he’s not responding. My heart breaks at that thought. Celine slowly walks over to the bed and places her coat on the couch nearby. She exhales and rolls up the sleeves of her blouse. She, then, closes her eyes and her lips move as she mumbles some incantation under her breath. A few seconds pass and she opens her eyes, then places her palms on top of Elijah’s chest. She moves her palms on top of his body for a few seconds before her eyes stare ahead, as if she’s thinking something, “He’s not dead. But he’s not alive either.” My lips part in shock from her words. Not dead, not alive? “What kind of condition is that?” She looks at me. “Shadow wolves have special powers. They have control over their lives. If
VERENAI stare at the watch again and realization dawns on me. I turn towards Joshua. “This is Ezra’s drawing. I think it's about the watch that Ezra gifted Drake and Dory. He said that it can track their locations.” Joshua’s eyes narrow. “But how will it help us? It must be just a silly toy he made.” His voice is laced with a hint of skepticism.I shake my head. “Ezra doesn't make silly toys. He can actually make good gadgets. And this is Elijah’s handwriting. He must have written this for a reason.” Joshua looks at the paper. “Then let's find Drake.” We both rush out of the room and I min-link Drake. “Drake, where are you?” “Luna, I’m training. Why?” He responds. “Come to the packhouse immediately.” I order. “Okay.” Seconds later, Drake walks inside the living room and meets us. I look at him. “Do you have the watch Ezra gifted you?” He frowns and looks at the two of us. “Yeah, I do. But…” he scratches his head. “But what?” “I don’t remember where I kept it.” he says, look
VERENADrake and Joshua rush to my side, their faces etched with concern. "Maybe it's broken," Drake suggests, his voice a mixture of hope and despair.I refuse to give up. "We can't let it break," I say, my voice firm. "We have to fix it."With a newfound determination, I leave Drake's room and head towards the dining room. The dimly lit room has a few lamps casting a warm glow on the table. The aroma of freshly cooked dinner fills the air, a tantalizing scent that makes my stomach rumble. But because of Elijah’s condition, all my appetite has died down. I won’t be eating anything tonight. Ezra is just about to start his dinner, his eyes sparkling with anticipation when he sees me. “Mommy, are you going to have dinner with me?” he asks in excitement and my chest tightens. I have to refuse him right now. “No, sweetie. There’s something I need your help with.” I say and his face lights up. "Sure, Mommy!" he exclaims, his eyes wide with eagerness. He’s always happy to help me. “Uh,
VERENA“Where’s Dory? She didn’t come to play with me today.” Ezra complaints, pouting. “Is she playing hide-and-seek with me?” I smile, a bittersweet expression playing on my lips. "Sort of," I reply, my voice filled with a newfound hope. "She's playing hide-and-seek with us."Ezra chuckles, his laughter a soothing balm for my troubled heart. "That's like Finding Dory," he says, his eyes sparkling with excitement.I smile, wiping the tears quickly that threaten to escape my eye. "It is," I reply, my voice filled with a newfound hope. "Now, it's time for bed."Ezra nods, his enthusiasm fading as the reality of sleep sets in. As I tuck him in, I watch him drift off to sleep, his small chest rising and falling with each breath. In the darkness of his room, I find a sense of peace, a flicker of hope that illuminates the path ahead.The meeting room, a dimly lit space filled with the scent of wood and leather, is our chosen venue for the meeting. Joshua and Drake stand before me, their f
VERENA“You don’t fucking have to. I don’t care about it. Verena trusts me, that’s more than enough for me.” Carlisle replies. "I'm here to help, not to hinder.""Yeah, right," Drake scoffs. "We'll see about that."I step between them, trying to defuse the tension. "Enough," I say, my voice firm. "We have a mission to accomplish here. We need to focus on that, not on our personal grudges."Reluctantly, they both back down. But the undercurrent of animosity remains a constant threat to our unity.Ignoring the animosity, I shift into my wolf form, a white, powerful beast. The other warriors follow suit, their forms morphing into a strong army. The men and women from the Moonlight pack join us, their numbers bolstering our ranks.With a final glance at the gathering storm clouds, we set off, our footsteps a rhythmic drumbeat against the earth.The forest seems to swallow us as we keep running.he trees, ancient and gnarled, reach towards the sky, their branches intertwining to form a cano
VERENAI leap into the air, my body twisting in mid-air as I aim for its vulnerable throat. My claws connect, a sickening crunch echoing through the chamber. The Ashwalker lets out a final, agonized scream before collapsing to the floor and a white light consuming it before it disperses into the air. Satisfied, I turn to face the remaining Ashwalkers. They are circling Drake and Joshua, their eyes glowing with a feral intensity. I know I have to be careful. These creatures are more powerful here. Joshua manages to tackle one with his strength but the rest try to gang up on him. As the Ashwalkers close in on Joshua and Drake, they form a menacing wall of darkness, I know I have to act. With a roar, I launch myself into the fray, my body a blur of motion as I tear through the ranks of the Ashwalkers. My claws rake across their hides, leaving deep, bleeding wounds. They howl in pain, their attacks becoming more desperate. I protect Joshua and Drake, shielding them from the Ashwalker
VERENAMy gaze falls on the woman whose body is half-burned. Her closed eyes snap open, making my heart jump into my throat. Shit. Then, with a sickening crack, the first tube shatters. A torrent of liquid cascades down, the thick, viscous substance quickly pooling on the floor. Panic surges through me as I realize the danger we're in. I grab Joshua and Drake's hands, pulling them towards me. The liquid is rising rapidly, and we have to move.As we stumble through the rising tide, the Ashwalkers emerge from the cracked tubes one by one. Their eyes turn hollow, and they transform into wolves before my very eyes. Their howls echo through the flooded lab, sending shivers down my spine.“There are too many of them.” Drake says as they surround us. With the thick liquid stuck to my feet, it's getting hard to move around. What do I do now? The world is a blur of motion as I swing my fist towards the Ashwalker charging at me. The air is thick with the scent of sweat and fear, and the soun