CRACKS IN THE PACK

CRACKS IN THE PACK

AYLA’S POV

The air is thick with tension as I stand at the center of the pack’s meeting. It’s chaotic. Wolves shouting over each other, rogues glaring at the elders, and the younger wolves , the ones still too unsure to choose a side watching nervously. Their eyes flick between me and the others, uncertain, but you can feel the fear radiating off them. And it’s all directed at me.

Somehow, I’ve become the symbol of everything they fear. The mark on my wrist is faint but still there, glowing just enough for them to see. It’s like a scar they can’t look away from, no matter how hard they try.

I feel exposed, like every single person here is waiting for me to prove I’m not one of them, one of those that ruined everything. They’re calling me cursed, accusing me of being marked by the same forces that birthed Nadira. Some are brave enough to demand I prove my loyalty. Others stand by, watching like they’re waiting for a reason to rip me apart.

And Garrick, he stands off to the side, trying to speak up for me. His words are swallowed by the doubt in the air, his voice weak next to their suspicions. They don’t care what he ha sto saycor the fact that he has been helping more than they have. All they see is a rogue, and they see someone who doesn’t belong. I can see it on their faces. It doesn’t matter that he’s trying to defend me. To them, it’s a weakness.

I stand there, trying to breathe through it, trying not to snap. The mark burns like it always does when I’m around them — these wolves who should’ve been my family, but now all they do is look at me like I’m a ticking time bomb. I’m tired. Tired of being the reason the pack is falling apart. Tired of them forgetting what it felt like when Nadira was in charge. Tired of the fear that lingers, even after she’s dead. It doesn’t make sense, not to me.

Enough is enough. I step forward, trying to drown out the chaos in the room. My voice comes out calm, but the words hit harder than I intended. "What’s the difference between me and the wolves you all let ruin everything?" I say, my eyes meeting the ones who dare to question me. “You feared Nadira, but you stood by, letting her rip us apart. Now you want to tear apart the only ones who fought back. You think I am dangerous? Maybe you should be asking yourselves why you let this happen in the first place.”

I feel the weight of their eyes on me, all of them silent for a moment. I don’t ask to lead them. I’m not asking for that. I just want them to understand that we can’t keep tearing each other apart. Not now. Not when there’s still so much to fight for. I look at them, waiting for an answer that never comes. They don’t speak. They never do when I’m standing my ground.

But Thane... I catch his gaze for a second. He’s watching me, but he’s distant. His eyes, usually full of warmth, are cold, unreadable. He doesn’t speak up when I finish. That’s the part that worries me, the silence. I expected something, a word, a gesture. Anything to let me know he is still with me. But he stays quiet, his expression more closed off than ever.

He has been withdrawing lately, I can feel it. At first, I thought it was stress or fear… now I am not so sure

It scares me.

Later that night, after the pack meeting breaks apart, I find myself sitting with him outside the mansion. The wind’s blowing through the trees, and the moon is high above us, casting everything in silver. It’s quieter now, but it feels like the calm before a storm. I’m exhausted, my mind still racing from the meeting. I lean my head against his shoulder, letting the silence stretch. I need to hear his voice, but I’m not sure how to start. I can’t push him. Not now.

“Thane?” My voice is soft, but it feels heavy with all the words I’ve been holding in. “What’s going on? You’ve been... off. What’s wrong?”

He takes a long time to answer, like he’s weighing each word. Finally, he speaks, his voice low, almost hesitant. “I’ve been having dreams,” he says quietly. “Vivid ones. Violent ones.”

I frown, my stomach twisting. “What kind of dreams?”

He’s quiet again, like he’s trying to put the pieces together. “I don’t remember all of it. I remember... pain. And fire. And screams. I don’t remember exactly who, but I... I feel like I’m hurting someone. And… I think it’s you.”

I pull back, my heart hammering in my chest. “You would never hurt me.” The words come out before I can stop them. I know he wouldn’t. He can’t. But the doubt in his voice makes my stomach churn.

He doesn’t answer right away. The silence between us is heavy, more suffocating than I’ve ever felt. He looks away, his jaw tight, and I know he’s battling something I can’t even begin to understand. I want to say more, to make him understand that I believe in him, but the words won’t come.

I reach out and touch his hand, trying to offer comfort, but as soon as my skin brushes his, I feel it, the sharp, sudden pain in my wrist. The mark. It pulses, hotter than it’s ever been. I gasp, pulling away instinctively, clutching my shoulder.

“What is it?” Thane’s voice is urgent, and he’s immediately at my side. He grabs my arm, but the moment his hand touches me, the pain doubles. I jerk away from him, panic flaring up in my chest.

Thane looks just as stunned as I feel. “Ayla, what the hell is happening?”

I can’t answer. My mind is racing, my thoughts a blur. The mark burns like it’s alive, like it’s connected to something deeper inside of me. But it’s not just the mark, is it? It’s something else, something... wrong. Something that’s shifting in the air, in me, in him. I look at him, trying to make sense of it, but there’s a coldness in his eyes I don’t understand. A distance that wasn’t there before.

I don’t say it out loud, but the thought claws at me from the inside: What if it’s not just the mark that’s changing? What if it’s him too?

The night drags on, but I can’t shake the feeling that something is unraveling. The pack is still divided, and now, with the mark burning on my skin, I can’t escape the reality that the darkness isn’t just lingering. It’s pulling at all of us.

I don’t sleep much that night. I lie awake, staring up at the ceiling, trying to make sense of everything. But the only thing I’m sure of is that the pack is breaking. And Thane... I’m starting to wonder if I’m losing him too.

That night, I dream of shadows again. This time, they’re beneath the ruins, slithering, moving in ways they shouldn’t. I hear whispers, soft at first, then louder, growing louder until they’re practically shouting. They’re calling my name. But they don’t sound like Thane. It’s something else, something cold. And I can feel it watching me. Waiting.

I wake with a start, my breath ragged, and the only
thing I know for sure is that we’re running out of time.