The night was thick with a heavy calm, the forest beyond the packhouse dark but still. The wolf remained in its pen, lying on its enormous paws, chest rising and falling steadily. From upstairs, I could hear the faint creak of floorboards as Gage and Arlo shifted their positions, trying to get comfortable for their first
watch.
Emily sat on a folding chair beside the pen, blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders. She wasn’t speaking, just observing, but her energy seemed to ripple through the twins. I could sense it even from a few feet away. The way their shoulders relaxed, the way their eyes followed her subtly whenever she
shifted, like they were subconsciously seeking approval. It made my stomach twist in an odd mix of unease and frustration.
“Do we… have a beta?” Gage asked quietly, breaking the silence. His voice carried the usual mix of
curiosity and half–joking tone that the twins often used to cover nervousness.
“No.” I said firmly. “We don’t. And right now, we don’t need one.”
Arlo leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “And the lady in waiting? Or whatever you call it?”
I raised an eyebrow. “We don’t have one of those either. Not necessary.”
“Why not?” Arlo asked.
“Mainly, there’s no one around here that Asher and I trust enough to fill those positions. We’ve both lived
here our whole lives but his friends from school aren’t Beta material and I didn’t have any friends at school
besides you two.” I explained.
Gage muttered under his breath, but Arlo just nodded, apparently satisfied. Both glanced at Emily, as if
comparing her to some imaginary standard. And the thought made me clench my jaw. She had this quiet, subtle pull over them that was starting to feel more controlling than helpful. Every look, every tiny gesture seemed to bend them slightly to her will.
I moved closer to the edge of the pen, letting the twins have a little space to adjust. “We’re going to rotate
wolf–watch.” I said. “One at a time. Keep your senses sharp, keep your distance, and stay calm. No sudden
movements.”
Emily’s eyes flicked to me briefly, and I noticed the faintest smirk at the corner of her mouth. Subtle, but
unmistakable. Even without saying a word, she seemed to suggest, I know how this works. Gage and Arlo
straightened immediately, both almost rigid, as if they’d read the same unspoken cue.
Asher joined me silently, arms crossed, leaning slightly on the railing. “You notice it too, right?”
“Yeah.” I admitted, stepping back. “It’s subtle, but it’s there. And I don’t like it. It’s like she’s… guiding them,
but in a way that makes them less… themselves.”
Asher’s lips pressed together. “We’ll keep an eye on it. But right now, we need the rotations. Everyone’s
exhausted. Someone has to get rest. Even the twins.”
<CHAPTER 187
*25 Points
The rotation schedule was simple. One of us watched the wolf while the others rested in shifts. Emily volunteered for the first shift, naturally positioning herself near the pen, blanket around her, energy calm and unshakable. Gage immediately offered to stay with her. Arlo joined them, leaving Asher and me to patrol nearby. Which didn’t make any sense because it meant that no one was getting any rest.
I lingered near the back door, the cool night air brushing my skin. Even from here, I felt the massive wolf’s
awareness. It shifted slightly, eyes catching the moonlight, scanning the perimeter. It wasn’t aggressive,
but it wasn’t idle.
Time stretched. The watch rotations went smoothly at first. Emily’s quiet presence kept Gage and Arlo on edge. Not in fear, but in obedience. Every subtle cue from her tightened their focus. By the third hour, the difference was clear. The twins followed her almost instinctively; their playful benter had gone silent.
I frowned. “Asher, look at them.”
He turned, eyes narrowing. “Yeah. I see it. She’s… influencing them.”
“It’s subtle.” I said quietly. “But it’s there. And I don’t like it.”
Asher didn’t answer. He followed my gaze to the pen, where the wolf shifted slightly, ears twitching. Even the creature seemed aware of the change, though it didn’t react outwardly.
Emily brushed her blanket off her shoulders, letting the moonlight catch her face. “Gage.” She murmured, soft but authoritative. “Step back a little. Give it space.”
Gage blinked, then stepped aside. Arlo mirrored him without hesitation. Neither made a sound, only adjusting their positions as she had indicated.
Asher’s jaw tightened. “Yeah… that’s exactly what I mean.”
“I know.” I whispered. “We can’t let her influence get stronger. Not while it’s awake.”
The wolf’s head lifted, eyes locking on Emily for a fraction of a second. I felt the air shift, the faint metallic
tension returning. Subtle, almost imperceptible, but different. Its breathing deepened just enough to make
me step back instinctively.
Emily didn’t notice. She stayed calm, blanket wrapped around her knees, observing the massive wolf with
unnerving intensity.
Then it happened.
A low rumble rolled from the wolf’s chest, vibrating through the pen and into the clearing. The sound
wasn’t aggressive, but deliberate. A warning, a statement of awareness. I froze, senses sharp, heart racing.
The twins flinched slightly, instinctively moving closer to her. Gage’s hand brushed hers ever so lightly, almost as if seeking confirmation. Emily didn’t move, didn’t flinch. She simply looked at the wolf, calm, and whispered something I couldn’t hear over the rumble.
The wolf’s ears pricked, eyes narrowing. Then it lifted its massive head fully, chest expanding with a force that seemed unnatural. Its paws dug slightly into the ground, claws pressing against the dirt. The air felt
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heavy, charged with tension.
“Trinny…?” Asher’s voice was low, cautious.
+20 Paints
“I… it’s reacting.” I whispered. “It’s awake, fully aware, and… it’s responding to the energy around it. Something about her presence is affecting it.”
Gage and Arlo froze near the pen, shoulders tense, eyes wide. Emily stayed still, almost eerily calm, but her gaze didn’t waver from the wolf.
The creature let out a low, rumbling growl, not directed at anyone in particular, but filled with awareness and raw power. Its massive frame shifted slightly forward, muscles rippling beneath the thick fur.
I could feel it even from a distance. The wolf wasn’t aggressive, but it was asserting itself, acknowledging us, and testing boundaries.
Asher stepped closer to me, one hand brushing my arm. “It’s different tonight.” He said softly.” Something’s changed. Pay attention.”
I nodded, swallowing the sudden lump in my throat. “I see it. And I see her influence on the twins. That’s…
not good.”
The twins moved closer together, subtly edging toward Emily. Almost imperceptible if you didn’t know what to look for, their attentiveness was growing. They weren’t malicious, but completely tuned to her, mirroring her every move without realizing it.
A cold pang of worry hit me. If the wolf reacted to her energy as it did to her calm, we weren’t ready.
The wolf’s growl deepened, chest vibrating, eyes locked on Emily. For a heartbeat, the air seemed to thrum. The tension made my muscles ache.
It shifted forward slightly, claws digging into the earth, chest rising and falling. The twins stiffened, gripping the pen’s edge. Emily didn’t move.
I stepped closer, whispering to Asher, “It’s reacting… fully. We need to be ready.”
His hand found mine, squeezing gently. “I know. Stay calm. Focus.”
Even as I tried, the energy built. The wolf’s muscles tensed, radiating awareness, the night itself humming with potential. Emily… she didn’t flinch, speak, or move. The twins, caught in her aura, mirrored her calm, entirely fixated on the creature.
Something shifted in the wolf. Its head lifted higher, nostrils flaring, eyes bright with intelligence and power. And then, in a fluid, almost imperceptible movement, it lunged slightly, testing the boundaries of the pen. Not enough to break free, yet, but enough to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
Asher’s grip on my hand tightened. “Get back.” He hissed, voice low but urgent.
I stumbled slightly, heart hammering, as the wolf pressed forward again, eyes locked on Emily. She didn’t blink. She didn’t even flinch. And I realized, with a sinking feeling, that her calm had drawn out something
CHAPTER 167
from the wolf. Something that hadn’t been visible before.
It wasn’t aggression. Not yet. But it was awareness, intent and power. And I could sense the tension rising, coiling like a spring.
The night thickened around us, the shadows pressing close, the forest alive with unseen energy. And the wolf, massive, aware, and unnervingly intelligent, was testing boundaries we hadn’t anticipated.
Emily remained seated, calm, her influence on the twins undeniable. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that what we were about to face, whatever the wolf was capable of, was going to demand more from us than we were ready for.
And then the wolf let out a sound, a low, vibrating growl that was more like a challenge than a warning, echoing through the clearing. Its body coiled, ready, and I knew, instinctively, that the next move wasn’t just coming from it.
Something was about to happen.
Something we hadn’t seen coming.
And as the night deepened, every shadow seemed to shift.
The wolf was no longer just aware. It was awake.
Kylie K
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)
