A New Path
+25 BONUS
A New Path
Scarlett’s POV:
I turned around and got ready to leave, “Walt!” Lucian called after me, his face lighting up with desperate hope. “You want to go back to the pack? That’s wonderful!”
I turned to stare at him, amazed by his delusion.
“We can return together,” he continued eagerly. “You still be Luna, just like before. Nothing has to change-”
“Everything has already changed,” I cut him off coldly
But he wasn’t listening. His eyes had that manic gleam I’d seen so often during my haunting
“The pack will be so happy to have you back,” he rambled on. “We can renew our mating ceremony, make it even grander than before-
‘He really doesn’t understand, does he?‘ Zoe’s voice held dark amusement in my mind.
“You still don’t get it,” I said aloud. “I’m not going back for you.”
His smile faltered slightly. “But you said-
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“I’m going back for Sarah,” I explained bluntly. “My best friend has suffered enough because of you.”
Through our weakened bond, I felt his confusion. “Sarah? But I’m your mate-”
“No,” I corrected him. “You were my mate. Now you’re nothing to me.”
Before he could respond, I felt Zoe’s power surge through me. My body shifted smoothly, effortlessly into wolf form for the first time in my life.
My white fur gleamed in the cave’s dim light as I turned away from Lucian’s shocked face.
“Lottie, wait!” he called after me. “I can’t shift anymore—I gave you my power! How am I supposed to keep up?”
‘That’s the point,‘ Zoe laughed in my mind as we raced away, leaving him far behind.
The run back to pack territory was exhilarating. Every muscle moved with perfect coordination, every sense heightened beyond anything I’d experienced as a human.
I found Sarah in the pack garden, tending the moonflowers I used to love. When she saw a white wolf approaching, she froze in shock. “What the hell, why is there a white wolf here.” She yelled.
Shifting back to human form, I stood before my best friend with a small smile. “Hello, Sarah.”
“Scarlett?” she whispered, eyes wide with disbelief. “Is it really you?Jesus, am I dreaming?”
She pinched herself hard, it hurt a lot. Then she was running, throwing her arms around me with a sob.
“You’re alive!” she cried, holding me tight. “And you have a wolf! But how ”
“It’s a long story,” I hugged her back, feeling tears in my own eyes. “But I’m here now.”
TH
A New Path
+25 BONUS
She pulled back to look at me properly, her face fierce Good. Lucian and that witch Lily should have been the ones to die, not you.
“Lily won’t be hurting anyone anymore,” I told her. “And Lucian…” I smiled coldly. “Well, he’s paid his own price.”
Sarah’s eyes narrowed. “What happened? The last I heard, he was traveling the world looking for ways to bring you back.”
“He found one,” I explained. “But it cost him his Alphi power. All of it.”
Understanding dawned in her eyes. “That’s how you got your wolf? He gave you his power?” “Part of it
of it,” I touched my chest where Zoe’s presence hummed contentedly. “The rest was… a gift.”
“This is perfect timing,” Sarah said suddenly, gripping my hands. “Listen to me,the pack’s annual council meeting is today.”
I raised an eyebrow. “And?”
“Beta Nathan is presiding since Lucian abandoned his duties,” she explained quickly. “They’re going to choose a new Alpha‘
Her meaning was clear, but I hesitated. “Sarah…”
“Think about it,” she pressed. “You were the one who rescued Lucian from the Shadowpack and helped him become an Alpha. Many things were done through your advice and strategizing. If you hadn’t been blocked from shifting before, you should have been Alpha instead of Lucian.”
“That was a long time ago,” I reminded her.
“The pack needs real leadership,” Sarah’s voice grew urgent. “We’ve been constantly attacked by rogues, this past year. Warriors have died because there was no Alpha to protect us.Scarlett, look at everyone, can you bear to let everyone live so miserably?
I felt Zoe stir with interest. ‘She’s right. This pack needs us.”
“The council won’t accept me,” I argued weakly. “I was just an omega before-”
“You were never just anything,” Sarah cut me off fiercely. “And now you have both your wolf and Alpha power. Who could be more qualified?”
I looked around the territory that had once been my home. The gardens were overgrown, the buildings showing signs of neglect. In just one year without proper leadership, everything had started to decay.
“We could make it strong again,‘ Zoe whispered. ‘Better than before.‘
“Besides,” Sarah added with a grim smile, “wouldn’t it be perfect justice? Taking everything he abandoned while chasing his guilt across the world?”
I had to admit, the idea had merit. This pack had been my home long before it was Lucian’s kingdom. I had bled for these people, died for them in a way.
“The meeting starts in an hour,” Sarah said softly. “Just think about it.”
A New Path
+25 BONUS
I looked out over the pack grounds again, seeing not just what was, but what could be.
“I’ll do it,” I decided. “It’s time this pack had a real Alpha.”
Sarah’s face lit up with fierce joy. “They won’t know what hit them.”
As we walked toward the pack hall, I felt Zoe’s approval radiating through our bond. We both knew this was just the beginning.
After all, I hadn’t come back from death just to live in Lucian’s shadow. I had returned to build. something of my own.
The pack would learn what real power looked like. And Lucian… well, he would learn what it meant to watch someone else take everything he’d thrown away
