The night air crackled with tension. The pack had gathered in the courtyard, the scent of rain thick in the air as storm clouds rolled in. Leah's heart pounded as she stood beside Kai, her hands clenched into fists. They were preparing for war.
Damon stood in the shadows, his crimson eyes watching her with unreadable intensity. He had been distant lately, his loyalty in question. But tonight, none of that mattered. Tonight, they had to fight.
A sudden explosion shattered the silence, and figures emerged from the darkness. The Elders' warriors, cloaked in black, descended upon the estate like a plague. Wolves shifted mid-air, launching into battle, fangs flashing in the moonlight.
Leah barely had time to react before a searing pain shot through her veins. She collapsed to her knees, gasping. Her blood burned like fire, her vision blurring.
"Leah!" Kai's voice was distant, frantic.
Then, she heard another voice—inside her head. Awaken.
Power surged through her, raw and untamed. Her body trembled as golden light erupted from her palms. When she stood, the battlefield had gone eerily silent. The warriors had frozen, staring at her in horror.
She had changed.
Her once-human aura now pulsed with something ancient, something unstoppable.
But before she could process what was happening, a blade pressed against her throat.
"Damon?" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the roar of the storm.
He stood behind her, his grip firm, his breath warm against her neck. "I'm sorry, Leah," he murmured.
The world shattered.
Kai roared, lunging forward, but the Elders' forces closed in. Damon's hold tightened for a split second—then he was gone, vanishing into the night with a cryptic whisper: "This is the only way."
Leah fell to the ground, betrayal slicing deeper than any blade.
The battle raged on, but Leah could only hear one thing—the sound of her own heart breaking.
What had Damon done?
And worse… why did she still feel drawn to him?
The storm raged above, but the real storm had just begun.