ANMELDENI step into the quiet of the clearing, the air thick with expectation, and feel the first subtle shift ripple through me. Derek moves to my side, his hand brushing my shoulder, steady and reassuring, while Jax follows, silent but alert, chest brushing mine. The child stirs, and I feel a coil of energy twisting gently inside, pulsing in response.The ground seems to hum beneath my feet, subtle vibrations rolling through the territory as the pack spreads around us, instinctively aware of the change. Their eyes track every move, ears twitching, muscles tensing, and I feel the child respond again, a protective rhythm that mirrors my own heartbeat. Derek’s hand presses lightly to my back, anchoring me.Jax crouches slightly, scanning the perimeter with sharp focus, eyes flicking from tree line to pack members. The energy inside me intensifies, a low thrum that nudges my balance and reflexes, and I stumble slightly. Derek’s grip tightens, steadying me without words, while Jax leans in, pres
The air thickens as the ripple spreads, and I feel it first in my chest, then in my belly, sharp, insistent. Derek’s hand tightens over mine, Jax presses close behind, and the pulse of the child responds, not frantic this time, deliberate, pulling the tension into a single, impossible point.A howl cuts through the night, long and reverberating, and I recognize it immediately. Not from any wolf I know. Something older, something that doesn’t obey packs or borders, and it threads into the connection like a needle, sharp, precise, dangerous. I shiver, not from cold, but from recognition, from instinct, from something waking inside.Jax growls behind me, low, rumbling, his body shifting closer, his chest pressing to my back. “You feel that?” His breath brushes my hair. I can’t answer, I can only feel, only hold steady as the pulse inside me tightens, reacting, resonating. The child is aware. Too aware.Derek steps forward, placing one hand on my hip, his fingers steadying me even as
The moment they cross, everything snaps tight, and I feel it hit my chest like a force that doesn’t ask, while Jax moves in front of me without thinking, his body blocking mine, and Derek pulls me back just enough to keep me grounded as the connection twists hard instead of settling.“Back,” Jax growls, his voice low and sharp.They don’t stop.The first one lunges, fast, direct, and Jax meets him head-on, his body slamming forward with a force that shakes the ground, while I feel the connection spike violently, not spreading, not holding, just tearing outward without control.“Raya!” Derek’s voice hits my ear, his hand tightening around my waist.I try to hold it.But it rises anyway.Jax’s fist connects with bone, and the crack echoes as the wolf flies back, but two more come in at once, circling, faster, sharper, not waiting, not bowing, and the others behind them shift, restless, pulled between staying and breaking.“They’re not responding!” Jax snaps.“I know!” I answer, my breat
He doesn’t move, not even a shift of weight, and the space between us tightens while Jax steps half a pace forward, his shoulder brushing mine, and Derek’s hand presses firmer at my waist, holding me steady as the air thickens with that quiet challenge neither of them interrupts.“You heard her,” Jax says, his voice low, edged, and his fingers flex near mine like he’s ready to break something.The wolf’s gaze flicks to him for a second, then returns to me, steady, unshaken. “I heard,” he answers, calm, and the way he says it makes Jax’s jaw tighten while Derek stays still behind me, watching everything.“Then move,” Jax presses, stepping closer, his presence sharp and threatening.“I don’t move on command,” the wolf replies, and something in the connection pulls tight, like a line drawn between them.I shift slightly, my hand brushing Jax’s chest, stopping him before he closes the distance, and he freezes for a second, his breath heavy as he looks down at me.“Wait,” I say softly.His
The silence holds, but it isn’t empty, and I feel it pressing against my skin while more wolves cross the line without hesitation, and Jax’s arm slides around my waist, pulling me closer as Derek shifts behind me, both of them anchoring me in place while everything else moves toward us.“They’re not stopping,” Jax says, his voice tight but controlled.“They don’t need to,” Derek answers, his hand steady against my side.I breathe slowly, and the moment I do, that pulse answers again, not sharp, not sudden, just steady, spreading outward like something that already knows where it belongs.The wolves react without breaking pace, their steps slowing, their shoulders lowering slightly, and none of them show teeth, none of them challenge, they just keep coming, like something deeper than instinct is guiding them forward.Jax exhales through his teeth, his grip tightening. “This isn’t normal.”“No,” I say softly, and I feel his hand flex against me.Derek leans closer, his voice low near my
The pressure builds before anyone speaks, and I feel it moving through me again while the wolves remain on their knees, and Jax’s hand tightens around mine as Derek steps closer behind me, his chest brushing my back as if he’s bracing me without saying it out loud.“They’re still coming,” Jax says, his voice low, tight, his eyes fixed ahead.“I know,” I answer, and my fingers curl slightly against his.Derek’s hand slides to my waist, firm and steady, and he leans closer, his voice near my ear. “Then you hold it. Don’t let it spike again.”“I’m trying,” I whisper, but the moment I say it, another wave rises, stronger, deeper, and my breath catches as it spreads outward without asking.The wolves react instantly, their bodies tightening, then settling again, and more shapes appear beyond the line, moving closer, drawn in like they can’t resist it.Jax exhales sharply, his body shifting in front of me again. “This isn’t stopping.”Derek doesn’t argue, his grip on me firm. “Then we contr







