The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting a warm golden glow over the Heathcliff Pack's territory. Adeline stood on the edge of the forest, her heart still racing from the morning's training session with the pack members. It had been intense, exhilarating even, but she couldn't shake the feeling of being a foreigner in this world. Derrick had been quiet again, his presence like an invisible weight in the air, always just out of reach. Despite the bond they shared, there was a distance between them that left her feeling both lost and uncertain.
As dusk fell, she decided to take another walk. The sounds of the forest, the rustling leaves, the distant calls of night creatures, offered her a rare moment of solitude. With each step, the reality of her situation settled deeper into her bones. She wasn't just a visitor here anymore—she was part of a pack, a world of wolves, a world she didn't fully understand.
Adeline had been avoiding the thoughts of what Derrick had said earlier—that there were wolves within the pack who didn't agree with his leadership. Her mind had been preoccupied with trying to fit in, to find her place in this strange new reality. But the fear lingered, just beneath the surface.
As she walked further into the woods, she heard a noise—a rustling in the bushes. A bird, perhaps? Or maybe a rabbit scurrying for cover. But as the sound grew louder, her instincts kicked in. Something wasn't right. Her senses felt heightened, as if the very air around her was charged with danger. She paused, her heart pounding in her chest, straining to listen.
And then, from the shadows of the trees, emerged a figure.
It wasn't Derrick. It wasn't any of the pack members she'd met. No, this was something entirely different.
The creature was massive, its fur a deep, almost unnatural shade of black. It stood on all fours, but even from this distance, Adeline could see the muscles rippling beneath its sleek coat. Its eyes gleamed with an eerie, predatory light—a yellow-gold that made her stomach twist with unease.
Adeline's breath hitched, her heart racing as the creature stepped forward, its heavy paws sinking into the earth with a soft thud. Her instincts screamed at her to run, to get out of there, but her body remained frozen in place, unable to move. She could feel the weight of the wolf's gaze on her, its eyes locked onto hers, and she knew—knew deep down—that this was no ordinary animal. This was a creature of the pack, but not one aligned with Derrick. This was one of the rogues.
The rogue wolf growled low in its throat, its body tense, ready to strike. Adeline took a step back, the sound of her shoes crunching on the forest floor too loud in the otherwise silent night. The wolf's ears perked up, and it took a step forward.
"Stay back," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath. But the words had no power, and the wolf didn't listen.
It lunged.
Adeline stumbled back, but her legs were weak from fear, and she barely managed to avoid the wolf's sharp claws. The wind rushed in her ears as she scrambled to her feet, the blood pounding in her temples. She knew she couldn't outrun it—not with how fast it moved, not in the woods, not with the way the rogue wolf was closing in on her.
Adeline's mind raced as she searched for an escape. But before she could react, a powerful force collided with the rogue wolf, sending it tumbling away from her. She didn't have time to process what had happened—her heart still thrummed in her chest, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
And then, through the fog of adrenaline and panic, she heard a voice—a familiar, soothing voice.
"Adeline, get back!" Derrick's voice rang out, commanding, fierce.
She didn't have to be told twice. Her legs finally found the strength to move, and she turned, sprinting toward the safety of the trees. But as she glanced back, her heart sank. Derrick was facing off against the rogue wolf, his body tense and poised, his eyes glowing with a dangerous intensity. His form was changing—his features elongating, his body growing in size and muscle. He was shifting.
Adeline barely made it to a thick tree trunk when she heard the wolf's growls again. Her gaze flickered back to see Derrick, now fully in his wolf form, towering over the rogue wolf. The two wolves circled each other, their growls reverberating through the air like thunder. Derrick's fur gleamed silver in the fading light, his movements sharp and controlled, while the rogue wolf was wild, unpredictable.
Adeline's heart ached for him. She had never seen him like this—fierce, untamed, primal. It was like a side of him she didn't fully understand, and yet it was the side that called to her, that made her pulse race with both awe and fear.
The rogue wolf lunged again, teeth bared, but Derrick was faster. He dodged the attack and struck, his powerful jaws clamping down on the rogue's shoulder. The rogue howled in pain, but it wasn't over yet. It fought back with desperation, its claws slashing through the air, narrowly missing Derrick's side.
Adeline watched in horror as the two wolves continued their brutal battle. It was like nothing she'd ever seen before—savage, primal, and full of raw power. She wanted to help, wanted to do something, but she was paralyzed with fear, unable to move.
And then, just as it seemed the rogue wolf was about to land a fatal blow on Derrick, the wolf faltered. Derrick's jaws locked around the rogue's throat, his teeth sinking deep. The rogue's body went limp, and with one final, powerful shake, Derrick tossed it aside like a ragdoll.
The rogue wolf lay motionless on the ground, its chest still.
Adeline's breath caught in her throat. Derrick stood over the fallen wolf, his chest heaving with exertion, his eyes glowing with that same feral intensity. For a long moment, the two werewolves just stared at each other, their breaths heavy in the night air.
Then, without a word, Derrick shifted back into his human form. He was naked, his body glistening with sweat and blood, but his eyes were on her, softening when they met hers.
"Adeline…" His voice was hoarse, but there was a tenderness in it that made her heart ache.
She took a step forward, her feet unsteady as she approached him. "You… you saved me."
Derrick's gaze flickered to the fallen rogue wolf, then back to her. "I would never let anything happen to you. You're mine, Adeline. I'll protect you with everything I have."
Her heart skipped a beat at his words, and for the first time since arriving in the pack, she felt a sense of peace. But even that peace was short-lived. As Derrick stepped toward her, a sudden, unsettling sound broke the silence.
A crackling sound.
Adeline's eyes widened as she turned to the source of the noise—a figure emerging from the shadows, just beyond the trees. Her stomach dropped.
A tall figure stepped into view. It wasn't Derrick. It wasn't the rogue.
It was another wolf. But this one—this one was different. This one wasn't like the others. This wolf had an aura of power that made Adeline's skin crawl.
Derrick tensed, his body shifting instinctively.
"Who's there?" he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
The figure didn't answer.
Instead, it stepped forward into the light, revealing a face that made Adeline's heart race for a very different reason.
It was Silas, Derrick's younger brother. But his eyes weren't filled with curiosity this time. They were filled with something darker.
And the worst part? His lips curled into a smirk.
"You shouldn't have interfered, Derrick," Silas said, his voice dripping with malice.