LOGINElla.Maya blew out the candles on her chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. Wolf-themed decorations covered every surface of our backyard. Balloons shaped like wolves floated above the tables. Maya's classmates and pack friends ran around playing games.Ten kids. Twenty kids. Maybe more. I'd lost count."Make a wish, sweetheart," I said.Maya closed her eyes tight. Her lips moved silently. Then she blew out all nine candles in one breath.Everyone cheered.Kyle cut the cake while I handed out plates. Maya opened presents surrounded by wrapping paper and excited chatter. She got books, games, training gear, and art supplies."Thank you, everyone!" Maya hugged each person who gave her a gift.The party lasted three hours. By the time the last guest left, Maya was exhausted but glowing with happiness."Best birthday ever," she declared."I'm glad, baby."Kyle cleaned up while Maya and I sat on the porch swing. The sun was setting, painting the sky orange and pink."Mom?" Maya said quiet
Days turned into weeks. The Academy situation settled into the background. Life returned to normal routines. Maya continued training. I managed Luna duties. Kyle also handled Alpha responsibilities.The full moon ceremony came and went successfully. The new pack members integrated well. Territory disputes resolved peacefully. Everything seemed to fall into place like it was meant to.Maya's ninth birthday approached. I started planning a celebration. Something special to mark this year. One of her last birthdays before the Academy."What kind of cake do you want?" I asked her."Chocolate with vanilla frosting.""Done. What about decorations?""Can we have a wolf theme?""Of course."I ordered decorations online. Wolf balloons, wolf banners, wolf everything. Maya would love it. I also ordered custom party favors and planned games for her friends.Sarah helped me organize the guest list. Maya wanted her entire class invited plus her pack friends. The party was growing bigger than I'd an
Ella.I woke up to find Kyle's side of the bed empty.The house was quiet. Too quiet.I pulled on my robe and went downstairs. Kyle sat at the kitchen table, laptop open, staring at the Academy's website."Couldn't sleep?" I asked.He looked up. "Been thinking about the werewolf academy offer.""At three in the morning?""I can't stop thinking about it."I poured myself water and sat across from him. The screen showed smiling students in training uniforms. Happy faces that told nothing about the reality of sending an eight-year-old away."We need to talk about this properly," I said."I know.""Not at three in the morning."Kyle closed the laptop. "You're right. Come back to bed."We went upstairs but neither of us slept much after that. I lay awake staring at the ceiling, listening to Kyle's breathing. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Maya's face when we'd tell her she had to leave.Morning came too quickly. Maya bounced into our room at seven, already dressed for school."Can we h
Kyle."Enough," I called out. "Excellent work, all of you."The senior wolves looked impressed. One of them nodded at Maya. "You're good, kid. Really good."Maya beamed."That's enough for today," I finally said."Already?""You have homework. And dinner. And sleep. Being strong means knowing when to rest."She nodded reluctantly.We walked back to the main building together. The sun was setting. Orange and pink streaked across the sky."Dad?""Yeah?""Do you think I'll be a good Alpha someday?"The question surprised me. "I think you'll be an amazing Alpha.""How do you know?""Because you care. About the pack, about fairness, about doing what's right. Those qualities matter more than strength.""But strength matters too.""It does. But strength without wisdom is just violence. You have both."She smiled. "Thanks, Dad."We drove home. Ella had dinner ready. Chicken and vegetables. Maya's favorite."How was training?" Ella asked."Great," Maya said. "Dad says I'm ready for advanced wo
Kyle.I watched Ella place Daniel back in his bassinet, her movements gentle and practiced. The baby settled immediately, tiny fists curling against his chest."You're a natural with him," I said.Jane smiled from the doorway. "I don't know what I'd do without you two. Seriously.""Family helps family," Ella replied.We said our goodbyes and headed home. The drive was quiet, comfortable. The kind of silence that comes from years of understanding each other without words.Maya was already asleep when we got back. School tomorrow. Third grade. Where had the time gone?I checked on her before bed. She'd kicked off her blankets again. Always did. I pulled them back over her, tucked them around her shoulders.She stirred slightly. "Dad?""Go back to sleep, sweetheart.""Is baby Daniel okay?""He's perfect. Sleep now."She nodded and drifted off again.Her room was decorated with drawings she'd made. Wolves running through forests. Families standing together. A child's interpretation of pac
Ella."When can we visit again?" Maya asked in the car."Tomorrow," Kyle promised. "We'll bring flowers. Maybe a gift for Daniel.""I want to get him a stuffed animal. A wolf. Like the one granpa gave me when I was little."My heart swelled. "That's a perfect idea."The weeks after Daniel's birth blurred together. I found myself at my father's house almost daily. Helping with feedings. Changing diapers. Giving Jane breaks so she could shower or nap.Newborns were exhausting. I'd forgotten how demanding they could be. How little sleep new parents actually got.Jane looked like a zombie most days. Hair unwashed. Still in pajamas at three in the afternoon. Dark circles under her eyes."I don't remember it being this hard," she admitted one morning. "Of course, I've never done this before. Not really.""You're doing great.""I'm barely surviving.""Same thing."Dad wasn't much better. He'd raised me mostly alone after Mom died. But that was decades ago. He'd forgotten the particulars of i
Ella.The silence stretched impossibly long. Everyone was watching. Waiting. Phone cameras pointed at us from multiple angles. This moment being recorded. Shared. Posted online before I could even answer.I opened my mouth. Nothing came out. My throat had closed up completely, like someone had wrap
Ella.The bathroom mirror showed exactly what I'd been avoiding all morning.Dark purple shadows under my eyes that no amount of concealer could hide. Skin so pale I looked sick, like I'd spent the last week locked in a basement without sunlight. Hair pulled into a messy bun because I'd been too ti
Ella.The sound broke through the haze. Broke through the moment. Shattered it completely.Kyle jerked back like I'd burned him. Like I'd shocked him. His eyes went wide. Panicked. The gold fading slightly as reality crashed back in.Footsteps in the hallway. Getting closer. Getting louder.I press
Kyle.My wolf woke me at 3AM, clawing inside my chest like it wanted to tear through my ribcage.I sat up in bed, gasping. Sweat soaked through my shirt. My hands were shaking, fingers half-shifted into claws before I could stop them. The suppressants were supposed to prevent this. I'd taken three







