She's ready to hunt.

Sofia

“Alex.”

I call for my husband, though barely any sound comes from me. His grey wolf reaches me almost immediately. He already knows about the attack, and Carina, my midwife, is with him.

This isn't negotiable, Sof. We talked about this.

I don't argue. I simply nod and allow Carina to help me into the office.

A massive bookshelf stands against one wall. Behind it is a hidden entrance leading to a network of tunnels beneath the pack house. This building is ancient. Those tunnels have protected generations of wolves during wars and attacks. More lives have been saved down there than I could ever count.

I reach Thomas through the mind link.

Thomas, I've gone into labour. Get every elderly wolf, every non-warrior woman, and all the children into the tunnels beneath the cellar. We prepared for this weeks ago. Everyone knows the plan.

Yes, Alpha.

What is happening outside?

His reply comes quickly.

We're pursuing it, Alpha. But the lycans were right. We can't see the creature properly. Every now and then, we catch a glimpse of it when the sunlight catches it. That's all. It's moving towards the pack house.

My stomach sinks.

You need to warn the lycans. It could be heading towards them.

Vera.

The thought comes instantly.

Violet.

Yes, Alpha?

I don't have time to explain. Tell the lycans what our wolves have encountered at the borders. We could be attacked here at any moment. They need to leave. This may be their only opportunity.

Yes, Alpha.

She pauses.

I sense her hesitation.

You can speak freely, Violet.

It's Vera.

My attention sharpens.

What about her?

She knew before the alarms sounded.

“What?”

I nearly forget about my labour.

When she woke, she was frantic. She kept saying that something was coming. We didn't understand what she meant. Then the alarms began only moments later. The lycans are preparing to leave.

My mind races.

Bring Vera to me. She knows where my office is.

Yes, Alpha.

If Violet is telling me the truth, then Vera may be the one person who can help us survive tonight. Perhaps that strange connection I sensed when she woke wasn't my imagination. Perhaps Vera has seen what is coming.

Another contraction grips me. I bend forward, trying to breathe through it. I knew labour would hurt. I simply never imagined it would hurt this much.

“Alpha, try to relax,” Carina tells me. “We could be here for a while. You're only four centimetres dilated.”

I give her a look. How am I supposed to relax? My warriors are outside fighting something none of us can properly see, and I am trapped inside this room because I am in labour.

“I can't relax while my people are fighting.”

Carina says nothing. She knows there is no point arguing with me.

Alex comes closer.

“I’m going to check the warriors protecting the pack house.”

He looks directly into my eyes.

“Do not leave this room.”

“Alex...”

“Promise me.”

I nod. He touches his forehead to mine before leaving.

The moment he is gone, I feel more vulnerable than I ever have in my life. My pack is under attack. My warriors are risking everything. And I cannot be there.

Instead, I am confined to this room, waiting for my babies while my people fight outside. Thomas has probably informed everyone that I am in labour, which means nobody is giving me further details about the battle.

I hate not knowing.

Minutes pass. Five. Ten. Perhaps fifteen. Then the enormous bookshelf begins to move.

The hidden entrance opens. Alex appears first, still in his wolf form. Vera is with him. So is Mah.

“Vera!”

She rushes straight towards me. Her hands move over me immediately, checking my temperature before finding my pulse. She begins speaking with Carina, asking questions and receiving answers in medical terms that I barely follow.

I don't care.

She's here.

She's awake.

She's alive.

I wasn't certain we would ever see her like this again. Tears slip down my cheeks. Alex notices and gently licks them away.

For once, I don't need to pretend that I am strong. Not in front of Vera. I reach for my best friend's hand.

“Vera, listen to me. I need you to tell me exactly what happened.”

Her eyes fill with tears.

“I... I don't know where to start. What I remember doesn't feel real. It feels more like a dream.”

“What happened when you woke up?”

I hold her hand.

“Violet told me you warned the lycans before the alarms sounded.”

Vera shakes her head.

“I didn't feel anything.”

She looks at me.

“I saw it.”

My stomach drops.

“You saw what?”

“It was coming through the southern border.”

Her voice breaks. Tears finally spill from her eyes.

“I don't know what it is, Sofia. I don't know how to stop it.”

She struggles for another breath.

“It is killing our wolves.”

Tears fill my own eyes. I hold her hand through another contraction. I close my eyes and endure it without making a sound.

When the pain finally eases, I look directly at Vera.

“Vera, you may be our only hope.”

She stares at me.

“You saw that thing. Even if what you saw was a vision, you may be the only person who can actually see it.”

I swallow.

“And if you can see it, maybe you can kill it.”

The words hurt to say. I know what I am asking. I know what could happen to her.

“It may be a long shot,” I continue, tears running freely down my face, “but you have to try.”

I think about every wolf outside. Every family hiding beneath this house. Every warrior fighting to protect them.

If I am wrong, if my instincts are wrong, then I could be sending Vera to her death. But I have no other choice.

Vera looks at me. I look back at her. No words pass between us, yet I know she understands exactly what I am asking. She has always loved this pack. She would risk her life for it.

Just as I would. I reach towards the bag beside me and pull out a long spear. It has belonged to my family for generations. There is only one known material capable of harming witches, and this weapon was made from it. I have carried it with me for years, waiting for the possibility that one day I might need it.

That day has come. Unfortunately, I am in no condition to use it myself. I hold it out to Vera.

“This and you are our only hope.”

She looks down at the spear.

Something changes in her expression. Her breathing becomes controlled. She closes her eyes for a moment and draws in a slow breath. Then she opens them.

Her fingers close around the spear. She examines it carefully, becoming familiar with its shape and how to hold it.

I watch her face. Her eyes are wide, her pupils dilated. There is no fear in them now. I know that look.

I've seen it before. Vera is ready. She's ready to hunt.