AtticusNeither Ralphin nor Trove spoke to Atticus as they went to face the Blood Moon pack. They kept sharing long glances, only looking away when Atticus tried to catch their eyes.The battle was already diminishing as they joined it. With the magic of Red Ripper gone, the wolves were shifting back into their human forms as the moon set. They had no leaders, no plan, and the Blood Moon pack were fresh and uninjured. Atticus barely had to think as he fell into the easy routine of fighting, punching and scraping and kicking. This part had always come to him with ease. It was other things he struggled with. Other things – like Lily. He slammed his fist into the jaw of a weedy, speckled wolf. Huh, he thought, it was no wonder that one had wanted to join Red Ripper and use their magical hoo-hah to get ahead. It didn’t stand a chance against a real wolf like him. He gripped its throat, squeezed, and something snapped deep within it. He dropped it to the ground, a sneer tugging at his mo
Lily“Lily?” her dad murmured, his strong hand settling on her trembling shoulder. “Lils, we can’t stay here. We need to go home.”Sunlight fell in slanted beams through the trees, casting everything in a strange, gold-green light. Elijah looked more faelen than he ever had before, his skin pallid, his pointed ears sticking out of his long hair. She swallowed hard. Her face was dry and stiff with tears and her throat ached from screaming. And her heart lay in tatters on the ground beside him.“I won’t leave him,” she rasped, bowing over his too-still body and clutching at his torn clothes. “I can’t.”He sighed, the sound twisted and broken. “It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s all right. You don’t have to leave him. I won’t either.”She turned to look at her father with fresh tears beading along the dark sweep of her lashes. “You won’t leave me?”“Never again,” he swore. The lump in her throat grew too large for her to speak, but she nodded, her lips quivering. Silent sobs overcame her for
ElijahElijah stared up into Lily’s beautiful face. “Elijah?” she breathed. He gazed at her, feeling like he was staring straight into the sun. Her warmth enveloped him, bringing heat into his frozen limbs. Elijah flexed his fingers and toes, waiting for the dark to swallow him once more.But it did not. He waited and waited, his heart in his throat, but nothing happened. He took a breath, then another. And life went on. His life went on.“I’m alive?” he whispered, raising his bloodied hands to the morning sun. “I think so?” Lily laughed; it broke, becoming a sob. Gently, he was lowered to the ground. They fell into each other, their hands clutching desperately, their bodies pressed flush. Elijah dropped his forehead against Lily’s, just breathing for a moment, relishing in the way his chest hollowed and filled with air. “You’re alive,” she whispered, pulling back to stare at him with wonder swimming in her eyes. “How? I saw you. I,” a hiccup cut her off, and more tears filled h
LilyLily stared down at the letter, a tiny smile tugging at her lips. There had been something nagging at her, ever since the battle, and at last she understood what it was.Lily,Or I suppose I should refer to you by your proper title. Luna Lily,I always knew you would grow to be a completely insufferable pack leader. We last met at the Great Battle, as it is already being termed – and, really, should we not wait until longer than a few months have passed before we name things with such grandiose titles? – but you did not seem to recognise me. If I were another, I may have been hurt by that. Then again, you never were very good at seeing through my disguises.Therefore, I have decided to be blunt. I have lost everything. My home and my people are gone. I took that Alpha wolf you had a soft spot for, Atticus, to bargain with Blood Moon. To no avail, might I add. He was more irksome than he was useful, so he has been deposited back in his rightful home. The issue is this: I have no
Lily“I won’t do it,” Lily said, glaring at the man opposite her. “I never do, and I never have.”They were almost eye-to-eye as they leant across the table towards one another. The man – her father – sighed, his shoulders slumping. He’d tried.“You know I worry about you. This desire of yours – this urge – it’s not natural for creatures like us. And you’re a warrior, Lils, a Warrior Wolf, destined to fight for your pack. Tying yourself up every month when the moon is full doesn’t sit right with me, and it never has.”Lily straightened up, her long, dark blonde hair brushing across her shoulders and tumbling in soft waves down her back. Her brown eyes hardened, but there was something sad, ancient and aching and longing, that she desperately buried beneath layers of stone as she spoke.
AtticusAs he surveyed the crowd gathered before him, Atticus grinned. It was the night of the full moon at last, and his body thrummed with excited energy. He was proud of the legacy he’d built, and proud that so many wolves were eager to stand by his side each month. There was always another battle to fight, fresh territory to claim, and, in the beginning, he’d feared that they may not respect him the way they had his father.He’d had nothing to worry about, as it turned out. He straightened his back, rolled his shoulders, and then he began to speak.“Blood Moon pack!” He bellowed, clapping his hands and stomping his feet. A cacophony of howls filled the night air, and his grin stretched wider.The moon was hovering above the horizon, its crisp white light piercing the black curve of the sky. Atticus could see th
LilyThe iron chains were heavy, and too tight around her wrists and ankles, but Lily didn’t care. So long as they worked – so long as she couldn’t hurt anyone – she would suffer through endless torment if she had to. The weight of the chains was nothing in comparison to the guilt she’d have to live with if she broke free and tore someone apart. The mere thought of it left a bitter taste in her mouth. She pursed her lips.The cellar smelt musty and damp, and she wrinkled her nose. She was sat in the far corner, her arms clutching her knees and huddling them for warmth. She’d stormed off after her argument with her dad, and, brooding and angry, she’d come straight down to the cellar. Dressed in just jeans and a thin t-shirt, she longed to sprint upstairs and grab a jumper. But the moon was rising rapidly outside, a slice of white light stretching across the floor bef
AtticusThe grounds looked lovely, Atticus thought – if a little overdone for his taste. It was only the Worm Moon, after all.The ornate gardens surrounding the pack house had been bedecked in glossy aquamarine bunting, draped from tree to tree and around the veranda which trailed around the outskirts of the house itself. He chewed on the inside of his cheek as he surveyed the flapping sparrows, held in place by a magic he did not understand, nor wish to.Miniscule glass bottles had been filled with thyme, and they had been strung along a stretch of glittering lanterns, the vials clicking against the glowing light bulbs. He stretched his aching back, and rolled his neck. He grinned, slow and smooth, as his joints cracked.Taking White Oak down had been easy – as expected. It was a good confidence builder for the latest group of young wolves that