Michelle Morripin – Back “Home”The instant I stepped inside, the cave welcomed me with that same damp, earthy scent I’d carried in the back of my mind for years.It wasn’t gentle. It struck—sharp, raw—dragging memories to the surface I hadn’t asked for.My steps whispered against the stone, a low echo swallowed by the faint drip of water somewhere in the darkness.Nothing had changed.The moss still clung tightly to the walls, even the pile of dry leaves that I thought I would never see again was tucked away in the corner where I had left it. But what was most unsettling was that strange feeling of lightness... it was still there.Belonging.This was mine.My hiding place. My secret.The only spot in this world where I could simply exist—no mask, no permission, no eyes watching.A space that didn’t care about my scars.Here, the walls remembered me.My fingers slid over the rough stone, and every bump, every detail, was like a part of me that I hadn't touched in a long time.Megan f
Matthew Dawolf — On his way.The wounded began to be carried away, one by one; even the soldiers who could barely stand still carried out their orders without hesitation.I watched silently, feeling the weight of every step they took.As I walked, seeing what was left of what had once been a village, someone's home, my eyes found the old three-legged she-wolf.She looked at me with a mixture of pain and purpose, as if reminding me that, despite her wounds, she had no intention of stopping.I could feel it... she had fought with everything she had to keep that village standing, to save every soul she could.If it weren't for her, perhaps no one would have survived. And even so, she still wanted to do more.I couldn't allow that—an old woman, lame and covered in wounds, begging to stay on her feet and still fight by my side.I refused, and I saw in her eyes how much it hurt, perhaps even more than her bleeding wounds, but I didn't stop there.I told her to take care of herself, because
Anabelle Mixon — None of this will be in vain.I was lying on the cold floor of that filthy cell, as if I were nothing... no, worse... as if I were trash.The dress that cost more than the life of those guards was now torn, stained, and stank of the rot of the damp walls and... failure.My beautiful hair, which had always been my pride and joy, was matted and tangled, with strands stuck to my face wet with tears and sweat. Even my makeup... there was nothing left but smudges that made me unrecognizable.I was no longer Anabelle Mixon.No... at least not the one they knew.My voice was hoarse and rough from screaming, begging, and banging on the rusty bars until my fists bled. But it was all in vain.The sound of metal echoing against my blows had become yet another form of torture.Now all I had left was to curl up in the corner, my legs pulled up to my chest, my body shaking with rage and fear.I was afraid that Matthew would come back.That he would walk through that door.I honestl
Marilyn Stokes: Again, I would rather not say goodbye.I didn't know...I couldn't count how many tears had fallen from my face.The pain throbbed throughout my body, but nothing... nothing hurt more than looking at her and knowing what it meant.My little Julie.That foolish girl.Foolish... and, at the same time, braver than anyone I had ever known.She sacrificed herself.For all of us.For her friends, whom she swore to protect until her last breath.And also... for me.She came back to help me when she could have run away, left with the others. And now... she had put herself in the place of the Supreme Alpha, as if her life was worth less than his.I cried, and I didn't know if it was just sadness... or if there was also regret.Regret for not preparing myself more, for not trying harder, and for facing the whole burden alone. Regret for putting all of them in this, in this battle that should have been mine alone. Michelle... Megan, Julie... everyone I put in the middle of this.
Julie Marven – The EndEvery inch of my body ached… but this pain… it wasn’t normal.It was different—heavier than anything I had ever felt before.The air wouldn’t come, and that metallic taste flooded my mouth in a suffocating wave.My lungs burned like they were on fire, and each attempt to breathe was worse than the last.I blinked, trying to force my vision to focus.Dust and the sharp scent of blood hung in the air, making everything harder. But I could see it…The war—the battle that had felt endless—was finally over.At least for now.That monster… that vile creature, Alex Madson, lay on the ground, unmoving.And for a moment, I thought the dizziness was just exhaustion.But it wasn’t.The pain flared, unbearable.The air simply wouldn’t come.And then I felt it… something warm spilling through my fur, unstoppable.My body felt heavy, almost paralyzed—and I knew what had happened.I was dying.Voices echoed around me, distant, as if I were underwater.They rushed toward me—sol
Matthew DawolfJust seeing him—smelling him—was enough to turn my stomach.That old mutt… Alex Madson.The cancer rotting my kingdom from the inside out.The worm who plotted against me… against her… against everything that’s mine.Every time my eyes locked on that scarred, gray carcass, my entire body screamed for one thing—to split him open and hang his corpse at the palace gates as a warning to every other traitor.But my wolf…Always him.“No.”His voice poured over me like a bucket of ice water, trying to snuff out the fire burning in my chest.“You want him alive. He’s the thread that leads to the rest of the rats. Kill him now, and the plague hides deeper.”I hated admitting it, but he was right.Still… holding back was like gripping a blade made of fire.I lunged, twisting my sword, aiming for the gaps in his guard. I’ll admit—more than once, I aimed to kill. But he knew exactly what he was doing. Always dodging at the last heartbeat, moving like a stubborn shadow.Tired, woun