Moonlight bathes my fur in silver as I face Amelia across the ancient fighting grounds. My new wolf form trembles, not with fear, but with a rage I've never known in my human life. Her ice-blue eyes lock onto mine, her sleek platinum form a stark contrast against the darkness. Around us, the pack forms a tight circle, their collective breath creating clouds in the crisp night air.I catch Callum's scent before I see him - pine needles and winter frost. He stands rigid at the edge of the clearing, his amber eyes reflecting both pride and terror. The sight of him sends a familiar ache through my chest. After everything - the betrayal, the transformation, the lies - here we are, about to spill blood under the same moon that watched my world shatter.Amelia strikes first.Her jaws snap where my throat had been a heartbeat ago. I dodge on instinct, my new reflexes faster than my human mind can process. Blood roars in my ears as we circle each other, my paws finding purchase in soil worn sm
My head snapped up at Amelia's snarl, watching in horror as her massive white form lunged for my throat. Time seemed to slow, my newly awakened wolf instincts screaming danger—but my human mind froze, still unused to this savage new reality.A blur of midnight black fur streaked between us. Callum.The impact of his massive form colliding with Amelia sent shockwaves through the frost-covered clearing. My heart clenched as they rolled across the ground, a tangle of snapping fangs and razor-sharp claws. Amelia's supporters surged forward, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust in the moonlight."Protect the Alpha!" Fiona's battle cry pierced the night as she shifted mid-leap, her russet fur catching the moonlight. But there were too many of them. I watched in terror as three wolves circled behind Callum, who was still locked in combat with Amelia.*Move!* My inner wolf howled, but my human side hesitated. I'd never shifted before—had barely accepted this new supernatural reality. Yet watchi
The grand council chamber lay in ruins before me, shattered glass from the ancient stained windows scattered across the marble floor like fallen stars. My newly amber eyes reflected in the fragments, a stark reminder of everything I'd become. Everything I'd lost."Order!" Elder Morrison's voice boomed through the chamber, but the chaos continued. Werewolves from every faction of the pack crowded the space, their voices a cacophony of accusations and demands. My heightened senses picked up every whispered threat, every muttered curse.I stood perfectly still, channeling every ounce of my corporate training to maintain my composure. Beside me, Callum radiated tension, his massive frame coiled tight like a spring ready to snap. Through our mate bond, I felt his rage simmering just beneath the surface.Amelia Thornton sat at the council table, her platinum blonde hair immaculate despite the morning's violence. Her ice-blue eyes met mine with calculated triumph as she rose, commanding atte
The ancient chandeliers cast long shadows across the London Pack's meeting hall, their iron frames creaking softly in the night air. I stood before the towering windows, watching my reflection ghost against rain-streaked glass. Behind me, Callum's footsteps echoed off marble floors, each step a counterpoint to my racing heart.Thunder rolled across the London sky, and I forced myself to breathe. The waxing moon hung heavy through the clouds, a silent witness to what we were about to do. To what we had to do."There has to be another way." My voice sounded hollow even to my own ears. The mate bond between us hummed with shared desperation, with fears neither of us dared voice.Callum's pacing stopped. In the glass, I watched him run both hands through his dark hair, his broad shoulders tight with tension. When he spoke, his voice was rough. "I could challenge the council's decree."I turned to face him, my throat tight. Even now, the sight of him made my heart skip – all that coiled po
The London skyline blurs through the rain-streaked windows of Callum's study as I stand before them, my reflection a ghost in the darkened glass. The storm brewing outside mirrors the tempest in my chest, where pack bonds pull and twist with each betrayal I commit. Dark circles shadow my eyes – evidence of nights spent wrestling with decisions that tear me apart. "Send the information by midnight, Olivia. Don't disappoint me again." Amelia's text message glows accusingly on my phone screen. My finger hovers over the reply button as memories assault me – Callum teaching me to howl at the moon, his hands gentle on my shoulders, his smile proud as I found my voice. The pack welcoming me, trusting me, making me family. And here I am, preparing to betray them all. The door creaks open behind me. Through our bond, I feel Callum before I see him, his presence both a comfort and a knife to my gut. He wraps his arms around my waist, nuzzling my neck in a gesture that once brought only peace.
In the growing darkness, I make a decision that will change everything. I open a new document and begin typing – not to Amelia, but to Callum. Every secret shared, every manipulation attempted, every moment I realized my love for the pack outweighed my fear of Amelia's threats. My fingers fly across the keyboard, pouring out truths I should have told months ago. When I finish, I hit send. Lightning illuminates the London skyline as I wait for either redemption or final betrayal, the weight of divided loyalties reaching its breaking point. The door opens. Callum stands there, his phone in his hand, my confession fresh on the screen. His face shows no emotion, but our bond thrums with pain, anger, and underneath it all, a desperate need to understand. "Why?" he asks simply. "She threatened the pack," I whisper. "Said she had evidence of illegal operations, enough to destroy everything you've built. I thought... I thought I could protect you all by playing along, feeding her harmless
The glow of my computer screen was harsh in my office as midnight approached. Rain pelted the floor-to-ceiling windows of Wolfe Industries, mirroring the turmoil in my mind. My phone buzzed again-another message from Amelia demanding information about the pack's plans.I stared hard at the scattered financial reports detailing the growing government pressure on suspected werewolf-owned businesses. Each sheet was another noose tightening in the pack's neck, in Callum's neck. My chest tightened at the thought of him, of my growing betrayal.There came a gentle tap on the door. Standing in it was Callum, whose amber eyes filled with so much concern, my heart yearned at the very fact. Then he approached towards my working desk with a steaming cup of tea in his hand, exactly the way I liked, releasing the fragrances of camomile and honey into the air."You're working too hard," he whispered, setting the cup beside me. His fingers grazed mine; a shiver ran through my skin. "Everyone else we
I'd never felt so caged as I did this very moment, surrounded by those glass walls of Wolfe Industries's top floor conference room. Rain pounded against the panes, casting jumping shadows across the scattered documents telling the story of our deepest, darkest fears in black and white. My fingers betrayed my tension, quivering around a surveillance photo as my stomach churned its guilt over what I had pulled."The books don't lie," Fiona said, the slightest quiver to her voice as she gestured to her tablet. "The government's werewolf taskforce is being funded through a web of shell companies." Her fingers drummed a nervous rhythm on the mahogany table as she spoke, each tap echoing my racing heartbeat.Callum's broad shoulders were tense, his powerful frame cast in shadow as he paced before the pack council, his eyes churning like the stormy London skyline. I couldn't tear my eyes from him, even as shame threatened to suffocate me. Every step he took was like another nail in the coffi
"Consider it done," Elena Volkov said firmly. "Go save your mate."Callum didn't waste time responding. "Alistair, organize the medical team. We need the anti-silver treatments developed by pharmaceutical. Fiona, coordinate from here." He was already moving toward the door."Where are you going?" Alistair asked, though he already knew the answer."To get Olivia.""Callum," Fiona called, her expression grim as she studied the biometric readings from Olivia's tactical gear. "Her heart rate's dropping."The Alpha paused, his face a mask of controlled fury. "Then I'd better hurry."I drifted in and out of consciousness, aware of voices around me but unable to respond. The silver burned through my system, preventing my werewolf healing from closing the wound."Stay with me, Olivia," Lucas urged, his hands pressing against my side. "The extraction team is coming."Silver poisoning was a unique agony—like acid in the veins, burning from within. I'd experienced it before, but never this sever
The damp air of London's underground tunnels clung to my skin, rank with the smell of sulfur and centuries of decay. I signaled the team to halt, my eyes adjusting to the darkness."Scent markers ahead," Lucas whispered, his military training evident in his precise movements. "Two hundred meters.""Everyone clear on the objective?" I asked, adjusting the tactical pack containing Amelia's stolen files against my back.Sophia nodded, her dark eyes gleaming amber in the low light. "Get in, confirm virus distribution points, get out. No engagement unless necessary.""And if it becomes necessary?" I challenged."Then we make them regret ever hearing the word 'werewolf,'" Lucas growled, his fingers flexing as if already imagining claws extending.The three younger wolves—Elliot, Zara, and Dominic—exchanged nervous glances. They were pack members Callum had reluctantly agreed to include after I'd insisted we needed their specialized skills."Stay focused," I told them. "Remember your trainin
Rain lashed against the windows of the executive suite of Wolfe Industries as I stared at the security footage playing on my tablet. My hands shook as I watched James-my ex-husband-stalk through the loading docks of our research facility."How did he get access?" I demanded, my voice sharp enough to make Fiona flinch."Amelia gave him the codes." Fiona's Irish lilt carried a growl. "She's been feeding him that experimental serum for weeks."My stomach lurched. The mate bond with Callum pulsed with shared anxiety-he'd felt my distress from across the city. "Show me the lab footage again."The video showed James injecting himself with a glowing blue liquid, his body convulsing as bones crackled with the transformation. But this wasn't a normal shift. The black wolf that emerged was grotesque, nearly twice the normal size."Olivia." Callum's voice came from the doorway, low with tension. He crossed to me in three long strides, pulling me into his arms. I breathed in his scent - pine and
James stood in Callum's office, and the mere presence made my skin shiver. His new form felt like ill-fitting skin with twitchy movements. Behind him, the full moon neared, cloaking everything in an ominous luminescence through the floor-to-ceiling windows over the panorama of London at dusk."I did this for you, Olivia," James said, shifting a step closer. His amber eyes flashed in that terrible rhythm of human and wolf. Terrifyingly too irregular. "To understand what you've become.""Back," I stammered, continuing my reverse pace. The shifting in James wasn't quite right - a perversely distorted sense in his energy - wrong."Afraid?" He let loose with a burst of manic-tinged laughter. "The great Olivia Blackwood afraid of her own husband?"Ex-husband," I corrected sharply. "And you're insane if you think this changes anything between us.""Everything's changed!" James lunged forward, grabbing my arm. His grip burned like fire. "You took everything from me when you chose him. Now I'l
I cross-referenced another bank statement, and the numbers on my screen all began to blur together. My wolf bristled beneath my skin, restless after hours being trapped in my office. But I had to find the connection. Had to prove Amelia's research wasn't just funded by concerned citizens."Got you," I whispered to myself, my fingers flying across the keyboard. Shell companies folded into shell companies, but they all connected to one base-PharmaCorp Global.My office door burst open. "Olivia." Callum's voice was tight with tension. Amber eyes locked onto mine, and instantly my wolf perked up at her Alpha's presence. "The board meeting's been moved up. They know."My heart stopped. "How?"Amelia." His jaw clenched. "She sent proof to every major shareholder.""I'll come with you." I stood, but Callum raised his hand."No. Stay here. Keep digging." His voice softened. "Please, love. This could save us all."He was gone before I could argue. I forced my attention back to my screen, the a
I quaked and replayed for the third time the recorded shot from surveillance cameras. Amelia's secret facility gleamed on screen in all clinical white and beige, and then he appeared-the figure of James meticulously recording how captured werewolves struggled and writhed through transformation."Olivia." Callum's voice held concern tight as he stood a step behind. "You really don't want to go over this again.""I do." It cut deeper than James's infidelity ever had. "He's working with Amelia to develop a 'cure' that's nothing but torture.""We have enough evidence." Callum's hand settled on my shoulder. "The pack alphas are waiting."Turning from the screen, I met his amber gaze. "How many did they experiment on?""Too many." His jaw clenched. "But we'll end this. Tonight."It was already chaotic when we entered. Five London alphas prowled the marble conference room, centuries of rivalry crackling between them."This is a waste of time," Marcus snarled, his massive frame towering over
My body shook with strange power coursing through my veins. Shattered glass crunched beneath my feet, scattered across the marble floors of Wolfe Industries' headquarters. The full moon's ethereal glow filtered through the broken windows, casting long shadows across the destruction."Olivia." Callum's voice was tight with concern. "Your eyes."I caught my reflection in a shard of glass. Where my green eyes once were, brilliant gold now blazed back at me. The power rising inside was ancient, primal-something far beyond the normal werewolf strength I'd grown so accustomed to."What's happening to me?" My voice shook as another wave of energy pulsed through my body.Callum took a step toward me, then stopped, once more. My mate was one of the most powerful Alphas in London, but even he acted cautious against the force emanating from my skin. Through our bond, I felt his amazement and uncertainty."The prophecy," he breathed. "It's actually happening."The screech of helicopter blades cut
Chapter 89: ConvergencePain rips through my body as another wave of silver fire courses beneath my skin. Through blurred vision, I catch my reflection in the penthouse window – ethereal symbols pulse across my arms in an ancient script I shouldn't understand but somehow do. My fingertips trace the glowing marks, each touch sending sparks of electricity through my nerve endings."She's burning up." Marcus's worried voice sounds like it comes from afar. "The Proto-Lycian markings are spreading at a speed I have never seen. At this rate.""At what rate?" I demand in my hoarse voice. "Tell me what's happening to me!"The pack healer gives a glance at his assistant. "The ancient bloodlines stir within you. But the blend of First Born and witch ancestry-it's unprecedented."I try to focus on the London skyline beyond the glass, but my enhanced senses are going haywire. The heartbeat of the city pounds in my ears-thousands of footsteps, whispered conversations, and. something else. A primal
The ancient Celtic runes swirled in front of my eyes as Emilia's fingers quivered across the worn leather journal. My heart crashed against my ribs, each beat a repetition of the omen to be. The heat from the lamp couldn't dispel the chill in my bones."Olivia." Her voice broke. "The prophecy. it's about you."Callum's presence behind me shifted, his warmth radiating against my back. The lamp's glow cast long shadows across the pack library's wooden shelves, making the ancient texts loom like silent witnesses."What do you mean?" I fought to keep my voice steady."Five bloodlines must come together under the power of the crimson moon." The pattern that outlined the runes glowed beneath the touch of Emilia's tracing finger. "The Blackwoods- which is your family. Should one of these five fail, the ritual has to. This can't-"I turned, and fell, nearly stepping back onto Callum, my face beet red."A werewolf," Callum completed in a growl. "Your bloodline is no coincidence, Olivia. The Ma