The sound still rang in Elora’s bones. That howl. It wasn’t Joel’s—it wasn’t even wolf. It was something older. Wilder. A sound that didn’t just call to the pack but commanded the earth itself to tremble at his foot step.Elora’s eyes snapped open. The forest around her was still smoking from the battle, the air thick with blood and ash. Joel was crouched beside her, one hand pressed to a deep gash across his ribs, his golden eyes scanning the treeline like a predator expecting the next strike.“Elora,” he rasped. “Stay down.”But it was too late.From the shadows stepped a figure draped in black leather, boots crunching on burned earth. He was tall—inhumanly so—and every movement exuded a dangerous, coiled grace. Long white hair fell like silk around his angular face. His eyes… gods, his eyes weren’t any color she’d ever seen. They were void. Depthless. And in their depths swirled something ancient, something hungry.“Kalen,” Maren whispered behind them, her voice cracking. “The Fors
Elora’s blood turned to ice. That howl wasn’t from any wolf she had ever heard. It was deeper. Older. It vibrated in her bones, in her very soul, like the sound of a world splitting in two. Joel’s golden eyes widened. He turned toward the treeline, his claws flexing. “No… it’s too soon.” Maren’s knuckles whitened around her bloodied blade. “It’s him. The true heir of the curse.” The shadows at the forest’s edge began to writhe like living things. Black tendrils snaked along the ground, twisting and snapping as a figure emerged. At first, it looked human—tall, broad-shouldered, cloaked in tattered black. But as it stepped into the moonlight, its true form revealed itself. Its face was pale and beautiful, but its eyes… gods, its eyes. They glowed with a sickly crimson light. Fangs too long for a normal wolf gleamed in its mouth as it smiled. “Finally,” the figure said, its voice smooth as silk but carrying a venomous undertone. “The hybrid child. The Alpha who betrayed his blood
The air in Silverfang territory burned like it had been set ablaze—not with fire, but with tension. Wolves prowled the edges of the clearing, their golden eyes reflecting the blood moon’s eerie glow. The pack had gathered, not in unity, but in division,war was at hand.At the center stood Rowan, his cloak trailing like a shadow, his clawed hands resting on the hilt of a silver-edged blade. Behind him, loyalists shifted between forms, their snarls vibrating the ground.And across from them… Joel.The Alpha’s bare chest rose and fell with controlled fury. His golden eyes didn’t waver, even as Elora stumbled forward to stand beside him. Blood and ash streaked her skin, her glowing palms faint as exhaustion gnawed at her strength.“You survived the trials,” Rowan said, his voice calm yet dripping with venom. “But survival doesn’t make you worthy.”“She’s more than worthy,” Joel growled, his claws half-shifted. “She’s the prophecy.”Rowan’s lips twisted into a cruel smile. “She’s a mistake
The forest burned.Ash drifted like black snow, catching in Elora’s hair as she stood shoulder to shoulder with Joel. His golden eyes glowed, sharp and feral even in human form. Around them, Silverfang warriors shifted in and out of their wolf forms, snarling at the approaching threat.Rowan’s forces emerged from the treeline—wolves with eyes like fire, their snarls vibrating in Elora’s bones. At their center stood Rowan himself, cloak tattered and claws stained with fresh blood. His face twisted in a sneer.“You should’ve stayed in the shadows, Silverfang,” Rowan growled. “Now you’ll watch your precious hybrid burn.”Joel’s lips peeled back in a cold, deadly smile. “Come and try.”Elora’s chest tightened, fear and fury warring inside her. She could feel it—the raw power coursing under her skin, begging to be unleashed. But with every pulse of it came the memory of the Shadow Realm… of the beast she’d killed… of what she might become.“You ready?” Joel asked without looking at her.“I
The blood moon loomed like an open wound in the sky as Joel and Elora raced through the dense forest. Their breaths came out in white puffs, mingling with the cold mist curling around the ancient trees. Behind them, faint howls echoed—low at first, but rising in urgency like a pack closing in on prey.“They’re too close,” Elora gasped, her legs burning from exhaustion. “Joel, we can’t outrun them forever.”Joel didn’t look back. His golden eyes were narrowed, glowing like molten fire in the darkness. “We’re not running forever. Just long enough to reach the ridge. I know a place.”But even as he said it, doubt gnawed at him. Rowan was moving faster than anticipated. And if the elder’s words to the council had been any indication, he wasn’t coming alone.They burst into a clearing—the Silverfang burial grounds. Stones carved with runes jutted from the earth like crooked teeth. Elora stumbled and almost fell, but Joel caught her wrist, steadying her.“Here?” she whispered. “This is—”“A
The pack lands were silent now, but it wasn’t peace. It was the heavy, suffocating stillness of a battlefield moments before the final strike.Elora’s knees hit the cold earth, grass damp with dew—or was it blood? She couldn’t tell anymore,she was at a very confused state.Her chest heaved, each breath ragged. Her hands trembled faintly, faint trails of silver light pulsing in her veins.Joel stood just ahead of her, his figure battered and bloodied but unbowed. His golden eyes were sharp, glowing even in the darkness, though exhaustion pulled at his broad shoulders.“They’ll come for us,” Elora whispered, clutching her aching side.“They already have.” Joel’s voice was low, strained. He tilted his head slightly, listening. “Hear them?”Faint howls broke the silence. One. Then three. Then dozens.Elora’s stomach knotted.Through the treeline, shadows broke into the clearing—wolves. Too many to count. Their eyes glowed like coals in the night, their growls rumbling deep. At their center