LOGINCalla’s POV
Sleep came in broken pieces, filled with strange dreams about golden eyes and sounds that seemed impossible for any human to make. When I finally woke up, sunlight flooded the room through windows I didn't remember opening. My body felt weighed down by a deep, persistent tiredness. The sheets still smelled like Kane—like leather and wildness, with a hint of something that made my heart ache for reasons I couldn't explain.
Kane hadn't come back. I had been listening for him, waiting to hear his footsteps or the sound of his truck or motorcycle returning, but the cabin stayed quiet, except for the forest sounds that felt too watchful, almost as if they were waiting for something.
Part of me knew I should run. I could grab my few belongings, take his truck keys, and escape before whatever danger was out there found me vulnerable. But another part of me urged me to stay—running would mean leaving Kane behind to face something I didn&rsq
Calla’s POVThe journey to the Tribunal's location began as the sun set. We left our cabin in three vehicles—Kane, Luna, and I were in the lead car, followed by Jake and a few pack members in two SUVs behind us for support and as witnesses.“The entrance is in the downtown area,” Kane explained as we drove through more crowded streets. “It’s hidden beneath an old subway station that hasn’t been used for years.”“Of course it is,” I said with a hint of sarcasm. “Why would supernatural judges meet somewhere easy to find when they can choose creepy spots underground?”Luna chuckled from the front seat. “The place was there long before the subway was built. They actually built the station around the Tribunal chamber, not the other way around.”That made sense in a twisted way. Ancient supernatural courts wouldn’t change to fit human development—humans would end up building around them without realizing it.We parked in a space next to what looked like run-down buildings, in an area where
Calla’s POV The bonfire had faded to glowing embers, and one by one, the group began to head to their rooms, exchanging soft goodnights and knowing glances. Luna was the last to leave, stopping at the door to give me a look that seemed to say, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do”—which, coming from her, left a lot to guess at. Kane and I found ourselves alone in the clearing, the night air cool against my skin and the stars shining brightly above, much more vividly than they did in the city. “We should probably get some sleep,” I said, even though neither of us moved toward the cabin. “We have a big day coming up, well, in two days. The day before the day I might die.” “You’re not going to die,” Kane insisted, but there was a hint of desperation in his voice, as if he was trying to convince himself just as much as he was trying to convince me. “You can’t really know that,” I replied. “I know you,” he said, stepping closer. Suddenly, the air between us felt charged with an ene
Calla’s POV Luna decided we needed a break before we all went mad from stress and legal worries. "Just one night," she insisted. "One night to remember we’re pack, not just soldiers preparing for war.” So, there I was, standing next to a bonfire behind our cabin, surrounded by members of the Iron Fang club, who were starting to feel more like family than the intimidating strangers I had first met. Jake was sharing funny stories about our pack's mishaps. There was the time Torch had accidentally transformed into a werewolf during a bar fight and ended up wrecking three pool tables, or when Rico got stuck halfway through changing and spent hours looking like a bizarre mix of a werewolf and a human. “And then,” Jake continued, trying to hold back his laughter, “Diesel showed up with a camera, claiming it was for his ‘cryptid documentation project’—” Suddenly, the laughter faded as we collectively remembered Diesel, who wasn't with us that night. He had died saving me from a dan
Calla’s POVWe transformed the dining table into a war room within the hour, covering every available surface with documents, legal precedents, hand-drawn diagrams, and notes that Jake had somehow procured from sources I probably didn’t want to know about.“Court proceedings here have a specific format,” Jake explained, unfolding a document that looked ancient and was so filled with fancy writing that it strained my eyes. “First, the Chief Elder reads the charges against someone, then the accused can either accept or deny them. After that, witnesses testify in an order based on their status, evidence is shown and verified, and then a group of Seven Elders discusses everything in private before making their decision.”“That sounds a lot like a regular trial,” I replied, flipping through the old text and trying to grasp the complicated legal terms that felt decades old. “Opening statements, witness testimonies, presentation of evidence, discussions, and a final decision.”“But in their c
Calla’s POVThe package arrived just as the sun was rising, brought by a courier who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else. There was no return address, no delivery confirmation—just a small wooden box wrapped in black silk that seemed to scream “bad news.”I was still groggy, wearing one of Kane’s oversized shirts and enjoying my first cup of coffee when the knock on the door shattered the morning silence. Kane opened the door, and his entire stance shifted to alert as soon as he glimpsed what the courier was carrying.“For Calla Reyes,” the courier said, nearly pushing the box into Kane’s hands before hurrying back to his vehicle, as if he understood exactly what he was delivering.We all gathered in the living room—me, Kane, Luna, and Jake—staring at the box as if it were a ticking time bomb.“Well,” Luna finally broke the silence. “Are we going to open this mysterious package or just keep staring at it?”“It could be a bomb,” Jake chimed in helpfully. “Marcus seems like the ty
Sofia’s POVThe GPS guided me to an industrial area on the edge of town, where everything looked rough—concrete, chain-link fences, and old buildings that definitely seemed to have seen better days. I had pieced together from Calla’s vague hints that I should find the Iron Fang clubhouse here.Instead, I came across yellow police tape and an empty parking lot.“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mumbled as I pulled up to the barricade blocking the entrance.The building beyond looked deserted—dark windows, locked doors, giving off a vibe that screamed “crime scene.” Notices posted on the entrance warned that trespassers would be prosecuted.I sat in my car for a moment, trying to decide what to do next. The sensible choice would be to turn around, head home, and let the authorities handle the investigation.But when had being sensible ever helped me find my sister?Just then, a police sedan pulled up next to me. It was unmarked but had that official look to it. A woman in her forties ste







