Novel-novel oleh Athena

By the time dawn broke, the forest had changed.The mist that had once clung to the trees was gone, and the air carried the damp scent of dew and earth. Birds began to stir in the branches above, their soft calls slicing through the heavy quiet that had blanketed the cave all night.Samantha rubbed her eyes and stretched the stiffness from her limbs. Cade was already awake, or maybe he’d never slept. He sat near the entrance, one knee drawn up, his face turned toward the faint glow of sunrise creeping through the trees.“Morning,” she said softly.He only nodded. His shirt was half-buttoned, his hair a mess of gold and shadow, and there was something about him that looked raw, stripped of the easy confidence he wore around others.“We should go,” he said finally, his voice low. “The longer we’re gone, the harder it’ll be to explain.”Samantha hesitated. “And if someone saw us leaving the borders?”“I’ll handle it.”Her brow furrowed. “Cade.”He turned to her then, and whatever argumen

Taken back by what Cade just uttered, Samantha stood still. “He wouldn’t.” “He would,” Cade said, softer now, his voice trembling with something that wasn’t quite anger. “He’s already been questioned for letting you stay this long. If they think you brought danger to the borders again…” His words trailed off, but she understood. Cade’s hand tousled his hair then fell away. “We stay here till dawn,” he said, stepping back. “Then we go home. Together.” Samantha nodded, though her pulse still thundered in her ears. Outside, the moon hung low and full, and somewhere in the woods, a lone wolf howled, mournful, beautiful. The sound made her chest ache. For the first time, she didn’t know if the wolf was calling for her or warning her. The quiet stretched, heavy and fragile. Cade sat near the mouth of the cave, the silver light from outside tracing the sharp lines of his face. He looked strong and I bothered but Samantha had known him too long to be fooled. His jaw was too tight, his

At first, she thought her eyes deceived her as she stared at a shadow between the trees, tall and shivering against the pale moonlight. But then it moved, stepping into view, and her blood ran cold. It wasn’t a wolf. The creature’s body was wrong. Very wrong. It was stretched in a weird way, almost skeletal, its limbs too long for its frame. Its skin glistened like tar, and where its eyes should’ve been, two burning pits of sickly green light glared back at her. It reeked of decay and death. Samantha froze. The creature tilted its head slowly, as though studying her. Then, with a guttural snarl, it lunged. Samantha screamed, stumbling back as claws slashed through the air where her face had been a heartbeat ago. The sound tore through the forest, sharp enough to wake the dead. Her heart slammed against her ribs, panic clouding her senses. She tripped over a root and fell hard, the cold ground knocking the breath from her lungs. The creature’s mouth split open into something lik

After Elder Corvin’s disappearance, the entire Blackfang compound felt different. The air was still, heavy, as though the forest itself was holding its breath. The patrols continued to search till the day after, but there was no trace of him, no footprints, no scent, nothing. It was as if the old man had melted into the mist. Samantha watched from the healer’s hut window as warriors returned empty-handed. Their faces were drawn, their eyes wary. Elder Corvin had been many things to the pack; a prophet, a nuisance, a relic of old faith, but his vanishing left a hollow unease that even the Alpha couldn’t disguise. “Do you think he’s dead?” Taylor asked quietly, sorting dried herbs beside her. Samantha hesitated. “No. He wouldn’t just… disappear. He said he’d see me again.” Taylor glanced at her, brows raised. “He told you that?” “Yesterday morning. Before he vanished.” Samantha’s voice softened as she remembered his words trust the one that stirs within. “He knew something was comi

The wind howled through the Blackfang woods, carrying the faint scent of rain. It had been seven years since the night of Samantha’s failed ceremony, seven years since the pack had stopped calling her by name. They called her The Wolfless One now. Some whispered it in pity, others in disgust. She’d long stopped correcting them. The only place she still found peace was in the healer’s hut. The scent of herbs filled the small wooden space, masking the sharp tang of disinfectant. Samantha stood over a wounded scout, wrapping a gash on his arm with calm precision. “Hold still,” she murmured. The young wolf winced. “You’ve got steady hands, for someone without a wolf.” Samantha didn’t flinch. She tied the final knot and straightened, her expression unreadable. “You’re healed. Try not to tear it open again.” He muttered an apology and slipped out. “Your patience is terrifying sometimes,” came a familiar voice from behind her. Samantha turned to find Taylor leaning against the doorw

The forest was alive with the scent of pine and morning dew. Sunlight spilled through the canopy in thin, golden streaks, dancing across the training field where two figures clashed with wooden swords. “Come on, Sam! You’re dragging your feet again!” Cade Kessler’s voice rang out, half laughter, half challenge. Sweat gleamed on his tanned skin, and his golden hair fell into his blue eyes as he swung with practiced ease. Samantha barely managed to block, the impact jarring through her arms. “I’m not dragging!” she shot back, teeth gritted. Her hair, black as ink and wild from the wind, stuck to her forehead as she circled him. “You’re just showing off again!” He smirked, taking a playful step closer. “Maybe. Or maybe you’re just distracted.” “Distracted?” She lunged, her strike fast but sloppy. Cade dodged, laughing, before tripping her with a quick sweep of his leg. She fell with a startled yelp, hitting the ground on her back. Cade crouched beside her, grinning. “See? Distract