ELLAAt this point, I was happy I hadn’t told him about the conversation between Kade and the group.He would probably have a basic explanation for that or say I was thinking about going back to the twins, and that was why my mind was playing tricks on me—finding ways to convince me to go through with this new thought. It felt unfair to make such conclusions, but then he had taken my experience and made light of it. I didn’t know what to think anymore.“Let’s go to bed. Tomorrow you’ll wake up, and you’ll see that everything feels so much better,” he said and tapped the empty space beside him. I shook my head and walked toward the bathroom.“I need to take a long bath, and I need some time to myself. I spent the last few hours outside. I think I need to soak up.”He nodded, then closed his eyes. “If you need anything, all you have to do is wake me up, and I’ll make sure you get it. And oh, your food is on the table.”As he spoke, I glanced at the table and saw the dish covered. I didn
ELLA“Hi, good morning,” Quincy said as he stepped into the room. I was on my way to the bathroom, but he had a cheery expression and a swing in his step that made me stop and look at him suspiciously.I internally chuckled at the fact that he would never have guessed that just a few minutes ago, I thought he had picked up his things and left without me.Just how traumatized was I that my first thought leaned into the worst possible outcome? It was as hilarious as it was pathetic.I would have to reprogram my mind to see the good in things, but right now, that was far from happening anytime soon.“Hey you, for someone who has missed their flight, you look too happy,” I said and turned around to face him completely.“Well, I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?”“The bad news. That way I can get it out of the way and appreciate the good news better.”“Fair enough. Well, bad news—our trip got rescheduled. Something about a road being fixed and buses currentl
ELLAI started hoping that I wouldn’t have to encounter being in Kade’s mind once more, but as soon as the thought crossed my mind, I heard a loud whistling sound, and my vision split in two.It happened faster than I anticipated, but I soon realized that I was no longer looking at just the stream.I could see the waterfall back home, and a feeling of dread enveloped me when I realized I was in Kade’s mind, and he was standing in the clear area where Lyla and I had our training sessions.I swallowed and tried to be as subtle as possible, but in a few minutes, I realized that he had caught onto what was happening.“I know it’s you,” he said, and a chill ran up my spine.I felt annoyed that even with the distance between us, he still had that effect on me, and didn’t bother to hide my irritation.“I wish I had connected with someone else,” I answered. The irritation I felt was evident in my tone, and I hoped he had caught onto it. “I was looking forward to talking to someone that is act
Ella“I’m sorry I didn’t pay attention the first time you mentioned this. I dismissed it as a regular dream or something that was occurring because of fatigue. That must’ve made you feel terrible. Please forgive me,” he said, and I felt my heart race in my chest.This was the first time anyone had apologized for making me feel like my thoughts and experiences were disregarded, and I didn’t know how to deal with it.I would have never expected an apology, let alone from him, but it felt refreshing to know there were people in the world who didn’t shy away from accountability. I squeezed his hand and nudged him playfully.“It’s okay. When you said it, I considered that fatigue must’ve been an underlying factor too. It was a new experience for me as well. I don’t know one person or wolf who has gone through anything like this. It only makes sense that you thought about that first.”I was trying to reassure him that everything was fine, but at the same time, I was trying to reassure mysel
EllaThe hallway felt endless. I paused, glanced around, and continued walking, though each step felt heavier than the last. The silence was deafening, punctuated only by the echo of my footsteps. I had grown used to it—the stares, the whispers, the cold indifference.In the beginning, it was new and different in ways I couldn’t explain, but now it was a familiar feeling. I could almost taste it every time I experienced it. When you’re ostracized long enough, it becomes easier to live with the isolation that comes with it.I had learned to stay in the shadows, to avoid being noticed. It was better for me, and for them. You might wonder why I chose to fade into the background, but in my world, it was a kind of salvation.I was an omega, the lowest of the low in our pack. Invisible, unappreciated, ignored, except when someone wanted to remind me of my place. They didn’t need a reason; my mere existence was enough. They would find me wherever I was, just to drill the harsh truth of my re
EllaAs soon as I was outside, my feet moved of their own accord, and I took off running. The wind rushed through my hair, and the world behind me faded into the distance.I didn’t stop until I was deep in the woods, far from the pack house, far from them. I needed to be alone. I needed to think. Never in a million years did I imagine this would happen.“This is so cruel. Anybody, anybody but them,” I muttered as I ran.I didn’t know where I was headed, but I let my feet guide me. My heart pounded in my chest, and every time I thought about it, I felt the urge to get farther and farther away from them.Yet, the bond tugged at me, relentless, gnawing at my mind, telling me I belonged with them— that they were my mates.It unnerved me, but the most heartbreaking part was that they didn’t want me. Of course, they didn’t. Who would want the omega? The wolf perceived as the weakest link, the one everyone thought they were better than.I collapsed against a tree, my breath coming in ragged
EllaIt grew quieter as the sound of their footsteps faded into the distance. They were gone.They had rejected me, and they didn’t care about how that affected me. That was the height of their cruelty, but in a way, I understood them.As I stumbled through the woods, my vision blurred with tears that I refused to shed. I tried to see things from their perspective as the conversation replayed in my mind.While I had put on a brave face earlier, now, alone, I could admit that it broke me to come to terms with reality.Each step felt heavy. I had longed for silence, but this was deafening. My head throbbed, and my limbs felt weak from exhaustion and something else— something I would be thinking about for a long time.I stopped walking and looked back, hoping for a moment that they had changed their minds and returned. Then I broke into a short laugh. Hope was such a silly concept, especially when this was my reality.Nothing could change it now. I was always going to be the omega that n
LUCIANMorning had come faster than I anticipated. It was either that or the fact that I spent the night awake, thinking about several things.Being an alpha-in-training was the most coveted position in the pack, and as the eldest twin, it was up to me to live up to the role since I was next in line to lead.Sometimes, it felt like a burden I would prefer to pass onto someone else so I could stay in the shadows, living life on my own terms.But that was just wishful thinking. I had been training for this position since I was young, and it was almost time for me to take charge.The only way the position would be passed on was if I died or if there were wolves who wanted to contest my credibility. These options were very unlikely, so I knew I had to prepare myself for the role.From the private meetings I occasionally attended, I knew it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.There were so many people who looked up to me, and I couldn’t afford to fail. That both excited and terrified me
Ella“I’m sorry I didn’t pay attention the first time you mentioned this. I dismissed it as a regular dream or something that was occurring because of fatigue. That must’ve made you feel terrible. Please forgive me,” he said, and I felt my heart race in my chest.This was the first time anyone had apologized for making me feel like my thoughts and experiences were disregarded, and I didn’t know how to deal with it.I would have never expected an apology, let alone from him, but it felt refreshing to know there were people in the world who didn’t shy away from accountability. I squeezed his hand and nudged him playfully.“It’s okay. When you said it, I considered that fatigue must’ve been an underlying factor too. It was a new experience for me as well. I don’t know one person or wolf who has gone through anything like this. It only makes sense that you thought about that first.”I was trying to reassure him that everything was fine, but at the same time, I was trying to reassure mysel
ELLAI started hoping that I wouldn’t have to encounter being in Kade’s mind once more, but as soon as the thought crossed my mind, I heard a loud whistling sound, and my vision split in two.It happened faster than I anticipated, but I soon realized that I was no longer looking at just the stream.I could see the waterfall back home, and a feeling of dread enveloped me when I realized I was in Kade’s mind, and he was standing in the clear area where Lyla and I had our training sessions.I swallowed and tried to be as subtle as possible, but in a few minutes, I realized that he had caught onto what was happening.“I know it’s you,” he said, and a chill ran up my spine.I felt annoyed that even with the distance between us, he still had that effect on me, and didn’t bother to hide my irritation.“I wish I had connected with someone else,” I answered. The irritation I felt was evident in my tone, and I hoped he had caught onto it. “I was looking forward to talking to someone that is act
ELLA“Hi, good morning,” Quincy said as he stepped into the room. I was on my way to the bathroom, but he had a cheery expression and a swing in his step that made me stop and look at him suspiciously.I internally chuckled at the fact that he would never have guessed that just a few minutes ago, I thought he had picked up his things and left without me.Just how traumatized was I that my first thought leaned into the worst possible outcome? It was as hilarious as it was pathetic.I would have to reprogram my mind to see the good in things, but right now, that was far from happening anytime soon.“Hey you, for someone who has missed their flight, you look too happy,” I said and turned around to face him completely.“Well, I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?”“The bad news. That way I can get it out of the way and appreciate the good news better.”“Fair enough. Well, bad news—our trip got rescheduled. Something about a road being fixed and buses currentl
ELLAAt this point, I was happy I hadn’t told him about the conversation between Kade and the group.He would probably have a basic explanation for that or say I was thinking about going back to the twins, and that was why my mind was playing tricks on me—finding ways to convince me to go through with this new thought. It felt unfair to make such conclusions, but then he had taken my experience and made light of it. I didn’t know what to think anymore.“Let’s go to bed. Tomorrow you’ll wake up, and you’ll see that everything feels so much better,” he said and tapped the empty space beside him. I shook my head and walked toward the bathroom.“I need to take a long bath, and I need some time to myself. I spent the last few hours outside. I think I need to soak up.”He nodded, then closed his eyes. “If you need anything, all you have to do is wake me up, and I’ll make sure you get it. And oh, your food is on the table.”As he spoke, I glanced at the table and saw the dish covered. I didn
ELLAI heaved a sigh of relief, stemming from the fact that he hadn’t completely realized what was going on. But the fact that he had his suspicions made me uneasy.I also had to deal with the reality that I was somehow involved in all this. It would only take one person— someone who knew about the knives and the inscription, to go into my house looking for me or any traces of why I had left, and they would start connecting dots that didn’t even exist.I inhaled and exhaled, trying to steady my nerves. This wasn’t the time to panic—that would solve nothing.I had to think this through and figure out what to do with this information and this newfound ability.Once more, I was right back where I started at the beginning of this trip: wishing Lyla was here with me.It was a terrible time to be thinking about something like that. I’d gone down that road a couple of times during this trip, but I couldn’t help the feeling.I wasn’t sure if I would tell her the entire story, because that wou
ELLAThis new revelation seemed to throw Kade off balance. He clearly wasn’t expecting their helper to be someone within his social sphere, nor did he think there were any other alphas around the area.And this confirmed one thing for me as well: the group he was speaking to weren’t from our pack—or at least not all of them. If they were, their loyalty would lie solely with the person speaking to them and his twin.Their devotion to someone else, strong enough to keep a secret of that magnitude, was a clear indication that something else was at play here.“An alpha?” Kade said, disbelief evident in his tone. “Why would an alpha help you?”“They had… well, they had similar goals, and when they found out we wanted information on the victim, they gave it readily.”“And your excuse for not killing them?”A pause swept through the group, and they shook their heads in unison. I could tell they were all thinking the same thing.“You might be an alpha and we might be mercenaries, but we know
ELLAThe conversation clearly wasn’t going as expected for any of the parties involved, but I was determined to see it through to the end, so I listened attentively.“So you saw blood, saw a weapon, and decided that he was still alive at some point—and your initial thought was blackmail?”“Yes. We had no reason to believe any harm had come to him. His shack was in an organized state when we arrived, and our informant had seen him earlier that day, hale and hearty, planning something fun with his buddies.”“You thought their idea of fun included spilling blood?”“Fun can be anything for anyone. We were focused on carrying out the assignment you gave us, not trying to put two and two together.”“That’s very clear. I should’ve found smarter people to get this done. So humor me—what did you do after?”“We contacted the person who had given us the information about his whereabouts and asked if he had seen the victim again after the first sighting. He admitted he hadn’t come across him sinc
ELLAPerhaps watching the entire procession would help me understand what I was dealing with. I had never experienced anything like this before.I wasn’t sure how to navigate this new ability—there were no seers to ask, no council of elders to tell me how to channel this power or even what to call it—but the thrill of encountering something unknown piqued my curiosity.It was fascinating to discover that I could tap into the mind of another wolf, but whose thoughts had I ventured into? There was only one way to find out, so I steadied my nerves and decided to observe.The whole thing was surreal—I had gone from being annoyed and irritated by everything around me to trying to unravel what I had just unlocked. If there had been a memo about this happening, I had clearly missed it.I focused on the events unfolding on the other side. Whoever this was, they were in a meeting with other werewolves. But it wasn’t a regular pack meeting—it felt more like something arranged in secrecy. And wh
ELLAWhen I got to the end of the lot, I stopped walking and peered at the trees for a bit, trying to see if that was all there was.But I soon discovered that there was a clear path in the middle of them, and that only meant one thing—there was more than just trees waiting beyond this path, and I needed to get to it as soon as possible.But first, I had to make sure Quincy knew I was alright. If I just wandered off, he would end up worried and start searching for me.I wasn’t interested in explaining that I needed some time to myself, so the best thing was to make that clear right away.I walked back to the motel and met him at the door.“I was about to come get you,” he said with a smile.I tried to mirror his expression, but it felt too warm and cheery—a far cry from what I was feeling. I couldn’t bring myself to pretend, so I let it go.“Likewise,” I replied as calmly as I could and walked past him into the reception area. “Are the rooms ready?”“Yes, come, I’ll show you how to ge