Lucy Drew faced a turning point, as she prepared to accept her nature. But when her expected powers don’t appear on her twentieth birthday, everything she believed crumbles. Rejected by her mate, Prince Geoffrey, and betrayed by her best friend Laura, Lucy is forced into the wild, where surviving is her only choice. When her family seeks safety with the ruthless Bloodwood Pack, led by the mysterious and cursed Alpha, Karl Bloodwood, Lucy gets caught in a mix of secrets and risks. As her relationship with Karl grows stronger, so does the threat of an old curse that endangers his life and affects their new bond. Stories of previous partners who met a terrible end trouble Lucy as she struggles with her new power and the scary idea that her fate might be linked to a darkness she never expected. With dangerous enemies hiding in the dark and betrayal always just a moment away, Lucy faces a tough challenge. Can she find out what is going on in time to prevent history from repeating itself? Or will the love that is destined for her and her partner become a painful sacrifice to an ancient curse that demands blood? Join Lucy on this exciting journey filled with unexpected betrayals, inner strength, and a love that is not allowed. In this story, the difference between love and danger becomes less clear with every thrilling surprise that happens...
view moreCHAPTER 1
The wind screamed through the open area on Raven’s Peak, a spot known for old ceremonies and the core of the Stormclaw pack’s customs. Lucy’s hands shook as she stood with her heart in her throat. “Priestess Tarot,” she asked with her voice,shaky “It worked, right? You felt something didn’t you?” She looked at the priestess while hoping for comfort. Tarot looked at Lucy without wavering but the silence was thick. “Lucy, my dear…” she started, but Lucy interrupted her. “I feel nothing.” she insisted with worry creeping under her skin. “Not yet. The others said they felt it on their fifteenth birthdays but I... I...” Ian and Nina Drew Lucy's mom and dad looked at each other with worry on their faces. Alpha Stormclaw stood nearby serious but uneasy. Lucy's heart was pounding. They should have been happy. Instead fear felt heavy in her stomach. “Lucy, take a breath.” her mom said while moving nearer. “You still have time. Sometimes… it just takes a bit more time.” “A little longer?” Lucy repeated with her voice full of disbelief. “I’m twenty today! Why hasn’t my wolf shown up? Why am I still just...me?” The elders of the pack—looking serious and worn from time—fidgeted. Marcus, the oldest man full of stories, gave a slow nod to Tarot. It was something Lucy wished she hadn’t noticed. “What’s going on? What’s the problem?” she asked while looking at their faces for a clue and an answer. She felt like the world was falling apart under her. Her eyes raced around while searching for something , anything —but all she found was sadness. Tarot took a deep breath. “There could be reasons—” “Reasons?” Lucy cut in her voice getting louder. “Like what?” The panic weighed heavily on her. It was more than just fear, it was panic and a strong need to speak out. At that moment the truth flowed from the priestess’s mouth like fallen leaves. Lucy noticed the looks they shared with her mother’s tense jaw and her father’s worried brow. It was obvious they were hiding something under a mask of comfort. “Lucy...” Ian began but she interrupted him and stepped back. “I don’t want to hear any more lies!” she shouted with her voice breaking. She held back tears as feelings of despair filled her heart. “Why me? Why can’t I just find my wolf? All my friends are with theirs and here I am… an adult with no sign of my wolf.” “Lucy, please,” Nina said gently while reaching out. “You’re not by yourself. A lot of us took time to find our wolves. Just… just be patient.” “Time?” Lucy said sharply with her anger mixed with sadness. “Is that meant to make me feel better? I’m twenty! What if I never find her? I can’t… I can’t handle this! This should be special and I’m just… shattered!” Her voice trembled and she hugged herself tightly as if protecting against unseen hits. “Hey, sweetheart,” Ian said softly but firmly, “you’re not broken. You just need to have faith.” “I don’t want to believe it!” she yelled with her voice bouncing off the stones. With every word, her heart beat faster, with a deep pain rising in her chest. “What if I never find my wolf? Am I not good enough to be Luna? Am I just going to be some kind of… outcast?” “She’s correct.” Silas, one of the elders, finally said. “This situation is strange. It has happened before but we don’t get it. We don’t have all the answers.” The words hurt her a lot. “But this was supposed to be my day! My birthday! The day I find…find my Wolf!” Tears ran down her face. “I should be having fun! I shouldn’t be here feeling lost and confused!” A thick silence settled over the group like fog. The elders looked on with understanding showing their feelings of regret. Lucy's heart raced wildly and panic began to grow. “I can’t do this,” she said softly with her courage slipping away. “I can’t stay here.” Without saying anything Lucy quickly turned and ran away from them while feeling their stares hitting her back like arrows. “Lucy!” Ian shouted. “Lucy, wait!” But she was already running faster, like a lightning bolt on the path, as her strong feelings almost took over. Panic pushed her feet forward as she ran through the trees with the branches scratching her skin but she kept going. Her heart beat wildly like a drum with her uneven breath. She had to get away, she had to escape their pity and her sadness. “Lucy come back!” Her dad’s voice was getting quieter behind her along with her mom’s cries. But she couldn’t go back. Not now. The trees turned into a blur as she ran further into the woods with her eyes filled with tears. She tripped over tree roots with her mind a mess of worries and thoughts... She was meant to be tough but now she felt weak and unimportant. Every step moved her further from the love of her family and friends taking away the security they provided. Finally falling to the cool ground beneath her Lucy struggled to breathe with her body shaking with sobs. She covered her face with her hands with tears soaking her palms. At twenty she was still a girl without a wolf—a girl lost in a world that was supposed to give her so much. The truth hurt her more than any thorn. “This isn't right,” she quietly said to the trees around her, with the stillness making her sadness stronger. “I was meant to find my wolf when I turned fifteen. Everyone was waiting for it. They all depended on me.” The shame felt heavy on her chest. What did they think of her now? Would she ever be seen as good enough for Prince Geoffrey? The idea hurt more than anything. Would he be stuck with a fate he didn't want because she couldn’t figure out her own? She looked up at the sky, which was colored with fading light, while hoping for the impossible—hoping for magic, for signs,s, for anything to show her she wouldn’t be lost forever. And there it was Geoffrey. Thinking of him Lucy felt a little warmth in the coldness of her heart. Geoffrey—the good-looking prince with a smile that lifted her spirit. Would he still love her if she never became the Luna everyone wanted her to be? She got up from the ground while wiping her tears away with tough hands. She had to find him more than anything. She wanted to see him and to feel their connection. She needed to hear what he thought about all of this. She stood up and took a deep breath and tried to push away her sadness. With every step she took, she thought about the bond they shared—the unseen link that kept their hearts close even though they were far apart. Lucy started to walk with her heart guiding her through the woods. As she thought about Geoffrey, she followed their connection, their mate bond, a light that pulled her away from sadness. An unseen guide led her with a promise she held onto. If their bond felt stronger with each step maybe their future wasn't decided yet. After a while, she climbed up a small hill with her heart beating fast as she got closer to the open space below. When she got to the top she looked down at the familiar person standing under the trees. It was him—Prince Geoffrey who represented all the best things in her life. But when Lucy moved closer her feet got stuck to the ground. She was shocked and couldn't breathe. Geoffrey wasn't by himself. He was with another girl with her arms around him as they shared gentle kisses in the darkened clearing…!The forest whispered secrets as Lucy and Karl trudged through the underbrush, each step a testament to their resilience. The air was thick with damp earth and tension, and above them, the canopy filtered golden light into slanted, shifting shapes. Karl leaned heavily on Lucy, his breathing ragged, every movement laced with pain. The fever had broken, but the wound on his side was still angry and red. They didn’t speak much—words weren’t needed.By late afternoon, they stumbled upon a cabin buried deep in a forgotten part of the forest. Lucy had used it once before during a mission gone wrong. It was hidden from every known path, secure—or so she had thought.She helped Karl to a low cot inside, his face twisted in a grimace as he sank into the worn mattress. “Stay here,” she said softly, brushing the sweat-damp hair from his brow. “I’ll do a perimeter sweep.”He grabbed her wrist gently. “Be careful.”She gave a quick nod before slipping out.The forest around the cabin was silent. No
Morning crept into the cave like a thief—quiet, uncertain, slipping in through cracks of stone. The storm had passed, leaving behind the damp hush of a soaked forest. Lucy stirred first, stiff and sore from sleeping against the wall, Karl’s weight still slumped against her.His fever had broken sometime in the night, but his skin remained clammy, breath uneven. Her hand had never left his shoulder. She had kept the fire alive through sheer willpower, feeding it sticks, cloth, whatever would burn. Anything to keep him warm.Now, she brushed her fingers along his temple, checking the heat. Still warm, but not blazing.Karl’s eyes blinked open slowly, unfocused.“You’re still alive,” Lucy whispered. “Good. I was running out of ways to yell at you.”He huffed a weak sound that might’ve been a laugh. “You stayed up.”She nodded. “You were burning up. I thought you’d stop breathing.”Karl shifted, groaning as pain rippled through his body. “Still might.”“Not funny.”“Didn’t say it was.”Lu
Karl stirred at dawn, his skin damp with sweat, lips cracked and dry. Lucy hovered nearby, tending the dwindling fire and keeping one eye on him, the other on the narrow cave entrance. He blinked groggily, focus slow to return."You're awake," she whispered, relief flooding her face.He tried to sit up but winced, his entire body resisting the effort. Lucy was beside him in a second, her hand firm on his chest. "Don’t be stupid. You’re still burning up."His eyes locked with hers. Something flickered in the depths—recognition, confusion, and something else she didn’t dare name. "Did you stay up all night?"She nodded, brushing damp hair from his forehead. "Someone had to make sure you didn’t die."He huffed a breath—half a laugh, half pain. "Reckless.""Says the man who took a blade to the ribs for me."He tried to grin, but it collapsed into a grimace. "Fair point."Lucy dabbed at his brow with the corner of her cloak. "You're lucky. Fever’s breaking. But you won’t make it far today.
Karl was burning up.It started with a tremor in his hands. Then the chills set in. By the time the fire had died down to embers, Lucy could see the sweat soaking through his cloak and shirt, his skin too pale, his eyes unfocused."Karl," she said sharply, moving to his side.He didn’t respond.She pressed the back of her hand to his forehead. A curse left her lips. He was boiling."Damn it," she muttered, stripping the cloak off his shoulders. "You should have said something."His head lolled slightly, his breath ragged. "Didn't want to worry you.""You're an idiot."She pulled his pack toward her, rummaging through it. He always carried some basic supplies. Dried herbs. Cloth. She found a waterskin and some crushed feverroot, then grabbed one of the thinner blankets and soaked it in the cool water before pressing it to his neck."Stay with me, Karl," she whispered.He gave a weak grunt. His muscles twitched.She stayed close, kneeling beside him, brushing the damp hair from his fore
Rain came down in sharp sheets, pounding through the canopy above and soaking Lucy to the bone. The forest trail had all but vanished beneath a mess of mud and debris, forcing her and Karl to move slower than they liked. After the ambush last night, every crack of thunder felt like a warning shot. "This way," Karl growled, his voice barely audible over the storm. His hand wrapped around Lucy's wrist as he pulled her to a narrow path winding up the rocky hill. "Are you sure?" she asked, blinking water from her lashes. He didn’t answer, just kept moving, boots digging into the slick earth. The ground trembled under a fresh roar of thunder. Lightning streaked across the sky—and then the trail collapsed behind them. Lucy spun around, eyes wide. "Shit." The slope they’d climbed crumbled, taking the path with it. Karl didn’t pause. "Keep moving." They crested the ridge just as the rain picked up. Karl led her toward an outcropping of stone, nearly hidden beneath overgrowth. He shove
The battle had ended, but the war was far from over. Lucy could still hear the echoes of steel clashing, the snarls of dying rogues, the wet thud of bodies hitting the blood-soaked ground. The scent of smoke and death clung to her like a second skin as she followed Karl through the dense forest, their steps silent, their movements tense. The night pressed in around them, the trees stretching high, their twisted branches clawing at the sky. The reinforcements had arrived, forcing the remaining rogues to retreat, but Lucy knew better than to assume they were safe. Something felt off. Karl moved like a shadow beside her, his body no longer weakened by the wounds that should have killed him. The memory of what had happened still sent a chill down her spine. She had healed him. She didn’t know how or why, but the truth was undeniable. And Karl had felt it too. She stole a glance at him. He was quiet, his face unreadable, but his fingers flexed at his sides, his claws just barely ext
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