WHEN SHADOWS UNITE

CHAPTER FOUR

THE ATTACK

Scott's eyes flashed with anger as he leapt forward, his body shifting into a powerful wolf form. He intercepted the figure, his jaws snapping shut just inches from its face. The figure let out a snarl, its own body shifting into a wolf-like form as it clashed with Ryker. The two werewolves fought fiercely, their bodies locked in a fierce battle.

Lydia was shocked with what was happening in front of her,it felt like she was in a movie,she couldn’t move it felt like she was stuck in a time zone that paused. Axel also joined the fight, his body also shifting into a wolf form as he attacked the rogue wolf. Lydia watched in shock, her heart racing with fear. She knew she had to get out of the way, but her feet seemed rooted to the spot and her mind blank.

The fight was already spilling over to where she stood. Lydia stumbled backward, her eyes fixed on the chaos unfolding before her Suddenly, a hand grasped her arm, pulling her away from the fight. Asher,the pack beta his eyes gleaming with concern. "Come on," he said, his voice low and urgent. "We need to get you to safety."

Lydia didn't need to be told twice. She followed Asher as he pulled her away from the fight, her heart pounding in her chest,with fear of what was happening before her eyes and fear of following a total stranger in a place she was new to.As they reached the safety of a nearby underbrush Asher turned to her, his eyes locked on hers. "Stay here””he said, his voice firm.

"Scott and Axel will take care of this. You just stay safe, okay?"

Lydia nodded, her mind racing with questions. What was going on?

Who was the rogue wolf? And what did it want?

But before she could ask any questions, Asher also shifted into a wolf form and bounded off into the fight, leaving Lydia alone and frightened in the underbrush.

And then, everything went black.

Lydia woke up to the sound of her alarm sounding in her ear. She lazily reached over to turn it off, but as she sat up in her bed, she was hit with a wave of memories from the previous night. The werewolves, the fight, Scott’s explanation... it all felt like a dream,but she knew it wasn't.

She rubbed her face, trying to process everything that had happened. How was any of this real? Werewolves, packs, alphas... it was like she was watching a movie or reading a fantasy novel. As she got out of bed and started getting ready for the day, Lydia mind wandered back to Scott.She couldn't believe she had stumbled into their world. And what did they want from her?

As she stared at herself in the mirror, Lydia made a decision. She wasn't going to go to work today. She needed time to process everything that had happened, to wrap her head around the fact that what happened last night was real.She called in sick to work,mentioning a sudden illness, and spent theday wandering around her room trying to make sense of it all. She browsed her phone and even try to read a book but nothing could take her mind away from what happened last night.

Lydia spent the evening at home with her family, trying to act normal despite the confusion in her mind. Her parents and sister chatted about their day, discussing everything from work and school to the latest TV shows. Lydia nodded along, pretending to be interested, but her mind kept wandering back to Scott and the werewolf world.

As they sat down for dinner, Lydia’s mom asked her about her day. Lydia hesitated, unsure of what to say. "It was fine," she said finally,trying to sound nonchalant.

Her mom raised an eyebrow. "Everything okay, sweetie?" she asked,with a concern look on her face. Lydia nodded quickly. "Yeah, everything's fine. Just a bit stressedout, I think. “ Her dad changed the subject, launching into a story about his day at work. Lydia listened quietly, grateful for the distraction.

As the evening wore on, Lydia helped her mom with the dishes and chatted with her sister about school. Despite the normalcy of the evening, Lydia couldn't shake the feeling that her life was about to

change in ways she couldn't even imagine, and she was not sure if she should discuss this issue with anyone yet. Later that night, as Lydia was getting ready for bed, her phone rang.

She glanced at the screen and saw an unknown number name.Her heart skipped a beat as she hesitated before picking the call ,wondering who it was."Hey," she said finally, answering the call.

"Hey, Lydia,”Scott’s voice was low and smooth. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

Lydia sat down on her bed, her heart racing. "What do you want, Scott?she asked, trying to sound calm.

"I just wanted to check on you," Scott said. "Make sure you're okay after everything that's happened,I should have called earlier but I didn’t want to rush you.

Lydia felt a flutter in her chest at his concern. "I'm fine," she said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Just trying to process everything, I guess."

Scott's voice was understanding. "I know it's a lot to take in. But I want you to know that I'm here for you,Lydia.I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe.

Lydia's heart skipped a beat at his words. What did he mean by "keep her safe"?

"Keep me safe,what do you mean by that,she said finally, trying to sound calm.

Scott's voice was reassuring. "You're not alone in this, Lydia. As they talked, Lydia felt a sense of comfort wash over her. Maybe,just maybe, she could trust Scott to keep her safe.But as she said her goodbye and was about to hang up.”Lydia I need to be honest with you” Scott said,you’re in danger and I don’t think I can protect you.