The White Wolf

Chapter 7 - Breaking Point

The Next Morning

Morgan

I was up, showered, and dressed by six. I hadn't slept a wink. The impending full moon was already making my blood hum, and the anxiety of tonight's lockdown sat heavy in my chest.

But if Felix wanted me ready at dawn, fine. I’d use the distraction to show him exactly how little training I actually needed.

I was pacing near the door when that familiar, infuriatingly warm scent drifted under the crack. I didn't even wait for him to knock. I pulled the handle, swinging the door open just as his fist raised to the wood.

Felix froze.

His eyes dropped, dragging over me and lingering far too long on the blue sports bra and black running shorts Anna had lent me. I had tied my hair back tightly, ready for a fight.

I crossed my arms, fighting the immediate, traitorous surge of my own wolf wanting to step closer to him. "Take a picture, Alpha. It'll last longer."

A faint flush crept up his neck, and he quickly dragged his gaze back up to my face. He swallowed hard, trying to recover his usual arrogance. "Ready?"

"Let’s go".

Felix

I led Morgan across the training grounds, trying very hard not to stare at her legs. Or her shoulders. Or the way she walked like she already owned the place.

"This is the gym," I said, gesturing to the large timber building. "We work on physical combat and fitness here."

She nodded, entirely unimpressed.

"And that’s the race track," I pointed toward the tree line. "We test wolf speed and endurance there. Group shifts happen at noon."

"Nope."

I blinked, stopping in my tracks. "Excuse me?"

"I don’t shift in front of an audience," she said flatly, not even bothering to stop walking.

I stepped forward, catching her arm and pulling her around so she had to face me. "Then you’re going to have to get over that."

Her eyes narrowed, dropping to where my hand gripped her skin. I let go, but I didn't step back.

"This is a pack, Morgan," I said, dropping my voice. "We train together. We bleed together. We shift together. You don’t get to pick and choose which parts of pack life you participate in just because you're used to playing the lone wolf."

She folded her arms, lifting her chin to meet my gaze perfectly. "I’ve survived just fine on my own."

"Yeah, well, you’re not on your own anymore," I shot back, stepping into her space. My wolf was practically vibrating, frustrated by her stubbornness and entirely too thrilled by her proximity. "You’re in Nightwalker territory now. And in this pack, you listen to your Alpha. You listen to the rules. And right now, you listen to me."

Her jaw tightened, a muscle feathering in her cheek.

"If you don’t like how we do things," I added, pushing just a little harder, "you’re free to leave with your tail between your legs."

Her eyes flashed a bright, blinding white, just for a heartbeat.

My wolf went entirely still, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. I blinked, but the blinding white flash was gone, replaced by her usual hazel green eyes.

She tilted her head, a low, challenging growl vibrating in her chest. "What’s next?"

"The… uh… boxing ring," I managed, silently cursing myself for stuttering in front of her. I cleared my throat, forcing my Alpha facade back into place. "First phase of training."

I led her toward the elevated mat. She stepped through the ropes with a fluid grace that definitely didn't belong to a stray, her eyes bright and hungry. "What are we starting with?"

"Basic drills. Punching bag," I said, gesturing to the heavy leather sacks hanging in the corner.

She scoffed, crossing her arms. "I don’t need a warm up toy. I’m a fully grown wolf."

"Alright, hotshot," I said, my bruised ego finally taking the wheel. I tossed my towel over the ropes and stepped onto the mat to face her. "Fight me."

Her eyes lit up like I’d just offered her dessert.

The shift in energy was instantaneous. Across the gym, Cole, Jasper, and a few younger trainees drifted over, immediately sensing the entertainment. A few whispered bets were already being made as they leaned against the ropes.

I held up a hand, setting a boundary before my wolf decided to do something entirely inappropriate with her. "No contact," I said, pitching my voice so the spectators could hear. "Grappling only. To win, you just need to pin me to the mat for five seconds, and I the same. Loser runs fifty miles."

"Ooooh," the crowd murmured, the stakes suddenly very real.

Morgan didn't flinch. She just dropped into a flawless fighting stance, a wicked, breathtaking smirk spreading across her lips.

"Done," she whispered.

Jasper, grinning like an i***t, grabbed the silver whistle from around his neck and blew a sharp blast to signal round one

She moved first — a blur of motion that barely registered before she was behind me. I spun, reaching for her arm, but she slipped away. Fast.

I lunged again, managing to grab her wrist. Only for her to twist, drop her weight, and flip out of my hold like she’d been doing it for centuries.

“COME ON FLICK!” Cole shouted from the sidelines.

I caught her again, this time hooking an arm around her waist. She slammed her elbow into my ribs — not hard enough to break anything, but enough to knock the air out of me.

“No contact,” I reminded her through gritted teeth.

She smirked. “Then pin me properly”.

Challenge accepted.

I shifted my weight, attempting to sweep her legs, but before I could take her down she bucked in my hold. She was strong, wild, almost feral. She snapped her elbow back and cracked me right in the jaw.

I stumbled backward, releasing her. “Ow! I said no contact!”

“That’s a stupid rule,” she said, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet. “Let’s add contact”.

I wiped a drop of blood from my split lip and grinned. “Alright”.

The crowd roared.

We collided again — harder this time. Punches, dodges, blocks. She fought like someone who’d known trouble for a long time. No wasted movement. No hesitation. No fear.

She caught me with a brutal hook to the jaw that rattled my teeth.

“Jesus, Morgan—”

“You said contact,” she shot back breathlessly.

I swung back, landing a clean hit to her shoulder. She staggered just a fraction. It was all the opening I needed.

I finally managed to catch her off guard — a feint to the left, a sweep to the right — and drove her hard onto the mat. The breath rushed out of her in a sharp exhale as her back hit the floor.

I pinned her instantly, one hand braced beside her head, my other hand locking her shoulder down. She bucked beneath me, strong and wild, refusing to yield.

“Stay down,” I growled, my chest heaving.

Her eyes snapped up to mine — bright, furious.

But the fight drained out of us the second our gazes locked. The air in the ring suddenly shifted, the adrenaline morphing into something entirely different. My grip on her shoulder softened without meaning to. The world narrowed to the heat of her body beneath mine and the way her breath brushed my jaw.

This was something hot. Something electric.

We froze

Her chest rose against mine. My grip tightened without meaning to. The world narrowed to the heat of her body and the way her breath brushed my jaw.

For a split second, neither of us moved.

Neither of us wanted to.

Then—

“FOUR!”

“FOUR AND A HALF!”

“COME ON, FELIX!”

The crowd’s shouting crashed back into us like cold water.

Morgan blinked. I blinked. Reality snapped back into place.

“FIVE!” the crowd cheered.

She went completely still beneath me, her chest heaving, her eyes burning with sudden, defensive fury. She hated that she lost. And worse, she hated that we had both just lingered.

I released her and stood up quickly, taking a step back before I did something stupid.

She scrambled to her feet and ducked through the ropes, storming out of the ring without a word.

“Fifty miles,” I called after her, my voice rougher than I intended.

She spun around, her hair whipping fiercely over her shoulder. “I'll do it later.”

“No,” I said, crossing my arms and stepping to the edge of the mat. “You’ll do it now. That’s how this pack works. It's called following orders.”

She glared at me, a look so lethal it could have peeled paint off the walls, then turned and headed straight for the track.

I watched her go, my heart hammering against my ribs.

God help me

That Evening

Morgan

By the time I finished the fifty mile punishment run, my legs were shaking and my temper was hanging by a single, frayed thread. I dragged myself up the stairs, shoved open the bedroom door, and practically collapsed inside.

The moment it shut behind me, I peeled my sweat soaked top over my head, leaving me in just my sports bra, and let the ruined fabric hit the floor.

The room went entirely quiet.

I could feel the sudden, heavy weight of Anna’s gaze burning into my skin. She was sitting on her bed, Sophie curled up under a blanket beside her, but Anna’s eyes were locked on the exposed line of my stomach and the heavy rise and fall of my chest.

She swallowed hard, clearly trying to look away, and completely failing.

I pretended not to notice. And she pretended she hadn't just been staring.

"Your brother is an asshole," I muttered, breaking the silence before the air in the room could actually ignite.

Anna flinched slightly, a sheepish flush creeping up her neck as she finally tore her eyes away from my body. She cleared her throat and snorted. "Yeah, I know. What’d he do this time?"

"He beat me, made me run fifty miles, and talked to me like I’m some clueless pup."

Anna shrugged, leaning back against the headboard, her composure returning. "Morgan, you’re powerful but no one here knows that. You have to follow our rules. Even if you could technically snap Felix in half."

I groaned, rubbing my hands over my face. "Fine. I’ll try."

"Good." She shifted, pulling the blanket a little higher over Sophie's lap. Her tone shifted from playful to completely serious. "Now. The full moon is tomorrow night. We need to finalize the plan."

"Right." I dropped onto the edge of my bed, the exhaustion settling deep into my bones. "We need supplies. Chains. Lots of heavy chains."

Anna nodded. "The hardware store in town opens at eight."

"Perfect."

Sophie yawned loudly, blinking up at us with sleepy eyes. "Can I help?"

Anna laughed softly, the tension completely dissolving as she smoothed Sophie's hair. "Probably not, sweetheart. But we can pick out a new toy for you while we're there."

Sophie perked up instantly, all signs of sleep vanishing. "A big one?"

"We’ll see," Anna teased.

Morgan

It was barely five in the morning, but my body felt like it was humming with live electricity. Today was the full moon.

I slipped out of bed, already dressed in my training gear, desperate to move before the restless energy clawing at my chest drove me insane. I thought I had moved quietly, but Sophie stirred beside me. Her tiny hand reached out blindly in the dark until it brushed my arm.

“Aunt Morgan?” she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. Her brow furrowed, her small fingers wrapping around my wrist. “You feel hot.”

I sat back down on the edge of the mattress and gently stroked her hair, forcing my racing heart to slow. “I'm okay, sweetie. It's just the moon tonight. It makes me a little warm.”

She blinked up at me, her eyes wide and entirely too perceptive for a five year old. “Are you scared?”

My chest tightened in that familiar, aching way. I leaned down, pressing my forehead gently against hers. “Never. Not when I have you to come back to. I'm just going out to do some training. Go back to sleep, I'll be back before you wake up properly”.

Sophie wrinkled her nose. “Are you training with the bossy man?”

I let out a quiet, genuine laugh. “Yes, with Felix. I'll make sure I am bossier for you.”

“Okay,” she yawned, seemingly satisfied. She rolled over, climbing into Anna’s bed and instantly burrowing into the blankets that smelled like her.

I lingered for a moment, watching her tiny chest rise and fall. Leaving her today felt wrong. My wolf was frantic, and the full moon was already pulling at my insides like a physical hook.

But I had to train. I had to keep up the act. I had to pretend I wasn’t one bad moment away from losing control completely.

I slipped out quietly and headed toward the training grounds.

The air was sharp and cold, biting at my skin. Every sound felt amplified — the rustle of leaves, the distant heartbeat of a deer, the soft hum of the pack house behind me. My wolf paced inside me, claws scraping, breath hot and impatient.

I clenched my jaw. This was going to be hell

Felix

I spotted her the moment she stepped onto the training field.

Her hair was pulled back tightly, but everything else about her was unravelling. Her shoulders were rigid, her jaw locked, and her eyes were darting around the tree line, sharper and more frantic than usual.

She looked feral. She looked dangerous. And God help me, she looked beautiful.

"Morning," I called, stepping into her path.

She didn’t even look at me. "Let’s just get this over with."

I frowned, catching the slight tremor in her hands. This wasn't just leftover anger from me pinning her in the ring yesterday. The air around her practically vibrated with repressed energy.

"Didn't sleep?" I asked, keeping my voice low. "The moon is pulling at you, isn't it?"

"I'm fine," she snapped, finally snapping her gaze up to meet mine.

I opened my mouth to tell her she didn't have to play tough with me, but the words died in my throat.

For a split second, her hazel eyes completely vanished, swallowed by a blinding, terrifyingly bright white.

I stumbled back half a step, my own wolf instantly dropping into a defensive crouch inside my mind. It was exactly like yesterday. And it was completely involuntary. Her beast was so close to the surface today that it was literally leaking out of her.

What the hell was that?

She blinked hard, the white vanishing as she turned her head away, her breathing suddenly ragged.

"I said let's go," she muttered, marching past me toward the track.

Morgan

I reached the edge of the dirt track, my calves still aching slightly from last night's fifty mile punishment. Felix jogged up beside me a second later, looking obnoxiously energetic and entirely too smug for my liking. Call me bitter.

"Ready for round two?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"If round two involves me throwing you into the tree line, then yes," I said flatly. "But here we are."

He let out a low, rough laugh. God, I hated that sound. For a split second, the sheer warmth of it almost made me smile. Almost.

But before my lips could even twitch, the moon tugged at my beast again. It was a sharp, physical pull, like a heavy iron hook sinking directly into my ribs. I gasped quietly, wincing as my hand instinctively flew to my chest.

Felix’s smugness vanished instantly, his Alpha instincts flaring. He took a step closer, crowding my space. "You okay?"

"Fine," I lied through gritted teeth, forcing my hand back to my side and locking my wolf down in the darkest corner of my mind. "Just start the session, Felix."

He studied me for a long moment, suspicion flickering in his dark eyes. He knew I was lying, but he also knew better than to push a feral wolf on the day of a full moon.

"Alright," he finally said, stepping back into his trainer role. "Warm up laps. Fifteen miles."

I groaned, glaring at him. My wolf didn't want to run in circles; it wanted to hunt. "You’re doing this on purpose."

"Absolutely," he smirked, the arrogant Alpha returning in full force. "Get moving."

I rolled my eyes, turned my back on him, and started to run.

Felix

Something was seriously wrong.

Morgan ran her fifteen miles like something invisible was hunting her. There was no pacing, no rhythm—just a desperate, frantic sprint. By the time she finished her final lap, she bent double, hands braced on her knees, her chest heaving violently.

"Alright," I said, trying to keep my voice even as I approached her. "Boxing ring next."

She straightened up. For a split second, her eyes flared that terrifying, glowing white again. "Fine."

But her voice was completely strangled. And for the first time since I’d dragged her out of that abandoned house… Morgan looked scared.

Morgan

I stepped toward the ring, but the moment my hand grasped the ropes, my wolf violently surged against my ribs.

Shift.

No.

Now!

My vision fractured, the edges of the gym blurring into sharp, chaotic colours. A wave of blistering heat slammed through my veins, knocking the air straight from my lungs. I felt my canines ache, my nails lengthening, digging into the calluses of my palms so hard they threatened to break the skin.

Felix stepped up onto the mat, his brow furrowed. "Morgan?"

I swallowed hard, tasting copper. "We need to stop."

"What? Why?"

"Because I’m—"

A phantom crack echoed in my ears as my bones actually threatened to realign. My knees completely buckled. I gripped the thick ring ropes with a desperate, white knuckled hold just to stay upright, gasping for air.

Felix rushed forward, his hands reaching out. "Morgan!"

"Don’t touch me!" I snarled. The sound didn't come out human. It was a guttural, terrifying rasp that echoed through the gym.

Felix froze halfway to me, his hands still raised.

I squeezed my eyes shut, pouring every ounce of ancient magic and sheer willpower I had into forcing my beast back down beneath my skin. "I need to go. Now."

Felix’s Alpha edge vanished, his voice dropping into something soft and desperately protective. "Morgan, talk to me. What’s happening? Let me help."

I backed away so fast I nearly tripped over my own feet. "You can’t."

His jaw tightened, hurt flashing in his dark eyes. "Why won't you trust me?"

Because you’re my mate, my wolf screamed. Because the scent of you and your sister is tearing my instincts in half. Because if you touch me right now, I won't be able to stop myself from shifting, claiming you, and tearing apart anyone who gets in my way.

My mind was a chaotic, overwhelming storm. Between the impossible love triangle and the lethal threat of the supermoon, I was seconds away from a m******e. I couldn't trust anyone today. Especially not him.

But I couldn’t say any of that.

"I just can’t," I whispered, my voice breaking.

Before he could take another step, I turned and ran.

Felix

She bolted out of the gym doors like she was on fire.

I didn’t chase her. I couldn't. My feet felt glued to the mat, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs. Inside my mind, my wolf was pacing relentlessly, entirely unsettled by what had just happened.

Mature wolves don’t struggle to almost shift in the middle of the morning. And their eyes certainly didn't glow blinding white.

Something was wrong. Very wrong. And whatever Morgan was hiding... it was powerful enough to terrify her.

Morgan

I sprinted blindly into the dense forest behind the pack house, branches whipping against my arms and face. I didn't care about the sting. I just needed distance. I needed the freezing mountain air to cool the blistering heat in my veins.

I didn’t stop running until I finally spotted what Anna had described last night — a heavy stone structure half buried in the earth, practically swallowed by thick moss and creeping vines.

I grabbed the rusted iron handle and yanked the heavy door open, stumbling into the dark.

The air inside was damp and smelled of old earth and rot. Heavy iron rings and rusted chains hung securely from the solid stone walls. It looked like a medieval dungeon.

It was perfect.

I leaned my back against the freezing stone, my legs finally giving out. I slid down to the dirt floor, my hands shaking uncontrollably as I pulled my knees to my chest.

Tonight, the supermoon would rise.

Tonight, my beast would wake for the first time in four hundred years.

And if Anna didn't bind me in those chains tightly enough... I was going to tear this entire valley apart.

Some time later

Morgan

I didn't stay in the cellar long. The damp cold only grounded me for a few minutes before the panic set back in. I needed clothes for the aftermath. I needed to see Sophie one last time.

I don't even remember the run back to the pack house. I slipped through the back doors like a ghost, keeping my head down and my breathing shallow until I finally reached my bedroom and slammed the door shut.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

My internal clock was screaming. The sun was going to set in a few hours.

I grabbed a duffel bag from the closet, my hands shaking so badly I could barely work the zipper. I started shoving things inside—a loose t-shirt, sweatpants, a water bottle. Anything I might need when the sun finally came up tomorrow and I was human again.

The bedroom door clicked open.

I spun around, a feral growl ripping out of my throat before I could stop it.

Anna froze in the doorway. She didn't flinch at the sound. She just looked at my trembling hands, my pale face, and the desperate, wild look in my eyes.

Slung over her shoulder was a massive, heavy canvas bag. She let it slide to the floor. It hit the wood with the distinct, terrifying clink of thick, heavy duty iron.

"I went to town while you were training," Anna said softly, kicking the door shut behind her. "I bought the thickest ones they had. Industrial grade."

I stared at the bag of chains, my throat tightening so hard I couldn't breathe. The reality of what we were about to do crashed over me.

"Anna," I whispered, my voice cracking. "If these don't hold me—"

"They will," she interrupted, stepping forward and entirely ignoring the danger radiating off my skin. She reached out, her warm, steady hands wrapping around my shaking wrists. She didn't look at me like I was a monster. She looked at me like an equal.

"Pack your bag, Morgan," Anna said fiercely. "The sun is starting to go down. It's time to lock you up."