"They say that pain shapes who we are. That, by losing everything, we are reborn stronger. But at that moment, as I ran through the forest, all I felt was the emptiness devouring my soul. Damon's rejection still burned inside me, but the destruction I would find later would be the true ruin of my heart."
I didn't know how long I ran through the forest. My legs seemed to move on their own, guided by a survival instinct I didn't even know I had. The pain of rejection and the broken bond still pulsed in my chest, but, at that moment, what dominated me most was confusion.
"Why?" I thought, feeling the tears run down my face. "Why would the goddess abandon me like this? Why would she give me a mate who was never truly mine?"
Akira remained silent. Her pain reflected mine, and that only made everything more unbearable.
When I finally stopped, I realized I was too far away.
I turned on my heels and returned to the pack.
The moon illuminated the clearing ahead, but something in the air made my chest tighten. An intense smell of blood.
"Akira?" I called, my voice trembling.
"Something is wrong," she growled, waking from her lethargy. "Something terrible has happened."
Before I could ask more, she took control. My body transformed quickly, and now we were one, running towards the origin of that metallic and suffocating smell.
As we approached the pack, the sounds became clearer. Screams. The roar of fire consuming wood. My heart raced, and Akira let out a howl of pure fury.
"No... it can't be," I whispered in thought.
When we got closer, I saw the chaos. Houses burning, bodies fallen to the ground. The vision was a nightmare, a scene I would never forget.
Suddenly, a staggering figure emerged from the trees. It was Ryden. His body was covered in blood, and he stumbled before falling to his knees. I immediately returned to my human form, running to him and holding him before he hit the ground.
"Ryden!" I screamed, my heart sinking as I saw him in that state.
He tried to speak, but blood bubbled in his mouth. Still, he held my arm tightly, as if he were fighting death to warn me of something.
"You... need to run, Calyssa," he said with difficulty, his voice hoarse.
"No! I won't leave you! What's happening? Where's my family?" My voice trembled, and tears streamed as I shook him lightly, trying to keep him awake.
"They're... they're all dead," he revealed, and those words cut deeper than any blade ever could.
My world stopped. The pain of rejection I felt before seemed insignificant compared to what those words carried.
"No..." I murmured, the tears falling uncontrollably. "It can't be... Who did this, Ryden? Who?!"
"The Bloodfang and Shadowclaw," he managed to say, coughing violently afterwards. "They... joined together. And massacred everything."
Rage took over me, burning like fire. "Why? Why would they do this?"
"Power... territory... revenge... It doesn't matter," he replied, his voice getting weaker with each word. "Calyssa... they will come after you. You are the last. The only one left."
My mind was a chaos. I couldn't process everything at the same time. "I won't leave you here, Ryden. I'll take care of you. I'll..." I began to look for something around me, desperate to help, to save at least one life. Even if I needed to use my blood to heal him.
"No... There's no saving me, we don't have time," he said, his hand holding mine with a weak grip. "Calyssa, please... run."
"No! I won't abandon you!" I screamed, but, at that moment, I heard voices. Distant voices, but getting closer and closer.
Ryden looked into my eyes with a desperate urgency. "Run, Calyssa! Now!"
"Ryden, no... please!" I pleaded, but he shook his head.
"Save yourself, Calyssa. Akira... take her away."
Akira roared inside me, and, before I could protest, she took control. My body returned to wolf form, and she began to run, carrying me away.
As we ran, I could hear the voices and howls of the enemy wolves chasing us. My eyes burned with tears, and my mind screamed to go back, but Akira gave me no choice.
"We need to live, Calyssa," she growled.
We ran for a time that seemed like an eternity, until we reached the edge of a cliff. I almost fell, my paws slipping on the loose earth, but I managed to stop in time.
I looked around. Wolves emerged from the shadows, surrounding us. Akira backed up to the edge, growling at the enemies who were slowly advancing.
"We have nowhere to go," she said, her voice laden with resignation and fury.
Loneliness doesn't bother me. I've always been like this, isolated, separated from the rest of the world. My pack, Nightbane, is a reflection of that. We are what the other packs fear: predators who do not hesitate to attack. We do not make alliances, we do not seek approval. We are living legends, and, like every myth, our name is whispered with respect and fear.
I am Draven Black, Alpha of the Nightbane pack.
My position as Alpha did not come from blood or privilege. I earned my place. I grew up an orphan, fighting for every piece of respect and for every drop of power I possess now. At 20, I challenged the previous Alpha and took the throne he never deserved. Since then, my word is law.
But, even among the most powerful, there are things that make us unique. My black fangs, for example. A deadly poison runs through them, a mark of something I don't understand. It has brought me countless victories, but also tragedies... like the death of my last mate.
Now, years later, I avoid ties. A weakness I cannot allow myself again.
I was walking that night with my betas, Caius and Axel, under the silvery light of the moon. The night was restless, the winds bringing unknown aromas.
"Do you think the Bloodfang will cause trouble again?" Caius asked.
"They always do," I replied dryly. "But they're not stupid enough to cross our borders."
Axel laughed, changing the subject. "Enough of war. Let's talk about better things. And by better, I mean women."
"Of course you would say that," I retorted, my voice filled with sarcasm.
"Maybe that's what you need, Alpha," Axel provoked. "A new mate to get you out of this constant cloud of bad mood."
"I don't need anyone," I replied coldly. "And don't forget what happened to the last one."
Axel insisted. "Don't you think it's time to reconsider? An alpha by your side would strengthen the pack. And, frankly, loneliness can be dangerous."
"Only if she falls from the sky," I retorted sarcastically. "Until then, you two will stop annoying me or do I need to remind you what happens to disobedient wolves?"
Axel let out a resigned sigh, but before he could answer, something changed in the air.
It was sudden. A sound cut through the night, a scream that echoed from the top of the cliff.
My attention was captured instantly, and my instincts took over. I looked up, to the top of the gorge. Something was falling. No, someone.
"What the hell."
I ran. The world seemed to slow down as my feet carried me to the exact point where the body would fall. There was no time to think, just act.
The impact was strong, but I didn't waver. I held her firmly, protecting her against my chest while absorbing the shock.
She was unconscious, her body covered in wounds and blood. Her hair was tangled, but there was something in her face... something that made me stop.
"Who is she?" Caius asked, the surprise evident in his voice.
I didn't answer. I just kept looking at her. My chest rose and fell as my mind processed what had just happened.
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