JAKE'S POV The morning sun cast long, golden rays over the forest, a deceptive serenity cloaking the air still heavy with the aftermath of the battle. Priscilla walked a few steps ahead of me, her shoulders squared as if to prove she was fine, though I could see the tremor in her movements. “Prisca,” I said, my voice firm but gentle. “Are you okay my love?"She glanced back, her lips twitching in that defiant smile I both loved and hated. “I told you, Jake. I’m fine.” But as the words left her mouth, her knees buckled. I caught her just in time, my arms wrapping around her before she hit the ground. “Prisca!” Panic surged through me as I cradled her limp form. Her skin was pale, her breaths shallow. “She’s overexerted herself,” Althea said, stepping to my side. “Her magic is drained, and she needs to recover.” “She looks—” I swallowed hard, unable to finish the sentence. “She’s not dying, Jake,” Althea assured me. “But she’s teetering close to exhaustion. Let her rest. It
PRISCA’S POVThe familiar sight of the pack’s territory came into view just as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the fields and treetops. The tension in my chest eased slightly at the sight of home, but it didn’t last long. The air was heavy with unease, and the guards at the perimeter carried a nervous energy, their eyes scanning the forest for threats that might already be too close.Jake carried me most of the way back, despite my protests. My strength was slowly returning, but he refused to hear any argument. His arms were like iron bands around me, and while his touch usually brought me comfort, I could sense his fear.“You’re still too weak,” he murmured when I tried to stand. “Let me take care of you for once.”I didn’t have the energy to argue. I rested my head against his shoulder, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my cheek.Once inside the safety of the main house, Jake set me down gently on the couch in the living room. The r
The air was different this morning. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, there was no lingering sense of dread. The oppressive weight of fear had lifted, replaced by a strange, almost foreign tranquility. The spell had worked. I stood on the balcony of Jake’s room, the morning sun casting a golden glow over the pack lands. From here, I could see everything—the lush greenery, the winding river that split the forest, and the pack members moving about below with smiles that hadn’t been there in weeks. Laughter carried on the breeze, and it was like music to my ears. “You’ve been quiet all morning,” Jake’s voice rumbled behind me, deep and soft, pulling me out of my thoughts. I turned to find him leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his broad chest. His shirt was unbuttoned, revealing the defined lines of his muscles, and his dark eyes studied me with an intensity that made my stomach flutter. “Just...taking it all in,” I admitted, gesturing to the view.
The morning air felt thick with questions. Despite the beauty of the sunrise spreading its golden light across the pack lands, my thoughts were clouded with doubts and a lingering unease. Esther’s voice still echoed in my mind from the night before, her cryptic warnings clinging to my thoughts like cobwebs. I needed answers, and I knew exactly where to start. “Althea,” I called out as I entered the room we had turned into our makeshift study. She was already there, flipping through one of her many ancient grimoires, a cup of steaming tea in her hand. She looked up at me, her dark curls framing her face. “Good morning, Prisca. You look…” Her brows furrowed as she studied me closer. “Troubled. Did something happen?” I hesitated for a moment, unsure if I was ready to share what I had seen. But this was Althea—my sister, my confidante. If anyone could help me make sense of this, it was her. “I had another vision,” I admitted, sitting down across from her. Althea set her tea as
The pack lands were quieter than I’d ever seen them. It wasn’t just the absence of threats or monsters—it was something else, something deeper. A kind of waiting, like the forest itself was holding its breath. I had spent most of the day wandering the edges of the village, watching the rebuilding efforts. Roofs were mended, fences were repaired, and the laughter of children carried through the air. It should have been comforting, but I couldn’t shake the unease coiling in my chest. Jake found me leaning against the railing of the training grounds, my eyes distant as I watched the warriors spar. “Thought I’d find you here,” he said, his voice cutting through the late afternoon air. I turned to see him approaching, his steps sure and purposeful. There was something different about him today—a tension in his shoulders, a storm brewing in his eyes. “You always seem to know where I am,” I said, managing a small smile. He smirked, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Call it
The morning sunlight filtered through the window, its warmth brushing against my face and coaxing me awake. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, there was no immediate sense of danger or urgency. No looming battles, no visions of destruction. Just the quiet hum of a pack going about its day.I stretched lazily, letting the sheets fall away, and swung my feet onto the floor. The wooden boards were cool against my skin, grounding me in the here and now.The cabin smelled of freshly baked bread, the warm, yeasty aroma drifting in from the kitchen. Jake must have already been up for hours. The man had an infuriating habit of waking before dawn, but I didn’t mind. It meant I always had something delicious to look forward to when I finally crawled out of bed.I threw on a simple cotton dress, tying my hair into a loose braid as I made my way to the kitchen. Jake was standing by the stove, his broad back turned to me as he flipped pancakes with a practiced ease. He was wearing a
The first sign that something was off came early in the morning. I woke up feeling as though I’d been dragged through a storm. My body ached, my head was pounding, and my stomach churned with a nauseating unease. At first, I thought it was the stress of everything catching up to me. After all, peace didn’t come easy, and even when it did, the lingering shadows of what we’d endured never truly disappeared. I tried to shake it off, splashing cold water on my face and dressing in a soft cotton tunic and leggings. Jake was already up, probably attending to pack matters, so I made my way to the kitchen to find something to settle my stomach. The smell of coffee hit me like a slap in the face, and I had to clamp a hand over my mouth to keep from gagging. It was strange. Normally, I loved the scent of freshly brewed coffee, but today it seemed unbearably strong and bitter. I settled for a glass of water and a slice of toast, nibbling at it absentmindedly as I stared out the window. The
The morning air was crisp, the scent of pine and dew swirling around me as I stepped out onto the porch. My heart was a tangle of emotions—joy, nervousness, and a hint of fear—all stemming from the life growing inside me. I rested a hand on my stomach, my lips curving into a soft smile. Today was the day. I’d tell Jake about the baby. He deserved to know. He had always been my anchor, my protector, and the love of my life. And now, we were starting a new chapter, one that would bind us even more closely together. As I turned back toward the cabin, I heard the faint murmur of voices in the distance. Jake’s voice was unmistakable, firm and commanding as he spoke to one of his pack members. Curious, I followed the sound, only to find Jake and several others gathered near the training grounds. ---“What’s going on?” I asked, approaching the group. Jake turned to me, his golden eyes softening when they met mine. “We’ve had reports of some strange activity near the northern border
The moment I stepped into our bedroom, I knew something was wrong. Prisca sat on the edge of the bed, her back to me, staring out the window. The moonlight cast a soft glow on her, making her seem almost ethereal, but the tension in her shoulders gave her away. She was deep in thought, troubled. Lately, she'd been distant. At first, I chalked it up to the pregnancy—mood swings, exhaustion, the usual things that came with carrying a child. But this was different. There was something *heavier* weighing on her, something she wasn’t telling me. I had given her space, thinking maybe she just needed time to process things on her own, but time had only made it worse. I couldn’t take it anymore. I walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Prisca, what's going on?" She flinched. *Flinched.* I immediately withdrew my hand, my stomach twisting. My mate had never reacted to me like that before. She turned to face me, her expression unreadable. “Nothing, Jake. I’m just t
I spent the entire morning with Althea, flipping through ancient grimoires, searching desperately for a spell that could summon Esther. My hands trembled as I traced the inked symbols in an old book, my mind racing with the possibilities of what we might discover. We had been through this before, and every attempt had failed. But this time, it felt different. This time, we needed answers. The room was dimly lit, the scent of burning sage and lavender thick in the air. The candles flickered unnaturally, as if something unseen was already lurking, waiting for us to call upon it. I swallowed hard and looked at my sister. “Are you sure about this?” Althea asked, her voice steady but filled with caution. “Summoning a spirit isn’t like calling on just any entity. Esther is powerful, and she’s—” “Unpredictable?” I finished for her. Althea nodded. “To say the least.” I clenched my fists, my determination outweighing my fear. “I don’t have a choice, Althea. I need to know how to save
I woke up feeling… strange. It wasn’t the usual exhaustion from pregnancy or the occasional morning sickness. This was different. It was as if something unseen crackled in the air around me, a tingling sensation running up and down my spine. My dreams had been odd, but that wasn’t new—I had been plagued with visions ever since we returned to the pack. Shaking off the unease, I sat up and stretched. The room was quiet, sunlight filtering in through the curtains, but something felt off. I glanced around, half expecting something to be lurking in the shadows. Nothing. Just my mind playing tricks on me. "Okay, Prisca. Breathe," I muttered to myself before sliding out of bed. As I padded to the bathroom, the floorboards creaked louder than usual. The second I stepped onto the tile, the faucet turned on by itself, water gushing out forcefully as if someone had yanked it open. I froze. My pulse quickened. I hadn't touched it. Swallowing hard, I reached for the knob and twisted it
The morning air was crisp as I stepped outside, the cool breeze brushing against my skin. The world felt heavy, the weight of my vision pressing down on my shoulders like an iron yoke. I had barely slept the night before, my mind looping through the same horrible question—who do I sacrifice? Jake or our child? I couldn’t make that choice. I wouldn’t. Which meant I had only one option: to find a way to break this fate before it broke me. I needed my sister. Althea was in the greenhouse again, her hands covered in soil as she carefully tended to a row of herbs. The scent of rosemary and lavender filled the air, a calming contrast to the storm inside me. She glanced up as I approached, instantly recognizing the distress on my face. “You look like hell.” I let out a humorless chuckle. “You told me that yesterday.” “Well, it’s still true.” She dusted off her hands and crossed her arms. “Talk to me.” I hesitated for a moment before finally blurting out, “I need your help. I
The day started with sunlight streaming through the window, a rare reprieve from the gloom that seemed to have hung over the pack for weeks. I stretched carefully, my hand instinctively going to my stomach. It was still hard to believe that a life was growing inside me. Every little flutter, every kick, was a reminder of the impossible decision I was grappling with. Jake was still asleep beside me, his arm draped over my waist, his steady breathing a source of comfort. For a moment, I let myself forget everything—the visions, the chaos, the impending doom. In that quiet moment, it was just us. But peace doesn’t last, not in our world. I slipped out of bed, careful not to wake him, and headed downstairs. Sophie was already in the kitchen, humming softly as she prepared breakfast. “Morning,” she said cheerfully. “You’re up early.” I forced a smile, grabbing a glass of water. “Couldn’t sleep.” She raised an eyebrow but didn’t press. Sophie was perceptive, but she knew when to
It started with rain. Not the gentle kind that taps on the window and lulls you into a false sense of peace. No, this was the unrelenting, bone-soaking kind that turned the ground to sludge and drowned any hope of a good day.I woke up to the sound of it hammering against the roof, a relentless drumming that refused to be ignored. Groaning, I rolled over and pulled the blankets tighter around me. Jake’s side of the bed was already cold, his absence a reminder of his early morning patrols.“Rain,” I muttered to myself. “Of course it’s raining.”The baby kicked lightly, as if agreeing with my discontent. I sighed, rubbing my belly. “You don’t like it either, huh?”There was no point in staying in bed, no matter how much I wanted to. The pack house didn’t run itself, and Jake certainly couldn’t handle everything alone.By the time I made it to the kitchen, I was already regretting getting up. Sophie was there, perched on the counter with a mug of coffee, her hair in a chaotic bun and her
The winds felt heavier today, thick with unspoken tension as if the earth itself knew something was amiss. Even the birds seemed quieter, their usual melodies replaced by uneasy chirps. I couldn’t shake the sense that this was the beginning of something dark. Esther’s cryptic words about chaos and fate clawed at the back of my mind, resurfacing with every step I took. I rested a hand on my still-flat stomach, a gesture of reassurance as much for me as it was for the baby. “It’s okay,” I murmured, though I wasn’t sure if I was convincing myself or the little life growing inside me. The day started normally enough. Jake had left early to oversee patrols after reports of rogue sightings near the border. I stayed behind, trying to keep myself busy in the garden. The vibrant blooms offered a semblance of peace, their colors a stark contrast to the unease brewing in my chest. But even this small sanctuary felt off. As I reached to pluck a weed, my fingers froze. The leaves of the rose
**Chapter: Cravings and Suspicions** *(Priscilla’s Perspective)* The day began with an overwhelming craving for waffles. Not just any waffles—crispy, golden waffles piled high with whipped cream, strawberries, chocolate syrup, and... bacon. Yes, bacon. Jake, the ever-supportive mate, was already in the kitchen when I stumbled in, still rubbing the sleep from my eyes. He looked up from the stove and grinned. “Good morning, sleepyhead. Waffles, right?” I froze, staring at him. “How did you know?” “Because it’s been waffles every morning this week,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “I’m starting to think you’ve developed a full-blown obsession.” “It’s not an obsession,” I muttered, sliding into a chair. “It’s... a craving.” Jake chuckled, setting a plate in front of me. “Whatever you say, love. Do you want syrup on the bacon again?” “Yes,” I said, completely serious. Jake didn’t even blink as he handed me the syrup bottle, but I could tell he was biting back a laugh. I dr
The morning started with a craving so bizarre it left me staring at the contents of my fridge in utter confusion. Pickles, peanut butter, and... raw steak? I blinked at the combination in my hands, shaking my head as if that would fix my brain. "What is wrong with me?" I muttered, setting the steak back and eyeing the peanut butter jar suspiciously. My stomach growled defiantly, and before I could stop myself, I was dipping a pickle into the peanut butter and taking a big bite. It wasn’t bad. Okay, it was disgusting, but my body apparently didn’t care because I went back for a second bite. Jake walked in just as I was mid-bite, the jar of peanut butter balanced precariously on the edge of the counter. He froze in the doorway, his eyes darting between the pickle in my hand and the jar. “Is that... what I think it is?” he asked, his tone a mix of horror and amusement. I swallowed quickly, my cheeks heating. “Don’t judge me.” Jake raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. “I’m