LOGINI don’t get time to speak before it happens, because the air snaps tight and a body crashes through the line of trees, then another, and another, moving fast and silent until they’re not hiding anymore, and Jax pulls me back hard into him.“Behind me,” he growls, his arm locking around me as Derek steps forward without hesitation.“No,” I say, my hand gripping Jax’s wrist as I twist slightly, refusing to stay fully behind him, and Derek’s gaze flicks to me once before he faces them again.“They’re not scouts,” Derek says, his voice calm but sharp, and I feel the truth of it settle heavy as more figures step out, surrounding without closing in.Jax’s grip tightens. “They’re ready to strike.”One of them steps forward, his stance low, eyes locked on me, not Derek, not Jax, and the pull inside my chest reacts instantly, sharper now, pushing outward as my breath catches.“You shouldn’t exist,” the man says, his voice flat.Jax lets out a low, vicious sound. “Try saying that again.”The ma
I don’t move away from them, and neither of them lets me, because the shift that just happened hasn’t settled yet, it lingers in the air and in my chest, and Derek’s hand stays wrapped around mine while Jax stays close enough that I feel his breath with every step I take.“Stay with us,” Derek says quietly, not a command, but I feel the weight in it, and I nod without speaking because the pulse inside me hasn’t stopped, it just rests, steady and aware.Jax’s hand slides over my stomach again, firm, protective, and this time the reaction comes instantly, a soft push outward that makes his fingers tighten, not in fear, but in focus.“It’s awake,” he murmurs, and his voice drops lower as he leans closer, his forehead brushing the side of my head.Derek exhales slowly, his thumb pressing against my hand as he watches us, calculating, but not distant, not detached, and when he steps closer, he doesn’t take control, he joins us.“Then we stay aligned,” he says.I feel it the moment his hand
I don’t need anyone to say it. I see it in the way the wolves gather, not in lines, not in ranks, but in clusters that don’t follow the old order, and when Derek steps forward, they don’t bow the way they used to.They look at me first.My steps slow, and Jax’s hand presses firmer against my lower back, guiding me forward while Derek watches the crowd, his expression controlled but sharper than before, and I feel the shift clearly, not fear, not rebellion, something else.A pull.One of the Alphas steps out, not kneeling, not lowering his gaze, and Jax tenses instantly beside me, his body leaning forward like he’s ready to snap, but I reach back without thinking and catch his wrist.He stills.“Stay,” I murmur, and his breath hits my neck, rough and uneven, but he doesn’t move again.Derek glances at me once, quick, then back to the Alpha, his voice calm, steady. “You were summoned.”The Alpha doesn’t answer immediately. His eyes move, not to Derek, but to me, and I feel it again, tha
I feel it before anyone speaks, a shift that doesn’t come from inside me this time but from outside, pressing in, quiet but steady, and Derek stops mid-step, his hand tightening around mine while Jax lifts his head sharply, his body going still behind me.“You feel that,” Jax says, not asking, his voice low and sharp, and I nod slowly because the air feels different, heavier, like something is watching without showing itself, and my fingers tighten around Derek’s hand without thinking.Derek doesn’t look at me, his gaze fixed ahead, calculating, and his grip stays firm as he pulls me slightly closer to his side while Jax shifts behind me, closing the space until I’m held between them again without either of them saying it out loud.“They’re not attacking,” Derek says after a moment, his voice controlled, but his shoulders stay tense, and Jax lets out a low breath, something close to a growl, as his hand slides back to my stomach, resting there like instinct guides him more than though
I don’t wait for them to lead, I move first, but my steps slow on their own, uneven, and Derek’s hand catches mine instantly while Jax stays pressed behind me, his chest tight against my back as if he expects me to fall again at any second.“Look at me,” Derek says, pulling me to face him, his grip firm, and I lift my eyes, but my breath doesn’t settle because the pulse inside me doesn’t fade, it lingers, quiet now, but watching, waiting.Jax’s hand slides back to my stomach, slower this time, cautious, and I feel the shift the moment his palm presses flat, like something inside me turns toward him, not aggressive, not soft, just aware, and his fingers tense slightly at the response.“You feel that?” I ask, my voice low, and he nods once, his jaw tight while his thumb presses down gently, testing, and the pulse answers again, sharper, pushing outward against his touch like it knows him.Derek’s eyes drop to my stomach, then back to my face, and he exhales slowly, but his hand doesn’t
The surge doesn’t fade, it climbs higher, and my body locks mid-step while power snaps through me so hard my breath breaks, and Jax catches me from behind before I hit the ground, his hand clamping over my mouth as his other arm cages my waist, holding me tight as if I might shatter in his grip.“Stay with me,” he growls against my ear, his chest pressed to my back, his breath hot and uneven while his fingers spread over my stomach, and I feel it again, that pulse, sharp and alive, pushing outward like something inside me is answering the danger instead of fearing it.Derek is in front of me in the next second, his hands gripping my face, forcing me to look at him while his eyes search mine, intense and steady, and I try to breathe through the tightness in my chest, but the energy keeps rising, pressing harder, refusing to settle.“Look at me,” he says, low and firm, his forehead touching mine, and I nod even as my fingers clutch his shirt, dragging him closer, needing something solid
I could feel them before I saw them.Not just Derek and Jax, but the rhythm of their bond pulsing like a heartbeat against mine. The air in the courtyard was heavy with anticipation. Wolves moved cautiously around us, sensing the unity we had forged through fire and blood. I was standing at the ed
Raya woke to silence, the kind that pressed in from all sides. The morning light was weak through the thick drapes, and the room smelled faintly of pine and smoke burning herbs, probably from the elders’ rituals. She blinked and immediately knew something was wrong. Too still. Too empty. The usual h
The next morning, the pack called me by the wrong name.It happened in the eastern corridor, where the windows looked out over the training fields. A young guard bowed as I passed.“Luna Lyra,” he said, respectful and certain.I stopped.He looked up, confused by my silence. His eyes flicked to my
The first bell of the Triple Moon Trial sounded at dawn.It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t ceremonial. It came from nowhere and everywhere at once low, ancient, vibrating through bone instead of air. Raya felt it before she heard it. A pulse behind her eyes. A tightening in her chest. Her wolf stirred uneas







