Sounds of gunshots occasionally pierced the morning quiet, each one making her flinch. She wondered just how many rogues were killed in one day, how many more lay in wait beyond the pack's borders. The rogue situation was very strange, unlike anything she'd heard of in all her years studying werewolf lore, and it was one of the reasons she wanted to go for a run—to clear her head, to think.
She walked for a while, passing people who waved or nodded respectfully at her. Some children played in front of their houses, their laughter a precious reminder of what they were all fighting to protect. Emma finally got to the foot of the mountain, where the trees grew thicker and the path less traveled.
Making sure she was alone, Emma called on her wolf, feeling the familiar tingling sensation spread from her core to her extremities. Her transformation began to take place with a grace that came from years of practice. She gave herself fully to
"You are out of your mind if you think that I will let you go out to face those rogues. It is a bad idea, Emma," Steve firmly replied, his voice tinged with suppressed anger. His jaw clenched tightly, and a muscle twitched along his temple as he struggled to maintain his composure. The veins in his forearms stood out as he gripped the edge of the wooden table between them, knuckles turning white with tension.Emma knew that it wasn't going to be easy convincing the Alpha, but she had to try. The doctor part of her needed to know how the rogues functioned—needed to understand what made them tick. Their very existence defied everything she'd learned about werewolf biology, and the scientist in her couldn't rest until she uncovered their secrets."Steve, if we can just get one, we can learn how to eradicate the rest of them," Emma pressed, her green eyes pleading with intensity. She leaned forward, the scent of antiseptic still clingin
"I don't see how it can be done, Emma," Steve said and turned towards the exit of the warehouse, his boots echoing heavily on the concrete floor. The afternoon sunlight cast long shadows through the high windows, stretching across the floor like reaching fingers.Determined, Emma followed him, her lab coat flapping around her legs as she quickened her pace to match his longer stride. "Use that big Alpha brain of yours to think, Steve," she pressed, her voice rising slightly. "Do you want to be stuck here inside your territory at the mercy of mindless werewolves forever?" The question hung in the air between them, heavy with implication.The question stung Steve like a physical blow, and he whirled around angrily, his movement so swift that Emma nearly collided with his chest. "Then what?" he demanded with a rage-filled voice that echoed off the warehouse walls. "Even if we succeed in getting one, what then?" His eyes blazed, not with the amber glow of his wolf, but wit
Emma's heart thundered against her ribcage, each beat a painful reminder of what they were about to attempt. She found herself reconsidering everything as her fingers fidgeted with the straps of her silver armor. The memory of Steve's near-death experience during the mercury retrieval mission flashed vividly through her mind—his body broken and bloody, his breathing so shallow she'd feared each breath would be his last. A cold shiver traced her spine at the recollection. But what choice did they have now? After all, this entire reckless plan had been her idea in the first place."This is insanity," she whispered to herself, her voice lost in the preparations around her. Her medical training screamed at her to abort—too many variables, too many risks, too many ways for this to end in bloodshed.Outside the villa's reinforced windows, the late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the compound. Soon darkness would fall, and with it, the rogues would become e
"Steady!" Steve commanded mentally as they neared the rogues. Emma could clearly see them through the visor of her helmet—dozens, perhaps hundreds of misshapen creatures that had once been werewolves. Their fur was patchy and diseased, revealing rotting flesh beneath. Their eyes glowed with an unnatural red luminescence rather than the amber typical of healthy wolves. They moved with jerky, uncoordinated motions, yet their speed was terrifying.The entourage was getting dangerously close to the large numbers of zombie werewolves. "Steady!" the Alpha commanded again, his body tense beneath Emma's grip.The horde spotted them coming and immediately surged forward like a black tsunami, a wave of rogues dashing toward the approaching vehicles with horrifying speed and single-minded purpose. Their howls—distorted, wrong-sounding parodies of wolf calls—sent ice through Emma's veins."Steady!" Steve sent a firm command as the vehicles maintained their
Emma exhaled a shaky breath of relief that nobody had died during the capture. The mission had been fraught with danger—three men injured, but miraculously, all had survived the rogue's feral attacks. However, her momentary relief vanished when she observed the utterly baffling phenomenon before her: the industrial-grade tranquilizer that should have subdued any living creature had virtually no effect on the captured rogue wolf. It thrashed with manic intensity, hurling its massive body against the reinforced steel bars with such violence that the modified armored van rocked on its suspension. Each impact sent a metallic reverberation through the underground facility, making Emma's teeth clench involuntarily."Stand back!" Steve commanded as one particularly violent lunge bent one of the bars slightly. The entire team—Emma, Steve, Marcus, and the half-dozen heavily armored tacti
Emma pulled on white rubber gloves that snapped against her wrists and secured a mask over her nose and mouth, not for her protection but to maintain what sterility she could under the circumstances. Her hands moved with automatic efficiency as she inserted an IV into the rogue's forearm—a task made difficult by the dense muscle and twisted anatomy—and started a continuous drip of sedatives.Steve positioned himself at the head of the table, his powerful frame tense with anticipation and concern. His eyes never left Emma's face, reading every microexpression for signs of distress or discovery. Despite the conflict between them over the stolen research, his protective instincts remained undiminished.Emma took a deep breath to center herself befo
Steve's hands trembled with barely contained rage as he paced the concrete floor of the underground facility. His jaw clenched so tightly that a dull ache radiated through his temples. The bitter taste of betrayal coated his tongue like poison. He had been a fool—a complete and utter fool—to believe they had time to prepare, to strategize, to defend themselves. Emma's revelation had shattered that illusion in an instant, leaving him with the sickening realization that he and his entire pack were living on borrowed time, their fate dangling by the whim of some unknown enemy lurking in the shadows."So, they can just attack my pack anytime they want?" Steve asked Emma again, his voice breaking slightly as the words left his lips for what felt like the hundredth time. The question hung in the stale air of the facility, the weight of it pressing down on his chest like a stone. He ran his fingers through his disheveled hair, tugging at the roots as if the physical pain might distract from
Emma broke the silence first, her scientific curiosity momentarily outweighing her fear. "Can you tell me when this virus attack happened?" she asked, moving back to the examination table where the rogue's brain still lay exposed."Three weeks ago," Steve answered, his voice hollow. The memory of that morning—waking up to the sounds of agonized screams from his pack members—still haunted his nightmares."Do you know how it happened?" she inquired, her fingers hovering over the pulsing device embedded in the brain tissue.Steve ran a hand over his face, feeling the rough stubble that testified to days without proper rest. "That's the problem, Emma. I just woke up like everybody else feeling like death. The whole pack woke up with it." Confusion and frustration warred on his face, carving deep lines around his eyes and mouth. "One minute we were fine, the next...""The day before it happened, did you notice anything unusual?" Emma pressed, her k
Steve was wrong. He had thought he would be able to predict how good Emma would be with those needles but he had been thrown off track by how deadly this petite healer was. She had taken down two big men that towered over her and she did not even need to transform into a werewolf to do so.In fact, the Alpha realized that Emma was deadlier as a healer than a werewolf. She was a living weapon. It made him feel even more stupid that he had rejected her for Sophia. He had been led to believe that her skills as a healer were useless but she had proved him wrong time and time again.She was the reason his pack was covered in pure moon radiation that not only healed him of his wounds but also eradicated the virus that affected him. As of this moment, Steve knew that Emma was the most valuable thing to him and nothing was going to change that.However, the Alpha knew that Emma had not forgiven him yet. Though her body responded well to his touch but her heart was anoth
The big werewolf was momentarily surprised by the healer’s response. Emma had already sized him up. He was a big hunk of muscles and she knew how werewolf muscles worked. The big guy unfortunately did not know that. They all thought she was a just a doctor.The second huge werewolf smiled deeply. There was a sick glint in his eyes as he spoke. “We were really hoping you would give us a hard time, after seating in that cramped vehicle, you owe us some form of entertainment.”Sadists. Emma knew in that instant that she was not going to hold back because these werewolves were not going to do that either. They planned on inflicting pain.“I just have one question,” Steve said. “Sophia sent you?”“You are not in any position to ask anything of us, Steve Kane, no answer is going to save you from the pain you are about to experience,” The first one replied.“And what do you know of pain?
“I would like to have a word with my daughter before you put her in danger, Alpha Kane,” Priscillia’s voice interrupted their conversation. Steve was a bit concerned and wary all of a sudden. He did not hear the Luna come in and that bothered him.“You will get used to it,” Emma whispered with a smile as she saw Steve’s surprised face. Her mother was very stealthy and it took most werewolves by surprise when she appeared without warning.Steve nodded and left both mother and daughter to talk.Luna Priscillia sat down on the bed and looked at the open chest. “I see that you have made your choice,” She said.“You were right,” Emma replied. “I have to be what the situation requires me to be.”Her mother sighed. “Emma, you are more than just a healer or a werewolf, at such a young age you saved my life, and for that I will forever be grateful.” Luna Priscillia said. &ld
Emma felt at ease just being so close to Steven. His body felt like an emotional shield that was protecting her from all the troubles her life was bringing. She felt needed, safe and of she even dared to think, loved.Emma was strengthened by his assuring words but she was still in a dilemma on whether she should do what she really came here to do.“Can I tell you something about me?” Steve whispered as he gently broke the embrace. Emma frowned curiously at him and nodded. She had no idea what the Alpha wanted to say but she paid close attention because he was a mystery to her. “The tradition of attaining the role of Alpha in my pack is through combat and whoever loses the combat forfeits his life,” Steve stated, his voice hoarse with pain. “There is no other way.”“Do you know who I had to fight to the death before I became the Alpha?” Steve asked. Emma shook her head but deep down, she knew that she was not going to like the answer.“My father,” Steve replied. Emma raised her eye
“You are not going through any identity crisis, Emma,” Priscillia told her daughter. “You know exactly who you are meant to be, what you are going through is nothing but denial.”Steve had no idea what Emma’s mother is talking about. But he knew that the discussion was a sensitive topic. One that affected Emma in a way he had never imagined.“I do not take lives,” Emma said in a hard tone. “That is not who I am.”“You are whatever the situation requires you to be, Emma,” Priscillia said.Emma sighed in tired manner. “I am no longer interested in this discussion,” She replied and stood up to leave the office.Steve and Marcus were confused by the abrupt exit of Emma.“Come,” Priscillia said and stood up. “Let me show you to your rooms.” Steve and Marcus followed the Luna of Moon Valley to a small but very clean room.“You must be very confused by what is going on between my daughter and I,” Priscillia said.Steve said nothing as he entered the room. It looked like a student room.“Hone
Steve was shocked by what was playing out in front of him. “Your mother is the Luna?” he asked aghast.“And you are the Alpha that rejected my daughter’s bond,” Emma’s mother stated coldly.“Ma’am,” Marcus said, followed by an embarrassed bow.“Can we come in or am I still banished?” Emma asked in the same cold tone her mother had used. However, there was a bit of impatience in it also.“You may come in, daughter and you were never banished,” Emma’s mother crisply replied and turned toward the open doors. Emma rolled her eyes and followed her mother.Steve and Marcus followed Emma into the grand entrance of Chiron Healing School. The Alpha realized that there was so much he did not know about Emma as he walked beside her into the school. The hallway was pillared and spacious. There were students coming and going as the trio followed the Luna of Moon Valley further inside the building.“Why did you not tell me your mother is the Luna?” Steve whispered as they walked.“There will be no
“We are being followed,” Marcus announced as he drove his Alpha and Emma down to Sarah’s place.“They have been trailing us from the hotel,” Steve said. “Courtesy of Sophia.”“Take us to moon valley instead,” Emma said after a while.“Why?” Steve asked.“We cannot lead then to Sarah, they might hurt her,” Emma replied. “Or worse.”“Or I can lose them,” Marcus suggested.“It will not matter, they will not stop coming after us,” Emma said.“But Moon Valley is very far away, it almost two hours ride from here,” Steve said.“Yeah, I know, but it is the next place to be at the moment,” Emma replied. “Plus, Marcus just tried to send a train filled with experimented monster wolves over there, I need to know what is going on,” the healer added.Steve nodded. “Moon Valley it is,” he said. The Alpha did not want to go back to Moon Valley because it brought about an unwanted memory. It was where he had coldly and cruelly rejected Emma.The car that was following their SUV was a black BMW with bl
Emma bolted down the stairs leaving Sophia on her own. She did not need to imagine what was going on downstairs for her to know that it was a chaotic bloodbath on the ground floor of the house of Laurent. Screams of horror and agony filled the air as the sound of flesh tearing under the pressure of fangs assailed Emma’s ears. She gagged as she ran for her life. She saw severed limbs of the guests and bodies separated from their legs and heads. The ground was thick with blood and the monsters were everywhere, tearing, shredding, and killing anything that crossed their paths. “Emma!” Steve’s voice travelled across the room and Emma turned and saw a large hole broken through the house with the vehicle that Marcus drove in through it. Emma summoned her werewolf speed and raced with all her might towards the vehicle. A monster wolf saw the healer running and gave chase, snarling as it got close to Emma. It lunged into the air but it was stopped midair by a loud hail of bullets. It cra
Emma began to understand why Steve and Sophia did not work out. “What if I die before I find a cure?” she asked Sophia. “What if the virus acts very fast and kills me on the spot?”Sophia did not reply. She looked stumped. “I did not think of that?”“I don’t think thinking is your strongest suit if I am being honest with you,” Emma mused as she looked around the room. She should be worried but she wasn’t.“You don’t seem afraid, doctor with the way you run your mouth, this is the end of the line for you, this is where your story ends.” Sophia said in hardened voice.“Is that how it works for you?” Emma asked. She took a seat on a soft cushion directly in front of Sophia, mirroring her seating posture. “Using fear as a means to get what you want.”“Fear is useful in most cases,” Sophia replied with a cold shrug.“And you think it is useful now,” Emma stated.Sophia did not reply. Again, she was stomped. For the first time, she had to really look at the healer sitting across from her. T