Elijah stood on the edge of the forest at dawn, staring into the thick mist that seemed alive with whispers. Alaric's words from the previous night echoed in his mind: "Others know about you now. They'll come looking."
He clenched his fists, feeling the wolf within stir restlessly. Every instinct told him to act, but what could he do? Alaric's presence alone was dangerous enough. If more enemies were truly on their way, how could he protect the people he cared about?
His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Elijah?"
He turned to see Sophia, bundled in her usual oversized hoodie, her auburn hair catching the soft glow of sunrise. She'd become more attuned to him lately, sensing when something was wrong even when he tried to hide it.
"Couldn't sleep," he muttered.
Sophia studied him, her sharp green eyes narrowing. "You've been off all day. Did something happen?"
He hesitated. Telling her meant pulling her into a conflict she didn't deserve. But hiding the truth could put her in even greater danger.
"I saw someone last night," he finally said, his voice low. "A werewolf. Alaric."
Sophia's expression froze. "The Alaric? The rogue alpha?"
Elijah nodded. "He knows who I am. He warned me that more are coming. I think he's trying to rattle me, but… he didn't feel like he was lying."
Sophia crossed her arms, her face pale but resolute. "If Alaric's involved, it's serious. He's notorious for taking down alphas he considers weak. But why would he warn you instead of attacking outright?"
"I don't know." Elijah looked back toward the forest. "But I can't ignore it. If more threats are coming, I need to be ready. We all do."
Sophia bit her lip, her mind clearly racing. "Then let's train harder. Lucas can help too. He may have a big ego, but he's strong. And I can work on protective wards for the school."
"I don't want to drag anyone else into this."
"Too late for that," she said firmly. "You're not alone in this, Elijah. We're your pack now."
The word pack struck something deep in him. For so long, he'd thought of himself as a lone wolf, even within his own family. But Sophia's unwavering loyalty reminded him that leadership wasn't about bearing the burden alone.
"Thank you," he said, his voice softer than usual.
Sophia grinned. "Don't thank me yet. We've got a lot of work to do."
The next few days passed in a blur. Elijah, Sophia, and Lucas began meeting in the woods after school to prepare for whatever was coming. Sophia's magical defenses were impressive, and she spent hours crafting intricate wards and teaching Elijah and Lucas how to activate them.
Lucas, to Elijah's surprise, proved a capable and disciplined fighter. While he still had a competitive streak, he followed Elijah's lead without question, recognizing his superior strength and strategy.
"You're a natural leader, you know," Lucas said one evening after a particularly grueling sparring session. "I used to think being an alpha was about showing off, but… it's more than that. You've got the instincts for it."
Elijah glanced at him, surprised by the compliment. "Thanks. You're not bad yourself."
Lucas grinned, but his expression turned serious. "You think Alaric's coming back?"
"I don't think he ever left," Elijah admitted. "And I think he's testing me. Seeing if I'm worth the effort of challenging."
Sophia joined them, brushing dirt off her hands after securing another ward. "Then we'll prove to him—and anyone else—that you're untouchable."
Elijah nodded, feeling the beginnings of something he hadn't felt in a long time: hope.
The peace didn't last.
Two nights later, Elijah woke to the sound of howling—low, mournful, and uncomfortably close. His heart thundered in his chest as he jumped out of bed and ran to the window. A faint orange glow lit up the horizon, and the scent of smoke reached his nose.
"The woods," he whispered.
He was already out the door before his parents could stop him. Transforming mid-stride, he bounded into the forest in his wolf form, his powerful legs carrying him toward the source of the fire.
Sophia and Lucas were already there, Sophia's hands glowing with magic as she cast water spells to douse the flames. Lucas was in wolf form, snarling at the figures circling them.Chapter Three: The Gathering Storm
Elijah stood on the edge of the forest at dawn, staring into the thick mist that seemed alive with whispers. Alaric's words from the previous night echoed in his mind: "Others know about you now. They'll come looking."
He clenched his fists, feeling the wolf within stir restlessly. Every instinct told him to act, but what could he do? Alaric's presence alone was dangerous enough. If more enemies were truly on their way, how could he protect the people he cared about?
His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Elijah?"
He turned to see Sophia, bundled in her usual oversized hoodie, her auburn hair catching the soft glow of sunrise. She'd become more attuned to him lately, sensing when something was wrong even when he tried to hide it.
"Couldn't sleep," he muttered.
Sophia studied him, her sharp green eyes narrowing. "You've been off all day. Did something happen?"
He hesitated. Telling her meant pulling her into a conflict she didn't deserve. But hiding the truth could put her in even greater danger.
"I saw someone last night," he finally said, his voice low. "A werewolf. Alaric."
Sophia's expression froze. "The Alaric? The rogue alpha?"
Elijah nodded. "He knows who I am. He warned me that more are coming. I think he's trying to rattle me, but… he didn't feel like he was lying."
Sophia crossed her arms, her face pale but resolute. "If Alaric's involved, it's serious. He's notorious for taking down alphas he considers weak. But why would he warn you instead of attacking outright?"
"I don't know." Elijah looked back toward the forest. "But I can't ignore it. If more threats are coming, I need to be ready. We all do."
Sophia bit her lip, her mind clearly racing. "Then let's train harder. Lucas can help too. He may have a big ego, but he's strong. And I can work on protective wards for the school."
"I don't want to drag anyone else into this."
"Too late for that," she said firmly. "You're not alone in this, Elijah. We're your pack now."
The word pack struck something deep in him. For so long, he'd thought of himself as a lone wolf, even within his own family. But Sophia's unwavering loyalty reminded him that leadership wasn't about bearing the burden alone.
"Thank you," he said, his voice softer than usual.
Sophia grinned. "Don't thank me yet. We've got a lot of work to do."
The next few days passed in a blur. Elijah, Sophia, and Lucas began meeting in the woods after school to prepare for whatever was coming. Sophia's magical defenses were impressive, and she spent hours crafting intricate wards and teaching Elijah and Lucas how to activate them.
Lucas, to Elijah's surprise, proved a capable and disciplined fighter. While he still had a competitive streak, he followed Elijah's lead without question, recognizing his superior strength and strategy.
"You're a natural leader, you know," Lucas said one evening after a particularly grueling sparring session. "I used to think being an alpha was about showing off, but… it's more than that. You've got the instincts for it."
Elijah glanced at him, surprised by the compliment. "Thanks. You're not bad yourself."
Lucas grinned, but his expression turned serious. "You think Alaric's coming back?"
"I don't think he ever left," Elijah admitted. "And I think he's testing me. Seeing if I'm worth the effort of challenging."
Sophia joined them, brushing dirt off her hands after securing another ward. "Then we'll prove to him—and anyone else—that you're untouchable."
Elijah nodded, feeling the beginnings of something he hadn't felt in a long time: hope.
The peace didn't last.
Two nights later, Elijah woke to the sound of howling—low, mournful, and uncomfortably close. His heart thundered in his chest as he jumped out of bed and ran to the window. A faint orange glow lit up the horizon, and the scent of smoke reached his nose.
"The woods," he whispered.
He was already out the door before his parents could stop him. Transforming mid-stride, he bounded into the forest in his wolf form, his powerful legs carrying him toward the source of the fire.
Sophia and Lucas were already there, Sophia's hands glowing with magic as she cast water spells to douse the flames. Lucas was in wolf form, snarling at the figures circling them.