+25 Points
CHAPTER 164
The sun was high by the time we all gathered around the reinforced training pen. The massive wolf lay stretched across the straw–covered floor, its chest rising and falling with deep, even breaths. Its fur was dark, almost black, streaked with silver that shimmered in the light. Up close, it was even bigger than it had seemed last night. Broad shoulders, long limbs, claws that could tear through steel if it tried hard enough.
But it didn’t move. Didn’t growl. Didn’t shift. Just lay there, silent.
Asher leaned on the wooden fence, his gray eyes studying it closely. “Still nothing. It hasn’t even twitched since sunrise.”
Gage crossed his arms and shrugged. “Maybe it’s in shock. Or maybe it’s smart enough to know it’s surrounded by wolves who won’t hesitate to take it down if it tries something.”
Arlo walked up beside him with his notebook, ever the observer. “It hasn’t shown any signs of aggression. No shifting, no vocalizing. Honestly, it almost feels… lost.”
“Lost or not.” Asher said quietly, “We can’t take chances.”
I watched the wolf for a moment, studying its body, the rhythm of its breathing. It was healthy, just exhausted. Every instinct in me said it wasn’t a threat. Not now, at least. Still, something about it was off.
Emily stood a few steps behind everyone, her arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Her eyes were fixed on the creature, wide and uneasy. She hadn’t said a word since she saw it this morning.
“You okay, Emily?” I asked gently.
She blinked and quickly looked away. “Yeah. I just… I’ve never seen one that big before.”
Gage turned to her with a reassuring grin. “You get used to seeing strange things around here. We’ve dealt
with worse.”
Her gaze flicked toward him. “Have you?”
“Trust me.” I said, half–smiling. “Compared to some of the things we’ve faced before, this one’s just a big puppy. Meaner–looking, sure, but manageable.”
Emily didn’t answer. She just nodded and stepped back another pace, like even standing near the pen was
too much for her.
Asher noticed, but he didn’t say anything. He just turned to Arlo. “Alright. Let’s talk options. What do we do
with it?”
Arlo flipped open his notebook and started listing what we knew. “It hasn’t shifted. We don’t know its origin. No identifying marks, no scent of a pack we recognize, no collar. It’s definitely not a Crescent Vale wolf. It doesn’t smell like any of our territories.”
CHAPTER 164
“Could it be from the outskirts?” I asked. “Maybe from one of the smaller nomad groups?”
+25 Points?
“Maybe.” Gage said, but his tone was uncertain. “But even nomads have limits. This size… I don’t know, Trinny. It’s not normal.”
“Neither were the rogues we fought before.” I reminded him. “We’ve handled plenty of things that weren’t normal. It doesn’t mean it’s dangerous. It could’ve been running for miles, starving, maybe even injured before we found it.”
Asher nodded in agreement. “Let’s not assume it’s a threat yet. We’ll keep it here, monitor it, and see what happens.”
Gage frowned. “And if it wakes up and starts throwing itself at the bars?”
“Then we’ll deal with it.” Asher said simply. His voice was calm, steady. The kind of tone that made everyone else follow without question.
Silence settled for a moment. The only sound was the slow, deep breathing of the massive wolf and the distant rustle of wind through the trees.
Emily still hadn’t moved. Her eyes were glued to the animal, and there was something in her expression I couldn’t quite place. Fear, yes… but also something else. Recognition maybe.
I stepped closer to her. “Emily, you sure you’re alright?”
She blinked and quickly forced a smile. “Yeah. Sorry. It’s just… I’ve seen big wolves before, but not like this. It’s different.”
“Different how?” I asked.
She hesitated. “Just… bigger. Wilder. It doesn’t look like one of us. It looks like something older.”
Asher glanced at her. “Older?”
Emily quickly shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m probably just overthinking it.” She smiled again, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
Gage put a hand on her shoulder. “Hey. You’re safe here, alright? We’ve got it under control. Nothing’s getting through that cage.”
Emily nodded but didn’t look convinced.
I looked back at the wolf. “We’ll keep someone on watch for the next few days. Maybe it’ll shift, maybe it won’t. Either way, we’ll figure out where it came from.”
Arlo closed his notebook. “I’ll start cross–checking reports. There have been rumors of larger–than–average wolves spotted near the northern borders. Maybe we can connect the dots.”
Asher gave a short nod. “Good. I’ll send a patrol to scout those areas. Gage, take Emily inside. She looks like she’s about to faint.”
< CHAPTER 164
“I’m fine.” Emily said quickly, but Gage was already guiding her back toward the house.
+25 Points
I stayed by the pen, watching the way the sunlight glinted off the creature’s fur. For something that looked so powerful, there was a strange calmness about it. Like it was sleeping through a storm it had already
survived.
“Do you really think it’s not dangerous?” Arlo asked quietly beside me.
I shrugged. “It doesn’t feel dangerous. Not yet. It feels… lost. Maybe scared.”
He nodded, thoughtful. “Then let’s hope it stays that way.”
By late afternoon, Asher had assigned shifts for the night. One of us would always be near the pen, just in case. We’d seen too many surprises over the years to trust the quiet.
When I finally went inside, I found Gage sitting with Emily in the living room. She was curled up on the couch, legs tucked under her, staring out the window that faced the training field.
“Any change?” I asked, nodding toward the window.
Gage shook his head. “None. Still out cold. But she keeps watching it like it’s going to jump through the
bars.”
“I just don’t like how it looks.” Emily murmured without looking at me. “Something about it feels… wrong.”
I sighed softly. “It’s just new. Unfamiliar. You’ll get used to it.”
She didn’t reply, and Gage shot me a look that said drop it.
So I did.
That night, the packhouse was quiet again. Asher and I took first watch, sitting near the edge of the pen with a fire burning low in front of us while I was leaning against Asher as we sat on the ground. The wolf lay still, silent except for the sound of its slow breathing.
“Almost peaceful, isn’t it?” Asher murmured.
“Almost.” I smiled faintly. “You really think it’s not a threat?”
He shrugged. “I think we’ve earned the right to stop seeing everything as a threat. Sometimes things just…
happen.”
I looked at the massive creature, the moonlight glinting off its fur. “Yeah. Maybe this is just one of those
things.”
But deep down, I wasn’t sure.
There was something about this wolf. Its silence, its size, its refusal to shift, that left me uneasy.
And I could tell by the way Emily had looked at it earlier that I wasn’t the only one who felt it.
The night carried on quietly. The forest rustled softly, and the air was cool and clean.
< CHAPTER 164
+25 Points
But every so often, I could’ve sworn I saw the wolf’s ear twitch, just barely, as if it were listening to us.
Kylie K
CRESCENT RIDGE–ECLIPSE*
ECLIPSE*
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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)
