Chapter Five
1116 Words
Ellie’s world was unraveling.
Every piece of certainty, every carefully built wall, had come crashing down in the span of a single night.
She wasn’t just some ordinary girl.
She wasn’t just a bystander in this supernatural storm.
She was one of them.
A werewolf.
And now, she was being hunted.
The weight of Grayson’s words settled over her like a suffocating fog, thick and unrelenting. She paced the small space of her living room, her hands clenched into fists.
“I don’t understand,” she finally said, turning to face him. “Why me? What makes my bloodline so special?”
Grayson’s jaw tightened, and she hated the look in his eyes—the hesitation, the caution. He was holding something back.
“Grayson,” she pressed, her voice sharp. “Tell me.”
He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “Your family wasn’t just any bloodline, Ellie. They were one of the oldest and strongest werewolf bloodlines in existence.”
Her stomach twisted. “What does that even mean?”
“It means you’re not just a werewolf. You’re something more.” His gray eyes locked onto hers, filled with an intensity that made her breath catch. “You’re an Alpha by birthright.”
Ellie froze.
The words hit her like a physical blow.
Alpha.
A leader. A ruler of wolves.
She let out a shaky laugh, but there was no humor in it. “That’s insane. I’m not a leader. I’m not—”
“You will be,” Grayson interrupted, stepping closer. His voice was calm, steady. “Your blood makes you powerful, Ellie. And now that the others know what you are, they won’t stop coming for you.”
A shiver ran through her.
“You keep saying they,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Who are they?”
Grayson’s expression darkened. “Rival packs. Some will want to claim you—to control you. Others will see you as a threat that needs to be eliminated. Either way…” He exhaled. “You’re in danger.”
Ellie swallowed hard.
The room suddenly felt smaller, the walls closing in.
Her life had been normal—quiet, safe. And now she was being told that there were people, creatures, who wanted her dead?
It was too much.
She turned away, pressing her hands to her temples, trying to make sense of it all.
“I can’t do this,” she murmured. “I don’t even know what I am. I don’t know how to be this.”
Grayson was silent for a long moment. Then, his voice softened.
“Then let me teach you.”
Ellie turned, startled by the certainty in his voice.
Grayson met her gaze, unwavering. “You’re not alone in this, Ellie. I can help you. I will help you.”
Something in his tone—something undeniable—made her believe him.
But before she could respond, the air shifted.
A low, rumbling growl echoed from outside.
Ellie’s blood ran cold.
Grayson’s entire body tensed. His head snapped toward the door, his nostrils flaring.
“They’re here,” he muttered.
Ellie’s pulse pounded. “Who?”
Grayson didn’t answer. He was already moving, striding toward the door in a way that was too fast, too fluid—almost inhuman.
Ellie followed, her stomach twisting with unease.
The moment Grayson yanked open the door, the scent of the forest rushed in—cool, damp, laced with something feral.
Something wrong.
And then she saw them.
Wolves.
At least five of them, lurking just beyond the tree line. Their eyes glowed in the darkness, their bodies unnaturally still.
Watching.
Waiting.
A warning.
Grayson stepped forward, his body tense, radiating power. His entire stance shifted, something primal bleeding through his human form.
Ellie had never seen him like this before—half-man, half-beast.
A predator.
“Stay behind me,” he murmured.
Ellie didn’t argue.
One of the wolves stepped forward. It was massive, its dark fur blending with the shadows. But it wasn’t just any wolf—there was intelligence in its glowing eyes.
And then, before Ellie could even process it, the beast shifted.
Bones cracked, limbs twisted, and in a matter of seconds, the massive wolf was gone—replaced by a man.
A man with piercing amber eyes and a scar that ran from his temple to his jaw.
Ellie’s breath caught in her throat.
Grayson’s entire body tensed beside her. “Caleb.”
The man—Caleb—smirked. “Grayson.” His voice was smooth, almost amused. “It’s been a while.”
Grayson didn’t move. “What do you want?”
Caleb tilted his head, his gaze sliding to Ellie. “I think you already know.”
Ellie’s stomach twisted.
Grayson took a step forward, his voice low and deadly. “She’s under my protection.”
Caleb chuckled. “How noble.” He crossed his arms, his gaze never leaving Ellie. “You have no idea what you are, do you?”
Ellie clenched her fists. “I know enough.”
Caleb arched a brow. “Do you?” He took a slow step forward, and Grayson immediately moved to block him. Caleb sighed. “Relax. I’m not here to kill her. If I was, she’d already be dead.”
Ellie swallowed hard.
“But here’s the thing, little Alpha,” Caleb continued, his amber eyes gleaming. “There are others who will want you dead. Others who don’t want to risk you coming into your power.”
He smiled.
“And then there are those who want to use you.”
Ellie’s pulse pounded.
Grayson’s growl rumbled through the air. “She’s not a pawn in your game, Caleb.”
Caleb laughed. “Maybe not. But she’s valuable—and that means she won’t be left alone for long.”
His amber eyes locked onto Ellie’s, and for the first time, she saw something else beneath the amusement.
Something deadly.
“I’ll give you some advice, little Alpha,” he said, his voice smooth. “You need to choose a side. And you need to do it fast.”
His gaze flickered to Grayson.
“Because war is coming.”
A chill ran down Ellie’s spine.
And then, as quickly as they had come, Caleb and his wolves turned and disappeared into the night.
The silence they left behind was deafening.
Ellie let out a shaky breath, turning to Grayson. “What the hell was that?”
Grayson’s expression was grim.
“That,” he murmured, “was a warning.”
Ellie swallowed hard.
Because deep down, she knew one thing.
This was just the beginning.
- Writer
