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CHAPTER NINE:AWAKENING.
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2025-11-28 21:35:22AWAKENING
Nightmares were prettier than this.
The night stretched endlessly, the moon hanging over the estate like a watchful eye. My hands shook as I paced my room, the weight of Damien’s words pressing against my chest.
“Your wolf responds to me. You cannot hide from me.”
I didn’t know if I wanted to cry, scream, or collapse. All I knew was that the forest called me again. Every fiber of my being ached to step into the trees, to follow the pull I didn’t understand, to find the part of me that had always been asleep.
Bella appeared in the doorway as if she had stepped out of my thoughts. “You shouldn’t be alone,” she whispered, closing the door behind her. Her auburn curls framed her face, her green eyes intense.
“I’m not ready,” I admitted, sinking onto the bed. “I don’t even know where to start. I don’t feel anything.”
Bella sat beside me, placing a hand over mine. “Your wolf is there, Emily. You’ve felt her. The pull toward the forest tonight? That was her, testing you, reaching for you. She’s waiting, but she’s cautious. She senses the danger.”
I swallowed hard, shivering. “Danger from…?”
“You,” Bella said softly. “From everyone who knows what you are. From those who want to control your blood. From Damien himself, though he is --- complicated. Protective and dangerous.”
The mention of Damien made my chest tighten. I could still feel the echoes of his presence from last night. His molten silver eyes. His claim. The way he moved with such authority, such inevitability, it had set something inside me on fire creating a mixture of fear, longing, and confusion.
I had a mate who rejected me, so what’s this?
Before I could respond, a soft knock sounded at the door. My grandfather’s voice sounded urgent, “Emily, you need to see this.”
I followed him down the grand staircase, my legs trembling. Outside, the estate had transformed under the moonlight. Wolves of every size and shade prowled the perimeter, their eyes glinting like gemstones in the shadows. The air was electric, charged with anticipation and danger.
“Watch,” My grandfather - Matteo said, his voice low. “And do not interfere unless I give the word.”
I blinked. In the center of the clearing, a ritual space had been prepared — ancient runes drawn in the dirt, candles burning in protective circles. The scent of herbs and firewood hung thick in the air.
“Your wolf,” Matteo continued, “can awaken tonight. If she chooses to.”
I swallowed. My wolf. Awaken. The words reverberated in my mind. Could I do it? Could I finally shift, finally become something more than the girl who had been rejected by Ethan, used by the pack, and lost in her own fears?
Bella stepped closer, her voice steady. “Listen to her. You feel the pull. That is her speaking. Your wolf is asking you to trust her and trust yourself.”
I closed my eyes, letting the sounds of the forest wash over me. The wind through the trees. The distant howl of a wolf. The soft rustle of leaves. And then, a steady heartbeat. Strong, steady, echoing in time with mine.
I opened my eyes. A warmth spread through my chest, creeping outward like molten gold. My hands tingled. My claws itched. Something inside me stirred, stretching, awakening.
Suddenly, a howl tore through the clearing, sharp, dangerous, warning. My body stiffened. My wolf growled in response, low and deep, vibrating through my bones.
From the edge of the forest, shadows moved. Rogues. At least three of them, their eyes glowing yellow in the moonlight, teeth bared, claws extended.
“Emily!” Bella shouted. “Step back! Now!”
But I couldn’t. Something inside me surged, and my legs moved without thought. I stepped forward into the center of the runes. The ground beneath me thrummed. The wind picked up. My wolf roared inside my chest.
Damien appeared suddenly, emerging from the shadows like a predator born of night itself. His eyes locked on mine. His presence was overwhelming, commanding, intoxicating, terrifying.
“You shouldn’t be out here alone,” he growled, his voice low and calmly dangerous. “But I see you’ve begun.”
“My wolf,” I whispered, trembling. “She… she’s awake?”
Damien’s silver eyes glowed brighter. “She’s not just awake. She’s calling to me.”
The rogues lunged. I felt a flash of panic, but it was replaced instantly by something raw and fierce inside me. My claws extended without thought. My senses sharpened. Every shadow, every rustle, every movement, I saw it all.
The first rogue lunged at me. I swiped instinctively, my claws sinking into its shoulder. It yelped, staggering back.
Damien was beside me in an instant, shifting seamlessly into his wolf form. Black fur, muscles rippling, eyes molten silver. He moved with precision, striking another rogue down before it could reach me.
The forest erupted into chaos. Wolves and rogues clashed, teeth flashing, claws slicing through the air. I felt the surge of power inside me, raw and untamed, pushing me forward.
I lunged at a rogue, swiping with all my strength. My claws tore through its fur, and it shrieked, backing away. My wolf roared inside me, and the sound echoed across the clearing, mingling with Damien’s howl.
He glanced at me briefly. “Good. You’re stronger than I expected.”
I swallowed my fear. “I… I’m learning.”
“Learning fast,” he said, his voice low, carrying a soft compliment I couldn’t ignore.
Another rogue came at me from the side. My wolf instincts guided my movements, and I dodged, feeling a strange exhilaration as I landed perfectly behind it. I struck, and it went down with a
scream.
Then, everywhere went quiet.
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