Masuk~Kaelen~ The first thing that hit me wasn’t the silence. It was the scent. Pine, smoke… and wild honey tangled with moonlight. It slammed into my lungs so hard I nearly forgot how to breathe. I’d just walked into Finn and Lena’s living room, still dusting off the road, when the world tilted. My senses sharpened until every noise, every flicker of light, felt too loud, too close. The air thickened no, shifted. Something was here. Someone. Black stirred inside me, the growl in his voice low and rough. She’s here. Who? I asked, already knowing. The answer burned through me like wildfire. Mate. My pulse stuttered. No. That couldn’t….before I could complete my sentence, the door opened. And then the universe had the audacity to stop moving. Three people stepped in, laughing. Lila, a male I recognized as Theo and a girl who didn’t belong to this world. She had long, soft chestnut hair that looked like she’d run a hand through it one too many times. Stormy gray eyes that mig
~Aria~ Something was off. It started as a faint hum in my chest barely there at first. Then it spread, tingling beneath my skin like static before a storm. My wolf was restless. Pacing. Whispering things I couldn’t understand. I tried to ignore it. Finn and Lena were curled up on the couch beside me, half watching a movie, half lost in each other’s eyes. I sat on the other end of the sofa, pretending to be invested in the cheesy dialogue on screen. But my wolf wouldn’t calm down. Her energy was wild, unpredictable like she could sense something I couldn’t. Her heartbeat thrummed against mine, quick, impatient, alive. What’s wrong with you? I muttered in my head. She didn’t answer, but I could feel her excitement bubbling, almost trembling through me. Every sound in the house felt louder the ticking clock, the distant rustle of trees outside, even the steady breathing of Finn and Lena. I rubbed my arms, trying to shake off the strange electricity crawling over my
~Aria ~ No one really knew when the Alpha was supposed to return. Everyone had a different theory some said in a few days, some said next week but honestly, at this point, it was starting to sound like one of those things people said just to keep hope alive. Life in the pack went on as usual. Theo had been… around. More than usual, actually. He’d show up when Lila and I were training, or stop by when Lena was heading to the market. He was always “just passing by,” but somehow, he always managed to end up staying. I wasn’t complaining though. Not that I’d admit that out loud. Then, two days before the Alpha’s supposed return, Lena said we were going to their parents’ house. Apparently, Finn had to leave for some urgent pack business, and she didn’t want me staying home alone. “I’ll be fine,” I told her. She just raised a brow. “You’ll come with us, and that’s final.” So I went. Their parents’ house sat near the edge of the pack territory a beautiful, warm pla
~Aria~If I’m being honest, the next day just… happened.Like, it started, and then it ended, and somewhere between breakfast and nightfall, I’m pretty sure I blinked for five minutes and suddenly the sun had relocated itself.I woke up to the smell of toast and eggs Lena’s I care but I don’t want you to know I care kind of breakfast. Lila was already at the table, her hair a wild mess, singing something off key while trying to butter toast that didn’t deserve it.“Morning, sleeping beauty,” she said with a mouthful.“Morning, chaos incarnate,” I replied, pouring juice.Lena shot us both a look over her mug. “If you two are done reenacting a sitcom, grab your food before I lose patience.”“Yes, mother,” Lila and I chorused.Theo didn’t show up that morning thank the Moon Goddess because I had no idea what I’d say if he did. ‘Hey, thanks for licking my ear last night, really appreciate the gesture’? Yeah, no thanks.The day went by peacefully enough. Lila and I helped clean up the por
~ Aria~I didn’t realize how much I’d missed this running.Not as a human, but as something wild and free.When Violet stirred beneath my skin, I didn’t fight it. The world blurred into silver and green as paws hit the forest floor, and the air filled with the sound of howls and laughter echoing through the trees. Everyone’s energy was different tonight carefree, playful, like the pack was finally breathing again after holding itself together for too long.Theo’s wolf ran beside me most of the time.Massive. Dark furred. The kind that made the ground feel small under his stride. There was something steady about the way he moved strong but quiet, like he carried the night in his bones.At one point, we slowed near the edge of the woods, our breaths coming out in clouds. I turned to look at him, expecting nothing more than a teasing grin. But then, he leaned in and licked the back of my ear.It happened so fast I almost froze mid breath.Wolves around us went still for a heartbeat.I di
~Theo~ The message ticked to “delivered,” and the faint glow from the phone lit up his face in the dim room. I lay flat on my bed, one arm folded under my head, the other holding the phone above me . The words Sweet dreams, Aria stared back at me, almost glowing against the darkness. I chuckled softly to myself . I wasn’t supposed to text her tonight. Not really. I had just wanted to make sure the phone worked a simple check, that was all. But the moment she replied, something easy settled in me Her words had felt… light. Genuine. The kind of honesty that didn’t need effort. I tossed the phone gently onto the pillow beside me and stared at the ceiling. “You’re getting ahead of yourself, man,” I muttered. I could still see her face in my head, the way she’d smiled when she laughed, the way she’d tried to hide it behind her hair, and the way she’d said friends like she was convincing herself it was enough. Friends. I exhaled through my nose and sat up, resting my elbows







