Chapter 1
1218 Words
The night was supposed to be peaceful.
For once, Evangelia wasn’t worrying about the strange dreams or the cryptic words of the Moon Goddess. Her sixteenth birthday had passed only a few days ago, and though her first shift had been overwhelming, she’d woken up the next morning with her family still around her, teasing her, holding her, making her feel like everything was normal.
Normal was precious.
“Eva, spar with me,” her younger cousin, Theo, whined, bouncing on his heels outside the training ring.
She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. “Didn’t you just lose to Renan yesterday? Like, badly?”
Theo puffed his chest out, trying to look tough. “I’m faster now.”
“You tripped on your own tail.”
“Because it’s new!”
Her laughter rang out, easing the nerves she hadn’t admitted to anyone. Since her shift, everything had been sharper—sounds clearer, scents richer, instincts louder. Sometimes she swore she heard whispers of things that hadn’t yet happened. And that… scared her.
But right now? Bantering with Theo? She could almost forget.
Her father leaned against the fence, arms crossed, pride and mischief glinting in his golden eyes. Alpha Darius never looked anything less than untouchable. Broad-shouldered with a voice that could silence a crowd. Yet when he smiled at her, he was just her Dad.
“Indulge him, Eva,” he said with a chuckle. “One day, you’ll wish you could spar with your family again.”
She tilted her head at him, suspicious. “That sounds weirdly like foreshadowing.”
He only smirked. “Maybe it is.”
Her mother, Lysandra, emerged from the packhouse, apron still on, hair tied up. “If you’re going to fight, make it quick. Dinner is nearly ready.” Her warm eyes softened when they landed on Evangelia. “And you, sweetheart, don’t hold back. You’re stronger now. Don’t be afraid of it.”
Eva gave a sheepish nod, heart warm at her mother’s gentle encouragement.
That warmth didn’t last long though.
It started with the wind.
A sharp, acrid scent carried across the training grounds—burning wood, smoke, and something darker. Something foul. Her wolf stirred inside her instantly, hackles rising.
Eva froze mid-step, head snapping toward the trees.
“Do you smell that?” she whispered.
Her father’s nostrils flared. His expression hardened instantly, the playful father gone, the Alpha snapping forward. “Get inside,” he barked at Lysandra. “Now.”
Theo blinked, confused. “What’s—”
“Inside!” Darius roared, already shifting into his wolf. His massive form leapt toward the treeline, growl shaking the ground.
Screams erupted a heartbeat later. Wolves—rogues, dozens, maybe more—poured from the shadows. Their eyes glowed with unnatural red light, and the stench of dark magic clung to them.
Eva’s heart slammed against her ribs. This wasn’t a border skirmish. This was an ambush.
Chaos detonated.
Pack warriors rushed out, shifting mid-stride, teeth bared. Mothers grabbed their children, dragging them toward safety. The clang of steel rang out as blades met claws. The air thickened with blood, smoke, and terror.
Eva barely had time to react before Theo was yanked away from her by one of the creatures.
“Theo!” she screamed. Instinct took over. Her body surged with strength she hadn’t known she had—faster than thought, she tackled the rogue, ripping it away from Theo. Her claws glowed faintly silver, slicing through flesh as if the darkness recoiled from her.
The wolf inside her howled with approval. Gifted. Use it. Save them.
Theo scrambled behind her, shaking, too young for this kind of battle. “Eva—”
“Run to Mom!” she ordered, pushing him toward the packhouse. “Don’t stop until you’re with her!”
His small figure darted away, and she turned back just in time to see her father tearing through three rogues, his fur soaked in blood—some his, mostly theirs.
But there were too many.
A flash of movement—an enemy Alpha emerged from the smoke, towering, cruel, his wolf’s pelt pitch-black and eyes glowing crimson. He didn’t fight like a beast—he moved like a weapon. Controlled. Deadly.
“Darius!” her mother’s scream cut through the night. Lysandra had rushed back out, defying his order, wielding a silver blade in her shaking hands. She swung at a rogue trying to flank him, fury written across her face.
Eva’s chest tightened. They were surrounded. Her parents…
Her mother’s blade sank deep into an enemy’s neck, but claws caught her across the stomach in return. Blood sprayed. Lysandra staggered, choking on air.
“Mom!” Eva cried, legs propelling her forward. But her father was closer.
Darius shifted back mid-leap, catching his wife before she hit the ground. “Lysandra, no—no, stay with me—”
Her pale hand cupped his cheek weakly. “Protect… her,” she whispered, blood bubbling on her lips. “Protect Eva.”
Her eyes dimmed.
The world cracked.
Eva’s scream ripped through the battlefield, raw and piercing. Her wolf roared inside her, power flaring uncontrollably. A silver wave burst from her skin, throwing nearby rogues back in smoking heaps.
But her father—her father was on his knees, clutching Lysandra’s lifeless body. His golden eyes found Eva, pain and pride blazing through them.
“Run, Eva!” he shouted, voice breaking. “Take them—take whoever’s left! You’re the Alpha now!”
“No!” she choked, stumbling forward. “I can’t—I’m not ready, Dad, please!”
He pressed a blood-soaked hand to her cheek, smearing it across her skin. His touch trembled, but his gaze was steady. “You are. You were born ready. Lead them.”
His hand fell limp. His chest stilled.
And Evangelia’s world shattered.
For a moment, she couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. The battle raged around her, but all she could hear was the ringing silence of her parents’ absence.
Then—her wolf surged.
Stand. Lead them Eva, or they all die.
Something inside her snapped into place. The grief didn’t vanish—it burned, molten and sharp—but it fueled her legs, her arms, her claws.
“Follow me!” she roared, voice carrying with unnatural weight, the Alpha command threading through it for the first time. Even seasoned warriors flinched, then obeyed without question.
She tore through enemies, her body moving faster, stronger, glowing with silver light. Every strike was guided—not by training, but by instinct and something greater. Her foresight flashed images before her eyes—where an enemy would strike, when to duck, when to strike back.
Her pack rallied behind her, pushing toward the edge of the burning territory. Wolves howled, clung to each other, fought tooth and claw. Children sobbed but ran when she barked orders.
When the smoke finally thinned, she found herself at the head of a ragged, broken line of survivors. Bloodied, exhausted, trembling. But alive.
Eva collapsed to her knees, chest heaving, staring back at the glowing fires consuming everything she had ever known. Her parents. Her childhood. Her home.
Her wolf whispered in the silence.
They need us, Evangelia. We are their Alpha now.
- Writer
