LOGINThe main hall of the South Hartvale Community center was packed. There was a high table on the stage where sat Omega Nicholas Murphy, Beta Sonia Wright and Alpha Dominic Blaise. There was one more chair, but it was empty because its occupant, Alexander Simons, stood at the podium, his left arm was still in a cast.
“A few days ago, our little pack received something of a shock when an old son returned and his first act was to overthrow me and claim the alpha spirit,” Alex spoke into the mic. He’d meant it as a joke, but only he and Omega Nick laughed at it.
“I know how you all feel,” Alex went on. “Change is not always a fun thing, or a good thing, but sometimes it is the right thing. This is one such time. The moon spirits decided this, not me, or Dom. My time to lead you had come to an end and it is time for a new era. I have led you all well so please believe that I would not make all these efforts to endorse our new alpha if I did not know it was the best thing for this pack.”
The people just listened in silence. Chairs were filled up and people were standing in the back and along the sides.
“I thank you for your loyalty during my time as your alpha and appreciate you all for coming out this Sunday to meet the new alpha.”
He looked back at Dominic now. “Please, come and address your pack.”
Dom rose calmly from his seat. He looked smart in his loose T-shirt and straight jeans. He got to the podium and the entire hall was so silent you could hear a pin drop.
“C’mon guys, clap for your alpha!” Alexander said into the mic, but all that got from the crowd were a few scattered weak claps.
Alex returned to his seat at the high table, while Dom took the podium.
The new alpha just stared at the crowd, scanning from side to side. He finally took a long sniff then let out his breath through his mouth.
“I can smell the doubt that hangs strong in the air,” he spoke. His voice was calm as always.
“I smell fear as well. I sense the uncertainty that fills this room even though your wolves reach out to me.”
He was silent and everyone just waited for what he had to say next. He stepped away from the podium now and stepped closer to the front row of chairs. He looked down at the people in the chairs.
“What I say now will sound like promises, but trust me, I keep my promises,” he spoke. “I will do more than my best to serve you all. I will give my life to protect the smallest of us. This pack will grow and flourish under my leadership. I will not fail you nor will I fail the moon spirits who have chosen me.”
As he walked down the front row, a woman’s baby reached out to him and he squatted before the woman.
“I will keep your child safe as though it was my own,” he spoke softly.
The woman smiled and gave him an affirmative nod. He took the baby from her arms and stood to his full height again.
“I WILL KEEP YOUR CHILDREN SAFE BECAUSE THEY ARE MY CHILDREN!” he roared.
The baby in his arms laughed at his raised tone.
“I am not Alexander Simons and I will never be able to attain the greatness he has, nor will I be able to ever replace him in your hearts, but I want my own place in those hearts. Allow me serve you.”
Positive mumbling began rising from the crowd now. There were whoops and claps.
“The South Hartvale Pack will be as those before us planned it,” he went on. “We will be the greatness we were destined to be.”
The applause grew now. The people were being won over and Dom could feel their wolves crying out to his.
His head morphed into his wolf state and the baby in his arms clapped with excitement. His fur was gray and eyes were bright red. His fangs were brilliant white.
“MY NAME IS DOMINIC BLAISE. I WAS HONORED WITH THE TITLE OF SAVIOUR IN THE WAR FOR THE OLD COUNTRY, BUT WHAT USE IS A SAVIOUR IF HE CANNOT SAVE HIS OWN HOME?!” he roared and everyone began cheering loudly.
Alex smiled at the reaction. He knew Dom would win over the people.
“TONIGHT WE GATHER AT THE ATRIUM TO HOWL IN ONE VOICE SO LOUD THE MOON SPIRITS HEAR US AND BEG WE BE SILENT!” Dom yelled and the crowd roared in agreement.
“WILL YOU BE THERE?!” he yelled at one man.
“YOU SHOULD BE THERE!” he told another, going down the middle aisle and pointing randomly at people.
“YOU MUST BE THERE!”
“HE WILL BE THERE.”
“SHE WILL BE THERE!”
He went on personalizing invitations to the crowd and people were reaching out just to touch him now.
“Seems the new boss is quite the orator ,” Sonia told the others at the high table. She was 31 years old, 5ft 8” with three kids already, but she was a hardcore Beta who managed the pack expertly well under Alex and would do the same under the new authority.
“He is touched by the spirits, Sonia,” Nick commented, watching Dom’s performance keenly.
“They chose well,” was all Alex had to say, but the big smile on his face spoke volumes.
Dom was swarmed by pack members now. Everyone wanted to touch him, to bask in his aura. They had finally accepted him and at the howling tonight, they would allow their wolves bond with his, marking themselves as his pack.
The bathroom door creaked as Patty pushed it open, the sound sharp in the small, tiled space. She grimaced, pausing halfway out, instinct prickling. The gas station was quiet in the way places got quiet late in the afternoon, when the sun sat heavy and people moved slowly, conserving energy. The hum of the fluorescent lights buzzed overhead. Outside, her uncle was getting gas..She stepped into the hallway leading back toward the convenience store, rubbing her hands on her jeans as if she could wipe away the unpleasant chill of the bathroom. That was when she heard voices.Two men. Low. Serious.She froze.“…I’m telling you, it’s already been approved,” one of them said. His voice carried the casual confidence of someone who believed he was untouchable. “Carter wants it done before the end of the month.”Patty leaned back against the wall, heart giving a small, startled thump. She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop. But the name snagged her attention like a hook.Carter.She knew that name. Th
Marc and Jade were back in his cabin. Deep in the trees, wrapped in a quiet so complete it felt deliberate, as though the forest itself had decided to give them privacy. Wind threaded softly through the branches outside, brushing pine needles together in a slow, steady rhythm. Inside, the air was warm and carried the faint scents of cedar wood, spent firewood, and the lingering trace of whiskey.Marcus lay on his back beneath the sheets, staring up at the ceiling beams he’d sanded and sealed with his own hands years ago. Jade lay beside him, partially draped across his chest, her head resting where his heartbeat was strongest. His arm circled her almost absentmindedly, thumb moving in slow, thoughtful arcs against her skin.For a long time, neither of them spoke.Silence didn’t feel like something to escape here. It felt earned. After weeks of noise, expectations, and endings spoken aloud, the quiet was a kind of balm.“I’m not ready,” Marcus said eventually, his voice low and careful
Morning light filtered through the tall windows of Dom’s house, pale and clean, cutting through the lingering quiet of dawn. The place smelled faintly of coffee and polished wood, the kind of calm that came after a night without unrest. Dom stood near the kitchen island, phone pressed to his ear, gaze fixed on the open calendar projected on his tablet.“Yes,” he said into the phone, tone steady and authoritative. “The launch needs to feel welcoming, not ceremonial. This isn’t about reminding people who I am. It’s about what the gym offers the town.”He listened, brow creasing slightly. “No, I don’t want excessive banners. Clean lines. Strong lighting. Focus on function.”A pause.“Yes, food is fine. Keep it simple. Protein options, drinks, nothing that slows people down.”Another pause, longer this time. Dom nodded absently, even though the planner couldn’t see him. “That date works. Send me the final outline by tonight.”He ended the call and set the phone down, exhaling softly. The
The moon sat high above my roof that night, round and unblinking, as if it had chosen me specifically to watch. Its light spilled through the windows in silver ribbons, touching the floor, the walls, my skin. I should have closed the curtains. I didn’t.I lay on the couch, one arm draped over my eyes, breathing slowly. Too slowly. The Luna spirit stirred inside me, restless and awake in a way that felt far too intimate. It was not pain. Not fear. It was want. A want I had felt before.It wanted Dom. No, the alpha inside Dom.The pull came in waves, warm and insistent, curling low in my stomach and spreading outward like heat through embers. My thoughts betrayed me easily. His voice. His presence beside me in the council room. The steadiness of him. The way his touch had been careful, restrained, as if he understood how dangerous it would be to take more.I groaned softly and turned onto my side.This was exactly what I feared.I liked Dom. That part was real, undeniable. But this hung
The private trailer sat at the edge of the construction site like a polished secret. From the outside, it looked practical enough, but inside it carried a quiet luxury Marcus rarely indulged in. Clean lines, warm lighting, leather seating softened by use. A wide window looked out over the skeletal frame of the zonal office, steel ribs catching the fading afternoon light.Marcus stood near the small counter, a bottle of whiskey in his hand, watching dust drift in the distance. The day had been productive, loud, full of motion. In here, the silence pressed close, giving his thoughts more room than he liked.A low rumble cut through the quiet.He glanced toward the window just in time to see Jade pull up on her motorcycle, helmet tucked under one arm as she dismounted. The bike gleamed darkly in the sun, all sharp lines and controlled power. She removed her helmet, shaking her hair loose, and looked toward the trailer.Marcus felt something ease in his chest.Moments later, there was a k
The construction site breathed with purposeful noise.Metal clanged against metal in steady rhythm, a language of progress spoken in hammers, drills, and shouted measurements. Dust rose and settled in slow waves, catching the sun as it filtered through the skeletal frame of what would soon become the zonal office. Marcus stood near the edge of the site, hard hat tucked under his arm, boots planted firmly on packed earth that would one day be tiled and polished. His big dreams was coming to fruition. He had more money in the bank than he knew what to do with.For a project barely out of its infancy, the construction was doing well. Better than expected.Marc scanned the structure with a practiced eye, noting how the steel beams locked together like a promise being kept. The foundation had cured evenly. The first walls were already standing tall, confident in their lines. Progress charts clipped to a nearby board told the same story his instincts did. This build had momentum.“Morning,







