Retreat Novels & Stories

His wolves collide with a reinforced secondary wall they did not anticipate, and for the first time, Varik’s expression tightens slightly. He misread depth. “You built a maze,” he says quietly. “You built a trap,” I reply. The bond hums steady and aligned. He signals retreat at last, a sharp descending call that his wolves obey with disciplined withdrawal, and they vanish back toward the western treeline under controlled disengagement. We do not pursue. We do not overextend. We hold formation until the last shadow clears. Breath returns slowly across the field. Casualty calls echo, but lighter than they could have been.

Next to her, Caroline scrolled through her phone, grinning every now and then at the welcome emails the camp had sent. “You ready for this?” Caroline asked, her voice soft but excited. “We’re here,” the driver announced, slowing to a stop near a wooden archway that read: The Ridge Retreat: A Month of Stillness, Strength, and Self. Carolina’s face lit up. “Oh my God. After three years…”

The lines were starting to break immediately. “Delmar!” Matheus cried in desperation. Delmar bit his lip in worry. The one straining decision was ringing all across his mind; retreat and live to fight another day, or end this war right now one way or another. The Domineers were nearly upon them. Delmar clenched his teeth and shook his head. This had gone too far. “Retreat,” he breathed reluctantly. “Retreat! Make for the mountains!”

I skip to the last entry in the journal. February 19th 2000 I find myself writing this again. The baby will be here soon. I am sure this time it is a boy. I just want to say goodbye, my dear sweet Ameila. I love you so much it hurts. The only reason I allow myself breath everyday is knowing that you are out there. The thought of you breathes light into me every day. Please take care my sweet angel and know that I will always be with you. -Love always, Momma, Scarlett

“ Ok, I’m ready, “ I say to an empty porch. I got dressed in my usual jeans and a flannel. It was my casual and fancy wear. “ Over here, “ he calls. I walk out and look around a bit. All I see are beautiful evergreen trees and a few cherry trees, bushes, and tall green grass. We didn’t bother to cut the grass since we owned such a big plot of land. He appears beside me in my peripheral vision smoking a cigarette. I glare at him again. “ What, it’s not like I’ll die of lung cancer, “ he said pulling the cig out of his mouth. He took a big inhale of it and exhaled it out of his nostrils “There are children here. They don’t need to get a bad idea of doing that, “ Argue. “ Well, it’s not like th

"You don't want to continue working at Clarke?" "No. I am one hundred percent sure that the reason the stalker is after my life is because of the damned, cursed company," she retorts. "Plus, I want to move to this quiet town and get a small house by the lake where my grandkids can come on the weekends and we can go fishing. I just want a simple, quiet life. I want to retire." "So, do you think it will be a good idea to sell off the company just like that?" Mom nods.

Slowly, I reached out, taking the hilts. "Thank you," I said quietly. His lips twitched. A smirk. Or maybe approval. It was hard to tell with him. The courtyard remained hushed even as he dismissed the men back to their drills. They obeyed, but I felt their eyes burning into my back as I hobbled away, clutching the Harbingers like lifelines. ---

We were one unit, and together, we could face anything. The large wolf finally nodded, as if accepting Mark’s offer. “Alright, we won’t disturb you tonight. But remember, this forest is our territory. Don’t ever cross our boundaries.” Mark nodded, and the wolves retreated back into the forest. The tension in the air slowly faded, and I could feel a sigh of relief escape from my chest. “Ariane, we are safe now,” Mark said, turning to me with a calming smile. “We can get back to enjoying this night.”

I shoot back and he smirks back because he knows I'm right. "A few more weeks in the gym, you'll be as big as me." He says haughtily and I shiver at the thought. "Nah man you're barely gonna see me for a few weeks. See this fresh mark on my neck? It's the universal symbol for 'leave us alone we're boning.' That privilege only happens once in a lifetime and I'm taking advantage of it." I tell him, smiling widely as I throw my shirt back on and get ready to leave. Griffin rolls his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest.

I would spend the rest of my life repenting. One night, a halo of light seemed to surround Madeline's tombstone. I felt a wave of drowsiness wash over me. Then, I saw her—a figure in the distance. "Madeline," I whispered, chasing after her. She did not turn around and just kept walking toward the light. Just before she disappeared, she said, "Ean, don't follow me. And don't cry at my grave. I don't want to see you." I jolted awake, the dream still clinging to me. The wind whispered around me, urging me to let her go.