Steve awoke with a jolt, his heart hammering against his ribcage like a prisoner begging for release. For a moment, all he saw was red—rich, velvet red wallpaper that lined the walls of an unfamiliar room. It was warm, the air thick with the scent of incense and something darker beneath it. He was lying on a king-sized bed covered with silky black sheets, his body slick with a cold sweat. Disoriented, he sat up and swung his legs over the edge, planting his feet on a lush crimson rug.Where the hell was he?He ran a hand through his hair, his fingers shaking. His mind felt like it had just surfaced from deep waters, every breath a labor. Then the memories struck—sharp, like broken glass. He had transformed. He had let go. The Berserker.He remembered the moment he gave in, the flood of power, the rage, the total loss of self. After that—nothing. Just darkness.Still reeling, Steve stood up and looked around the room. The luxury of it all felt obscene. His eyes scanned the strange dec
The Berserker turned its glowing red eyes on Emma. The savage beast, nearly a ton of snarling fury, had finished decimating Terra’s creatures. Now, its hunger locked onto her. Emma’s breath hitched in her throat as the creature snarled, its thick hide steaming from exertion, its jaws soaked in blood. It had taken down every abomination around them—and now she stood as the only living target.She had seen Steve’s Berserker form once before in a vision, but facing it in reality was entirely different. The thing was a monster, tall enough to scrape the low-hanging branches above, thick hide like charred iron, fur bristling like razors. Its claws gleamed with gore. Emma knew her acupuncture needles were useless against it. They would barely penetrate that hide, let alone stop it.Her wolf instincts screamed at her to run, but her human heart knew better. Steve was still in there—somewhere. The man she trusted. The Alpha she loved. Emma took a hesitant step backward, calling softly, desper
Emma and Terra circled each other slowly, every movement deliberate, like twin predators locked in a silent contest of will and skill. Their eyes never broke contact. The silence between them crackled with unspoken threats and dark history."It won't be like last time," Terra said with a cold smirk, her claws flexing at her sides. "You won't walk away from this."Emma clenched her fists, her breath steady despite the adrenaline storming through her veins. "I never expected this to be easy."The clearing around them darkened as Terra’s entourage—creatures twisted from death and sorcery—emerged from the shadows. Skinless things with gnarled claws and eyeless sockets. Others crawled low on spider-like limbs, their open mouths stretching in silent screams. The smell of decay and demonic corruption oozed from them like a thick fog.Steve stepped forward, baring his teeth at the swarm.“Steve!” Emma barked. “Call on the Berserker. Bring out the war beast!”His eyes widened with hesitation.
Emma and Steve were no longer just running—they were sprinting at full speed, a blur of fur and muscle streaking through the thinning woods. Their powerful limbs pounded the damp soil beneath them, paws leaving deep impressions as the winds of the outskirts howled past. The only sound besides the rush of wind was the rhythm of their breathing and the steady thud of their paws.Steve was trying to connect through the mind link. Marcus, he called out mentally, pushing against the limits of his power. Marcus, if you can hear me... we need help. We're coming from Moon Valley...It was a long shot. Sterling Creek was thousands of miles away, but Steve kept trying, pushing his Alpha aura through the invisible tether that connected him to his pack. His thoughts were laced with urgency, but he kept his pace beside Emma, whose form was tense and coiled like a spring.Emma knew the banished werewolves were gone.She could still hear Nyla's calm, resolute voice in her mind. She could see their e
Emma walked in silence, her boots crunching softly over the coarse terrain of Moon Valley's outskirts. The moon above was thin, its silver light casting stretched shadows between the gnarled trees and jagged rocks that stood like forgotten sentinels of an old, cruel history. Her shoulders were heavy, and her chest ached with a guilt that had festered long before tonight. The Banished moved around her in silence, some exchanging low words among themselves, others glancing at her with unreadable expressions. But none of them showed anger. None of them blamed her. And that only made it worse. These were the followers of the man she had killed. And yet, they were helping her. Her fists clenched at her sides as she felt the suffocating irony press down on her like a weight. It should’ve been her carrying their resentment, their vengeance. Instead, they walked beside her. Protecting her. Guiding her. "You're hurting yourself with that guilt," Nyla said quietly, glancing at Emma from t
The fire roared behind them, a living thing, furious and hungry, consuming the mouth of the valley in its flames. Smoke curled into the night sky, thick and black, painting a twisted tapestry above them as Emma and Steve sprinted into the open air.But they didn’t get far.A sudden blast—a heatwave that tore through the tunnel and burst out like a cannon—hit them mid-stride. Steve grunted as the explosion licked at his back, catching his coat and skin in a vicious flame. Emma turned at the sound, eyes wide.“Steve!”He stumbled but didn’t fall. His shirt had charred along the edges, and angry red burns traced down his arms and neck. Emma skidded to a halt, heart hammering as she looked over him.But Steve stood tall, his breath ragged but steady. And already, before her eyes, the worst of the wounds began to fade. Blisters vanished. Skin knitted itself. His healing factor was doing its job, even if it left him weakened and sore.“I’m sorry,” she whispered, guilt thick in her throat. “