Outrunning The Alpha

Chapter 6

Lyra

Bran’s tablet slammed onto the counter as he marched down the metal stairs.

​He dropped to his knees right at the thirty-meter mark, touching the ice on the floor.

​"She sucked the air out of the room to fuel her sprint."Bran whispered, staring at the frost.

​He looked up at Torin, his face pale. "Did you know what she was."

​"I guessed," Torin said, looking at me. So he knew what had happened to me.

​Bran stood up, staring at me like I was a ghost.

"Everyone thought the Shadow-Wolf line died centuries ago." He said. "Normal wolves use heat to run fast. Your Eclipse wolf does the opposite. She pulls in cold energy, swallowing the wind and her own weight."

​"She was never powerless," Torin said, his voice deep and calm. "Her wolf was just locked away. A normal moon wasn't strong enough to break the lock. It took the rare eclipse on the mountain to wake her wolf up."

​I stood there, my chest breathing hard as smoke vanished off my arms. "My family... Julian always told me I was worthless. That I was nothing."

​"Julian is a fool" Torin said, "He threw away the rarest bloodline in the world because he was too blind to see it."

​Bran held up his screen, showing a picture of my blood test. Dark purple lines matched my running graph perfectly.

​"Your wolf is special, Lyra. Once we train you, you will move light around your steps and slide through shadows on the track that other runners can't even see. You are an Eclipse Shadow-Wolf." Bran said

​I stared at the screen. All those years with Julian; carrying his shoes, timing his runs, taking his insults while he pretended he was helping me out of pity. I had believed him. I thought I was broken.

​"So I've not been weak all this while" I whispered, feeling a cold fire in my chest.

​"No," Torin said, his dark eyes fixed on mine. "But Bran is right about one thing."

​Torin pointed to the screen, where a bright red mark showed on my spine.

​"Your wolf is ancient, but your body isn't ready," Torin said. "If you go full speed like that in the race, the shadow power will break your legs."

​"We start real training tomorrow," Bran said, shutting off his screen. "When you race under a fake name next month, your form must look perfect."

​"You need to get some sleep, Crescent. Tomorrow, we teach your wolf how to hunt."Torin said softly.

​I paused, rubbing my palm. "Alpha Torin," I said, my voice dropping. "There’s one thing I don't understand. If I was awakened on that mountain... why haven't I shifted yet?."

​Torin stopped and turned back to face me, his dark eyes softenning just a fraction.

​"Because from the history books I've read, an Eclipse wolf doesn't shift like normal wolves" he explained.

​He stepped closer, "When your wolf is ready, your shift will happen."

​"I see," I whispered.

​"Get rest, There is a guest room upstairs" Torin repeated, giving me a firm, reassuring nod.

"Tomorrow, you see where we live."

When I got to the room, I washed up. As i sat on the bed i thought about everything that happened and the last thing on my mind before sleep overpowered me was Alpha Torin and how I reacted to him.

....

​The next morning, the heavy dark SUV rolled through the iron gates of the Shadow Claw pack lands.

​The estate was carved directly into the black slate of the valley. Sleek timber, dark stone, and reinforced glass rose out of the morning mist.

Everywhere I looked, wolves moved with a quiet purpose. Guards along the perimeter didn't just stand at attention; their sharp eyes scanned the treeline for threats.

​Torin parked near the central hall. The moment he opened his door, a heavy silence fell over the stone courtyard.

​People stopped in their tracks. All eyes shifted and landed directly on me as I stepped out onto the cold driveway. I felt their glances like pricks on my skin: Who is she? Why is the Alpha bringing a girl into the pack?

​Torin stepped forward. His sheer presence immediately forced the surrounding pack to drop their gazes in respect. "Let's go."

​He led me up the high stone steps toward the Great Hall, where three key figures waited.

​On the left stood Kael, a towering enforcer with short silver hair and a sharp scar across his jaw. On the right was Vesper, a lean woman holding a high-tech dataplex folder against her chest. Between them stood an older wolf, Harlan, the pack elder whose graying beard betrayed decades of survival.

​"Torin," Harlan greeted with a respectful nod. His eyes swept over me. "You brought a guest. A Silver Fang runner, if the rumors are true."

​Whispers rippled through the gathered pack members below the stairs. Silver Fang. Julian's former mate. The one without a wolf.

​"She's no longer a Silver Fang," Torin said, his deep voice carrying effortlessly across the courtyard, instantly silencing the crowd.

​Kael crossed his massive arms, his eyes narrowing as he evaluated my frame. "With respect, Alpha, the regional qualifiers are weeks away. We don't need an analyst. We need runners who won't fail on the track."

​I didn't wait for Torin to defend me. I took a step forward, raising my chin to meet Kael’s gaze head-on.

​"I didn't come here to analyze your runners," I said, my voice cutting through the crisp air like a blade.

​Vesper raised an eyebrow, a tiny, amused smirk touching her lips. "Bold words for someone who isn't even on the national roster."

​"Her roster spot is being finalized today," Torin declared. "Her racing name is The Eclipse. From this moment on, her real identity does not leave these grounds. Anyone who leaks her presence will answer to me."

​Elder Harlan stared at me, his eyes widening slightly as he caught the faint, phantom frost lingering near my shoes on the warm stone.

​"An Eclipse line..." Harlan whispered, the color draining from his face. "The old shadow blood."

​"Yes," Torin said. Then he turned to face the entire gathered pack.

He didn't raise his voice, but the sheer Alpha power behind his words made the air in the valley vibrate.

​"This is Lyra," Torin announced. "She trains with us. She eats with us. She lives with us. Treat her as an equal or answer to me."

​A low, unified rumble of acceptance rose from the pack. Kael gave me a slow nod of respect.

​As the pack began to disperse back to their duties, Torin leaned down slightly, his warm breath hitting my ear. "Step one is done. They know you belong here."

​I looked toward the distant mountain peak, where Silver Fang’s gilded towers gleamed.

​"And step two?" I asked.

​"Step two," Torin whispered, "You'll see.”