Page 46 of Shattered and Saved

As I hurried tothe heart of the territory, I struggled to believe the news my beta had just shared with me. Another awakening, so soon after we found Oliver? We would often go months, or even years, between receiving signs from the Banyan leading us to a new fledgling. Still, there could be no doubt when the proof was right there on my forearm, my mark glowing brightly.

I found my friends standing under the sacred tree, their faces marked with the same disbelief. When they saw me, they stepped aside, leaving a clear path to the Banyan. I drew in a deep breath, willing my thoughts to quiet, and closed my eyes to focus. Slowly, I reached out, my fingers brushing the bark as they followed the glowing lines on its surface.

The Banyan’s clues were rarely straightforward. Sometimes, they came as little more than an unsettling feeling - a vague hunch about the lost Ashen Wolf’s whereabouts. Other times, they were sharper, leading me to a specific location. But on rare occasions, the tree’s magic was flawlessly clear, revealing every detail of the new awakening.

This time, the message was so vivid I could not only determine exactly where the fledgling was, but actuallysee itwith my own eyes.

My heart skipped a beat as I tore my hand away from the Banyan, a startled gasp pushing through my lips.

My eyes had barely burst open when Rhea questioned, “What did it show you?”

As I opened my mouth to reply, I stopped myself. My beta, gamma, and delta weren’t the only ones watching me with apprehensive curiosity. The entire pack had gathered around, their ears pricked for any news I might share. To avoid stirring a commotion, I needed to be discreet.

Shifting my attention back to my team and Koen, I told them, “To my office. Now.”

They asked no further questions. Wordlessly, they fell in step behind me as I led them into the pack house and up the stairs. Once we were secured inside the soundproof room, I prepared myself to reveal everything.

I might be the only one who could decipher the Banyan’s signs, but I needed their insight now more than ever to figure out our next move.

“How bad is it?” Rhea pressed.

“Really bad,” I confessed. There was no use in sugarcoating the situation for them. “Probably the worst we’ve ever had.”

“Were the signs unclear?” Elijah asked, worry in his voice.

“Could you not figure out where the fledgling is?” Theo urged, his eyes darkened with concern.

“No, I know exactly where he is,” I affirmed, reluctantly announcing. “He’s in the Blood Rose Pack.”

That alone had them widening their eyes in shock. An Ashen Wolf awakening within a pack of regular werewolves was always cause for alarm. From the moment they shifted for the first time, the countdown began. We had to find and rescue thembefore their mark was complete, otherwise risking exposure of our existence to the world.

In this case, the situation was even more fraught.

As expectant eyes lingered on me, I disclosed, “The Banyan showed me a vision of the moment he shifted.” A mix of curiosity, shock, and weariness washed over my friends’ expressions. Before I was bombarded with more questions, I finally spilled, “I saw how startled everyone was by his appearance. They started making fun of him.”

By the time Ashen Wolves turned eighteen and shifted for the first time, their wolves were never fully mature. They awakened as teenagers, with awkward features like oversized floppy ears, huge paws, and shedding pup fluff. Over the next year or so, they continued to grow, learning to harness their powers as their bodies adjusted to their magical strength.

“That doesn’t sound too bad. Until his mark is complete, won’t they just assume his wolf is still a youngster?” Koen offered, ever the optimist. “Although animal counterparts who aren’t fully grown by their first shift are rare, I believed that explanation when you gave it about Kea,” he added, recalling the time he’d questioned me about her changed appearance back at Whispering Hills, before I told him the truth.

“They could,” I agreed before dropping the bomb. “But as the pack members were picking on him, one of them shifted and lunged at him. Even though he didn’t use his powers - likely because he doesn’t know about them - he still overpowered the guy,” I explained, worry heavy in my voice. “He overpowered the beta’s son.”

Loaded silence followed, the tension thick in the air, until my beta broke it. “What happened next?”

“I don’t know. That’s where the vision ended,” I admitted reluctantly.

“Okay. Let’s try not to panic,” Elijah chimed in, though the apprehension in his voice betrayed his words. “We won’t know for sure if his true nature has been discovered until we get to Blood Rose. Either way, we need to act fast - if they don’t know yet, it’s only a matter of time before they do.”

Grim seriousness weighed on my voice as I observed, “But there’s a chance they already found out, and we must be ready to deal with the consequences.” I paused briefly. “We should go in full force, just in case.”

My words were few, but my beta understood them clearly. “I’ll hurry up and start preparing our warriors.”

“I’ll organize the supplies,” Rhea stepped up.

“With your excuse, Alpha, I’ll head off to analyze the best strategies we could use in both scenarios,” Elijah offered.

I nodded at the three of them. “Go. We must leave as soon as possible.”

Once my friends were gone, I turned to Koen. Hesitation instantly flooded me. From the confusion on his face, I could tell that - unlike my team - he hadn’t fully understood my plans. I knew how he felt about bloodshed, which made me reluctant, but if we were to make this work, I needed to be honest with him.

---