CHAPTER 165
Morning arrived with a soft golden haze, the sunlight pouring through the windows and casting a warm glow over the packhouse. The air smelled faintly of breakfast. Eggs, toasted bread, and brewed coffee. Everything felt calm, almost too calm, given the previous night’s events.
I made my way to the training field first, the smell of dew–covered grass filling my lungs. The massive wolf was still in the pen, but something had shifted. Its chest rose and fell in deeper, more even breaths, and its head lifted slightly, ears twitching. It was awake.
Asher joined me silently, his eyes never leaving the creature. “It’s awake.” He said quietly, almost more to himself than to me.
“Yeah.” I said, squatting down to get a better look. “It seems… calm. Maybe more aware, but still… I don’t
know.”
“You’ve got that feeling again, don’t you?” He asked softly, his voice gentle. He didn’t need me to answer,
he already knew.
I nodded. “Something’s different about it. Not dangerous… but it’s aware in a way that makes me uneasy.”
As we stood there watching, the wolf slowly shifted its weight, standing on its massive legs. Its size was astonishing. Almost as tall as some of the smaller wolves when on all fours. Its eyes scanned the perimeter, moving smoothly, calculating, alert, as if every shadow and rustle in the underbrush registered in its mind. The fur along its spine bristled slightly with the tension of awareness, and its low, almost imperceptible growl vibrated through the air.
Gage appeared from behind us, carrying a thermos of coffee and a small plate of food. Emily followed closely, still curled up in the crook of his arm. She hadn’t said a word yet this morning, her gaze locked on
the wolf as though it held the answers to unspoken questions.
“It’s… bigger than I thought when it was lying down.” Gage muttered, voice low. “Almost… unreal.”
Emily shifted, a blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders. “It feels… aware. Like it knows things.” She
whispered, her words trembling slightly.
“I’ve got the same feeling.” I admitted. “But it’s not acting on it. Not yet. It’s like it’s waiting… observing.”
Asher’s hands were crossed over his chest, posture rigid but controlled. “We’ll keep it under control. We
just need to stay calm and steady. Any sudden moves, any panicked energy, could provoke it.”
I glanced toward Emily, noticing how tense she looked, fingers curling around the blanket. “You’ve got to
try to relax too. You’re not in danger here. Not while we’re around.”
She shook her head faintly, not meeting my eyes. “I know… it’s just… something about it.” She said softly,
voice barely audible over the quiet breathing of the wolf.
I sighed and straightened. “Alright. Let’s get breakfast first. Then we’ll check the pen more thoroughly and
CCHAPTER 165
make a plan for the day.”
+25 Points
The packhouse was slowly coming alive. Gage was busy preparing plates of food for everyone, Emily sat quietly sipping coffee, and Arlo was already scribbling notes in his notebook, pacing back and forth.
“I still don’t understand why we can’t just let it roam free.” Gage muttered as he brought over the plates. “It doesn’t seem aggressive, and it’s huge. We could build a bigger enclosure, but that’s just… delaying the inevitable.”
“It’s not just about aggression.” Asher said, pouring himself coffee. “It’s about observation. Understanding what we’re dealing with. If it can’t shift, it’s different. We need to know why.”
I nodded, taking a sip of my own coffee. “Exactly. It’s not like any wolf we’ve encountered before. And we
can’t assume anything about it. It’s bigger, stronger, and… I don’t know. There’s something about it.”
Emily’s gaze flicked to me for a brief moment, then back to the pen. Her eyes were wide, tense. “I’ve never
seen a wolf like that. Not this… enormous. And it doesn’t feel like any natural wolf I know.”
“Yeah, me neither.” I admitted. “But it’s calm. That counts for something.”
Arlo finally slammed his notebook shut. “Enough speculation. Let’s figure out what we’re actually doing today. First, we check the pen’s integrity. Then we monitor it. Then we discuss options.”
Gage groaned, muttering under his breath. “Options. Always options.”
Asher gave him a look. “Yes, Gage. Options. We need to understand what we’re dealing with.”
Emily stayed quiet, but I noticed her hands trembling slightly. She was clearly nervous, but she didn’t want
to admit it.
By mid–morning, we had the wolf fully assessed. Arlo had checked its breathing, observed its posture, and
noted its alertness. The pen was secure, with extra reinforcements in case of sudden movement. Emily
stayed near the edge, never leaving Gage’s side.
“Alright.” I said finally. “We’ve got it contained, we’ve got someone watching, and we know it’s aware but not aggressive. Next step: figure out where it came from.”
“Which means.” Asher added, “We’ll have to patrol the borders. Check for any tracks or signs of its origin. Nothing else suspicious yet, but we can’t take chances.”
Emily flinched slightly at the word “origin.” I glanced at her. “It’s okay. We just need to know where it came
from. You don’t need to be scared.”
She nodded, biting her lip. “I know. I just… never seen one like that.”
Gage clapped his hands together. “Alright, let’s do this. Patrol shifts, Arlo on observation notes, Emily and I stay back in case it gets… unpredictable. Trinny, Asher, you’re on the perimeter. If you two can keep your hands off of each other long enough to actually work.”
“Jealous?” I smirked and Asher chuckled.
< CHAPTER 165
+25 Points
The patrol was surprisingly quiet. The forest seemed almost… heavier. The air smelled faintly of pine and wet earth, but there was also something faintly metallic lingering, just enough to make us tense.
Asher and I moved cautiously, senses alert. “I don’t like this.” He said quietly. “It’s too silent.”
“I know.” I admitted. “But nothing yet. Just… keep watching.”
We followed the faint trails that might have been the wolf’s, looking for clues. Broken branches, disturbed grass, footprints. Nothing concrete. It was like it had appeared out of nowhere.
By mid–afternoon, we returned to the pen. The wolf had shifted slightly in its position but remained calm. Its eyes followed us as we approached, almost like it understood our movements.
Emily stepped closer, still cautious. “It’s… beautiful.” She whispered, barely audible.
I glanced at her, surprised. “Beautiful?”
She nodded. “It’s huge, terrifying, but… beautiful. Like it shouldn’t exist.”
Gage snorted from across the pen. “You’ve got weird taste in wolves.”
“I’ve got taste.” She shot back, cheeks flushing.
“Are you sure? Afterall, you are mated to those two dipshits.” Asher said, making me laugh. But Gage just
threw a book at Asher, which Asher dodged.
“Hey. No aggression. The wolf is watching. We need to stay calm.” I reminded them.
Arlo muttered something under his breath about noting that down.
As the sun dipped lower, the shadows stretched long across the field. The wolf stirred slightly, lifting its head. Its dark eyes scanned the pen, then the treeline. It didn’t shift, it didn’t growl. But there was a tension
in its muscles, a readiness that set everyone on edge.
“It’s aware of the night coming.” I said softly. “Something about it… it knows it’s night.”
Asher nodded. “Maybe it’s instinct. Wolves are more alert at night. But… yeah. I see what you mean.
There’s something different about this one.”
Emily shivered, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders. “I don’t like it.” She murmured.
“You’re safe.” I reassured her. “It’s contained, remember?”
The wolf’s ears flicked, then it shifted slightly forward. It wasn’t aggressive, but it was awake. Fully aware.
Watching. Waiting.
Asher stepped closer to the fence, eyes locked on the creature. “We’ll keep it that way. We’re not letting it
go until we know more.”
And as the first stars appeared in the evening sky, the tension in the clearing grew. The wolf lay still, but its presence was undeniable. Its size, its awareness, its calm alertness. All of it made the hair on the back of
my neck rise.
< CHAPTER 165
Emily’s eyes never left the wolf, and I could see her hands trembling slightly again.
+25 Points?
I glanced at Asher, who gave me a small nod. We were ready for whatever came next, but deep down, I knew this wolf was only the beginning. Something about its appearance, its size, and the way it watched
us… it wasn’t just lost.
And as the night deepened, I felt the unease settle over the packhouse like a shadow we couldn’t chase
away.
The wolf was awake. And it wasn’t going anywhere.
But it was the twins night to watch the wolf and Asher physically pulled me up to our room so I could get some sleep. I was exhausted and he could see that.
He’s seen me go days without sleep before when trying to handle a situation and he wasn’t going to let that happen again. So he was going to make sure that I slept this time.
Kylie K
44
CRESCENT RIDGE – *ECLIPSE*
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
SUMMARY (~1000 Words in English)
