I noticed Mom dancing with Brandon—rather closely. They were smiling, laughing, and whispering like no one else existed. I wondered when they’d finally admit their relationship. They were so cute together.
Werewolves could live up to two hundred years. We grew up like any human would until we reached adulthood at eighteen. After that, our aging slowed thanks to our regenerative abilities. Mom was only forty-six, and Brandon was probably around one-twenty. A big age gap by human standards—but nothing unusual for us. They could even start a new family… though fertility was rare among older wolves.
Rhett walked up on stage, and the room fell into silence.
“Good evening, everyone,” he said, his voice smooth and commanding. “I hope you're enjoying the
Alpha Rhett’s POVI woke to the sound of shouting downstairs.I was just a boy at the time, but I crept quietly toward the noise, drawn by the intensity in their voices. Amanda—the High Priestess—was arguing with my father in the front hallway of the pack house.“Ridock, I told you, I don’t want a chosen mate,” she snapped. “I will not put this pack above my own happiness. The goddess wouldn’t want this. If she did, we would have been fated.”“Amanda, think this through,” my father said, trying to stay calm. “I care for you. We will grow to love one another. Do this for yourself, too.”“I found my mate,” Amanda said firmly, her voice trembling but resolute.My father stilled. He began pacing, running his hand through his hair. “Who is he?” he asked quietly.“He’s a Beta. From another pack. We’re leaving.”“You can’t. You’re the High Priestess of this territory,” he growled.But she didn’t answer him. And that was the last time I saw her in the pack house.Five Years Later“Did you he
"Keep your head straight; I don’t want to mess up the eyeliner," said Jasmine.Tonight was my birthday. I was turning eighteen on the last stroke of midnight. And I couldn't be more anxious. Jasmine was being so kind, carefully helping me get ready. Mom had made my dress by hand, and the pack was throwing a party in my honor.“Darling, here’s your dress. Are you ready to put it on?” Mom asked, her voice full of emotion.My dress was magical—an intricate black gown with crystals sewn in, a ballerina cut, and long, elegant sleeves. It contrasted starkly against my pale complexion, but that’s exactly what I wanted. A symbol of change: from the naïve girl I had been to the confident woman I was becoming. Or at least the woman I wanted to portray.The worst part of today was not having Ares by my side. We had shared this day for seventeen years. Now he was having his own celebration on the other side of the country. I missed him. My heart felt hollow without him.Mom was worried too. I cou
Aurelia’s POVThose who passed the interview and test went through a formal ceremony where they drank a small amount of Alpha Rhett’s blood, officially tying them to the Foraker Pack. Mom and I ended up taking part in the same ceremony, since we hadn't done it when we first arrived. That made us able to join the pack link.We fell into a rhythm over the next few weeks. Summer came to an end, and you could feel the winds of change stirring in the air.Mateo, the doctor, was brought into the fold. Kind, patient, and thoughtful, he quickly won over the pack’s trust and was officially given the Delta position. He became responsible for all health-related matters in the pack—managing the hospital, implementing preventive care, and conducting wellness checks for every member. He even began planning future expansions. Brandon and Rhett were so excited to have another wolf in the leadership circle that they might have overwhelmed the poor man. But Mateo welcomed it. He said work gave him purp
Aurelia’s POVThe morning sun filtered through the frost-covered windows, casting soft golden light across the hallway. Despite the exhaustion from the day before, there was a strange sense of purpose in the air. The pack was changing, growing, shifting, and I was right in the middle of it.Brandon was already waiting outside the dining hall with a clipboard and a pile of papers tucked under his arm."Ready to assign some futures?" he asked with a grin.I smiled. "Let’s do it."We entered the hall where the remaining wolves were gathered. The room buzzed with nervous energy. People clutched coffee cups, talked in hushed tones, or sat quietly with their families. Children clung to older siblings or napped in chairs.Rhett stepped forward, dressed in his black training gear, a sign he’d be out with the warriors later."Today, you’ll receive your temporary job placements and housing assignments," he said, projecting his voice. "These are not final. You’ll be observed, evaluated, and, if
Alpha Rhett’s POVOut of the 400 wolves staring at Aurelia, only a handful erupted in anger. They needed someone to blame, and some had decided that person was her.I’d be sure to make a note of that in the interview process. I wasn’t putting Aury in more danger than she was already in."For those who do not want to stay," I said, raising my voice over the murmurs, "please return to your rooms. Use the phones provided to make your arrangements to move elsewhere. You have until noon tomorrow to leave the premises. A bus will depart at 8 p.m. today to take you to the nearest human town where you can catch a train or bus.""Those who choose to stay, please gather with your families. Interviews will begin shortly."Aurelia’s POVI had never seen new pack members arrive in my old pack before. This was a first.“Brandon, how are the interviews done?” I asked, curious.“The Alpha puts them under command and asks questions about their intentions,” Brandon explained. “If they pass, they go thr
Alpha Rhett’s POVThe Glacier Hollow wolves began to arrive in groups huddled in cars crammed with whatever pieces of home they could salvage. Burnt clothes. Cracked picture frames. Shattered weapons that had failed to protect them. Their stories matched: the pack had been leveled. Not a single building was left unscathed. The demons hadn’t just come to fight; they’d come to annihilate.Most humans didn’t even know we existed. That was by design. Our packs built towns on the edge of vast wilderness, tucked far away from human eyes. We had our business, and yes, we had human customers, but other than that, our paths did not cross. Foraker Mountain had its own front: a private compound, rumored to outsiders to be a secluded militia base or eccentric cult grounds. Enough to discourage curiosity.The apartments we’d prepared for the Alpha Council and the annual ball weren’t glamorous, but they were functional. Compact rooms, shared kitchens, basic beds, and heating. The survivors were exh
Aurelia’s POVThe alarm shattered the stillness of the morning, three sharp howls followed by a long, descending call. An attack. Not a drill.By the time I burst from the house, the compound was already alive with movement. Warriors shifting mid-run, mothers pulling children into shelters, and Alpha Rhett’s voice barking orders over the chaos.A demon had breached the perimeter, and this time, it wasn’t alone.I didn’t wait for permission. I ran toward the scent of burning ash and rotting flesh, Alba growling low in my head. We’re stronger now. We can help.We reached the eastern ridge just as the first screams echoed through the trees. A massive demon, a hulking beast with a spiked back and oozing skin, towered above two fallen warriors. Its claws glinted red, its eyes locked on a child cowering behind a broken tree trunk.“No,” I whispered, and power surged through me without warning.I stepped between the demon and the child, raising my hand. The temperature dropped instantly, fro
Aurelia’s POVEvening brought our usual routine: dinner, cards, then stargazing on the porch with warm tea. It was comforting and predictable. Mom, Brandon, and I had settled into it like clockwork. Alpha Rhett used to join us often, especially after night training, but ever since Ares came to visit, his appearances had slowed.Tonight, the chair he usually took remained empty.And I felt it.“Cards?” Brandon offered, shuffling the deck.“I’ll skip tonight,” I said, rising too quickly. My skin itched with something I couldn’t name—anxious energy that refused to settle. There was a hollowness in my chest, and at the same time, a strange pulling sensation, like something—or someone—was missing.Alba, what is this?I don’t know, she answered softly. But I feel it too. A restlessness. Like our soul is searching for something it already knows.That night, I tossed and turned, lost in icy dreams—blizzards roaring through endless mountains, frost curling across stone like veins, a deep hum
Aurelia’s POVAs we ran through the forest, feeling the wind rush past us and the soft earth and fine grass under our paws, I felt free, truly, deeply free.Then I heard a shuffle in the bushes. My ears perked up; my body tensed. A rogue? A demon? I scanned the trees.Something large moved to my right, a blur in the corner of my vision. I spun around, but it vanished. Then, behind me. My heart pounded.And then…“Scared?” A voice asked in my mind, but it wasn’t Alba’s.“No. We’re waiting for you to stop your prank and show yourself,” Alba said sharply.“Here I am.”From the shadows, a massive black wolf emerged, Alpha Rhett’s wolf.“Alpha, it is nice to meet you. I am Alba,” my wolf greeted.“I am Rhys,” he replied. So that was his name, Rhys. His wolf.“Is this your first run?”“Yes. The attack left no time to explore. But here we are, finally enjoying this beautiful place.”“Let me not hold you back then.”We dipped our heads in acknowledgment and took off again. I noticed Rhys fall