"Twenty-seven confirmed so far. More will follow when they feel it's safe." She turned to face me. "They'll expect their Alpha to greet them."I set down my fork. "Tonight? I'm not ready for this."Elena's expression softened slightly. "None of us are ever ready for destiny, Marabelle. We simply meet it when it arrives.""That's not helpful," I muttered, but I pushed back the covers and swung my legs over the side of the bed. My muscles protested, but the weakness I'd felt earlier had mostly faded. "I don't even have proper clothes."Elena gestured to a closet across the room. "Alpha Logan's daughter left some things for you. They should fit well enough for tonight."I opened the closet to find several outfits hanging neatly inside. My hand automatically reached for jeans and a sweater, my comfortable uniform from my life as Daisy, but Star nudged my consciousness.*Not tonight,* she suggested. *Tonight, we need to look like what they've been waiting for.*I selected a simple black dr
My vision blurred as images flooded my consciousness—memories buried so deep I hadn't known they existed. A grand stone house nestled in dense forest. A silver-haired man with kind eyes was teaching me to track by scent. My father, his face now clear in my mind, showed me how to control the shift for the first time."No," I gasped, fighting against the onslaught. "This isn't real.""It's all real," Elena said, her voice seeming to come from very far away. "The memory suppression is breaking down."The platform beneath me pulsed with energy, and I felt something inside me stirring—a presence I'd spent years denying, pushing down whenever it tried to surface. My wolf. Star.*Let me out,* a voice whispered inside my head. *Let me protect us.*The chamber door exploded inward, fragments of metal and stone spraying across the room. Elena was thrown against the wall, crumpling to the floor in a motionless heap. Through the dust and debris stepped Kieran, now in human form. Blood streaked hi
Daisy Louise Harmony Thompson POV (Name given as part of Witness Protection program)“Hi, welcome to Sneakz Burger Emporium. I’m Daisy. How can I help you today?” I spoke through the mic of the drive-through headset.“Ah yeah, can I please have one of your Sneakz Classic Sizzle Steak Burgers?” A woman’s voice came back through the headset's earpiece.“Sure can. Which sauce would you like on your Sneakz Classic Steak Burger?” I replied.“Ah, now that’s tough, as I’ve never been here before. What would you recommend?” The woman spoke again.“Although it does depend on your personal preferences, if it were for myself, I would most likely go for Uncle Mateo’s Secret Sauce. However, this sauce has three versions: light and tangy, mild, and hot. Any of these can make the burger taste different. Since it's your first time here, I recommend you try the light and tangy.” I reply.That’s when a male voice chimes in through the mic, “What’s the Volcanic Sauce like?”I had groaned internally, kno