My heart is racing in my chest as I travel toward the training fields in the nervous night air. Even though I'm moving as silently as possible, it seems like every step is louder than the one before it. I stay low, out of sight, and in the shadows. I can't allow Greta and Bennet to meet without informing me what they have planned since I know where they're going. Only the faint sounds of wind rustling through the trees can be heard on the lonely training grounds. In front of me, I make out Greta's silhouette, her form flowing through the darkness like a ghost. Bennet is already waiting for her near to the edge of the clearing, and she is headed directly for him. I crouched behind a huge tree, far enough away to be unnoticed yet close enough to hear. I have to force myself to breathe evenly and slowly since my heart is racing. I must retain my composure. I need to think strategically about this. Greta pauses in front of Bennet and whispers gently. With a tone full of excitement, sh
Bennet strides closer, that same arrogant smirk tugging at the corners of his lips, his eyes glinting with venom. "Aurora, do you think you can stop us? With a confident tone, he taunts, "You're outnumbered." In the dismal moonlight, his presence lingers over me like a long shadow. I'm meant to feel intimidated by what he said, but I'm not listening. Right now, I can't afford to let fear govern me. I maintain my sight on him and take a steady breath, pushing the worry away. Despite my pulse hammering in my chest, I say confidently, "I don't care if I'm outnumbered." "I will not allow you to ruin all that I have battled for." He crosses his arms and smiles even wider, apparently amused by my defiance. He tilts his head slightly and says, "You've always been stubborn." However, you're playing a losing game this time, Aurora. You ought to have avoided being entangled in this. The way he stares at me, with that smug conviction that he has already won, merely makes me feel more outraged
Before Bennet can strike, a voice rips through the tension like a sword. "Not so fast." The familiar sound of Callum’s voice cuts through the night air, making my breath quicken. He walks out from the shadows, his towering form lighted by the dim illumination of the moon, producing long, scary shadows on the ground. For a minute, time appears to stand still. Bennet freezes, his hand halfway to me, ready to attack, but suddenly his movements are halted. A sneer begins to develop on his lips, but the sound never entirely exits. Callum’s frigid glare holds him in place. His eyes are piercing, concentrated, and loaded with unstated wrath. The air is heavy with worry, so much so that I can feel it sparking on my skin like static electricity. "Callum..." I mutter, my words scarcely heard above the thumping of my heart. I’m filled with relief, but it’s short-lived. There’s something inscrutable in his gaze, something that unsettles me. He looks... strange. There’s a roughness in his attitu
Bennet is the first to move, and I'm surprised by how quickly she lunges at Callum. His fists are a blur, pounding out in unadulterated, unbridled rage. I fall back, watching in dread as the two males, who had previously been comrades, now battle fiercely and desperately as the impact of their bodies hitting sends shockwaves through the air. I can hardly hear the snarls and groans of the battle taking place in front of me because my heart is thumping so loudly in my chest. Callum, wearing a mask of icy resolve, blocks Bennet's first blow, but Bennet persists. He swings once more, striking Callum's jaw firmly this time. Callum stumbles back, blood streaming from the corner of his lips, and I flinch as the hit reverberates around the clearing. He doesn't fall, though. Callum snaps back, his fist striking with bone-shattering force into Bennet's side. Bennet grunts in pain at the horrible sound, falling over for a second before swiftly getting back to normal. Their eyes are caught in
Greta's fists lash out at me, and her fingertips brush against my arm, but I manage to whirl away from her. The anxiety that I can't afford to lose at this moment is reinforced each time my heart beats. Not when everything is on the edge. I shove her away from me with a sudden, powerful thrust, and she stumbles back. Every frantic breath I take burns my lungs, and sweat pours down my face, obscuring my vision. But I can't give up. I can't let her recover. My body is hurting from the struggle, but I ignore it and focus only on surviving. Greta growls and steadies herself, anger flaring in her eyes. She is by no means done yet. Her squared shoulders and sharp jawline give it away to me. Like an animal in a corner, she is frantic and deadly. You never know what she'll do next. "Aurora, do you believe you've won?" She sneers, her voice venomous. "You are just a helpless little girl acting out a behavior. This is not the place for you. You didn't. Even though her remarks make me wince,
There is a deafening silence following the conflict. Each short breath feels like a battle, and I can hear my own heartbeat thudding rapidly in my ears. My surroundings have become strangely still. The forest itself seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for something to happen, as there were no further cries or growls.A few feet away, Bennet's body is sprawled awkwardly on the ground, unconscious. The ground underneath him is thick and dark with blood streaks. I can't bear to stare at him for very long. I should feel relieved to see him defeated, but instead I feel a nagging, hollow anxiety.Greta is crushed under me, breathing heavily and her chest rising and falling as her wild eyes glare up at me with barely contained anger. Since I took her down, she hasn't spoken, but that doesn't mean she's given up. This isn't over, based on the expression in her eyes. By no means.I ought to feel triumphant. Didn't we win? Greta is down, Bennet is down, and the immediate threat is gone for
Sitting near the crackling fire, the night air hurts my skin. The chill that lingers in the pit of my stomach is not much soothed by the warmth of the flames. I still feel the weight of the war; every ache and bruise serves as a reminder of how nearly we lost everything. My body is still humming from the adrenaline that hasn't totally worn off, and my muscles feel rigid. I peek at Callum, who is seated across from me, his features dancing in the firelight. He appears to be as shaken as I am. I can clearly out the faint pattern of bruises emerging over his jaw, and his clothing are tattered and filthy. Since the fight ended, he has sat there pondering and staring into the fire without saying anything. Then his eyes engage mine, as though he senses my gaze. For the first time in days they become softer, with that comforting warmth returning and a glimmer of the Callum I knew before everything went wrong. The gleam of emotion surprised me. "I should have trusted you from the beginning
Only a tiny orange glow remains in the cabin after the fire has extinguished. The stress that none of us can release makes the air feel thick and heavy. The threat still hangs in my brain, producing its own shadow, even if the shadow that slithered around the trees outside seemed to have vanished. Callum is standing by the window, watching for movement in the shadows. For the preceding five minutes, he has stayed silent, watchful, and prepared to defend. But as the seconds pass without any more interruptions, I watch him at last settle down. He relaxes his broad shoulders, inhales deeply, and then turns back to face me. My breath hitches at the intensity of his eyes meeting mine. I haven't let myself fully accept it until now, but the weight of all we've gone through seems to hang between us—betrayal, mistrust, and wrath, but also something more. He looks at me in a different way. softer and more clear. He's letting me in for the first time in what seems like an eternity. Callum wa
The area where we stand is illuminated by a silvery radiance due to the high and full moon. The quiet is deafening. In my ears, every breath and heartbeat sounds like thunder. Callum is standing a few feet away from me, his eyes fixed on mine while his fists are clenched at his sides.I say, just above a whisper, "You don't have to do this."His eyes are ablaze with love and agony as he steps closer. "Yes, I do." I must put this right. For you. For us.My heart twitches. My soul is ignited by the touch of this man, who I adore. Yet here we are, caught between love and loyalty, between the past and the future.I carefully extend my hand to touch his. Do it like the man I know, then. The Alpha, no. Not the heir. Simply callum.He gently nods, his shoulders becoming somewhat less tense. So it's just Callum. For you.The council waits in a loose circle behind us. They are a chilly reminder of the decision that looms over everything like a fog: betray his blood or lose me forever.Bennet a
The Calm Before the StormThe ashes still cling to the air, heavy and bitter.The next morning light filters through the smoke-stained windows of the pack house. Everything feels quiet now, too quiet. As if the world is holding its breath. I pace the hallway, my boots echoing softly.Every warrior is on high alert. The scent of blood and burnt wood still lingers, making it hard to forget what happened.We lost too many. And Lucas got exactly what he wanted…fear. But I won’t let that fear control me.Callum walks beside me, his arm brushing mine. His wounds are healing slower than normal. Maybe it’s because of the dark magic Lucas used during the attack.We haven’t spoken much since last night. Too many thoughts. Too many emotions. "The border patrols are doubled," he says quietly. "No one leaves without my permission."I nod. "Good. We can’t risk another ambush." He looks at me then, eyes dark. "You still think there’s a traitor?"I pause."Yes." I see it in his face. The same doubt I
Inside the small, empty house, the air was thick with damp wood and nothing but quiet. I sat next to Callum and put a cloth over the big cut on his side. His shirt was stained with blood, and even though he was breathing unevenly, it stayed steady. Even though the roof leaked a little, it was a place to stay, and that was all we had at the time.I grabbed his hand tighter and whispered, "Stop moving." Callum winced and gave me a weak smile. "When you're scared, you're rude." "I'm always scared when you're hurt like this," I mumbled. I dropped my head and let my hair fall forward to hide the tears that were about to fall. He brushed a hand against my face, his touch soft despite the pain he was in. “Don’t cry for me, Aurora.” I didn’t answer. Instead, I put the cloth in the bowl of warm water and kept cleaning his wound. We’d lost so much today…so much blood, so many answers. And Lucas… that name alone sent a chill down my spine.I still couldn’t believe it. He was living all this
The air crackles with dark magic. Callum and I charge together, side by side, our wolves growling inside us. The hooded enemy raises a hand. A wave of black smoke races toward us. I throw up a shield of light, my new power burning inside me.The smoke crashes against it but doesn't break through. Callum leaps forward with a growl, striking at the figure. They block him easily, moving with a speed that doesn’t seem normal. I follow, hitting from the other side. But every move we make, they counter. It’s like they can see the future. Like they know every move before we make it."We have to end this!" I shout. Callum nods, sweat dripping down his face. The animals around us growl but do not move. They wait. Watching. As if the real fight is only between us and their boss.My heart pounds. I summon every bit of strength inside me. I feel Callum’s power through our bond, steady and strong. Together. We strike again, harder. Faster. The enemy falls back for the first time. A crack forms in
The gang gathers that night beneath the stars. A enormous fire blazes in the middle of the clearing, spilling golden light over everyone’s faces. Callum stands tall beside me, his fingers holding mine. Everyone is hushed, waiting. Waiting for answers.I clear my throat, my heart thumping. "They deserve to know," I say to Callum. He nods. "They trust you, Aurora," he adds gently. "Tell them the truth." So I move ahead. I feel every eye on me. Every pulse beating throughout the darkness."There’s more coming," I respond, my voice firm even though my hands are trembling. "Victor was not the end. There’s a larger risk waking awake — something older, something deeper." Murmurs spread across the throng. I elevate my chin. "But we are powerful. We are not alone. We fight for each other. For our house. And we shall stand against whatever comes next."There is quiet. Then one by one, the wolves bow their heads. A vow of allegiance. A promise. I blink back tears. Callum squeezes my
Waking to a New World: I wake to the lovely light of morning. The rain has ceased. The scene beyond the window seems clean, fresh, like the ground itself is breathing again after holding its breath for too long. Callum’s arm is stretched across me, thick and warm. His calm breathing tells me he’s still sleeping. For a time, I don’t move. I simply listen to his heart. I never believed I would survive last night. I never imagined I would experience this tranquility again. Carefully, I turn to face him. Even in sleep, he appears ferocious, like he’s ready to battle against the world to defend me. I reach out and touch his jawline with my fingertips. He stirs, his eyelids flickering open. When he sees me, he grins – a true smile, one that reaches his eyes. "Good morning, my love," he says, his voice low and raspy from sleep. My heart racing. "Good morning," I mumble back. He pulls me closer, burying his face in my neck. For a long time, we simply hold one other, saying nothing,
The rain pours heavier now, drowning the countryside in darkness. Thunder rumbles in the distance, deep and frightening, like a warning growl. I sit with Callum on the balcony for a long time, feeling his steady pulse against my side. His warmth is the only thing stopping the cold from devouring me completely.“I should go check on the others,” I whisper. Callum doesn’t let go. Instead, he draws me even closer. “Stay a little longer,” he urges, his voice raspy with passion. “Just a little longer.” So I remain.For the first time in days, I let myself relax. I shut my eyes and breathe him in – the aroma of rain, of pine, of him. But peace seldom lasts long in our world. A loud howl rips through the darkness. Another follows.And another. I bolt upright, my heart smashing into my ribs. Callum is already moving, his body tight and ready. “They’re here,” he replies ominously. Victor’s troops. Attacking in the thick of the storm. The pack house bursts into turmoil. Wolves shi
The following morning, the world feels different. The sun rises in gentle hues, caressing the sky with pink and gold. Birds chirp in the treetops. The woodland smells like new rain and optimism. But deep down, I sense it.A warning. A shift. Callum is already awake when I open my eyes. He sits at the edge of the bed, bare-chested, his head down like he’s bearing the weight of the world again. I sneak out from beneath the cover and move to him. My fingertips stroke his shoulder, feeling the strain in his muscles.He turns toward me, his eyes dark and angry. “I can feel it, Aurora. Something’s coming.” I nod. I feel that too. The bliss we tasted last night – it was genuine, but it was also fragile, and somewhere out there, danger is waiting to rip it apart.“We’ll be ready,” I answer gently. He pulls me into his lap without a word, throwing his arms around me like he never wants to let go. And for a short time, we simply hold each other. Because love is all we have today. A Visi
The night air seems cooler now. It's not warm enough.I stand there, motionless, my arms wrapped tightly around myself as if that might keep me from coming apart. The trees shake about me, whispering whispers I can’t hear, while the moon looks down, mute and uncaring.Callum is still there.I feel his presence before I ever see him move. He's standing only a few steps away, hands tightening and unclenching at his sides, like he’s fighting himself. “Aurora…” His voice breaks, raw with pain.I shut my eyes, hoping I could forget everything. Wishing I could go back to before—before Bennet's comments ruined the delicate trust between us. Before the truth fought its way into my heart and left nothing but pain.“I can’t…” I mumble, taking a slight step back. “I can’t even look at you right now.” His face twists in misery. “Please, just listen to me. Let me explain—” “What’s there to explain?” My voice rises without trying to. “Your father killed mine, Callum! Your family w