The forest behind the Great Pack grounds was still and cool when Hailey stepped into the clearing for the first time since her painful shift. The morning sun glinted off the dew, but all Hailey felt was the wild thrumming beneath her skin—her wolf pushing, restless, powerful.
Liam Black stood in the center of the clearing, arms folded, wearing a faint smile that held both pride and caution.
"Today," he said, "we begin your training. But this won't be ordinary training, Hailey. You're not an ordinary wolf."
Hailey took a slow breath. "I'm ready."
Jason smirked. "We'll see."
Claire hopped onto a boulder. "Oh she's ready. Little sis turned into a glowing silver monster—uh, a beautiful glowing silver monster."
Hailey rolled her eyes, but her stomach fluttered. Excitement. Fear. Determination.
Liam motioned her forward.
"Shift."
Hailey closed her eyes and let her wolf rise.
This time, the shift wasn't painful—it was smooth, powerful, like sliding into a second skin. Her silver fur shimmered as sunlight hit it, and the air crackled faintly around her.
Jason whistled.
"She really is something else."
Hailey growled playfully—and the ground beneath her paws trembled.
Liam's eyes sharpened.
"There it is."
Hailey's wolf tilted her head. There what?
"Your power," Liam said. "You have earth-sense. A rare ability—one only ancient wolves possessed."
Hailey blinked. The earth beneath her paws felt alive… connected… pulsing in time with her heartbeat.
"Try running," Liam instructed.
She bolted forward—and the forest exploded into motion. Wind whipped through her fur, branches bent away from her path, as if the earth itself adjusted to her movement. She was fast—faster than she had any right to be.
Jason chased her but was left behind instantly.
"Hey! No fair—she's cheating!"
Claire yelled from the distance,
"She's not cheating—she's badass!"
Hailey skidded to a stop, the earth rising subtly beneath her paws to help her balance. Her wolf howled in delight.
She felt unstoppable.
But that wasn't all.
When she shifted back, breathless and glowing with energy, Liam approached her slowly.
"Hailey… your wolf has another gift."
Her eyes widened. "Another?"
He nodded.
"I sensed it the moment you shifted. You're not just an earth-sense wolf. You carry Luna aura—stronger than anything I've ever felt."
Hailey's breath hitched.
"But how? I'm not mated. I was rejected."
Liam placed a hand over her heart.
"Luna aura doesn't come from someone choosing you. It comes from who you're born to be."
Claire added quietly, "You don't need Ricky or his stupid pack to define you."
Jason stepped forward. "You're meant to lead, Hailey. Whether you know it yet or not."
Hailey swallowed hard.
"I don't feel like a leader."
"That's fine," Liam said softly. "Because leaders are made—through pain, through strength, through growth."
He turned serious.
"And you, my daughter, are already stronger than any warrior in this pack."
Hailey's mouth parted. "Already?"
He nodded.
"And stronger than most Alphas."
Silence fell.
The wind stilled.
Claire whispered, "Holy crap."
Jason muttered, "Dad wouldn't say that lightly."
Hailey's heart pounded.
Liam placed both hands on her shoulders.
"Ricky Wright couldn't see your worth because he is small-minded. Weak in spirit. Afraid of what he doesn't understand."
His voice deepened.
"But the world will see you. And they will follow you."
Hailey's wolf rose within her, fierce and unbreakable.
"I want to train harder," she said. "I want to master everything."
Liam smiled—proud and powerful.
"Good. Because this is only the beginning, Hailey. Your power is waking up… and you have no idea how far it will take you."
Deep in the shadows of the forest, unseen by the Blacks, golden eyes watched her.
Ricky Wright.
He clenched his fists as Hailey laughed with her siblings—stronger, brighter, more alive than ever.
"Fool," he whispered to himself.
"I was a fool."
Hailey didn't hear him.
She was too busy rising.