The mins of the Sacred Hall stul song and silent beneath the mollt sky. The air seat cond and crimp with the fingering danys earth and old stone. We had decided to set up camp before holding to the Eclining Pines the need morning.
A fire crackled in the center of our camp, its flames flickering again carvings, illuminating the stories etched into the stone storiesof
The ancient walls Shadows danced along the weathered
first pack over formed
Even in school, we had been taught about this place, how it was the birthplace of the werewolves, where the first Alpha and Lana swore their vows beneath the stars. But standing fett now, feeling the history beneath my feet, was different. It was like I could. sense the ghosts of the past, whispering through the wisd
1 wrapped my arms around my legs, staring into the flames as the others settled in Isalah sharpened his blade absentmindedly. Elijah leaned back against a rock with his arms crossed, and Austin ay stretched out, one arm resting over his eyes. Alex, however, stood a little ways off, gazing at the stars.
Something about the way he stood, the tension in his shoulders, marke
“I’m going to take a walk,” I mutnuired.
Elijah lifted a brow but said nothing.
push to my feet.
nothing. Isaiah glanced up briefly, his eyes flickering toward Alex before nodding
I stepped away from the fire, my boots crunching softly against the gravel. Alex turned when he heard me approach, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “Couldn’t resist my charm, huh?”
1 rolled my eyes. “Maybe I just wanted some peace and quiet.”
He chuckled, tilting his head toward a secluded spot just beyond the ruins. “Come on, I wanna show you something”
I followed him through the broken archways until we reached an open clearing. The sky stretched endlessly above us, the stars burning bright and clear.
“Wow,” I breathed,
Alex lay down on the grass, resting his hands behind his head. “Best view in the world.”
I hesitated before sitting beside him, the cold grass tickling my palm
For a moment, we just stared at the sky. He pointed up at a cluster of stars. “See that?”
I squinted. “Which one?”
“The three bright ones in a row. That’s Orion’s Belt.”
I nodded, watching as he traced different constellations with his finger. His usual playful demeanor was gone, replaced by something quieter, more thoughtful
“Used to stargaze a lot when I was a kid,” he murmured. “It made everything feel… smaller. Like no matter what happened, the universe just kept going, and my problems didn’t seem so big.”
1 glanced at him, noticing the way his jaw clenched slightly. “You don’t talk about y
He gave a wry smile. “Not much to talk about.”
1 nudged him. “Liar.”
your past much.”
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Chapter 161
His smirk faltered. He exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. “I had dreams, you know. Big ones. I wanted to travel and see the world. But life had other plan-
1 know that feeling all too well.
Thens bee
turnerd
his head i
toward me, his expression suddenly serious “And then you came along.”
He gave a short, almost disbelieving laugh. “Stormi, you changed everything. You became the center of it all–of everything I think about, everything I want.”
My chest tightened at his words. He wasn’t joking.
Slowly, I reached up, my fingers brushing against his cheek. His breh hitched slightly at the contact, his eyes locking onto mine.
I didn’t think, I just leaned in.
Our lips met, soft and unhurried. He tasted warm, like fire, and something entirely Alex–familiar, yet thrilling all the same. His hand slid to the back of my neck, holding me there like he was afraid I’d disappear.
When we finally pulled away, he exhaled a shaky breath. “That was.
yeah,” I whispered, my heart pounding
We sat there for a moment, letting the quiet settle around us. Then, from the campfire, we heard Austin’s voice echo through the
“Ohhh, you sly bastard!”
I groaned, burying my face in my hands as laughter erupted from the others.
Alex just grinned, standing up and offering me his hand. “Guess we should face the wolves.”
1 sighed, taking h
his hand as he pulled me up. “They’re never gonna let this go, are they?”
“Not a chance.”
We walked back to the fire, where Isaiah, Elijah, and Austin were waiting
with
smug grins.
“Took this chance to go behind our backs and make your move huh? Elijah teased.
Alex smirked. “You’re just too slow my y dear friend *
“You’ve always been
been sneaking,” Isaiah teased.
Alex just shrugged, looking completely unbathered. “What can I say? Timing is everything”
I sat down, trying to ignore the heat rising to my cheeks. Thankfully, the conversation shifted as Isaiah tossed another log onto the
“So,“he said, his tone more serious. “We never got to talk about the trials in the Sacred Hall”
That sobered everyone up quickly.
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Chapter 161
Elijah exhaled. “Mine was about trust. I had to face a version of myself that doubted everything–doubted you all, doubted this mission. He shook his head. It nearly broke me.”
Isaiah Bodded. “Mine was about wisdoms. I had to choose between what I wanted and what was right.
Austin stretched his arms over his head. “Mine was cage. I had tace a nightmare from my past and choose whether to fight or
They all turned to me.
1 hesitated. “Mine was sacrifice.”
Isaiah’s gaze sharpened. “What kind of sacrifice?”
1 swallowed. “I had to choose between you three. One of you had to be left behind.”
The fire crackled in the silence that followed.
Alex frowned. “And you chose…?”
I met his gaze. “Myself.”
Something flickered in Isaiah’s eyes. He nodded once, understanding what that choice had meant.
“Stormi,” Elijah said quietly, “we would never
off, offering a small smile. “That’s why I chose me. Because I couldn’t lose any of you.”
“I know,” I cut
at him a
No one spoke for a while after that. But the warmth of the fire, the quiet presence of my mates beside me, made me feel… safe.
No matter what lay ahead, I knew one thing for sure,
I wasn’t alone.
And I never would be.
Chapter Comments
Alomea
why Alex didn’t have his trial? and why he didn’t appear in stormi’s trial?
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