Nyla banged the door of her room shut so hard that the entire frame rattled violently. She didn’t care. Let them hear. Let them all know she was furious. She paced furiously like a wounded tiger searching for her attacker, panting heavily as pain and humiliation stung her heart.Damon’s words replayed over and over in her head, even louder than her own heartbeat.“They’re lucky to still be breathing.”Her face twisted in rage. Lucky? After everything she’d done for him? After everything she had sacrificed?“I am Nyla,” she hissed aloud, standing in front of her mirror. “I am not some shadow or some disposable mistress to be tucked away while he goes chasing after…” her lips curled with bitterness, too disgusted to mention Elena's name. “...her.”The name itself was like poison in her mouth.She stared at her reflection in the mirror with wild eyes, feeling like tearing something to pieces with the fury that was boiling inside her. “She’s ruined everythin
The grand council chamber of the Nightshade Pack was like a ticking bomb waiting to explode. Damon sat quietly, staring at the pack elders that he had been locked in an argument with for the last half hour. The look on his face was like a dangerous storm.The elders themselves were shifting uneasily in their seats, exchanging curious glances and whispering under their breath as if conspiring in the open might make their words less dangerous.Elder Rowan finally broke the silence in a tone that was obviously filled with impatience.“You cannot be serious about this, Alpha Damon. The girl is not worth the risks you’re about to subject yourself to. She abandoned you, and worse, you saw what she did when she awakened her wolf. It's a miracle that no lives were lost in that night of horror, but you can not expect us to accept someone like that as our Luna.”Another elder supported him immediately. “I agree with Rowan, Alpha. Do you not see what this looks like? To go
The force of Kane’s attack was like a battering ram. His claws tore into her side as he pushed her against the wall. Elena felt pain shoot through her ribs, and a snarl came from her throat. She pushed back, tearing across his shoulder in retaliation, but he barely felt the attack.“You think you’re strong?” Kane’s voice mocked as his jaws snapped at her neck. “You’re nothing but a cursed mistake! A mongrel with a borrowed wolf!”Elena growled, pushing him back again, but Kane was relentless. He took a wild leap, this time catching her by the hind leg and dragging her across the blood soaked floor. Her claws scratched against the ground as she fought to regain her footing, but he lifted her and threw her into a column with a loud crash. Dust rained down, and the council gasped, watching as the Alpha of Shadow Pack towered over her like the nemesis death itself.“You will never be my equal,” Kane snarled as circled her. “You’re an exhausted little girl who got lucky
The command had barely left Kane’s lips when his men came forward. Dozens of wolves, reputable fighters that had been trained to kill without hesitation, shifting in unison and turning the council hall into a chamber of snarls and growls…But Elena did not retreat. She welcomed them.The first wolf to attack bore the brunt of her fury when he came running from her left with his jaws aiming for her neck. Elena's speed was too much for him to handle…she had twisted out of his way, grabbed him by the neck and then delivered a crushing bite to his throat. He staggered briefly when she pushed him away, then fell lifeless to the ground as blood came pouring out from the savage bite wound.Shock quickly turned to chaos as the others charged again. “Kill her!” one of the captains roared, his voice barely rising through the growls and screams.Two more wolves pounced from opposite sides, with claws slashing toward her sides. Elena turned mid air, unleashing a twisting maneuve
As they approached, her father and her brothers shifted together… three snarling angry werewolves that suddenly filled the tiny space of the room. They looked devoid of reason, and her mother was busy encouraging them forward.“Do it! Drag her out before she brings Damon’s curse on us all!”They charged at her, and her wolf screamed inside her, demanding to be allowed into the action, but Elena refused yet again. It was not time for them to see her power yet, not until she was ready to reveal it.Gideon’s huge and powerful paw hit her shoulder, pinning her against the wall, while Caleb snapped at her side, grazing her arm with his teeth. Foaming and snarling like a rabid animal in his anger, her father grabbed her violently and began to drag her forward.She stumbled and almost crashed to the ground, but refused to cry out. She allowed them to drag her roughly like a prisoner through the streets of Shadow Pack territory, with her mother still following behind a
The council hall went dead silent as Elena's smile began to widen further. Every single sound… squeaking chairs, whispers, and even the shuffle of restless feet… they all vanished into nothingness as Elena’s body jerked slightly and then broke apart as she shifted easily and smoothly into her brilliant wolf form.The white wolf in front of them was a sight that stunned them even further beyond belief. There was nothing ordinary about it like the average wolf, whether by appearance or by aura. This was a beast of legend, magnificent, terrifying, beautiful… and it was Elena, the girl they had made fun of and rejected.The first scream of disbelief came from Caleb. “No… No, this… this is impossible!”Beside him, Gideon stepped backward so suddenly that he almost tripped over his own foot. He tried to remain calm, but the panic in his wide eyes betrayed him. “She… she never had a wolf. She couldn’t shift! This… this isn’t real.”Her mother’s voice cracked, shrill an