The horses’ hooves crunched softly over fallen leaves as the group rode deeper into the forest. The wind was cool, brushing through the trees, but the air around the Alphas was anything but calm.
Laughter broke out among them, loud and unfiltered.
“So,” Revin said with a smirk, nudging his horse closer to the group, “you all ready for the dance?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Moren replied, grinning. “Nights like that always get... interesting.”
They all chuckled knowingly.
Kade leaned in a little. “Heard Thunder Paw’s little mute is showing up.”
Zayn’s grip on his reins tightened.
Revin raised a brow. “Really? Thought she’d be locked up somewhere. She used to be nothing but bones.”
Kade snorted. “Yeah, but have you seen her lately? Not so little anymore.”
Moren gave a slow nod. “Quiet types always end up being the most fun. No fuss.”
“She won’t make a scene,” Kade added with a grin. “Doesn’t even talk.”
The laughter that followed was low and suggestive.
“She’ll keep the night peaceful,” Revin said, chuckling. “In all the right ways.”
Their laughter echoed between the trees.
Zayn’s stomach turned.
He spurred his horse forward, riding ahead without a word.Their voices faded behind him, but their words stayed in his head, clawing at the edges of his mind.
They didn’t see Lily as a wolf or a person. They saw her as prey. Something pretty and innocent. Something to ruin.
Zayn’s jaw clenched tighter as he rode harder, the trees whipping past him, his heart pounding louder than the horse’s hooves.
He didn’t want to care. He had told himself again and again that she meant nothing. That this was all for politics. For power. That bringing her to the dance was a move—nothing more.
But when they spoke about her like that...
Something inside him snapped.
Zayn hated the full moon dance.
The laughing. The grabbing. The way it gave the worst kind of wolves an excuse to show who they really were. Just thinking about it stirred memories he tried hard to bury.
He pulled on the reins and slowed his horse as they reached the lake. The air was cooler here, quiet, calm. He dismounted and let the horse wander toward the edge to drink.
Zayn walked to the side, hands on his hips, trying to steady his breathing. The forest was still. For a second, he closed his eyes.
Then it hit. A sharp jolt tore through his chest. He gasped.
Pain shot down his arms, burning hot and fast. His legs buckled. He dropped to his knees, his fingers clawing at the dirt. Another wave of pain tore through his spine, and he choked on his breath.
His wolf was restless. More than restless. It was going feral.
Zayn’s vision blurred. He gritted his teeth, trying to hold the shift back, trying to stay human. But the beast inside him was fighting—growling, snarling, desperate to break free. It slammed against his ribs like it wanted out now.
‘Why the hell is this happening now?’
His horse reared in panic and bolted, hooves kicking up dirt as it disappeared into the trees.
Zayn bit down hard on his own hand to muffle the sound of his groan. He couldn’t let them find him .
He forced himself to crawl—every muscle in his body screaming—to the other side of the creek. Cold water soaked his pants as he dragged himself into the tall grass, hiding behind a large tree.
His nails dug into the bark just to keep from shifting. Sweat rolled down his face.
He could feel them now. The other Alphas. The King. They were close. Laughing still, talking. Their scent drifted toward him on the breeze.
Panic squeezed his lungs.
If they saw him —on the ground, shaking, half-shifted—they’d tear him apart. Call him unstable. Weak. Not fit to lead.
He pressed his head back against the tree and closed his eyes.
‘Ezra... I need help.’
His voice, in his mind, was strained and jagged. He didn’t even know if the mind-link reached him, or anyone. fr\eewe.bn(o)v\el.c(o)m
‘Ezra...? Anybody...’
He took a sharp breath, barely able to keep his wolf from clawing out. His fingers twitched, half-shifted claws scraping the dirt. fre.eweb novel\.c om
He didn’t know what triggered it. The dance? The wolves? Lily?
Maybe all of it. He tried again.
Then the world tilted sideways, his vision going black around the edges.
Soon the silence was broken.The Alpha King and the other Alphas arrived at the creek. They slowed their horses, each rider lifting their head slightly, sniffing the air with sharp focus.
“Something was here,” Revin muttered, his nose wrinkling. “Smells off.”
Moren dismounted, narrowing his eyes. “It’s not prey... this is stronger. Wilder.”
“What could it be?” Revin pondered.
“These forests are ancient,” The King remarked, “Anything could be lurking between trees.”
They moved cautiously toward the edge of the trees, sniffing deeper, scanning the grass, and their eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. A couple of them stepped into the creek and started wading across. Zayn tensed where he was curled, and trembling.
A rustle from the bushes to the left.
Fast, sharp movement. Too big for a rabbit. It sprinted away swiftly disappearing deeper into the forest.
“There!” Kade shouted, already drawing his weapon as he gave chase on his horse.
The others followed suit without question. Eventually, the noise died down and the forest was quiet once more.
Behind the tree, Zayn barely breathed. He felt the shift in the air. The danger was moving away. His body was still burning, his wolf still snarling inside him, but at least for now he was safe.
He tried to sit up, dragging in ragged breaths.
Zayn paused. He smelled her. Sweet and soft, but laced with fear.
He opened his eyes, and Lily was there.
She stood just a few feet from him, frozen, her eyes wide with confusion and fear.
“What are you doing here?” he rasped, voice low and raw.
She didn’t answer. She just took a step closer, worried and confused. She could see he was hurt but didn’t know why.
He pushed himself up and tried to shove her away. “Go away...don’t come near.”
She followed his words immediately, but didn’t move fast enough.
His hand caught her arm, meant to push her—but the second their skin touched, something snapped inside him. His wolf surged.
His eyes glowed gold. His nails turned to claws.
He slammed her down onto the grass, his body suddenly over hers, hands gripping her shoulders hard.
She winced in pain but didn’t scream, didn’t fight. She just stared up at him, breathing hard, eyes full of fear.