LOGINNyra VirellionThe mockingbirds’ chirps faded into the quiet. Dusk had settled in, and the sun was slipping away, taking the last of the daylight with it. I stood there, lost in the middle of nowhere, with a heavy sense of danger pressing down on me from the valley ahead. I was so close to my destiny, yet somehow it felt impossibly far.I drew in a deep breath and tried to steady myself. The fear of failing weighed on me like a stone. What if I didn’t make it? Who would look after my pack? Who would protect the secrets of our artifact? Trust had always been a fragile thing among us, and that thought only made everything heavier.If not me… then who?I was driving myself crazy.I’d been walking through the valley for about an hour and hadn’t come across any beasts yet. It felt too still like the calm before the storm, and I hated it.My stomach let out a loud growl. I sighed. The idea of surviving on pine roasts had been a stupid one. Maybe I needed to hunt something small—a bird or, b
VaerithI was eaten up by worry and every other feeling that came with it. Nyra Virellion had gone into that dangerous forest just to prove her strength to the elders of her own pack. I could understand the pressure she’d been carrying her whole life if these were the people who raised her. Complete failures, the lot of them.After mentally cursing them out, I turned to watch the woman coming down the stairs. She wasn’t wearing much, and she clearly didn’t know the rules around here. When I explained them, she just shrugged it off and didn’t bother with anything warmer. It was like she was fine with just a leather jacket and boots.“Nyra!” A familiar man’s voice suddenly cut through the air, making her stop in her tracks. Zephyros and Beta Raelor had already stepped away, giving the two friends some space to talk. I wasn’t about to budge though, not after Oryndor Blackveil and I had grabbed each other by the collar and basically challenged one another over her.From the way they spoke
Nyra VirellionWhile I waited for the pine cores to finish roasting over the fire, something shifted behind me. I didn’t even think I just grabbed the thick branch I’d been carrying around like my personal walking stick. Its tip was sharp enough to double as a spear if I needed it.I spun around and there they were: a pack of four wild wolves, thick fur bristling, teeth bared and snarling.“Can’t I just eat in peace…?” I muttered at them like they could actually understand me. They were all big, each one bigger than the last. Without a wolf of my own, I couldn’t speak to them the way some others could. That was always such a pain. Still, I wasn’t about to let them ruin my meal.“Fine then,” I said, twirling the branch into a better grip. “I’ll show you who just walked into your territory.”I planted my feet, squared up, and stared them down.One of them lunged with a sharp growl. I jabbed the blunt end hard into its chest. The wolf let out a pathetic whimper and tumbled back like a sc
Nyra VirellionMeanwhile, back at the pack, Zephyros and the elders, along with a bunch of other spectators, were gathered around the witches’ globe, watching my every move from the moment I stepped into the wilds. They were picking apart everything I did.“Isn’t she feeling even a bit cold? She’s only wearing a leather jacket,” Zephyros muttered, clearly confused. Inside that jacket, though, I was actually starting to sweat a little around my stomach. Was something off with me?Beta Raelor paused while handing out printed reports and glanced at the globe. He and Alpha Vaerith shared a quick look. Whatever they knew, they weren’t saying it out loud.Alpha Vaerith gave a small nod, and Beta Raelor went back to his work.“She must be using some kind of potion,” Elder Vaelion said with that usual snide tone, like he’d already decided I was cheating. If I’d been there, I would’ve rolled my eyes so hard.“No, Elder,” an Alpha from another respected pack cut in. “She hasn’t taken any potion
TrialNyra Virellion[FEW MOMENTS BEFORE NYRA’S DEPARTURE]I’d just freshened up in my room, buzzing with excitement for the selection trial. I had no idea what was coming, but for some reason I felt strangely warm all over. I couldn’t quite put my finger on why, but something in my gut told me I might not even need a jacket out on those icy glaciers.Still, I wasn’t about to get cocky. I pulled on my high-rise boots and chose the most comfortable clothes I could find for a one-day survival challenge. Comfort was going to be key. I shrugged on a jacket anyway, then wiped the beads of sweat forming on my forehead. It was the middle of January the coldest month and here I was sweating like it was midsummer.I headed down to the palace entrance, which was busier than I’d ever seen it, all for one candidate’s brutal trial. My transport was already being prepped, and I was glad to hear that Captain Kaelrith Mavros would be going with me.“There she is. I’ll go over the rules with her,” Zep
Nyra VirellionMaybe it’s just me, or maybe it’s the people around me, but I don’t feel stressed or threatened by this selection trial at all. Keeping everything to myself has actually felt easier than usual. My younger self would’ve thrown a tantrum over something like this, but now things seem to be going smoothly. I’m just focusing on training hard for the trial tomorrow.I was walking down the corridor, head down and lost in thought, heading back to my room. The place was completely empty except for me.Then I suddenly bumped into the last person I wanted to deal with right now.“I’m sorry… oh…”My words died in my throat the moment I looked up and saw his face. It was Oryndor Blackveil.“Hey,” he said first.“Hey… hi. Um, I’m guessing you’ve heard the news, right? It spread like wildfire,” I replied with a small chuckle.“A selection process? Really?” He shook his head. “I get that Zephyros and Kaelith Noctyra don’t like you much, and neither do the elders of your pack. But this…
~Vaerith~“So, do you agree, Nyra Virellion?” I asked her in front of the whole crowd that morning. She questioned my proposal later, and I couldn’t help but answer, “It’s for your own good. Isn’t it?”‘Oi,’ Tharok suddenly spoke in my head. ‘Aren’t you being too hard on the girl? She should have
~Nyra Virellion~**Both my wrists were caught in the grip of two different men. Zephyros held my right one, and the touch burned with disgust. On the other side, Lycan Alpha Vaerith held my left wrist, his eyes locked hard on Zephyros.The stare was so intense that Zephyros eventually gave in to th
Vaerith’ POV[THE EVENING BEFORE]I was hanging on by a thread of patience, trying my hardest not to flip the entire table and give the elders even more reasons to grumble. As soon as the pack meeting wrapped up, I pushed away from the table and headed straight for my room.The meeting had been thr
The whole world felt like it had frozen in place. Everything moved in slow motion, my vision blurry except for the one person standing right in front of me.This powerful alpha... No, he wasn’t just any ordinary alpha. The raw power rolling off him screamed Lycan. I’d never felt anything like it be







