Every breath feels labored, and the night air is heavy with the smell of perspiration and blood. Despite being assaulted and bruised, I am still alive. Just thinking about that truth makes me feel guilty and thankful. Many others were unable to attend. The eerie hush left by those who fell, the distant growls, and the turmoil gradually calming down are all still audible to me. But just now, the anguish pulsing through my body is so intense that I can hardly think. My legs shake under me, straining to support me, but Callum is there before I can pass out.He always is. With that recognizable strength, his arms glide beneath mine and raise me to my feet. He touches me gently but firmly, as if he's scared of shattering me. I look at him, and for the first time tonight, I take him seriously. He's still standing despite having blood on his shirt, a horrible cut across his arm, and raw knuckles from fighting. He was keeping me safe, therefore, I'm still standing. "Are you alright?" His vo
We scarcely have time to catch our breath as Mia's unsteady, piercing voice pierces the environment. "You must accompany me. Right now. I glance at Callum, who is still maintaining his arm around my waist for safety. My whole body is rigid from strain, and the adrenaline from the previous round hasn't left my system. However, Mia's shocked look is what truly chills me. That look on her face is unlike anything I've ever seen. "What's happening?" I ask, sounding more controlled than I am. Right now, when everything appears to be coming apart, I can't afford to be terrified. Mia pauses, appearing as if she's having problems finding the appropriate words, her pale face distorted. She trembles as she continues, "I found something… something you both need to see." Her eyes flit between Callum and me, imploring, as if she wishes whatever she's discovered would just disappear. Callum nods to Mia as his grasp on me increases. "Show us," he begs, his voice as powerful and harsh as ever. I f
Standing in the place, Callum and I look at the tree. The words "This isn't over," inscribed into the bark, throbs in my thoughts like a horrible premonition. I'm convinced Callum can hear the beating of my heart in my chest. I can't take my eyes off the message; it appears to be mocking us and demanding that we take action. "Who is involved in this?" I quiver as I whisper. I attempt to restore control by tightening my hands into fists as they shake a bit. This crushing sensation of impotence is something I loathe. It's disturbing that whatever is responsible is playing tricks on us and keeping us in the dark. Callum takes a long time to answer. His eyes are concentrated on the message, and his jaw is tightened. I can sense the wrath bubbling behind his serenity and silence. His strength has always been his protectiveness, but it appears to be hanging on the verge of something more dangerous and deadly these days. I remark, "We need to figure this out," but it sounds empty, like I'
As we push ourselves harder and faster, the trees in the forest mix around us as we run through it. My face stings from the wind, and my heart beats in sync with our motions.I have a nagging feeling that something isn't quite right. It goes beyond the animals that nearly attacked us or the writing on the tree. This seems deeper and more personal. I look at Callum, who has a hard-lined face and eyes that are set on the future. Even from a distance, I can feel the stress in the air as the packhouse comes into view. There is a problem. As we get closer, Callum slows down and tightens his hold on my hand, so he must feel it too. Callum's dad, Hunter, is standing at the entry with his arms crossed across his chest. Normally, he is quite cool and controlled, but right now, he is acting differently. His jaw is locked as he watches us come closer, his face blank. Unease makes my stomach turn over. Callum shouts, "Hunter," as we stop in front of him. His voice is quiet and deep, yet it has
I stand motionless, looking at Mia with my heart beating in my chest. Could it truly be the friend who had always backed me and fought beside me through so much? Was she an enemy to us? I'm trying to piece together all the times that now seem like lies, and my mind is rushing. But I'm not going to believe it. Until I get word from her."Is it true, Mia?" I mumble, my voice wavering. Her eyes suddenly meet mine, and I realize something I hadn't previously noticed. Shame. Her eyes are filled with sorrow, and it's written all over her face. The pain of deceit pierces me more deeply than any hurt. I move back with shaking hands as my breath catches in my throat. At first, she stays quiet, opening and shutting her mouth as though she's trying to find the right words. The stress in the room tightens like a noose around my neck, and the quiet between us is startling. "Mia," I repeat, my voice breaking under the force of my feelings. "Tell me that's untrue." Unable to look me in the eyes,
Mia's revelation hovers in the air, suffocating and weighty. Her words are so weighty that they shake me from the bottom of my heart. Every time my heart beats, it feels like a hammer striking my ribs in my chest. The world appears to have stopped revolving, and all I can think of is her—the person I trusted, the companion I assumed I knew, now standing in front of me as a traitor. I ask the query that has been burning in my brain, swallowing hard, my throat parched, my voice barely a whisper. "Who are they?" I can scarcely get the words out before they tremble. "Who is in charge of everything?" Mia stops, fear and guilt jumbled together in her eyes. She can't keep my eyes on her, so she looks aside. Her shoulders slump as if she is finally being crushed by the weight of her treachery. With a shaky voice, she says, "I don't know their true identity." But Aurora, they're powerful. Behind the scenes, they have been doing this for a long. And their purpose... Her voice falters as she
The severity of the onslaught rattles the packhouse like it's made of paper, forcing the walls around us to shudder. Panic growing within me, I clutch to Callum's arm as my breath freezes in my throat. I can feel the deep, awful rumbling of the earth beneath us vibrating in my bones. There's going to be something. Something powerful. A tremendous shatter reverberates down the passage, and then there's the definite sound of claws scuffing the floor. I whip my head toward the door, my heart hammering. Wolves. They're present. Callum snags my hand without thinking, his grasp solid and tight. He says, calmly but urgently, "We have to move." His eyes are filled with resolution rather than fear. His body is tense and prepared for whatever is going to break through, so he drags me toward the door. Wolves, their fur bristling with fury and their eyes blazing, leap through the door as it breaks open. For a time, the loudness overwhelms me and I freeze. The air is filled with growls and snar
Bennet is just a few feet away, his stance straight, his face as hard as stone. He is encircled by ferocious renegade wolves. When Callum stands guardedly in front of me, I feel the tension in his body and tighten my hold on his arm while my heart pounding in my chest. "You didn't anticipate it being this simple, did you?" Bennet's voice pierces the calm like a dagger. He appears to be relishing the worry and uncertainty in the air because of his chilly, even mocking look. Callum's body stiffens before me as he lets out a low-pitched growl. "Bennet, you're doing something wrong. With an outraged tone, he advises, "This isn't the way." Despite the danger all around us, I feel protected due of his shielding position. Bennet's lips curl into a smirk as he chuckles bitterly. "Error?" he says again, shaking his head. "No, Callum, it was a mistake to imagine that you could shield Aurora from all of this. You have no concept what's involved. I can still see the wrath burning in Bennet's
Bennet steps forward slowly, his face serious, something in his eyes that I can't quite identify. A cautionary tale? An appeal? Or worse?"Callum, there's more about Aurora's family that you don't know." Even though his voice is soft, I can feel the weight of it making my stomach turn. "Whatever became of them."My breath catches in my throat and I stiffen. His delivery is more than a simple epiphany. Something sinister is going on. I may not be prepared to hear it.With a look of worry on his face, Callum looks at me before turning back to Bennet. "What are you discussing?"Bennet pauses. For a moment only. However, it's sufficient to validate my worst suspicions.He has some knowledge. Something he ought not to do.There's something about me.My voice is hardly audible above a whisper as I say, "Bennet." "What do you mean?"When he stares at me, his eyes are filled with guilt. Genuine, unadulterated guilt. My heartbeat quickens.Then he utters it."The deaths of Aurora's family were
I stand still, my heart thumping in my chest, the air around me heavy, almost oppressive. My thoughts and basic life are constantly under strain from Victor's words, which linger in the air. Deep within me, I sense a force that is new to me…power that is unbridled and raw…calling to me.Callum puts his hand in mine and wraps his fingers firmly around my wrist, bringing me back to the here and now. Though I can feel the tremble of worry coursing through him, his grip is strong. He draws me away, obscuring my eyes from Victor's piercing stare.Aurora, don't listen to him. He's telling lies. Although Callum's voice is urgent, I was surprised by how deeply it conveys desperation. It's difficult to cling to that right now, even though his comments are meant to reassure me and remind me of who I am and have always been. Because what Victor is saying seems too real.For a second, I want to believe Callum when I look at him. Even while I want to fully trust him, I can feel the change, the fla
As Victor observes me, his smile is icy, bordering on cruel. His eyes shine with contentment, and I can feel his words weighing heavily and suffocatingly on me. It feels like the earth has moved underfoot and I'm sinking into an unavoidable darkness. His cold, relentless presence hovers above me."You think you're just an ordinary wolf, Aurora?" His low voice is a warning, a taunt. "That is far from who you are."His words tighten with every breath, encircling me like a trap and causing every fiber in my body to clench, freezing me in place. I whisper, "You don't know what you're talking about," yet something inside of me recognizes. I have a strong want to believe him, yet I am unable to do so. I won't. This isn't possible.Victor takes a stride toward us, bringing us closer. My pulse quickens as I sense the heat of his presence. His calculating, black eyes never leave me. He knows he has me where he wants me, and his smirk widens as his lips twist higher."Haven't you always sensed
I'm under pressure from the rogue, but I don't have time to reflect. No more. Everything is blending into a single, chaotic jumble of snarls, blood, and desperation as the globe spins too quickly. Even if my hands shake around the dagger, I am no longer strong enough to defend myself. Not by themselves.A slight smirk tugs at Victor's lips as he stands across from me, his eyes never leaving mine. He knows, I see. He is aware of my thoughts and feelings. The decision I must make.The decision is pressing down on me like a thousand pounds, and I can feel my chest constricting and my breathing getting short. I turn to face Callum, who has always been there for me and is my guardian. The one who, even in the most dire circumstances, has never faltered. There is something raw in his golden eyes: love, rage, and terror. His voice is low and desperate, and he tightens his hold on my arm, drawing me back slightly.Callum's voice is hardly audible above the din of the battlefield, but he whisp
As it charges with its teeth bared and saliva streaming from its mouth, the rogue's eyes pierce mine. I automatically sidestep, my heart hammering against my ribs, but the beast is faster than I thought. The air is knocked out of my lungs as it crashes into me. Pain shooting through my chest, I fight to stay upright as the forest spins.The rogue is unrelenting as I swing my knife, aiming for its throat. Snarling, it dodges and pushes me back toward the trees. The impact's force causes my eyesight to blur, and for a split second, I worry that I won't survive this battle.My feet slip on the blood-slick floor as I scramble. Even if my breathing is labored, I don't give up and continue to move. It's no longer just about me. It's about defending my pack and those who have battled beside me. I cannot allow Victor to triumph.I lift my dagger, the blade gleaming in the moonlight, as the rogue lunges once more. I swing it as hard as I can with what little strength I have left. A deep gash i
The night devolves into mayhem. The air is filled with growls and snarls as bodies collide, claws tearing through fur, fangs digging into flesh. Blood is all over the woodland floor, and the smell is overpowering. A rogue lunges at me, its eyes blazing with bloodlust, before I can even react.Callum moves like a blur and slams a vicious blow into it before it can get to me. With a shriek of anguish, the rogue falls to the ground as his claws sever its side. He doesn't think twice. With one more deadly strike, he completes the job and turns to face me."Stay close," he growls, looking over the battlefield with his golden gaze. "I won’t let them touch you."I tighten my hold on my dagger and nod.Bennet, on the other hand, battles like a man under a spell. His movements are precise, his strikes are powerful, and each attack is planned for maximum damage. Tonight, he is different. He doesn't hesitate or let any residual feelings stop him. With every enemy he defeats, it seems as though h
As we run through the woodland, Callum's hand firmly holding mine, the tension in the air is palpable. Every stride Victor's army takes gets louder and closer until I can hear it echoing in my ears. The trees appear to close in, winding around us like a prison, and my heart thuds in my chest."We must continue to move," Callum exhorts in a stern yet quiet voice. Even though I can feel the weight of the looming conflict bearing down on us, his eyes spark with resolve.I nod, but my body is exhausted from the mental maelstrom roiling inside of me as much as the running, and my legs feel heavy. Though Bennet's revelation still taints my thoughts like a poison, I can't afford to be weak right now. Not when we are about to die.The rustle of leaves in front of me abruptly stops me in my tracks. As others start to appear out of the darkness, I know what's happening and my blood chills. Victor's outlaws. They are present. There were dozens of them, encircling us from all sides and obstructin
Everything around me is poisoned by Bennet's words, which linger in the air like a curse. I suddenly lose my capacity to breathe as my heart thuds forcefully in my chest. As his revelation sets in, the ground wobbles under me, sending the sword of betrayal even farther into my heart. Unable to take my eyes off of him, I take an unsteady step back. "You did this, did you?" His statements have upset me so badly that my voice cracks. "My family was destroyed because of you?" Bennet's eyes implore me to understand and forgive him as his face contorted with humiliation. However, how can I? How am I ever going to forgive such a thing? The guy I once loved is now standing in front of me recognizing that he contributed to the devastation of my family and my world. Bennet adds, "I didn't know," in a voice that is hardly audible, as if raising his voice may fracture the tiny thread of control I'm holding to. "Aurora, I had no clue it would end this way. Victor took advantage of me and manipu
The room seems oppressively tight. With our hands securely clenched together as if the tie were enough to hold us planted, Callum and I stand side by side. However, the weight of everything hangs down on me like a thick fog, regardless of how tightly I cling to that warmth. For individuals I care about, every decision we make might be the difference between life and death, and the tension is intolerable. I can feel my chest becoming tighter as we start strategizing how to reply to Victor's attack. As he provides guidance and advise, Callum's voice is solid and steady, and I can tell he's doing all he can to keep me safe. But every time I talk or look at Bennet, I'm reminded of an old grief I thought I had long ago forgotten. The sensations swirling in my chest are bewildering and disturbing. I thought that I had moved on. I assumed I had ignored Bennet. But now that he's so close, those memories are emerging and fighting to grab a footing. I can't get rid of Bennet's presence like a