I woke with a gasp, my head pounding and body drenched in sweat. The last thing I remembered was preparing for the bond renewal ritual—Bella explaining the ancient steps, Mason arranging ceremonial items in the sacred grove.Then... darkness."You're awake." Silas's deep voice came from beside the bed. He sat in a chair, dark circles under his eyes suggesting he'd been there for hours."What happened?" My voice emerged raspy, throat dry as sand."Wolfsbane withdrawal," he explained, offering a glass of water. "Your body is purging years of suppression. Dr. Emerson says it's hitting you harder because of your bloodline."I drank deeply, mind clearing with each swallow. "The ritual?""Postponed. The moon set before we could begin." His expression revealed nothing, but tension radiated from his rigid posture. "We still have tonight."I pushed back the covers, determined to stand. My legs wobbled traitorously, and Silas reached to steady me, but I stepped away from his outstretched hand.
As I turned to leave, she called out: "One more warning, sister. The bond renewal connects more than just your bodies. For the silver-blessed, it creates a channel through which power flows both ways. Be careful how much of yourself you surrender tonight."The guards locked the door behind me as I left, my mind analyzing what might be truth versus manipulation in Angela's claims. The warning about the tunnels seemed specific enough to be credible. And her fear of the Director had felt genuine—perhaps the only genuine emotion I'd ever seen from her.I headed back through the corridors, processing Angela's warnings. As I turned a corner, a commotion from the main entrance caught my attention.Several wolves rushed past me toward the command center, expressions grim. I followed, arriving at Silas's office just as a patrol leader was reporting."We've captured a Silver Claw scout at the northern perimeter," he said, breathing hard. He extended a small bundle of papers covered in what look
The hours before sunset passed in a blur of preparations. After Silas left to investigate the tunnel entrance, I forced myself to eat, knowing I'd need my strength for whatever came tonight. My body still ached from the wolfsbane withdrawal, muscles trembling occasionally as the last traces worked their way out of my system.I had just finished showering when a hesitant knock sounded at my door. I opened it to find a teenage girl, maybe sixteen, shifting nervously from foot to foot."Alpha Morrigan asked if you could come to the training hall," she said, eyes downcast. "Some of the younger wolves want to try shifting before..." She swallowed hard. "Before tonight."My first instinct was to refuse. These weren't my problems. This wasn't my pack. But the fear in the girl's eyes struck something in me—the memory of my own desperation to shift, years of failure and humiliation."Fine," I said. "Give me five minutes."The training hall was in the east wing of the pack house, a large open s
Screams tore through the darkness, yanking me from sleep.Not nightmare screams—I knew those too well by now—but real ones. The wet, gurgling kind that meant someone was dying, and they were close. Too close.My limbs wouldn't fucking move. Heart pounding, lungs burning, but I couldn't even lift a finger. Couldn't blink. Sweat soaked the sheets under me while the screams got louder.Get up.Rona's voice cut through the fog in my head.GET UP NOW.Spots clouded my vision. I realized I hadn't breathed since the screams started. My lungs hurt.STELLA!I finally gasped for air, my body responding at last. I fell off the bed, shoulder hitting the floor hard. The pain shocked me alert. Adrenaline kicked in, my hand shaking as I grabbed the wall and pulled myself up.More screams, now closer, and beneath them a sound from below—stone grinding against stone. The tunnels. Someone was coming through the tunnels.I took one step toward the door, then my brain fractured. The hardwood under my fee
The tunnel was narrow, barely wide enough for two wolves to walk side by side. The walls were rough-hewn stone, occasionally reinforced with rotting timber supports. Water dripped somewhere in the distance, and the air smelled of damp earth and mold. And blood. Fresh blood.We found the first body about fifty yards in—a young pack member named David. I'd seen him at training sessions, eager to please, always trying to impress the older wolves. Now his throat was torn out, his eyes staring sightlessly at the tunnel ceiling. He couldn't have been more than eighteen.Liam made a pained sound beside the body. I placed a hand on his trembling shoulder."We keep moving," I said, my voice harder than I intended. "We'll come back for him after."The tunnel forked ahead, splitting into three separate passages. I closed my eyes, focusing on my senses. The smell of chemicals and wrongness was stronger in the center tunnel."This way," I said, pointing.We moved deeper, the ceiling growing lower
I didn't go back to the pack house. There wasn't time.The fading scent trail led northeast, toward the old industrial district. I followed it at a dead run, not bothering with stealth. Logan had given me twelve hours, but the silver-laced blade he'd pressed against Silas's throat would still be burning, still be poisoning him. Every minute counted.That tiny thread of our broken bond pulled me forward like a compass needle. I could feel Silas's pain—distant, muffled, but there. It had surprised the hell out of me when our bond snapped partially back during the attack. Five years of nothing, and now this. Fucking inconvenient timing.I stuck to the woods when I could, avoiding the roads where someone might spot a blood-covered woman sprinting through the night. The last thing I needed was human interference. Luckily, at three in the morning, even the occasional passing car didn't slow down.The industrial district loomed ahead, a collection of abandoned warehouses and factories that h
I'd heard enough. I needed to see what I was dealing with before bursting in. Near the ceiling was a ventilation grate. I jumped, grabbed the edge, and pulled myself up. The metal groaned under my weight but held. I peered through the slats.The room beyond was larger than the others, clearly the main lab. Scientific equipment lined the walls—centrifuges, computers, machines I didn't recognize. In the center was a metal table, and strapped to it was Silas.My breath caught in my throat. He was naked except for a cloth draped over his hips, his body covered in fresh cuts and burns. Silver-infused needles pierced his arms and chest, connected to tubes that ran to collection bags hanging beside the table. The bags were already half-filled with dark red blood.Logan stood at a workstation, examining something on a computer screen. He'd removed his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves, looking like a fucking corporate exec taking a casual Friday. Angela sat in a chair nearby, one hand res
She smiled, a cold expression that reminded me of our father. "I made sure you and Silas never completed your mate bond. I made sure you ran. I arranged everything."A chill ran through me. "What?""The attack five years ago," she said, her voice matter-of-fact. "I arranged it. Aaron, Marcus, Jacob—they were all following my suggestion. 'Teach the wolfless bitch a lesson,' I told them. 'Show her what happens to omegas.'"My vision blurred with rage. Five years of nightmares, of trauma, of struggling to survive—all because my sister orchestrated my assault?"You fucking bitch," I snarled, thrashing against the restraints. "You set me up to be raped?""I set you up to be scared off," she corrected, unperturbed by my rage. "The rape wasn't the plan. That was the boys getting carried away. But your leaving was exactly what I wanted. You were supposed to die in the woods, vulnerable and alone. No one expected you to survive, much less thrive.""Why?" I demanded. "What did I ever do to you?
The bathroom mirror showed the toll of recent days—dark circles under my eyes, fading bruises from the perimeter fight, silver lines visible beneath my skin even at rest now. I looked like what I was becoming—something between wolf and weapon, neither fully human nor fully monster.The hot water helped, washing away blood and tension. I stayed under the spray until my skin pruned, letting the steam fill my lungs, blanking my mind. Temporary peace.It shattered when I stepped out to find Silas sitting on the edge of my bed."What the hell?" I clutched the towel tighter around me. "Ever heard of knocking?""I did. Three times." He didn't look away. "We have a situation.""Serious enough to invade my bathroom?""Pine Valley's pulling out too."That got my attention. "What? When?""Just now. Chen called. Same story as Red River—Logan made contact, offered terms, council voted.""Fuck." I sat heavily beside him, maintaining careful distance despite the emergency. "That's two packs in one d
I showered again, hotter this time, as if I could wash away the implications of what had just happened. The bond had needed release—that much was true. The supernatural tension had been building since the silver integration, threatening our focus, our control.But it wasn't just the bond. And pretending otherwise was a lie neither of us fully believed.I dressed in practical clothes for the briefing, hair still damp, silver lines faded but not gone. The pendant at my throat seems warmer now, responding to whatever changes were accelerating in my blood.The briefing room was crowded—remaining coalition representatives, pack fighters, medical teams. Silas stood at the head of the table, composed and focused as if nothing had happened between us. Only the bond betrayed him, humming with awareness whenever our eyes met."The situation has changed," he began without preamble. "Red River and Pine Valley have withdrawn from the coalition. Shadow Ridge is wavering. We must adjust accordingly.
The bathroom mirror showed the toll of recent days—dark circles under my eyes, fading bruises from the perimeter fight, silver lines visible beneath my skin even at rest now. I looked like what I was becoming—something between wolf and weapon, neither fully human nor fully monster.The hot water helped, washing away blood and tension. I stayed under the spray until my skin pruned, letting the steam fill my lungs, blanking my mind. Temporary peace.It shattered when I stepped out to find Silas sitting on the edge of my bed."What the hell?" I clutched the towel tighter around me. "Ever heard of knocking?""I did. Three times." He didn't look away. "We have a situation.""Serious enough to invade my bathroom?""Pine Valley's pulling out too."That got my attention. "What? When?""Just now. Chen called. Same story as Red River—Logan made contact, offered terms, council voted.""Fuck." I sat heavily beside him, maintaining careful distance despite the emergency. "That's two packs in one d
Blood spattered across my face as I drove my knife into the hybrid's throat. Not a killing blow—these fuckers were resilient—but enough to buy me seconds. I twisted the silver blade, widening the wound, before kicking it back into the trees."Six o'clock," Silas called.I spun, dropping to one knee as another hybrid lunged overhead. It landed awkwardly, and I slashed across its hamstrings before it could recover. The silver blade cut through enhanced muscle and tendon, sending it crashing to the forest floor.The perimeter breach had turned out to be a scouting party—four hybrids, two human handlers with tactical gear. Test run, most likely. Probing our defenses before the eclipse."Clear on the east," Mason's voice crackled through the radio. "Two neutralized.""South perimeter clear," another voice confirmed.I finished the wounded hybrid with a knife through the eye socket—the most reliable way to kill them, we'd discovered. Silver to the brain. Nothing else stuck.Silas approached
A heavy silence fell. The widow studied me, weighing my words against her grief. Finally, she nodded once—not acceptance, not yet, but willingness to listen.The demonstration continued—questions answered, abilities explained, strategy discussed. By the end, the mood had shifted from hostile skepticism to grim determination. Not unity, exactly, but something approaching common purpose.Reeves declared the gathering concluded. The pack dispersed slowly, many lingering to catch glimpses of the silver lines beneath my skin, or to hear fragments of conversation between their Alpha and me."You've made an impression," Reeves observed when we were relatively alone. "Whether good or bad remains to be seen.""As long as you hold to the timeline.""We will. For now." He studied me with that predatory gaze. "You're not what I expected, Luna Stella.""What did you expect?""Someone broken by rejection. Someone defined by her mate bond rather than her own strength." He inclined his head slightly—
The meeting dragged for hours—strategies dissected, contingencies argued, egos managed. By the time it ended, I had barely enough time to prepare for the Shadow Ridge visit.I found Bella in the library, surrounded by ancient texts and modern printouts. The bags under her eyes suggested she hadn't slept much."Any updates on the ritual site?" I asked.She shook her head. "Surveillance shows continued construction, but no major changes to the chamber layout. The central platform appears to be complete." She slid a satellite photo toward me. "They've added these structures around the perimeter—power conduits, possibly, or some kind of containment system.""For the hybrids?""For you." She met my eyes. "Logan's preparing for your capture, Stella. These modifications match historical descriptions of goddess blood containment."Of course. He'd be a fool not to plan for every contingency, including my capture."We need to adjust our approach vector," I said. "Avoid these areas.""Already do
My blood wasn't right anymore.I stared at the vial Zeta Ruth had drawn that morning, watching how it separated—normal red plasma on bottom, silver particulates floating on top, refusing to mix. Like oil and water, except both were parts of me now."The integration is stable," Zeta Ruth reported, studying her microscope. "No cellular deterioration, no rejection symptoms. Whatever you did when you saved Silas, it fundamentally altered your blood composition.""Great," I muttered. "Logan will be thrilled."Three days since the assassination attempt. Three days of tests, meetings, and preparation. The coalition was holding, but barely—territorial disputes and ancient grievances threatening the fragile alliance with each passing hour."Have you experienced any side effects?" Zeta Ruth asked. "Pain, weakness, unusual sensations?"Besides feeling like my insides were made of broken glass? "Nothing significant."She gave me a look that said she knew I was lying. "The silver isn't just in you
The formal dining room hadn't been used in years. Dust sheets covered the long mahogany table, and cobwebs decorated the chandelier. I stood in the doorway, watching pack members clean and polish under Mason's direction."The Shadow Ridge delegation arrives at noon," Silas said, appearing beside me. "Mountain Creek by three. Red River just confirmed—they'll be here before sunset.""Seven alphas in one room." I crossed my arms. "When's the last time that happened?""1962. The Silver Plague outbreak." He glanced at me. "You ready for this?""Define ready."The corner of his mouth twitched. "Able to navigate pack politics without starting a war.""Then no, probably not."He almost smiled—a rare occurrence these days. The approaching eclipse had everyone on edge, humor in short supply."They'll test you," he warned. "Your authority, your bloodline, your right to stand beside me. Traditional alphas don't adapt quickly to change.""I noticed." I gestured to my training clothes. "Should I ch
The council meeting that night was grim. Bella took notes as we described what we'd witnessed, her face growing paler with each detail."Forced conversion," she murmured. "He's found a way to override the rejection response.""At what cost?" I demanded. "That wolf was being torn apart from the inside.""The cost doesn't matter to Logan," Silas said. "Only the result.""We can't let this happen," Mason declared. "The eclipse ritual—if he perfects this process, makes it permanent...""He'll have an army of controllable hybrids," I finished. "Each one as strong as three normal wolves, immune to silver, loyal only to him.""So we stop him," Eliza said, steel in her voice despite her lingering grief. "We hit the quarry before the eclipse. Destroy his lab, free the captives.""It's not that simple," Silas cautioned. "The quarry is a fortress now. We'd lose half the pack trying to breach it.""Then we need another approach," I said. All eyes turned to me. "Logan wants me. My blood. I'm the k