The Awakening / The Struggle Novels & Stories

The buildings stood like jagged, broken teeth, with windows shattered and walls crumbling. The scene before us was the reality we had to confront, and the night we spent in the oasis seemed like a dream in comparison. Refugees crowded the streets, their faces pallid, eyes empty, and brimming with despair and terror. They pushed toward a distribution point, where soldiers were tossing bags of food and water from the back of a truck. The crowd surged forward and raised their arms desperately into the air. I saw women, their clothes ripped and their faces covered with mud, struggling to stay on their feet while males twice their size pushed them away. One woman slipped as she attempted to move

I hurriedly back away from them. The sliver of hope I harboured in my chest, the one that bloomed without me noticing–that he may have had the decency to let me go–shrivels up and dies. “Don't you dare touch me” I tell them through gritted teeth, but they ignore me and grab my hands, effectively sandwiching them between me. I struggle against them, but they just tighten their hold on me. I don't want to go back to that desolate house. Now that I've escaped, the security is going to be tightened and I may never be able to find my way out.

’ I try to fight it off, to take control of my body, but the more I struggle, the more my consciousness is pushed to the back of my mind. Olivia rushes to me, but my hand moves forward, and a blast of energy sends her flying away just like before, stopping her from getting to me. The book in my hands suddenly floats up, opening to the awakening page again. ‘Say it!’ My mouth begins to move on its own, my voice being pulled from my throat. "By moon and star, by fire and earth, Awaken now, reveal your worth. Astria's power, ancient and deep, In our hearts and souls, it shall weep.

Lyra tells me with worry in her eyes and I honestly was worrying too, because she wasn’t responding to me. Alpha Zane then steps forward and says, “Adira, listen to me. Your wolf is strong, but you are stronger. You must fight your wolf to regain control.” Adira’s wolf then let out another growl as she snapped her teeth at him, but I realized he was right. I had to get inside her head and make her come back to me.

And in the midst of her manipulation, a spark of rebellion ignited, propelling me towards a fight for justice, for truth, and for a love that would not be extinguished by the schemes of a woman determined to control our destinies. The battle lines were drawn, and the stage was set for an epic confrontation—a clash of wills and an unwavering belief in the power of love to triumph over manipulation and deceit. In the face of adversity, I would stand tall, knowing that the journey ahead would test the limits of my strength and resilience.

“Oh, you’ll see so much, little one. So much that will change everything you think you know… everything you are… everything you believe.” I pressed my palms to the bed beneath me, forcing myself upright, my mind spinning with questions and fear. “I don’t care what you think I am. I don’t care what you believe I’ll do. I won’t be controlled. I won’t be used!” Marcelo—wait, no, not Marcelo this time. The stranger’s eyes glinted at my defiance, his excitement only growing. “Oh, defiance! I love it. You will find, though, that your defiance will be tested more than you can imagine. And when you awaken fully, when you truly see, you may wonder if you ever truly had a choice.”

The Hollow was no longer merely cracked—it trembled under the weight of awakening. Ash clouds swirled with an unnatural rhythm as ancient runes across the altar ruins pulsed with golden fire. From every direction, the cries of the resistance rose—hope, grief, fury—a symphony of a people on the cusp of liberation or extinction.

“I am going to teach you some respect.” I rolled over so I was facing him. “Seriously? You can’t do this!” Daniel looked straight at me, his eyes piercing me. “I can and I will. Now turn around,” he ordered, rubbing his hands together. “No!” Daniel grabbed my feet and effortlessly turned me around so I was lying on my stomach. I tried to get up but he just put a hand in the middle of my back and held me in place like I was a feather. “The more you struggle, the harder it will be,” he said, calmly.

I didn’t know how I could be so adamant to follow this spark of a feeling, how such a new sensation could empower me to make the decisions I inadvertently wanted to for quite some time. “Our only blessing is the power we take, keep, and expand.” I could see spurts of fur growing on his arms, his wolf Hime was fighting for control, struggling to surface. I moved my right foot forward and flexed my knee slightly, taking a fighting stance, ready to shift at any moment and fight for my life.

“Okay. I’ll try, but I want to keep holding onto Ford while I try to search for her.” My mate’s loving smile is all the courage I need to try this. He whispers, “I’m right here, baby. I’m not going anywhere.” I take another deep breath. I can do this. I slowly close my eyes and try to concentrate on the ability to make people think you are a beta or an alpha when you are something else. However, nothing is happening. I don’t know what I’m expecting, but I had thought something would happen. I concentrate a little harder and try to focus on faces. Who is the person who disguises the second gender?