THE YOUNG HAUNTED ALPHA

PTE

cavern was stil

ancient magic

moments before.

to catch his bre

aris still heavy

tone had faded,

s once more, bu

had filled the

ed. The curse h

n at the stone, n

pent. It had fulf

rom the shadows

feel the change

ers that had h

-were gone. T

drawn to his po

ime in years, h

le

red, his vo

ng beside him,

ace, though con

r of r

... you

wly, his fingers

lt the lingering

m faintly, like t

or

di

rrected

hout

I would have m

tly, her green e

rm

ld have had to

e. You've been

g. I'm just glad

it

king off the exha

like

's

id, loo

Lunaris. He had

ore... powerful,

like a forgotten

vement drew his

cavern was slo

t light of dawn, s

one above. The c

ht of the new da

e, the darkness

rn

hould

d, standing

ice pr

will be

ay be broken, bu

gerous. The path

kind as th

eary nod. He kn

be treacherous,

d to what he ha

he stone one last

ng over him. T

, the ancient mag

ors' sins, was go

illed wi

eir way back th

ern, the air beg

lighter, almost al

nd the warmth of

t into the clea

light of the dawn

a promise of

ply, the cool morn

ee. For the first

by the past. The

passed. And no

to th

t's

the determinati

er tha

a pack

made their way

he path seemed

ches and gnarled

ut simply part of

hey walked, Alari

ghosts lifting wit

s the first rays

owl in

fore they reached

illage that had

ons. Alaric's hea

f and anticipati

and though they

red, Alaric knew

r. The curse was

ll ahead: leading

ere they would

s of th

lena approached

of his pack mem

ir eyes were fil

t when they saw

cathed and reso

was r

la

called out fr

losest friend an

s a mix of disbel

pped f

ack. We..

wo

Caden's, and for

ot feel weighed do

acy, or the burd

I

v

c said

urse h

ok

ed in a mixtur

ices rising in unis

joy. Alaric's he

em-his pack, his

r

forward, clapp

uld

laric. I knew

to break you, b

just a Silverhowl

ad us into

, his heart f

're

the pas

aid, l

at th

o longer l

ins. From this

our ow

side, and the pa

something he had

of a new era w

would face what

their

verhowl had been

hat had bound th

build a futur

NEW

uskwood stood ba

ing sun, a new d

was crisp, the e

th the faint fra

few days had

ph, tension, and t

e of Silverhowl

ft

he edge of the vi

t that had bot

ple for generat

n the breeze, t

ome the change

lung to the fores

go

a stood silently

rm. Her presence

hor throughout t

nknown together

ood, Alaric fel

e for he

ed the course

El

gaze drifting o

Y

ak a curse. You

look at her, th

the tired but de

fa

eed ou

plied,

ea

s a burden, y

d by it. It was th

e past-that

, his chest risin

t of what

ow, we

e a new path.

choices, not

aden emerged fr

casting a long s

toward Alaric w

ook. The pack

e ceremony that

the curse-and th

w

ack's

said wit

he

ng fo

ent to steady him

pha weighing on h

is moment, and

rue test had only

build-trust, u

bonds between h

and Elena made

od. The village

-though the pa

s now a dis

the promise of

in the centre, t

d hope. Alaric'

lingering on fa

s friends,

nto the circle of

wd. Every eye was

ar. No judgemen

the quiet, unspo

l been through s

p breath, feeling

nd the new respon

converge withi

gth of his people

eat not for the

e he would shape

od

s voice firm,

rm

ted, not beca

because we shar

wl is gone, but i

It is what we c

prisoners of ou

r

into cheers, th

f a new beginnin

de. They had mad

r. And now, they

nger weighed dow

rward, her gaze

, fought with hi

a he had always

nd between them

er tha

struck Alaric,

, his vo

ena

brow, a gentle sm

s of h

s it, A

r just a moment

me more than

s isn't just my p

with those brigh

soft and un

've

the a

said q

ogethe

thing that

uickened at her

life, he didn't fe

deep sense of pur

for the future

s build it

lied, ta

in

of sunlight broke

glow over the vil

he forest around

ispers and restl

alive with the

rden of his blo

e of Silverhowl

ace, a new le

l, the last of h

who led his peo

with Elena by his

ack, he was read

s the fut

rse wa

they we

lverhowl's new

ri

THERIN

shrouded in a m

un struggling to

stood on the edg

er the expanse

as the eye coul

night replayed

Magnus, the rog

r home. It had

d felt such an

aking the curs

eard the soft fo

turned to face h

ched on

y rest?" she as

knew the

ok his

too muc

us is half as

, we need t

ut, placing a c

shou

. The pack

aced the imposs

stronger. This

fer

rved into a smal

na. Your faith

gaze drifting to

re

h some of th

e picked up tra

southern border.

He's already test

expressio

we nee

council. It's ti

a

ncil of

ened in the long

t was an old stru

d by centurie

ers and warriors

ound table, their

ad, his presenc

o

r place besid

tark contrast

the others. Cade

of the pack's f

ard, his br

Magnus would co

mutt

for stalki

re making a mo

wit

s arms across hi

ng the

an opport

se being broken

et. He sees us

his strength b

unifie

enric, with silv

s shoulder

pac

just begun to re

us might see us

d by ou

not w

snapped,

i

er than ever.

ke what we've fo

avely m

e hint of a chall

plan, Alaric? Ar

, or do we take t

Alaric, her eyes

smart about t

e has the adva

f we go after hi

lking in

is mind racing w

ur defences and

s. I want scouts

to know his mov

too c

come?" Fenric

rci

gs his rogu

we f

replied

show

home and we won't

agnus will learn

is not one

eement rippled

lowly giving way

Alaric's hand u

of silen

o this t

whis

ik

ys h

a quick nod befo

coun

warriors. T

to fight. And

s to defend our

by our

aining

lowed were a blur

unds, once quiet

f clashing sword

s, and the heav

g dummies. The

, every member c

aric watched fro

ing in t

group of younge

s as they

! Magnu

to get your f

ng with a pair

with the grace

nd deadly. She c

uick, confident

is chest, not just

s his pack, and

or thei

d below the hori

range and pink,

nds. He called ou

over the soun

er ar

comma

d, turning their

, with sweat dri

at their alpha

on and a

worked h

aric

see

strength. And I

f you. Remember

r we have toget

ee a pack that f

cts i

er rose from the

the forest. Alar

was more than a p

ily coming togeth

so

ADOW O

ettled into an u

nd himself standi

more. The moon

asting long sh

ed deeply, the f

p earth fill

esence before

the darkness t

into his, the w

ndin

about him, aren

ft

need to ask

Y

itt

out there,

it

l be

d, her voic

conf

k at her, his ex

Not after ever

ro

d, squeezin

u w

hadows of the pas

new darkne

eling a surge of

ays ahead would

until he had wh

something the r

a pack bound by

that they could

eth

a would not run

fend his home,

op

side and the ful

, Alaric was re

us brought

gleamed down o

promise they ma

and to emerge vi

ength was about t

o show the world

would never