Lily Carter POV
I bolted upright in bed, sweat dripping down my face as the nightmare faded. In my dream, Elder Thomas had been chasing through the forest while Shadow Wolves laughed from the trees. Even though we’d escaped the courtyard trap three days ago, I still couldn’t sleep properly.
My hands shook as I pushed back the covers. The clock showed midnight, but I knew I wouldn’t fall asleep again anyti soon. Every ti I closed my eyes, I saw those glazed faces of pack mbers who’d turned against us.
I slipped out of my room and tiptoed through the Alpha house. Maybe so fresh air would help calm my rushing heart. The Moon Pool always made feel peaceful, and tonight I badly needed that peace.
But as I approached the holy pool, I heard a splash. Soone was already there.
I crept closer, staying hidden behind the trees. In the moonlight, I could see Caleb swimming smooth strokes across the pool’s surface. His movents looked angry, like he was fighting the water instead of going through it.
He pulled himself onto the pool’s edge, breathing hard. Even from my hiding spot, I could see the tightness in his shoulders.
"I know you’re there, Lily," he said without turning around. "Your scent gives you away."
Heat rushed to my face as I stepped out from behind the trees. "Sorry. I didn’t an to watch. I just couldn’t sleep."
"Neither could I." Caleb’s voice sounded tired and angry. "Haven’t slept right since the courtyard incident."
I sat beside him at the pool’s edge, letting my feet dangle in the surprisingly warm water. "Keep having nightmares about our own pack trying to hurt us?"
"Among other things." He hit the water with his foot. "I keep thinking about how quickly they turned against you. People who’ve known you for months, who’ve seen the good changes in our pack."
"The Shadow Wolves are getting stronger," I said quietly. "Their mind control is harder to break now."
"That’s what scares ." Caleb turned to look at , his silver-blue eyes reflecting the moonlight. "What if next ti they can control more pack mbers? What if they can control us?"
The thought made my stomach twist. "Don’t say that."
"I have to say it. We need to prepare for the possibility." He stood up suddenly and dove back into the pool, swimming away from like he was trying to escape his own words.
I watched him for a mont, then made a choice. I pulled off my shoes and jumped into the pool fully dressed. The warm water felt great against my skin, washing away so of my fear and tension.
"What are you doing?" Caleb asked when I surfaced near him.
"Swimming away from nightmares," I said, floating on my back to look at the stars. "My grandmother used to say water washes away bad thoughts."
Caleb floated beside . "Smart grandmother."
"She was. I wish she was here now to tell us how to fight Shadow Wolves."
"Tell about her," Caleb said softly.
As we floated together under the moon, I shared mories of my grandmother’s healing lessons, her stories about oga history, and her quiet strength that had shaped who I beca. Caleb listened without stopping, occasionally asking gentle questions that showed he really cared about understanding my past.
"She sounds amazing," he said when I finished. "I wish I could have t her."
"She would have loved you. She always said the best leaders are the ones who listen more than they talk."
Caleb smiled, the first real smile I’d seen from him in days. "What about your dreams for the future? Before all this Shadow Wolf chaos started, what did you want?"
I thought about it as we swam lazy loops around each other. "I wanted to be useful. To matter to soone. Pretty simple dreams for a girl who thought she’d always be unseen."
"And now?"
"Now I want to protect what we’ve built. Our new pack balance, the friendships we’ve made, the hope we’ve given other ogas." I paused. "I want our future children to grow up in a world where no one tells them they’re less important because of their rank."
"Our children?" Caleb’s voice got soft and warm.
I blushed, realizing what I’d said. "I an... if we have children soday..."
"I’d like that," he said simply. "Children who get your wisdom and courage."
We swam closer together, the room between us shrinking. I could feel the mate bond humming stronger in the moonlight, drawing us together like unseen threads.
"Caleb," I started to say, but he suddenly went rigid in the water.
"Do you sll that?" he whispered anxiously.
I breathed deeply and my blood turned to ice. The sll of Shadow Wolves drifted through the air, getting stronger by the second.
"They’re here," I breathed.
We swam quickly to the pool’s edge, but before we could climb out, dark shapes appeared from the forest around us. At least a dozen Shadow Wolves circled the Moon Pool, their red eyes glowing in the darkness.
"Well, well," said a familiar voice. The largest Shadow Wolf stepped forward, and I recognized the leader who’d tried to take before. "The Triple Moon bearer and her mate, all alone and perfectly vulnerable."
Caleb moved protectively in front of in the water. "What do you want?"
"What we’ve always wanted. The girl and her mark." The Shadow Wolf’s smile showed too many teeth. "But first, we’re going to have so fun with your precious pack."
That’s when I heard the screams starting from the direction of the pack houses. Distant howls of pain and fear carried on the night wind.
"What are you doing to them?" I asked.
"Testing our new control thods," the leader answered cheerfully. "We’ve learned to make the effect permanent now. No more temporary mind control - once we touch a wolf’s mind, they belong to us forever."
Horror washed over . "You’re destroying their free will completely."
"Exactly. And we started with your dear friend Luna. She’s currently leading an attack on the nursery where all those sweet pups sleep."
My heart stopped. Luna would never hurt children, which ant the Shadow Wolves had fully taken over her mind.
"Don’t worry," the boss continued. "We’ll let the pups live if you co quietly. Refuse, and we’ll let Luna tear them apart while you watch."
The screams from the pack houses grew louder. I could hear fighting now, the sounds of wolves attacking each other. Our own people, turned against each other by Shadow Wolf rule.
Caleb grabbed my hand under the water. "There has to be another way."
"There is," the Shadow Wolf said. "The girl can surrender now, or we can take her after we’ve killed everyone she cares about. Either way, we get what we ca for."
I looked at Caleb, seeing my own desperation mirrored in his eyes. Save myself and hope the pack survived, or sacrifice myself and believe that sohow they’d find a way to break free from Shadow Wolf control.
But then I noticed sothing that made my blood freeze totally. Behind the circle of Shadow Wolves, more forms moved in the darkness. Not Shadow Wolves - pack mbers with those sa glazed, controlled eyes I’d seen in the courtyard.
Aiden stumbled into view, his moves jerky like a puppet on strings. Brock appeared beside him, a blank look on his face. Even Elder Iris shuffled forward, her aged eyes empty of recognition.
"You see?" the Shadow Wolf boss laughed. "Your entire pack belongs to us now. The only question is whether you’ll co freely or watch us use them to tear each other apart."
I was stuck in the Moon Pool with my mate, surrounded by enemies and mind-controlled friends, while sowhere in the distance Luna was being forced to attack innocent children.
And the worst part? I realized this had all been planned perfectly - they’d waited until Caleb and I were alone and defenseless, then struck at the pack when we couldn’t help defend them.
The Triple Moon mark on my wrist began to burn with silver fire, but I had no idea if its power would be enough to save everyone I loved.
Reviews
All reviews (0)