LOGINI…” My words died in my throat. Rose had already started walking. And she never turned back.I stood there for a few seconds, mad at myself that I couldn’t say everything I wanted to say.Nyra chuckled softly. You were going to say something daring.I was. Has anything happened? She asked curiously. I frowned inwardly. Nothing happened.Nyra laughed. Then I grabbed my sword and joined the rest of the wolves on their way to the main courtyard.I wasn’t going to let Rose mess up my mind. If she wanted to take the lead on our mission tomorrow, then that was fine.I could prove myself another way. On the next morning, I got out of bed well before sunrise.Greenwood was still asleep. I got dressed and went outside to the training grounds.I thought I was going to meet Garrick. But it was actually Alpha Kieran, who stood by himself by the weaponry stand.“You’re early,” he noted. “So are you.” He smiled slightly. “Like I said, training starts before sunrise.”"I thought that you were jokin
Not just watching Greenwood. No. It was watching me. That was all I could think of when we were heading back north through the woods.But for once, I didn't turn around. I had come to understand one thing about fear.Sometimes, it needs you to keep staring at whatever frightened you.I wouldn't give it the satisfaction of that much. Our return to Greenwood was a silent one.Garrick led the way and the four warriors followed us from behind.Rose walked some distance ahead of me while Alpha Kieran walked right by my side.The entire journey passed silently between the two of us.At least, it wasn't an awkward silence. Or at least, not completely.Something about walking next to him without having to say why I did things was peaceful.When the walls of Greenwood came into sight, I could feel my shoulders relax.The gates were open as soon as the guards recognized us.The warriors who stood atop the walls looked down at us as we entered.Some seemed relieved. Some appeared curious. Some a
Lucan.. He could have pulled this off. “Lucan” Nyra barely uttered his name before falling silent once again. I stared at the mountains for a little while longer. Whatever it was that she had detected, she wasn’t willing to reveal it to me. Nor did I have any intention of standing in the midst of the northern woods making her explain her findings to me. We still had a task at hand. The wolf’s howl faded in the distance. For a moment no one moved. My gaze remained locked onto the dark mountain ridge. The cold wind blew through the trees, carrying that odd smell with it. Ancient. Faint. Strange. Alpha Kieran broke the silence first. “Garrick.” he called. At once, the Head Warrior turned his attention to him. “Yes, Alpha?” “Secure the area.” Yes Alpha Garrick nodded. With two fingers he gestured to his warriors. They dispersed around the ruined watchtower, searching through the trees and inspecting the tower itself. Rose made her way toward the northern edge of
But my return to Greenwood hadn’t put an end to the threat; it had merely brought the threat closer to home.By the next morning, Greenwood Warriors trained at dawn. Hunters patrolled the eastern trails.Trackers reported to Gamma Talon while Healers were tending to the scouts that had come back from Black Hollow.Alpha Kieran spent most of the night at the council hall. I hadn’t slept much.Each time I closed my eyes, I was seeing the ring of stones.The odd figures standing outside of it.The reaction the forest had when it felt me coming.And the words that kept echoing in my mind. She is the Blood Heir. I tried not to think about it.No matter what meaning those words held, I couldn’t let myself dwell on them.There were other issues to deal with first.I stepped into the training yard as Garrick addressed some of his warriors.His gaze met mine. “Ana.” he called. I stopped. "Head Warrior." I answered.He gestured to the wall of weapons."Choose one." I took a look at the selec
I immediately stepped back.The glowing crack beneath my feet widened slightly, sending another pulse through the stone ring.Kieran caught my arm before I could lose my balance. “Ana.” he said softly “I’m fine,” I whispered, although my heart was beating so hard that I could barely hear anything else.The strange figures remained on the ridge.For a moment, nobody moved.Then the larger figure stepped forward.He was enormous.Even from where we stood, I could tell that his size wasn't normal for an ordinary wolf. His presence alone seemed to make the warriors around me tighten their grips on their weapons.But then something unexpected happened. He slowly raised both his hands. His palms were wide open.The second figure followed his movement and raised his hands as well.“We did not come here to fight,” the first stranger said. His voice carried clearly across the stone enclosure.Kieran did not lower his sword.“Then you choose a strange way to introduce yourselves?.”The strange
Saw that the earth beneath my feet was not earth anymore. It was a confinement.Stone walls towered up in a complete circle around us, keeping us confined in Black Hollow’s created hush.No breeze. No way out. Only the sounds of breathing could be heard.And the growing fear that no one wanted to voice out.Nyra was trying to push into my mind stronger than before. She was not making herself clear.She was just giving me feelings and instincts and danger signs.This is not a forest trap… this is an engineered prison. I said out loud.Kieran began to advance cautiously, with the sword still held aloft, looking at all possible angles of the stone wall.He had his jaw clenched. Not in fear.But in strict calculation.Garrick came closer to Alpha Kieran.“These are engineered stones. It cannot be natural.” Garrick said.Talon laid his hand on the rock once.But then he pulled it away instantly.“It’s warm.” but it makes no sense. Stones can't be warm by this time of the day.Rose stood be
Darkness seemed to creep towards me gradually. Distant sounds could be heard somewhere around me, but none of them was audible enough to make out. My body seemed to be weightless and heavily burdened at once; exhaustion had taken me to a place of semi-sleep state. Warmth was then pressed against
The instant I couldn’t answer, the forest transformed, without any noise or violence.But I sensed it right away.Seeing the two warriors standing before me in a manner that gave me goosebumps, their focus sharpened.I felt a choke forming within me.Mud puddles were formed as rainwater from my tor
I raced forward as soon as the door of the stone shut behind me. My mother's final instruction still resounded within my mind. Run. The darkness consumed me as I sped through the tunnel, my feet slipping on stone. I couldn’t catch my breath. I couldn’t think straight. My chest was on fire so
The Sacred Moon Rite always started off the same, fire, rituals and the joyful dance around the sacred fire.I stood between my parents as the wolves congregated in the full moonlight, lighting the whole territory with the glow of the ceremony.The wolves rounded in circles, chanting harmoniously a







