LOGINThe fortress trembled long before the first horn blew.I’d been pacing my chamber for hours, unable to rest. Sleep mocked me; every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face, molten gold eyes, firelight flickering over skin that looked too human and too divine all at once.Draven Blackflame.The Hybrid Alpha.The curse and the crown of the realm.And somehow, I was bound to him.The thought made my chest twist with something I couldn’t name, part fear, part anger… part something dangerously close to longing.Outside, thunder cracked across the mountains, echoing off the obsidian walls. But it wasn’t thunder. It was dragons. Hundreds of them, roaring across the skies in warning.The Alphas had arrived.A knock came at my door, sharp and impatient. I turned, heart hammering. “Come in.”Kael entered, armored head to toe in blackened steel. His expression was unreadable, but his aura was tense, that telltale scent of danger in the air. “You’re being summoned.”I folded my arms. “Again?”“Thi
The fortress didn’t sleep that night.Wolves in black armor patrolled the courtyards. Dragons circled the skies, their roars splitting the silence. The torches burned blue instead of gold, a sign of war readiness, Kael had told me earlier.And somewhere at the heart of it all, the Hybrid Alpha prepared to summon his enemies into his home.I sat by the narrow window, watching the horizon bleed crimson. Every instinct screamed that I should run, that I didn’t belong here, that I never would. But where would I go? The other packs wanted me too. I wasn’t safe anywhere.My reflection glowed faintly in the glass — silver veins pulsing under my skin like lightning trapped beneath flesh.The Healer of the Eclipse.My fate had never been my own. Not since that night under the moon.The door opened with a low creak. Kael stepped inside, his armor half-fastened, expression sharp. “They’re here.”I stood quickly. “Who?”“The emissaries from the three packs. Silverclaw, Moonveil, and Nightbane.” H
Sleep didn’t come.Not with the fortress humming around me like a living creature. The walls seemed to breathe. The torches flickered in strange rhythms, pulsing as if the stones themselves had a heartbeat.And beneath it all, the faint echo of a growl I couldn’t locate.When dawn’s first light crept through the narrow window, I was already standing, pacing. My reflection in the glass looked foreign, silver eyes faintly glowing, hair tangled, robe loose at my shoulders.The Healer of the Eclipse.A title I didn’t want.The thought of Draven’s words still burned in my chest. You belong here now. My Beta will ensure your safety.Safety. Right.I turned sharply when the door opened without warning. Kael stood there, holding a tray of food, dark bread, roasted meat, and a small bowl of something that shimmered faintly blue.“Breakfast,” he said flatly.I crossed my arms. “Do I look hungry?”He shrugged. “It wasn’t a question. Eat. The Alpha ordered it.”Something in his tone made me brist
I woke to the sound of thunder.But when I opened my eyes, I realized it wasn’t thunder at all. It was breathing, heavy, rhythmic, surrounding me like the heartbeat of a beast.The air smelled of smoke and metal. My head throbbed. I blinked, and a ceiling carved with black stone came into focus, lined with silver veins that pulsed faintly like living roots.I was lying on a bed far too large for one person, covered in dark pelts. Chains shimmered faintly near my wrists, not binding me, but close enough to make a point. My torn dress had been replaced with a thin silk robe, soft but foreign. My heartbeat quickened.Where… am I?The last thing I remembered was fire. Wings. Golden eyes that looked like they’d seen centuries.The Hybrid Alpha.I sat up too quickly, and pain lanced through my shoulder. The silver blood that had spilled from it earlier was gone, not even a scar remained. My fingers brushed smooth skin. Healed.The door creaked open.I froze.A man stepped in, tall, broad, a
The moon was supposed to be my ally.That’s what my father always said, that the moon watched over all wolves, especially the lost ones.But that night, her light felt like a curse.It spilled through the trees like silver fire, chasing me as I ran, bare feet slapping against the wet earth. The forest was alive with screams, some human, some not. I could smell blood before I saw it. Iron. Smoke. Death.Our village was under attack.The first explosion had torn through the western ridge, scattering homes and hearts alike. I’d been fetching water at the stream when it happened. One second I was humming, the next, the ground shook and a red haze swallowed the stars.Now, as I darted through the trees, clutching the hem of my torn dress, all I could think about was one word pulsing in my chest: run.But there was a cry, high, broken, that cut through the chaos.A child’s cry.I stopped. My breath came in quick bursts, fogging in the cold air. My wolf instincts screamed to keep going, but







