WHISPERS OF THE PACK

The night was thick with tension as Joel led Elora through the winding trails of Silverfang Forest. The air felt heavier here, every rustling leaf and snapping twig setting her nerves on edge.

Elora’s body ached with exhaustion, but it was nothing compared to the turmoil in her mind. The Watcher’s cryptic words echoed in her head like a curse she couldn’t shake.

Child of the moon and the earth… your destiny begins now.

Joel strode ahead, his posture rigid. His silence was louder than any growl, and it made her stomach twist in knots.

“Joel,” she whispered, her voice uncertain.

“Not here,” he said sharply without looking back. “Wait until we’re inside.”

As they neared the pack’s settlement, a cold prickle ran down her spine. Shapes moved between the trees—wolves, both in human and shifted forms. Their eyes glinted like molten gold in the dim light, watching her every step.

Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

“That’s her. The human.”

“She shouldn’t have survived the Grove.”

“Did you see the light? No human could do that.”

Elora tightened her grip on her jacket, pulling it closer as though it could shield her from their stares.

Joel growled low in his throat, his voice cutting through the whispers like a blade. “Clear the way.”

The pack obeyed, but their gazes lingered—some wary, others hostile.

Inside Joel’s cabin, the door slammed shut with a finality that made Elora flinch. Joel paced the room, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

“Joel,” she began hesitantly. “What’s happening? Why are they looking at me like that?”

He stopped, his back still to her. “Because they’re afraid.”

“Afraid of what?”

Joel turned slowly, his golden eyes hard. “Of you.”

The words struck her like a physical blow. “What? That’s ridiculous—I’m just human.”

He stepped closer, his expression unreadable. “Are you?”

Her breath caught. “What are you saying?”

Joel sighed, raking a hand through his hair. “What you did in the clearing… humans don’t have that kind of power. And your scent—Elora, it’s… different. I ignored it at first, but after tonight…”

A knock at the door cut him off. Joel stiffened instantly, his body going taut like a drawn bow.

“Stay here,” he ordered.

But Elora shook her head. “No. I’m not hiding.”

Joel’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue.

The door creaked open to reveal a hooded figure. The air seemed to grow colder as he stepped inside, his presence filling the room with an oppressive weight.

“Joel Silverfang,” the stranger said, his voice like gravel grinding against stone. “And the girl… I’ve come for her.”

Joel moved in front of Elora, his claws half-shifted. “Who are you?”

The man lowered his hood, revealing a face lined with scars and one clouded eye. His remaining eye burned with a pale light as it locked onto Elora.

“I knew your mother.”

Elora’s heart skipped a beat. “My… my mother?”

“She was killed for defying the laws of this realm. She married a human. And she bore you—a hybrid.”

Elora staggered back, shaking her head. “That’s not true. My parents—”

“They raised you, yes. But they weren’t your blood.” The man’s tone was unflinching. “Your mother’s blood runs through you, cursed and powerful. And unless you complete the trials, that power will destroy you—and everyone around you.”

Joel’s growl reverberated through the cabin. “Enough. Leave before I make you regret stepping foot in my territory.”

But the stranger only smiled faintly. “You can’t protect her from destiny.”

Then, as suddenly as he’d appeared, he vanished in a swirl of black smoke, leaving only silence in his wake.

Elora sank to her knees, her hands trembling. “Joel… is it true?”

He knelt beside her, his eyes softening even as conflict raged in their golden depths. “You’re Elora. That’s all that matters.”

But even as he said it, she saw the doubt flicker across his face.