Chapter 20: The vision

 Lila's POV 

The air in the room felt suffocating after Marcus’s revelation. Fenris. The first werewolf. Even the name carried an ominous weight, like saying it aloud would summon him. Ethan was already barking orders, his alpha presence commanding the room. Meanwhile, I stood rooted to the spot, my mind racing.  

I wasn’t ready for this.  

The pack’s training area buzzed with tense energy, everyone sharpening their skills, memorizing plans, and exchanging nervous glances. Most of them avoided looking at me directly, unsure, no doubt, what to make of the human girl suddenly thrust into their supernatural world, although now i knew i was no longer a normal human girl, not with everything happening lately. I did my best to ignore the stares, focusing instead on practicing a new control technique Ethan had shown me to rein in the flickering energy coursing through me. But as I raised my hand to attempt the maneuver again, a sharp burst of heat shot up my arm, surprising me.

“Ahh!” I gasped, clutching my hand as the energy fizzled out, leaving a faint, tingling ache.

“Lila, you okay?” Ethan appeared at my side, his face creased with concern.

“Yeah,” I lied, shaking my hand as if that would shake off the burning sensation. “Just… I don’t know. Everything feels off today.”

Ethan nodded, his gaze softening as he placed a steadying hand on my shoulder. “The energy around here is volatile,” he said quietly. “Dominic’s power is seeping through every boundary, and that’s affecting you. It’s natural.”

I exhaled, half-relieved, though the tension in his expression hinted that maybe this was only the start. “What if it doesn’t get better? I don’t want to be a liability, Ethan.”

“You’re not a liability,” he said firmly, meeting my eyes. “You’re our best chance at stopping him.”

I wasn’t sure I believed him, but his confidence gave me a small spark of hope. Taking a deep breath, I tried the technique again, this time keeping my movements slow and focused. The energy crackled along my fingertips but stayed contained this time, a small victory.

Ethan watched for a moment, his expression unreadable, before nodding and stepping back to oversee the others. I caught him glancing at me a few more times, and though he didn’t say anything, his gaze left a strange warmth in my chest that I couldn’t quite explain.

After several hours, the pack was given a break, and I decided to take the opportunity to get some air. The training had exhausted me, but the persistent pulse inside me hadn’t let up. If anything, it was growing stronger, almost insistent. I walked along the path that wound through the woods surrounding the pack’s grounds, hoping the fresh air would help clear my head.

And then, out of nowhere, it hit me.

One moment, I was walking through the forest, the scent of pine and earth grounding me. The next, the world seemed to dissolve into darkness, and a vivid image filled my mind. Fires raged, the familiar buildings of Silverwood reduced to ashes as screams echoed around me. I tried to focus, to pull myself out of the vision, but it was as though I were stuck, trapped within a nightmare I couldn’t escape.

The flames grew higher, consuming everything in sight. I felt my heart pounding as I struggled against the vision, desperate to understand what I was seeing, but everything was a chaotic blur of fire and destruction. And then, as suddenly as it began, the vision shifted.

A figure emerged from the shadows—a wolf, massive and dark, with eyes that glowed an unnatural red. It snarled, baring teeth that seemed impossibly sharp, its gaze locked on something in the distance. And then, to my horror, it turned those red eyes on me.

The vision snapped, and I staggered, grabbing a nearby tree to steady myself. My heart raced, the image of that monstrous wolf still fresh in my mind. I felt an ache at my temples and closed my eyes, trying to ground myself. This was more than just a feeling; it was a warning. But how was I supposed to tell Ethan without sounding like I was losing it?

Footsteps crunched behind me, and I turned to see Olivia, her face a mixture of worry and curiosity. “You alright, Lila? You look like you just saw a ghost.”

“Something like that,” I managed, running a hand over my forehead. “It’s… I think I had some kind of vision. About Silverwood.”

Olivia’s eyes widened slightly, and she took a step closer, her voice low. “What did you see?”

I hesitated, the memory of the flames and that terrible wolf still sending chills down my spine. “Fire. Destruction. And… a creature, a wolf, but not like any I’ve seen. It was massive and… dark. It felt like pure evil.”

She was quiet for a moment, her gaze thoughtful. “Lila, you need to tell Ethan. If you’re seeing visions, that could be a sign of something significant.”

I nodded, already feeling the weight of the decision. Ethan would want to know, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that this vision wasn’t something we could prevent. Still, I knew I had to try.

We made our way back to the training grounds, and I found Ethan speaking with Marcus, his expression tense. At the sight of me, he broke away, his eyes searching mine for answers.

“Lila?” he asked, his voice low. “What happened?”

I swallowed, still unsure how to explain it. “Ethan, I think I had a vision… of Silverwood. There was fire, and destruction, and this… creature, a wolf with red eyes. It felt… like something was watching me.”

Ethan’s face went pale, and he ran a hand through his hair, visibly shaken. “Red eyes… that’s a mark of the ancient bloodline Dominic is trying to summon. If you’re seeing it, that means it’s already closer than we thought.”

Marcus stiffened, his gaze shifting between us. “We don’t have time, then,” he said, voice low. “If Dominic is close enough to manifest in visions, he’s closer to the ritual than we anticipated.”

My stomach twisted, dread settling over me like a heavy fog. This was no longer just about protecting ourselves; Silverwood’s entire existence was at stake. I looked to Ethan, whose jaw was clenched in determination.

“Then we go tonight,” he said, his tone hard as steel. “We can’t wait until tomorrow. We need to stop him before he can complete the ritual.”

There was a murmur of agreement from the pack members around us, their faces set with grim determination. Even though the fear was palpable, I could see their loyalty to Ethan—and to Silverwood—overpowering their fear. My own heart pounded, but I took a deep breath, reminding myself that I’d come this far and couldn’t back down now.

“Alright,” Ethan said, his gaze sweeping over each of us. “We’ll gather our best fighters. Lila, you’ll stay close to me. If that wolf is after you, I’m not taking any chances.”

I opened my mouth to protest, to insist I could handle myself, but something in his expression told me this was more than just an alpha protecting his pack. It was personal.

We spent the next hour preparing, gathering supplies and coordinating with the pack members who would stay behind to guard Silverwood. As I checked my supplies, I felt Ethan’s presence beside me, his hand reaching out to clasp mine.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” he asked quietly, his eyes searching mine.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I replied, squeezing his hand. I didn’t have time to dwell on the electricity of his touch or the warmth in his gaze. This was about survival, about facing down a threat none of us fully understood.

The night descended around us as we made our way to the edge of the forest, the shadows deep and silent. Every sound seemed amplified, every snap of a branch or rustle of leaves sending my heart racing. Ethan moved beside me, his gaze sharp, scanning the darkness with a predator’s focus. I could feel his tension, his determination radiating through every step.

As we neared the clearing where Dominic was rumored to be hiding, I felt the pulse of dark energy again, stronger than ever. It was as though the very air was thickening, pressing down on us with a weight that was almost suffocating.

“We’re close,” Ethan whispered, his voice barely audible. He signaled for us to spread out, and I followed his lead, moving through the shadows as silently as I could. The vision replayed in my mind, that monstrous wolf with its glowing red eyes haunting me even as I fought to focus.

We reached the clearing and crouched low, watching from a distance as Dominic and his followers prepared for the ritual. A massive stone altar sat in the center, surrounded by dark sigils that pulsed with ominous energy.

And then, the wolf from my vision appeared.

It emerged from the shadows, larger and more terrifying than I’d remembered, its eyes glowing like embers. My heart raced, and I looked at Ethan, who stared at the creature with a mixture of horror and resolve.

This was it. The moment we’d been dreading.

As the wolf turned its gaze on us, I knew that whatever happened next, nothing would ever be the same.