Shadows of Destiny

The estate was no longer just a sanctuary—it was a battlefield waiting to ignite.

Leah stood in the war room with Kai, Selene, Vivienne, and the rest of the pack's top warriors. The air was thick with tension, the weight of Lucian's return pressing down on them all.

"He was dead," Selene muttered, still rubbing the bruise on her ribs from Lucian's earlier attack. "I saw his body."

Kai's jaw clenched. "That wasn't my brother anymore."

Leah swallowed hard, her mind replaying the moment Lucian touched her. That strange, dark pulse inside her had reacted to him. Whatever he was now… it had awakened something buried deep within her.

She needed answers.

And she needed them now.

"Vivienne," Leah turned to the elder wolf. "You said the Forsaken aren't just wolves. What are they?"

Vivienne hesitated before speaking. "They are souls claimed by something… unnatural. Wolves, vampires, even humans. Once they cross that threshold, they become something new—something bound to Azrael."

Claire shuddered. "So he's building an army of the undead?"

Vivienne shook her head. "Not undead. Worse. The Forsaken retain their intelligence, their memories, and their grudges." Her gaze flickered to Kai. "Lucian came back for a reason."

Leah knew what that reason was.

It was her.

But why?

She turned to Kai. "We need to go to the Hollow Archives. Now."

Kai exhaled. "It's too dangerous. If Azrael is reviving Forsaken, he's already several steps ahead of us."

Leah squared her shoulders. "Then we take the fight to him."

The room fell silent.

Kai stared at her, golden eyes searching. "You don't even know what you're up against."

She met his gaze without flinching. "Then I guess I'll find out."

They left that night.

Leah, Kai, Selene, Damon—who had finally returned with nothing but shadows in his eyes—and a handful of warriors moved under the cover of darkness.

The Hollow Archives lay hidden deep in the Forsaken Woods, a place even the most fearless wolves dared not tread. It was said to hold the oldest secrets of their kind.

And if Leah was right, it held the truth about her.

The journey was silent, save for the rustling of leaves and the distant howls of unknown creatures.

Damon walked beside her, his crimson gaze unreadable. He hadn't spoken much since his return, but Leah could feel something different in him.

"You came back," she murmured.

He didn't look at her. "Did you think I wouldn't?"

She exhaled. "I didn't know what to think."

Damon finally turned, his eyes dark with something dangerous. "Lucian was in your head, wasn't he?"

Leah hesitated. "It wasn't just my head." She placed a hand on her chest. "I felt him. Felt something wake up inside me."

Damon's expression hardened. "That's exactly what I was afraid of."

Before she could ask what he meant, Kai's voice cut through the night. "We're here."

Leah turned.

The Hollow Archives loomed before them.

The entrance was carved into the base of a massive blackened tree, its roots twisting into eerie patterns. A soft hum vibrated through the air—ancient magic, alive and waiting.

Vivienne stepped forward, her fingers grazing the bark. "This place predates the oldest packs. It was sealed centuries ago to keep something inside."

Leah felt a shiver crawl down her spine.

Then why are we opening it?

Kai placed his palm against the tree, and the air around them shuddered. A deep, guttural click echoed as the entrance split open, revealing a staircase leading into darkness.

"No turning back now," Selene muttered.

Leah swallowed her fear and stepped inside.

The Hollow Archives were nothing like she expected. The walls were lined with ancient texts, glowing runes illuminating the space. The air smelled of old parchment and something familiar.

Leah stopped in her tracks.

A stone pedestal stood at the center of the room, a single book resting atop it.

She moved forward, heart pounding. The moment her fingers brushed the cover, pain exploded in her mind.

Memories—ones that weren't hers—rushed through her.

A woman with silver eyes. A war between creatures that didn't belong in this world. A child hidden away, her identity erased to protect her from something dark.

A child with her face.

Leah stumbled back, gasping. "I'm not—"

Damon caught her before she fell. "What did you see?"

Leah's voice trembled. "I'm not just human."

Kai stiffened. "Then what are you?"

The answer came in a whisper from the darkness.

"She is the key."

They spun around.

Lucian stood at the entrance, his silver eyes gleaming with amusement.

"You should've stayed hidden, little one."

Before anyone could react, the ground beneath them shook.

The runes on the walls flickered violently as the magic in the air cracked.

The Forsaken had found them.

And they weren't leaving without Leah.

---

Now, Leah knows she's not just a human. But what does that mean for her future? And why is Lucian so determined to take her?

The battle for the truth begins now.