Chapter 3 the invasion
499 Words
The clearing exploded into movement.
Warriors shifted.
Parents pulled children toward the center of the pack.
The Alpha began issuing orders.
"Lock down the eastern trail!"
"Get the younger wolves into the den!"
"Nobody crosses the northern boundary!"
I couldn't move.
Black Water.
The name meant nothing to me.
But it meant something to Nyra.
And that terrified me.
What do you remember?
Nothing.
Nyra.
Silence.
"Tell me."
I don't know.
"Then why are you scared?"
She didn't answer.
I looked toward the forest.
Somewhere beyond those trees were twenty wolves who had apparently entered Nero territory.
And they had arrived on the exact night of my first shift.
That couldn't be a coincidence.
Alpha Jackson approached me.
"Willow."
I looked at him.
"Stay with your parents."
"But—"
"No."
His tone was firm.
"You are a newly shifted wolf. You don't know how to control your strength yet."
I looked down at my enormous paws.
"I can help."
"I know you want to."
He glanced at my wolf.
"But I need you safe."
I hated that answer.
Still, I nodded.
The Alpha shifted.
His enormous gray wolf disappeared into the trees.
The warriors followed.
Luna Marie remained behind with the rest of the pack.
I stood beside my parents.
Parker approached cautiously.
"You're huge."
I looked at him.
He raised his hands.
"Compliment."
I huffed.
He smiled.
"Seriously, Willow. You're bigger than my dad."
I looked toward my father.
He was staring at me with an expression I'd never seen before.
Pride.
And fear.
"Why is everyone afraid of me?"
Dad shook his head.
"They're not afraid of you."
"Then what?"
He looked away.
"I don't know."
I knew he was lying too.
Apparently everyone had decided today was a great day for secrets.
A howl tore through the forest.
Then another.
Then several more.
The pack grew silent.
A low growl rolled through the clearing.
Parker's wolf, Jasper, surfaced.
I could feel his fear.
Not just Parker's.
Everyone's.
It hit me all at once.
Hundreds of emotions.
Fear.
Anger.
Confusion.
Protectiveness.
Panic.
They flooded my mind.
I gasped.
"Too much."
My mother grabbed my shoulders.
"Willow?"
"I can feel them."
"Feel what?"
"Their emotions."
She froze.
Parker stepped closer.
"What do you mean?"
I looked around.
"I can feel everyone."
The emotions became stronger.
One young wolf nearby was terrified.
I turned toward him.
Without thinking, I reached out.
"You're okay."
His breathing slowed.
The fear disappeared.
The wolf stared at me.
"What did you do?"
"I don't know."
But I did.
Somehow, I'd reached into his fear and pulled it away.
Nyra whispered inside my mind.
You can calm them.
"How?"
You were born knowing how.
The words sent a chill through me.
Born knowing.
That made no sense.
A scream suddenly came from the northern forest.
Everyone froze.
Then Alpha Jackson's howl echoed through the mountains.
It was a command.
Every wolf in the clearing responded.
The Black Water wolves had crossed the boundary.
- Writer
