THE RUTHLESS ROGUE WOLF

Lucas stepped silently from behind the tree where he had been watching. The shadows clung to him like a second skin.

He had seen it all.

The argument, The fear in Marie’s voice. The frustration in Alina’s eyes, Every word between mother and daughter had pierced him like a blade.

Especially her voice Alina's.

Her scent… it had changed. Her aura was glowing stronger. The blood in her veins pulsed with something ancient.

Lucas's jaw clenched.

So she doesn’t even know, he thought. She has no idea what she is or what she’s becoming.

Alina wasn’t just any girl. She was half-blooded. The daughter of a wolf and a human. A child born of a forbidden union a miracle and a threat.

And she was awakening.

That’s why she had been seeing him in her dreams. That’s why the nightmares had started. It wasn’t just coincidence. It was the bond.

He felt it now stronger than ever, watching her disappear down the road with her mother, angry and confused. And he knew this was just the beginning

“She doesn’t know who I am yet…” he muttered under his breath. “But soon she will.”

A sudden gust of wind whispered warnings through the trees. Lucas tilted his head slightly he could hear them.

Others were coming.

He wasn’t the only one drawn to Alina’s scent. The moment her power began to stir, the signal would have gone out like a flare to every bloodhunter, every rogue wolf lurking in the night.

She’s not safe. Not anymore.

Lucas tightened the leather strap of the dagger at his hip, then turned back toward the dark woods, vanishing as quickly as he had appeared.

He had stayed away for years, honoring the silent vow made with Jade long ago. But now, Jade was gone. And Alina…

She was his to protect, even if she hated him for it.

Even if it meant going against the very laws of his kind.

~~~~

Late into the night, the house was silent.

The only sound was the whisper of wind brushing against the windows and the soft ticking of the old wall clock in the hallway. Alina lay curled beneath her blankets, her body restless, her mind heavy.

She had argued with her mother again. She couldn’t sleep.

But eventually, she fell asleep.

And then… it came. The dream.

The same one she’d been having for weeks.

She was in the woods again barefoot, wearing a flowing white gown that shimmered in the moonlight. The air was charged.

A strange pull dragged her deeper into the heart of the forest. She tried to resist, but her legs moved on their own. It was like something inside her wanted to go.

Suddenly, she saw him.

The same man with silver white hair and eyes that glowed like molten stars, standing at the edge of a wood

Lucas.

Only this time… he looked different, Wild. His shirt was open, revealing lean muscle and a jagged scar over his ribcage. His eyes weren’t just glowing they were burning.

Alina stepped into the clearing, her heart thudding with fear.

“You,” she whispered.

“I told you,” he said softly, his voice like smoke. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“But I always end up here,” she replied. “I don’t choose it. It finds me.”

He stepped closer. “Because it’s calling to you, The forest and your blood.”

She looked at him, her heart racing. “What do you mean?”

He reached out and gently touched her hand. The moment their skin met, her body jolted with a pulse of heat. A vision slammed into her mind a wolf howling at the moon, two figures running through the forest, a man with glowing eyes standing in blood.

Alina gasped and pulled away. “What was that?”

“You’re waking up,” he said, his voice distant now. “Soon, you’ll understand. But time is running out.”

“Running out for what?”

But he didn’t answer.

The ground beneath her began to crack.

Dark vines burst from the soil, wrapping around her ankles and wrists, dragging her downward. A shadow moved in the trees, tall and monstrous, watching her with blood red eyes. She screamed for help.

“please!” she cried. “Help me!”

He stood still, his jaw clenched. “You have to remember, The past is your key.”

“Please!”

The vines yanked harder and she fell.

---

Alina shot up in bed, drenched in sweat,

Her heart pounded against her chest like a war drum. She blinked rapidly, still seeing the glowing eyes… the vines… the blood.

She rubbed her arms, shivering. Her skin was cold like ice, but her body felt like it had been on fire.

She looked down and froze.

There was dirt on her feet, Real, moist forest dirt.

Alina’s breath caught in her throat. “No… this can’t be happening.”

Was it just a dream? Or had she… gone there again?

She slipped out of bed and moved to the window, pulling the curtain aside.

The woods were still.

But someone was watching.

She couldn’t see him, but she felt him. Like his presence was tattooed into her blood. Her fingers trembled as she reached for her locket her mother’s gift. She clutched it tightly.

Down below, hidden in the shadows of the trees, Lucas stood watching.

His expression unreadable. His eyes glowing faintly.

He had been right. She was awakening.

And the real nightmare was only just beginning.

The wind howled unnaturally, carrying the scent of ash and metal. Lucas stood on a high ridge overlooking the tree line, his body tense, every sense alert.

He’s here.

He could feel it in the ground, Smell it in the air. The shift in the forest’s energy was unmistakable.

He hadn’t felt this presence in years and he had hoped he never would.

A low growl rumbled from deep within Lucas’s chest as he descended silently through the woods. Each step was measured.

Then he saw the figure.

Standing in the clearing where Alina had first seen him.

A tall, muscular man in a dark coat, his long raven hair whipping around his face. His eyes glowed crimson in the dark. And beside him… a trail of claw marks etched deep into the bark of nearby trees.

Elwin.

A rogue wolf. Exiled, Ruthless and dangerous.

Lucas stepped into view, his voice low and cold.

“You don’t belong here.”

Elwin smirked. “Neither do you, brother.”

“We’re not brothers.”

“Oh, right. We’re enemies now, aren't we? Because of her.” He sniffed the air, his eyes narrowing with hunger. “She’s here… isn’t she? The half-blood child. I can smell her.”

Lucas stepped closer, his fists clenched. “Stay away from her.”

Elwin tilted his head, amused. “She’s more powerful than you realize. Do you even know what she is becoming? Her blood sings to every creature in the dark. She’s not just half wolf, Lucas. She’s a bridge.”

“A bridge to what?” Lucas growled.

“To power, To a prophecy and to an uprising.”

Lucas’s jaw clenched. “She’s not a tool for your war.”

“Oh, come on. You don’t really care about her. You’re just playing protector so you can keep the girl to yourself."

Lucas lunged before he realized it. He pinned Elwin down to the ground

Elwin grinned with blood in his teeth.

“Too late. I’ve already marked her scent.”

Lucas froze.

Elwin's smile deepened. “Every rogue within miles will know what she is now. You should’ve hidden her better, Lucas. Now she belongs to the hunt.”

With a swift twist, Elwin shoved Lucas back and vanished into the shadows.