3/3
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–I–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.
1/3
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.”
I pulled back, searching their faces. “You all had illusions too?”
Alex nodded, his jaw tight. “We all faced our worst fears.”
2/3
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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