(Elena's POV)
Power surged through me like lightning, making every nerve ending sing with energy. I threw Ethan off with a strength that surprised even me, sending him crashing into a nearby tree with a satisfying crack.
The shift came naturally, bones breaking and reforming, fur sprouting across my skin. But something was different this time – the power felt raw, ancient, nothing like my first transformation six months ago.
Ethan's eyes widened, his mouth falling open in shock. The expression was so foreign on his usually arrogant face that I followed his gaze, looking down at my wolf form.
Pure white fur gleamed in the pre-dawn light, nearly glowing with an ethereal sheen. This wasn't my brown wolf from before – this was something else entirely.
What are we? I asked Zoe mentally.
But there was no time for answers. Ethan was already shifting, his grey wolf form larger than mine but somehow less... luminescent. His eyes held a mix of fear and fury as he lunged for my throat.
I dodged with a speed that felt effortless, my new form moving like water. His claws scraped empty air where I'd been a second before. Before he could recover, I was behind him, my teeth sinking into his haunch.
Ethan howled in pain and rage, twisting to snap at me. But I was already gone, dancing away from his attacks with a grace I'd never known. Each move felt instinctive, as if I'd been fighting like this my whole life.
He charged again, using his superior size to try to pin me. I leapt over him entirely, my white form sailing through the air like a ghost. As I landed, I spun and caught his exposed flank, leaving deep gashes that immediately began to bleed.
How dare you! His mental voice roared across our pack bond. I am your Alpha!
You are nothing to me, I snarled back, surprised by the power in my own mental voice. It seemed to echo with multiple tones, as if more than one wolf was speaking through me.
Ethan faltered at the sound, his wolf instincts clearly warning him that something was very wrong. I pressed my advantage, driving him back with a series of quick, savage attacks. My teeth found his shoulder, his leg, his neck – not killing blows, but painful reminders of his vulnerability.
Blood matted his grey fur as he stumbled backward, no longer attacking but merely defending. The mighty Alpha who'd tormented me for months looked almost... small.
This is impossible, his mental voice held a note of fear now. What are you?
I was about to finish him off when Zoe's voice whispered in my mind, weak but urgent. We have to go. I can't hold this form much longer.
The surge of power that had filled me was already beginning to ebb. But I kept my stance strong, my white fur bristling with authority as I stalked toward Ethan's cowering form.
"The next time I see you," I spoke aloud, my wolf's voice carrying clearly through the forest, "I will rip out your throat."
Then I turned and ran, my white form flashing between the trees like moonlight. Behind me, I heard no pursuit – only Ethan's stunned silence.
I ran until my legs shook, until the power flowing through me became a mere trickle. When I was certain I wasn't being followed, I finally collapsed, the shift back to human form almost painful in its intensity.
"Zoe?" I called mentally, but there was no response. My wolf had fallen silent again.
The torn remains of my clothes barely covered me, and every muscle screamed in protest as I forced myself to stand. But I couldn't stop.
One foot in front of the other. Again and again. The sun climbed higher in the sky as I stumbled through the forest, using trees for support. My mind kept returning to that incredible power, the pure white fur, the way Ethan had looked at me with such shock and... was that recognition in his eyes?
Questions for later. Right now, I had to reach the Midnight Pack's territory. Had to find Alexander.
Time blurred. The trees began to look different – darker, older, more imposing. This must be the Midnight Pack's forest. I'd made it.
"Who goes there?" A deep voice called out as I approached what must be their border.
I tried to respond, to explain who I was and why I'd come. But the last of my strength finally gave out, and darkness rushed up to meet me.
_____________________________________________________________________
Alexander's POV
The morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my office as Ryan Emerald, my head of security, entered without knocking. Only he and Benjamin had that privilege.
"My King," Ryan's usual playful demeanor was replaced with something more serious.
"The woman from the border has regained consciousness. She claims to be a diplomatic envoy from the Silver Moon Pack." Ryan's eyes held a hint of skepticism. "Seeking asylum."
Silver Moon Pack. The same pack Isabel was about to join through marriage. The same pack where, just last night, a mysterious woman had shared my bed. My wolf stirred restlessly at the memory of her scent, her touch.
Could it be her?
"Interesting timing," I kept my voice neutral. "Given Isabel's engagement. I'll speak with her personally."
I rose from my desk, ignoring Ryan's surprised look. Normally, I'd send Benjamin to handle diplomatic matters. "Where is she now?"
"The healing ward. Beta Benjamin is with her."
The healing ward was on the other side of the pack house, giving me time to school my features into their usual mask of indifference. But as I approached, her scent hit me like a physical blow – sweet, intoxicating, and unmistakably the same woman from last night.
I pushed open the door, and our eyes met.
She sat on the edge of a hospital bed, wearing borrowed clothes that were slightly too large for her small frame. Dark hair fell in waves around a face that was even more beautiful in daylight than I remembered. But it was her eyes that caught me – wide with shock as she recognized me, then filling with something close to panic.
"Alpha King," Benjamin stood from his chair beside her bed. "This is Elena Silver, daughter of—"
"The former Alpha of Silver Moon Pack," I finished, my voice cool despite the way my wolf clawed to get closer to her. "Currently imprisoned for treason, if I'm not mistaken."
Elena flinched at my words, but lifted her chin defiantly. "False charges. My father is innocent."
I circled the bed slowly, watching her reaction. She tensed but didn't cower, tracking my movement with those expressive eyes. Up close, I could see the bruises on her neck, partially hidden by her hair. My wolf raged at the sight.
"Tell me," I kept my voice deliberately calm, "why you come to my territory seeking asylum."
She took a deep breath. "Because you're our king. Because my father trusted you would help us." Her voice dropped to barely a whisper. "Because I have nowhere else to go."
"Start from the beginning," I commanded, though what my wolf really wanted to ask was who had dared to mark her throat with their fingers.
So she told me everything. About Ethan's betrayal, the false evidence against her father, the months of abuse and control. With each word, my wolf's fury grew. But there was something she wasn't saying – something about last night.
"And this morning?" I pressed. "How did you escape?"
A flash of uncertainty crossed her face. "I... my wolf. She helped me fight off Ethan."
"Your wolf?" I raised an eyebrow. "The same wolf that's been dormant since your mate rejection?"
She blinked in surprise that I knew this detail. "She came back when I needed her most."
Benjamin cleared his throat. "My King, if I may... the timing of all this is suspicious. With your sister's engagement—"
"I'm not lying!" Elena burst out, then immediately looked down. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't—"
"Look at me," I ordered softly.
She raised her eyes to mine, and for a moment, I was back in that dark room, holding her, tasting her lips...
I broke the connection first. "I can offer you asylum within my territory."
Hope bloomed on her face. "Then you'll help my father?"
"No."