Everyone was in disbelief, none of us had truly believed the White Wolf was alive, let alone aware of our plan. But here she was, in her frightening form, glaring down at us.Axton was devastated. He stepped toward her and gently stroked her fur. A sharp gasp escaped him as he realized she was real.“We both know your pack is weak” I said, dragging her attention back to me. "And it's normal for one pack to invade another" “That will not be happening with Ember Moon" she replied, her voice like steel. "I've given you a warning. If you insist, you'll have to go through me”A deep growl rumbled from her chest, as she lowered into a fighting stance.“Just because you're the White Wolf doesn't mean you can stop us. We can still move you aside if we want" Ciara snapped.What the hell is she doing? I saw the White Wolf's expression shift, her body moving toward Ciara, menace in every step. I stepped in front of her, shielding my Luna. I'd deal with Ciara's reckless mouth later. “Control y
The voice was female, calm and firm. My chest tightened. A woman? Out here? Blocking an entire pack's path? No, this wasn't ordinary. Instincts told me we weren't facing a regular wolf, but my pride refused to yield. Axel scoffed, he looked impatient and unimpressed. “Get out of the way" I ordered, voice sharp. We were wasting time with whoever this stranger thought she was.“Turn back" she repeated, louder this time, like a warning, not a request.I glanced at Axel, he was bored and and furious, glancing at his watch from time to time.‘What are your orders, Alpha?’ he asked through mindlink.‘Stand down, she doesn't look ordinary’To the men on foot, I sent another order. ‘Fall back, stay ready.’ Something about this wasn't right.But the car door opened, Ciara marched towards us, her temper boiling.“Get back inside." I snapped, but she ignored me.“Who's the idiot blocking the way?" She screeched."Ciara, get back inside” I demanded, but she was already glaring at the hooded fi
THANE'S POVThe ride back to the pack was an awfully silent one, everyone was immersed in their own thoughts of what we'd just seen –who we'd just see. Everyone except for Ciara, she bickered the whole ride home, at one point I felt like tying her mouth shut so I could hear my own thoughts but all I could do was bark at her to shut up and thankfully she did.As we approached the gates of the pack, tension rose. The other cars followed us slowly behind. Everyone had questions but no one was willing to ask. The cold air felt heavy like it understood our plight. The guards at the entrance gate were both surprised and shocked to see us returning so soon, for all they knew, we weren't supposed to return until two days later and not all of us were supposed to either. But our vehicles lined up along the bush path the same way we'd lined up and left.They quickly opened the gates, eager to know what was going on. Dawn was breaking through the clouds. We were supposed to have been celebrating
I went back to hard training, this time not sparing myself even a breath of mercy. I had to get my emotions under control. Being the white wolf wasn't just about size – it was about speed, strength, precision and an edge sharper than fear. The shadow wolf had no mercy, not softness, no vulnerability. That was why it was stronger. If I wanted to match it, I had to carve out every weakness out of me.So I pushed. I dragged heavy logs of wood up steep hills until my muscles screamed. I let the weights of boulders press me down under the water until my lungs screamed for air. I raced through stretches of the forests until my chest burned. I threw myself against rocks and trees, bones breaking and healing, until pain became an old companion. I tore at inanimate objects like they were the enemies. It still wasn't enough, but it was all I had.By dusk, on my final lap, I stumbled across a bigger river deeper in the woods. A cave stood nearby, dark and vast. I noted it. My current shelter was
I had cried myself to sleep, waking up now, my head was pounding. I was still in my wolf form. If I shifted, I wouldn't have anything to wear, so for now I couldn't go into Ember Moon either. I was stuck as the White Wolf. I didn't feel like stepping out. My chest was heavy, my mood sinking lower. Maybe I should just stay in for today.“Why the long face?" June's voice boomed behind me. I turned my gaze to him. His warm glow gave me a brief sense of comfort but it wasn't enough to lift the weight off me. I looked away, fixing my eyes on the dead fireplace.June sighed and sat next to me. His hand lifted, reaching toward my fur, but stopped midway and let it fall back. “Talk to me, what's going on?" He asked, shifting closer.I didn't answer..I kept my gaze on the fireplace, its coldness mirroring how I felt inside. My mind was crowded with thoughts, things that I needed to do, but I won't be able to do them if I'm stuck as a wolf.June's attention seemed to have caught my torn, bloo
I huffed, steam curling from my nostrils in the cold. My watchful eyes roamed from one to another, studying them, waiting for anyone to make a single move. Thane looked frozen, like his worst nightmare had just come alive. Ciara wore an expression that almost made me laugh; she had an expression somewhere between horrified and shocked. Axel was devastated. Axton, speechless. None of you expected me to be something great, right? Let's see how any of you passes. “You're the … the white…”"Yes, I am," I cut off Ciara's stuttering. "And like I said previously, turn back." My voice was thick and frightening. What shocked me more was that they could hear it. My mouth was moving, words spoken aloud. Wolves never spoke verbally, only through mindlink. And yet here I was, speaking. I might be the only wolf who could. Their shock was almost greater than mine.“Ava?" Axton whispered softly, disbelief burning in his eyes.I shifted my gaze to him. He stepped closer, his curiosity outweighing