The sound of crashing branches filled the air as Lana and Kian pushed deeper into the forest. Her heart thudded in her chest, every instinct on high alert. The weight of the prophecy had never felt heavier. She had been raised to lead, to be an Alpha. But the doubts gnawing at her—doubts of her own strength, her ability to stand beside Kian and face a rogue pack—kept her from fully embracing the power stirring within her.
The moon above was a cold, indifferent witness to the battle that was about to unfold. Its pale light filtered through the canopy, casting long, eerie shadows over the forest floor. Lana's breath came in shallow bursts as she tried to steady herself, to push aside the fear that seemed to settle in her gut. She had to fight. She had no choice now.
Kian's silver eyes glinted in the dark, and his every movement was a testament to the ruthless warrior he was. But even he couldn't mask the growing sense of urgency. The rogue wolves were out there, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. They had known they were coming; the rogue pack had been too quiet for too long.
Lana's fingers twitched. The prophecy. She could almost hear the ancient words again, echoing in her mind. "The Blackwood heir will awaken her true power, and with it, she will lead the pack to victory, or to ruin."
Victory. She had never wanted this responsibility. She had only wanted peace, to live a life free of the expectations placed on her. But here she was, standing at the precipice of her destiny.
"Focus," Kian's voice broke through her thoughts, low and commanding. "They'll be here soon."
Lana nodded, eyes scanning the darkened treeline. She could feel them—feel their eyes on her, watching from the shadows. The rogue wolves were closing in. There was no turning back now.
A sudden rustle in the bushes. Kian tensed, his body coiled and ready. Lana braced herself, her claws extending. The air seemed to thicken with tension, every second stretching longer than the last.
And then they appeared.
At first, just one rogue, stepping from the cover of the trees. But then more emerged, their eyes glowing with an unnatural hunger. They were massive—hulking, beastly figures, their forms shifting between wolf and man, muscles rippling under torn clothes. A low growl rumbled from the leader of the pack, his eyes narrowed as they fixed on Lana.
"So, the Blackwood heir finally shows herself," the rogue leader sneered, his voice a harsh rasp. He was older than the others, his face scarred and weathered. "Tell me, child, do you have the strength to back up that title?"
Lana clenched her fists, her claws digging into her palms as she faced the rogue. "I have more strength than you could ever understand."
The rogue leader laughed, a bitter, cold sound that sent a shiver down Lana's spine. "We'll see about that."
Without warning, the rogue leader lunged, his speed a blur. Kian moved to intercept, but Lana wasn't fast enough to react—until, without thinking, something inside her snapped.
The air shifted. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. Her vision blurred, and then—just like that—she was gone.
She blinked, and the world around her had changed. Her surroundings seemed muted, out of focus. The rogue leader's movements slowed, his wild eyes searching the empty space where Lana had stood. She felt the power surge within her, a deep, electric current that made her body hum with new energy. She was invisible. Completely unseen, like a ghost.
She stepped back, her feet moving silently through the brush. Every part of her was consumed by the power flooding her veins—her power, her true self.
Lana could feel Kian's presence near her, close enough to touch, but it was the rogue leader who held her attention. He was still scanning the area, his confusion growing. His arrogance had shifted into frustration, and that made him reckless.
She didn't wait any longer. Her claws shot out, and she reappeared, her invisibility breaking just as her hand tore through the rogue leader's side. He stumbled back in shock, his eyes wide with pain and disbelief.
Kian's voice echoed in her mind. Now.
She didn't need another command. With a primal roar, she leapt forward, her invisibility flickering as she attacked. Her claws sliced through the rogue's flesh with deadly precision, the rogue leader's resistance faltering as she struck again and again. The rush of battle filled her senses—every swing, every hit, a reminder of how far she had come.
The rogue leader's howl of pain rang through the clearing. Lana's heart beat wildly, but there was no fear in her anymore. She was alive with power—power she had only just begun to understand. The prophecy, her wolf, her destiny—they were all falling into place.
But then, in the heat of the moment, something shifted. The rogue pack, sensing the loss of their leader, surged forward with renewed ferocity. Lana felt them all—each rogue, their claws outstretched, their teeth bared.
She was outnumbered.
For the first time in her life, doubt crept in. She couldn't fight them all—not alone. Her power was still new, still raw. She was still learning to control it. The rogue wolves were relentless, a tidal wave of fury that threatened to drown her.
The pain in her side flared as one of the rogues managed to land a hit. Lana staggered back, her breath ragged. Blood seeped from the wound, but she couldn't afford to fall. Not now. Not when she was so close.
She needed something more.
Desperation spurred her forward. The moment of weakness vanished as quickly as it had come. She could feel the rogue wolves closing in, but this time, she wasn't retreating.
Lana's power surged once more, flowing through her like fire, filling her chest, her mind. She closed her eyes, her heartbeat synchronized with the pulse of the forest. The trees whispered, the wind howled. She could hear the rogue wolves' movements, each step, each breath. She was no longer just fighting them—she was becoming the forest itself. The world seemed to blur around her, her body a vessel for an ancient power.
And then, without warning, Lana vanished once more.
In the blink of an eye, she was all around them—appearing and disappearing, a blur of motion, as though she were a shadow that could not be caught. She was in the forest. She was the wolf. And in that moment, she was unstoppable.
The rogues, confused and terrified, scrambled to react, but Lana moved faster, each strike cutting through them with ease. Their confusion worked in her favor as they turned on each other, unable to figure out where the attacks were coming from.
The clearing fell silent again. But this time, it was the silence of defeat.
Lana stood alone amidst the wreckage, her chest heaving as the last of the rogues crumpled to the ground. The rogue leader lay motionless at her feet, and Kian stood by her side, his eyes filled with awe.
"You did it," he said, his voice filled with respect and something else—something deeper.
Lana's claws retracted, her heart still racing. She felt the weight of the battle lift, but there was no victory song in her head. Only a quiet realization that the prophecy was no longer a distant, abstract thing. It was her reality now.
And the war for her pack had only just begun.