All Chapters of TO LOVE A WOLF: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

The Hollow was quiet. Not the tense quiet of waiting for battle. The exhausted quiet of survival.As the sun rose, Clara sat on her cabin's porch. Despite the change, her body continued to hurt. She could sense the strength the pendant had left behind, even if its energy had entirely vanished. flowing through her veins. transforming her in ways she was still learning about.Ash came out with two cups of coffee. He sat down next to her after giving her one. "How are you feeling?" "Different. Same. Both." Clara took a sip. The coffee tasted sharper than before. Every sense heightened. "I can feel things now. The pack. The creatures who stayed. Their emotions like background noise." "That sounds overwhelming." "It is.But I am learning to filter it." Clara looked at him. "Can you feel it? The change in me?" Ash nodded. "You smell different. Not bad. Just more. Like the forest and lightning and something I cannot name." "I am still me though. Right?" "Yes."Ash grasped her hand. "You re

Three weeks passed. Three weeks of careful peace. Of council meetings and patrol schedules and small victories. No attacks. No violence. Just the clumsy, long process of fostering trust between formerly hostile parties.Clara mediated conflicts throughout the day. Too close to town, a wolf had hunted. There was a human who had strayed into pack territory. Children had been frightened by a creature at the forest's edge.little stuff. Manageable things. But exhausting.One morning, Mara showed up with news when she was sitting on her porch. Someone has come to see you from outside the city."A shiver went down Clara's spine. "Who?" She refused to reveal her identity. Just said she knew your mother." Clara stood immediately. "Where is she?" "Waiting at the boundary. She refused to come further without your permission." Clara grabbed her jacket and followed Mara to the edge of the Hollow. A woman stood there. Older. Maybe sixty. With silver hair and eyes that looked familiar. "Clara Re

The resources arrived two weeks after the Council vote.Materials for expanding the Deep. Funding for staff. Medical supplies. Training equipment. The Shadowborn history books Sebastian had requested for years.With the Council genuinely supporting us, it felt unreal watching pack members unload the supplies."Where do we even start?"Maya asked, staring at the mountain of materials."Construction first. We need the physical space before we can house more Shadowborn."I took out the growth plans that Draven and I had made. "We add three new rooms to the Deep: living quarters, a bigger common area, and a special healing space for trauma work.""That will take a long time.""Which is why we start immediately. Garrett is coordinating the construction teams." I handed her a different set of plans. "You focus on recruiting additional support staff. We need at least two more healers and someone trained in trauma counseling.""Trauma counseling for Shadowborn specifically? That is a rare ski

Before the sun came up, they went.Four of them were walking fast through the woods. Clara went first because she felt drawn to the old power site. Ash had no trouble keeping up with her. Marcus moved like a ghost. Kain was last, and it was hard to tell what he was thinking.Nobody said anything. They had already said everything that needed to be said.It took two days to get there. They took turns camping and always kept an eye on things. The air got heavier and heavier as they went closer to the battlefield. Heavy. Not right. Kain stated, "We're close," on the second afternoon. "Do you feel it?"Clara could. The wrongness seemed like a weight on her senses. "How much longer?""Maybe an hour. The battlefield is in a valley. Surrounded by hills. Easy to get trapped.""Then we approach from high ground. Scout before engaging."They ascended to the top of the ridge that looked out over the valley. Clara took out her binoculars and looked at the ground below.The battleground looked just

The training began at dawn. Clara stood in the middle of the clearing with her hands up, trying to keep seven different channels of power open at the same time.She didn't succeed. Again.The power fell in on itself and hit her chest like a punch. Clara gasped and fell to one knee. How many times is that? Marcus asked from the edge of the clearing."Seventeen," Catherine said without looking up from her notes.Clara pushed herself up.Her legs shook. Every muscle ached. "Again.""Clara." Ash stepped forward. "You need to rest.""We have three weeks. I need to get this right.""You will get it right. But killing yourself with exhaustion first will not help."Clara wanted to argue. But he was right. She could barely stand. Pushing further would just injure herself."Fine. Two hours. Then we go again."Ash caught her as she stumbled. "Four hours. And food."Clara didn't have the strength to fight him. She let him lead her back to their cabin. Let him feed her. She let herself fall onto th