SOMETHING IS COMING
720 Words
The forest didn’t feel calm anymore.
It felt… tense.
Seren stood at the edge of the clearing, her gaze fixed on the trees. Nothing moved, but the silence wasn’t peaceful. It pressed against her, heavy and waiting.
“You feel it.”
Ryker’s voice came from behind her.
Seren nodded slightly. “Yeah.”
“What is it?”
He stepped beside her, eyes scanning the shadows. “Trouble.”
She exhaled quietly. “That’s not helpful.”
“It’s not meant to be.”
The energy inside her shifted again.
Not calm. Not steady.
Restless.
Seren pressed her hand lightly against her chest.
“It’s reacting,” she said.
Ryker glanced at her. “To what?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But it feels close.”
A branch snapped.
Both of them froze.
That wasn’t the forest.
Another sound followed.
Closer.
Heavier.
Seren’s body tensed instantly, her senses locking onto the direction. Her instinct told her to move to run but she didn’t.
Not this time.
“Stay behind me,” Ryker said, stepping forward.
Seren didn’t move. “I’m not running.”
A brief glance from him.
“Good,” he said quietly.
The trees shifted.
Then something stepped into the clearing.
Seren’s breath caught.
It was a wolf.
Large. Dark. Its fur almost blended into the shadows, its eyes glowing faintly as they locked onto her.
It didn’t look curious.
It looked certain.
“You shouldn’t be here,” it said.
Seren’s chest tightened.
It spoke.
Ryker’s posture changed instantly.
“This territory isn’t yours,” he said calmly.
The wolf ignored him.
Its gaze stayed on Seren.
“She doesn’t belong to you.”
Seren frowned. “What does that mean?”
The wolf tilted its head slightly.
“You don’t know?”
A faint smile formed.
“That’s interesting.”
Ryker stepped forward. “Enough.”
The wolf finally looked at him.
“You feel it too,” it said.
“Doesn’t that make you curious?”
Ryker didn’t respond.
But Seren felt the tension in him.
The wolf turned back to her.
“Do you know what happens when they find out?”
Seren’s chest tightened. “Find out what?”
It took a slow step closer.
Ryker moved instantly, blocking her.
“That’s far enough.”
The wolf stopped but didn’t retreat.
“You’re already changing,” it said softly.
Seren felt it again.
A sharp pulse inside her chest.
“What are you talking about?”
The wolf’s eyes darkened slightly.
“Power like yours doesn’t stay hidden.”
Her heart skipped. “Mine?”
“Yes.”
The word hit harder than she expected.
Ryker’s voice cut in, sharper now. “That’s enough.”
But the wolf didn’t stop.
“They’ll come for you,” it said.
Seren’s stomach dropped. “Who?”
The wolf’s lips curved slightly.
“The Alphas.”
Silence slammed into the clearing.
“That doesn’t make sense,” Seren said. “Why would they”
“Because you’re not like them.”
The air felt heavier.
“Or worse,” the wolf added quietly.
The energy inside her surged.
Harder this time.
Seren gasped as it rushed through her, stronger, sharper.
The ground beneath her feet trembled slightly.
“Seren” Ryker warned.
Too late.
The shadows moved.
Fast.
They curled around her feet, rising like something alive.
Her breath hitched. “I can’t”
“Yes, you can,” Ryker said firmly.
“Focus.”
But it wasn’t like before.
The power didn’t feel calm.
It felt… wild.
The shadows stretched outward, reaching.
Seren squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to breathe.
To hold it.
To control it.
Slowly
It responded.
The movement stilled.
Not gone.
But waiting.
Seren opened her eyes again.
Everything felt sharper.
Different.
The wolf had stepped back.
For the first time, it looked cautious.
“There it is,” it murmured.
Seren’s chest rose and fell.
“What does that mean?”
The wolf held her gaze.
“It means they won’t ignore you anymore.”
A pause.
“They’ll hunt you.”
Seren froze.
Before she could respond.
The wolf vanished.
Gone.
The clearing fell silent again.
But this silence felt worse.
Seren stood still, her heart racing, her power still lingering beneath her skin.
- Writer
