The moon hangs low, casting long shadows across our territory. I pace my office, bare feet silent on worn floorboards. My mind races, replaying the chaos of the past few days – Liam's return, the witch's spell gone wrong, the hunters' attack. Through it all, one constant remains: Jake.
A knock breaks my reverie. "Come in," I call, voice rough from lack of sleep.
Jake enters, broad shoulders filling the doorframe. His usually warm eyes are clouded with worry. "Skye, we need to talk."
I nod, gesturing for him to close the door. His scent hits me – pine and earth, with something new I can't place.
"What's up?" I ask, leaning against my desk.
He runs a hand through his hair, a familiar gesture that sends an unexpected shiver down my spine. "It's Liam," he starts. "The pack's uneasy. They don't know what to make of his return, or him being enforcer now."
I sigh, rubbing my temples. "I know. It's a lot for everyone."
"Including you?" Jake's voice is soft, probing.
Our eyes meet. I'm tempted to confide in him, like always. But something holds me back – memories of Liam, the pull I still feel, our complicated past.
"I'm fine," I lie. "We need to focus on keeping the pack safe. Those hunters could strike again any time."
Jake steps closer. That strange new scent again. "Skye," he says, voice low and intense. "You know you can trust me, right? No matter what's going on with Liam, or these new powers of yours – I'm here. Always have been."
The earnestness in his eyes makes my chest tight. Jake's been my rock for years. But lately, something's changed between us. A tension I can't name.
Before I can respond, a howl splits the night – the perimeter alarm. We lock eyes for a split second, then spring into action. We race downstairs, shifting as we run. By the time we're outside, we're both wolves.
Chaos greets us. Pack members pour out of their homes, some shifted, others half-dressed. Fear and aggression thicken the air.
I spot Liam at the clearing's edge, his black wolf form stark against the moonlit grass. He looks to me, a question in his eyes even as a wolf. I nod, giving him the go-ahead to handle our defenses.
As Liam barks orders, I reach out through pack bonds, searching for the threat. That's when I feel it – a presence at our territory's edge. Familiar, but wrong.
I take off running, Jake right behind me. We weave through trees, silent on the forest floor. As we near the border, a scent hits me that turns my blood to ice. It's like pack, like family, but twisted.
We burst into a small clearing and I skid to a stop, claws digging into soft earth. Across from us stands a wolf I never thought I'd see again – my long-lost sibling, Ash.
But this isn't the Ash I remember. Their fur is matted and dull, eyes glowing an unnatural red. Dark magic clings to them like a shroud.
"Hello, sister," Ash's voice echoes in my mind, dripping malice. "Miss me?"
I growl, positioning myself between Ash and Jake. "What are you doing here, Ash? What happened to you?"
Ash's muzzle pulls back in a grotesque smile. "Oh, I've learned a few tricks. Want to see?"
Before I can react, Ash begins to shift. But instead of human, they morph into something else – a creature with a wolf's body and massive bird wings. A horrifying mirror of my own recent transformation.
"Impossible," I breathe, feeling Jake stiffen beside me.
Ash laughs, the sound grating and inhuman. "Nothing's impossible anymore, dear sister. The old rules don't apply to us."
With a powerful wingbeat, Ash launches skyward. I prepare to shift, to meet them in this new hybrid form, but something stops me. My bones lock, muscles seize. I can't shift.
Panic floods me as I realize I'm trapped as a wolf, vulnerable to an aerial attack. Jake senses my distress and moves to stand over me protectively.
"What's wrong?" he asks through our mental link. "Why aren't you shifting?"
"I can't," I reply, fear tightening my mental voice. "Something's blocking me."
Ash circles above, unnatural red eyes gleaming with triumph. "Trouble, Skye? Don't worry, it's all part of the plan."
"What plan?" I snarl, stalling while I frantically try to access my other forms. "What do you want?"
"Want?" Ash's voice turns cold. "I want what's rightfully mine. The pack, the territory, the power – everything you stole from me."
They dive at us, talons extended. Jake leaps to intercept, jaws snapping at Ash's wings. But Ash is too fast, too agile in this new form. They easily dodge Jake and slam into me, their weight driving me down.
I thrash and bite, trying to throw them off, but Ash's talons dig deep. I feel something cold spreading from the wounds, a numbing creep through my body.
"Get off her!" Jake roars, charging Ash again.
This time, his attack connects. He catches one of Ash's wings in his jaws and yanks hard. Ash shrieks in pain and fury, momentarily releasing me.
I stumble up, limbs heavy and unresponsive. Whatever Ash did to me, it's getting worse. I can barely stand, let alone fight.
Jake positions himself between us again, hackles raised and teeth bared. "Run, Skye," he growls. "Get back to the pack. I'll hold them off."
"I'm not leaving you," I argue, even as my vision blurs.
Ash recovers quickly, their injured wing already healing. They laugh, chilling me to the bone. "How touching. The loyal beta, ready to die for his Alpha. Tell me, Jake, does my sister know how you really feel about her?"
Jake's mind goes blank with shock, his emotions a confused mess and... something else. Something that makes my heart skip.
Ash uses the distraction, lunging at Jake with inhuman speed. I try to cry out a warning, but my voice fails. The numbness has reached my throat, silencing me.
As Jake and Ash collide in a fury of teeth and claws, I feel consciousness slipping away. The last thing I see before darkness takes me is Jake's golden eyes, wide with determination and something that looks terrifyingly like love.
Then, nothing.