LOGINEve’s POV Malik walked closed to me, his fingers occasionally touching mine, it was a subtle but constant reassurance. Dorian moved ahead as usual, his gaze steady, I followed both their footsteps, “I don’t like this at all,” I whispered, keeping my voice low. “Don’t you both feel watched?”Dorian’s eyes flickered to mine. “Tonight we are seeking something deeper than the eyes of the forest. Focus wolfie.” Wolfie? I truly am wolf but why did it sound so rude and dismissive, we’ll have this conversation when I’m ready.I nodded, my gaze swept across the whole place, I felt my wolf stir in anticipation of what laid ahead. Every step I took felt heavy, and I knew it was only because we were slowly closing in on answers I wasn’t sure I was ready to face just yet. Hours had passed since we had been on this journey to where we were told the hermit lived. The forest had begun to thin on us. The trees still looked tw is Ted and their roots clawed at the ground like folded fingers.” At las
Eve’s POV The night felt overly calm, the low glow of my mark still pulsed on my arms, I was still restless inside, it wasn’t just my wolf anymore, I could feel every thing sharper and deeper, the more I tried to brush the feeling away, the further it dug at memories I did not even remember living.I sat by the clearing my legs tucked beneath me, I listened to the forest speak, for some reason since this whole power was unlocked it felt like the only thing that could heard and understand me clearly with my having to speak was the forest. Malik crouched beside me. “How do you feel?” He asked while his eyes scanned the area we sat at. I chuckled dryly. “Like I survived death but it was still after me?” Malik raised a brow. “I see you hate me now though, how do you anticipate death knowing I know no other funny person?”That got me to laugh genuinely then I turned to look at him. “Listen Malik, i dont say thank you because you are here, everyday I wake up fighting, I survive because
Eve’s POV I had spent most of the night staring at the stars, my wolf restless under my skin, every nerve in my body alert. Even as the forest whispered softly around Blackthorn this morninf, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were on the very edge of something far larger than any of us had imagined.Malik joined me. He didn’t need to speak but just having him there was enough to steady the rapid beat of my heart. Dorian emerged a few moments later, his eyes scanning through the trees. The three of us stood there in quiet anticipation, a fragile unity forming amidst the tension that had gripped Blackthorn for so long.“We need a plan,” Dorian said finally, his voice breaking the comfortable silence. I nodded, swallowing the knot in my throat. “I can feel it everywhere, the trees, the ground, even the air itself.” I admitted softly, glancing at Malik. “It’s in the trees, the ground… the air itself.”Malik’s hand found mine, then had his fingers all laced with my mind. “Never alone
Eve’s POVThe walk back to Blackthorn was more draining than the fight itself. The forest was calmer by now, I was certain. Malik walked beside me silently, his hand brushing mine occasionally to remind me I wasn’t alone. I needed that reminder more than ever.The sun had gone lower, casting the forest in shades of gold. Even though the danger had passed, I could feel the lingering pulse in the air. It was subtle but insidious, like a heartbeat under the soil. As we walked from the familiar path leading to Blackthorn, I felt a knot form in my stomach. I had expected destruction, wolves injured, territory damaged but what greeted us was… different. The pack was really quiet. It was not the tense hush of the days before, instead it was a silence filled with unease, like they all knew something worse than the black ash was coming and they were preparing for it.“Eve, look,” Malik said, pointing toward the clearing.I followed his gaze and felt my chest tighten. Several wolves had gather
Eve’s POVThe hall had never been this full, no one saw this coming! I’m talking about me, I never saw this coming! Blackthorn and Hartmann in the same space. Wolves muttered under their breaths, their shoulders and jaw tight. Hartmann warriors stood fixed while Blackthorn’s wolves stood opposite them, alert and ready, obviously exhausted from the weeks of fighting and surviving whatever spell the Hartmann’s had placed on us.This should have felt like progress, some type of deep breath even, but instead it felt like they had just ignited another fireI was beside Malik, our shoulders touching, he offered me a warm smile with a grounding nod. Dorian stayed at the center of the room, stiff and unreadable. Astrid…well she was somewhere at the far end of the room, her arms folded, she didn’t look like she wanted to be here and honestly? I was with her on that. Now this was the dramatic part! Morwenna didn’t make it to the meeting but she sent a raven marked with the first letter of her
Eve’s POVThe wind, usually gentle and playful through the treetops, carried a harsh wave that made me shiver. I felt it before I saw it, the ripple in the air that told me the curse was waking again.The ground under my feet was softer than usual. Leaves withered at the edges, their green fading to sickly brown, curling under the weight of something unseen. Birds didn’t sing, wolves didn’t howl, i could tell they all feared me or that was just how I felt “Malik,” I whispered, my voice barely more than a breath, “They’re coming,” I murmured, my voice trembling. “Something… something’s coming, and it’s feeding off everything.”Malik’s grip tightened. “I can feel it. Report says wolves are going missing. And it’s spreading, Eve.”I opened my eyes, scanning our surrounding. Even the town nearby wasn’t untouched. Lights flickered strangely through the streets, The humans are as oblivious as ever, the curse didnt care any way.” I could hear it, a low, vibrating sound that made my teeth







