The moon hung low in the sky as I slipped through the shadows of the forest, my mother's silver pendant clutched tightly in my palm. Each step took me further from the pack house—and closer to Elder Thea's cabin at the edge of our territory. My breath came in short, nervous gasps; if Wyatt discovered I'd left the territory without permission, he'd have another reason to use his Alpha tone on me.
The cabin appeared through the trees, a small light glowing in the window despite the late hour. Smoke curled from the chimney, carrying the scent of pine and sage—Thea's signature herbs.
I hesitated at the door, my hand trembling as I raised it to knock. What if she'd heard the rumors? What if she believed them?
Before I could retreat, the door swung open. Elder Thea stood in the doorway, her weathered face softening at the sight of me.
"Celeste," she said, her voice a mixture of relief and anger. "I was wondering when you'd come."
She pulled me inside, the warmth of the cabin enveloping me. The walls were covered with maps and old photographs—including one of my mother in her Luna ceremonial armor.
"I heard what happened at the Summit," Thea said, her eyes flashing with fury as she poured me a cup of tea. "That fool Wyatt has forgotten who rebuilt his pack."
"I need your help," I whispered, pulling the supply ledgers from my bag. "Something's wrong."
Thea's eyebrows rose as she recognized the official pack documents. "You stole these?"
"I had to." I spread them across her wooden table. "Look at these numbers."
We bent over the pages, following my finger as I traced the discrepancies.
"Resources are being diverted," Thea murmured, her warrior's mind quickly grasping the pattern. "Food, medicine, weapons—all heading to the northern border."
"Where the rogue attacks have been increasing," I added. "The timing matches perfectly."
Thea's hand slammed down on the table. "Someone's feeding the rogues—someone inside the pack."
---
The northern border was eerily quiet as I approached the coordinates from the ledgers. An abandoned hunter's shack stood in a small clearing, its walls covered in graffiti and pack marks.
This was where the supplies were being delivered—I just needed proof.
I crept closer, my phone ready to document anything suspicious. The shack appeared empty, but something about the scene felt wrong.
A twig snapped behind me.
"Well, well," a rough voice drawled. "The little omega comes to investigate."
Three figures emerged from the trees—rogue wolves, their eyes gleaming with malice in the moonlight. I backed away, my heart hammering against my ribs.
"You're not supposed to be here," the largest one growled, advancing slowly. "No one told us you'd be so pretty, though."
"I'm not afraid of you," I lied, trying to keep my voice steady.
The third rogue laughed. "You should be. We were paid to scare you into silence."
"Paid?" I echoed, backing into the shack. "By who?"
"Wouldn't be much of a secret if we told you, would it?" The leader lunged forward, grabbing my arm.
I screamed, twisting in his grip as his teeth grazed my skin. The other rogues closed in, their breath hot against my face.
"Just a little warning bite," one whispered. "Nothing fatal—yet."
---
A thunderous growl split the night as a massive dark grey wolf tore through the brush, eyes blazing like embers. Before the rogues could react, it launched itself at the leader, teeth sinking into flesh with lethal precision.
The other rogues scattered, but the wolf was faster—much faster. Royal bloodline evident in every movement, it dispatched them with brutal efficiency before turning toward me.
I pressed myself against the wall, watching in awe as the wolf shifted, its form blurring until a man stood before me—tall, imposing, with eyes that held ancient power.
"Celeste Porter," he said, my name sounding like a prayer on his lips. "I've waited a long time to meet you properly."
"Soren Fisher," I breathed, recognizing him from whispered legends of Lycan royalty.
He didn't offer empty platitudes or ask if I was alright. Instead, he extended his hand—an equal gesture, not a rescue.
"I'm not here to save you," he said, his voice deep and certain. "You're your mother's daughter. You need no saving."
I took his hand, feeling something shift between us—a recognition deeper than words.
"I was her student," he continued, releasing my hand to reach into a leather pouch at his waist. "And I made a promise to her that I would protect what mattered most to her."
He withdrew a leather-bound journal, its cover worn with age and handling. "This belongs to you now."
I took it with trembling hands, recognizing my mother's handwriting across the cover: "The Awakening of the White Bloodline."
"She wrote this for you," Soren said quietly. "Everything she couldn't teach you in person."
As my fingers traced the title, something stirred within me—a whisper of power I'd never felt before.
