Chapter Eighty One–1
The morning air was thick with tension as we gathered in the clearing. The training had been brutal so far, pushing us to our limits, but today felt different. Heavier.
Eira stood before us, her silver eyes unreadable. “Today’s challenge will be unlike any you’ve faced before,” she said, pacing slowly. “Your enemy will not be an external force, but your own mind. You will endure illusions crafted to prey on your deepest fears.”
A cold chill settled over me.
“Illusions?” Elijah asked, crossing his arms. “So, nothing physical?”
Eira tilted her head. “Your mind is just as powerful as your body. Sometimes, the worst battles are fought within.”
I swallowed hard. That didn’t sound reassuring.
“Each of you will be placed in an isolated chamber, where your fears will manifest. You must fight through them, or they will consume you.” She let her gaze sweep over us. “Remember, nothing you see will be real… but the emotions will be. Face them, broken by them.”
I glanced at my mates. Isaiah looked wary, Austin’s hands curled into fists, and even Elijah, ever the fearless warrior, seemed uneasy,
or
be
A knot formed in my stomach. What would my fear be?
Eira clapped her hands. “Let’s begin.”
Before I could react, the ground beneath me shifted. A swirling vortex of silver mist engulfed me, pulling me down. I reached out, but my mates were already gone.
And then-
Darkness.
The moment the swirling mist swallowed me, I felt an eerie shift. My feet landed on solid ground, but the air was thick, suffocating, heavy with something unseen yet deeply familiar.
When the world sharpened around me, I froze.
I knew this place.
The packhouse.
But not as it was now–this was the past.
The scent of polished wood and faint traces of burning firewood lingered in the halls, just as it had when I was younger. The walls stretched high, the familiar creaky staircase ahead of me. The same long corridors where I had walked alone, too afraid to meet anyone’s gaze,
My pulse pounded as footsteps echoed from around the corner,
And then-
Laughter.
37 Fri, Apr To
Chapter Eighty One–1.
The sound sent a cold shiver down my spine.
I knew those voices.
I turned the corner and saw them.
A younger version of my mates.
They were different back then. Not the strong, loyal, devoted men they were now–but the cruel, arrogant boys who had tormented
me when we were younger.
And in the center of their circle, standing small and fragile-
Was me.
My breath caught in my throat.
A younger version of myself stood there, shoulders curled inward, her eyes wide but filled with unshed tears.
Elijah stood with his arms crossed, his golden eyes sharp, indifferent. Alex was smirking, arms slung casually over Austin’s shoulder, while Isaiah stood slightly behind them, his face unreadable.
They had her–me–cornered.
“You really think you belong here?” Austin sneered, taking
a
slow step
closer.
The younger me flinched, her fingers curling around the hem of her too–large sweater.
“I… I do belong here,” she whispered, but her voice was weak, trembling.
*
Alex let out a cruel chuckle. “You hear that? The runt thinks she’s one of us.
“Pathetic,” Isaiah muttered. His voice wasn’t mocking like the others–it was cold and detached, but that made it hurt all the more.
My stomach twisted.
“No… no, it wasn’t like this. They weren’t this cruel–were they?”
But I knew the truth.
They were.
Elijah finally stepped forward, his golden eyes unreadable. He studied her–me–for a long moment.
And then he whispered, “You’re nothing but a rogue.”
The words hit like a slap.
My younger self flinched, her body trembling.
“A mistake,” Austin added, his voice laced with cruelty. “That’s all you are.”
Alex tilted his head. “What do you think, Elijah? Should we let the tle runt stay? Or should we throw her back where she came from?”
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Chapter Eighty One–1
I clenched my fists.
I remembered this moment.
I remembered the way my heart had shattered that day, how I had run from them, hiding in the woods where no one could see me break.
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The Omega: Mated To The Four
Chapter Eighty One–2
I had been alone for so long.
And now, forced to relive it, I felt that same ache clawing at my chest.
“This isn’t real,” I told myself, breathing heavily. “This is just an illusion.”
But the pain was real. The memory was real.
And when Elijah–my Elijah, my mate, the man who would die to protect me now–said those words, the wound reopened, raw and bleeding.
“You’re nothing but a rogue. And when I become Alpha I’ll make sure we kick you out of the pack”
I felt my wolf stir, a low, warning growl rumbling in my chest.
No.
Not this time.
I wasn’t that weak, fragile girl anymore.
I took a step forward, my hands curling into fists. “That’s enough.”
They didn’t hear me.
Alex laughed. “Maybe we should run her out of the pack now before she embarrasses us anymore.”
“I SAID THAT’S ENOUGH!”
My voice shook the air, rippling through the illusion like thunder.
The younger me–that broken, terrified girl–lifted her head.
And then, for the first time, she saw me.
Our gazes met.
And something inside me shifted.
I wasn’t just watching the past.
I was inside it.
She–1–could hear me.
I stepped forward, eyes blazing. “You are not weak,” I told her. “You are not a mistake. And you sure as hell aren’t a runt.”
The illusion trembled.
Alex’s smirk faltered.
Austin took a step back.
Chapter Eighty One–2
Elijah’s golden eyes widened, flickering with something–recognition
The younger me stared at me, her lips parting slightly as if she were finally seeing herself clearly for the first time.
“Fight back,” I told her, my voice firm. “You do belong. And you are not alone.”
The air crackled with energy
Something deep within me–within her–awakened.
And then-
She roared.
Not a scream, not a cry–a roar.
Power erupted from her small frame, silver light bursting outward like wildfire.
And the illusion shattered.
The boys dissolved into mist, their laughter vanishing into silence.
And just like that-
The past was gone.
I gasped as the illusion broke. My body sagged, sweat dripping from my brow. My heart pounded against my ribs as I looked around.
I was back in the real world.
The clearing.
“Stormi!”
I turned just in time for a pair of arms to wrap around me.
Austin.
His warmth engulfed me, his hold so tight it was almost desperate.
.
“You’re okay,” he breathed against my hair. “You’re okay.”
I shuddered, burying my face into his shoulder. “It felt so real.”
A hand touched my back–Elijah. His gaze was intense, his fingers pressing gently against my skin as if grounding himself in my
presence.
Isaiah and Alex stood beside him, their faces pale but relieved,
“You were gone for almost an hour,” Isaiah murmured. “We were locked in our illusions, but none of them lasted as long as yours.”
pulled back, searching their faces. “You all had illusions too?”
Alex nodded, his jaw tight. We all faced our worst fears.”
Chapter Eighty One–2
Austin swallowed hard, his grip on me tightening. “I saw you die.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “Over and over.”
Elijah’s golden eyes darkened. “I saw myself hurting you. Turning into the monster I was always afraid I’d become.”
Isaiah let out a shaky breath. “I saw you leave us. Walk away and never come back.”
My heart clenched. We had all been tormented.
I reached for them, threading my fingers through theirs. “We made it through.”
Austin exhaled, his forehead pressing against mine. “Yeah… we did.”
Eira approached, her expression unreadable.
“Good,” she said simply. “You survived.”
I turned to her, my muscles still trembling. “Was this really necessary?”
She arched a brow. “Fear is a powerful thing, Stormi. It controls us more than we realize. If you can’t conquer it, it will control you.”
Her words rang like a warning in my heart. And I had an ominous feeling.
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