Chapter 167: Shadows Beneath
Josie
I woke up with a throbbing headache, the kind that made the room sway for a second before I remembered where I was — tangled up in warmth, in a bed that smelled like the Alphas. For a moment, I thought I was still dreaming — until I saw the sunlight crawling lazily across the sheets, falling on a very naked, very smug Kiel lying beside me.
His lashes fluttered open, and that lazy grin appeared — the one that usually meant trouble.
"Good morning, mate," he murmured, his voice still rough with sleep. "Another round before breakfast?"
I groaned, pressing my palm to my forehead. "Another round? Kiel, I’m not even sure I can walk."
That earned me a low chuckle. "That bad, huh?"
"That good," I corrected, glaring at him through my fingers.
Before I could shove his smirk away, movement behind me made me gasp. Varen was already awake — of course he was. His lips were tracing a burning path down my shoulder, his breath warm and teasing.
"I think we can test if you can still walk," Varen muttered, his voice deep, sleep-heavy, dangerous.
"Absolutely not," I hissed, elbowing him. "You two are worse than wolves in heat."
Kiel smirked. "We are wolves in heat, Josie."
"Then maybe go howl at the moon instead of bothering me!"
That only made them laugh harder. Kiel rolled over to steal a kiss, but I slipped away from the bed, wrapping the sheet around myself like a shield. "Enough," I said, trying to keep my tone stern, though the smile creeping at my lips betrayed me. "You both need to get out before I throw you out."
Varen leaned back against the headboard, his grin pure mischief. "She’s kicking us out, Kiel. Should we be offended?"
"Probably," Kiel said with a shrug, grabbing his discarded shirt from the floor. "But I’d rather live to see the next sunrise."
"Smart choice," I said sweetly, and they both groaned dramatically as I ushered them toward the door.
When the room finally fell silent, I exhaled, letting the calm seep in — until a sharp pulse jolted through me. It was faint at first, like static crawling under my skin. I turned toward the window — and froze.
The soil outside was moving.
Slowly, as if stirred by invisible fingers, it lifted, swirling into small spirals that glimmered with dust and sunlight. My heart stuttered. My gaze dropped to my hands — and there it was. My fingers were trembling, faintly glowing, and the power beneath my skin pulsed with life.
"Oh no..." I whispered.
It was happening again.
The last time this had happened, people got hurt. The earth had answered to my emotions — my rage, my fear — and destroyed everything in its path. I clenched my fists, forcing the tremor to stop, and the soil outside stilled like a scolded child.
I couldn’t let it happen again.
Kiel’s voice echoed faintly from outside the door, teasing Varen about something. I grabbed my clothes and dressed quickly, forcing my breathing to slow. My body still tingled from the energy, the mark on my wrist pulsing faintly like it was alive.
No matter what Kiel said, I was a problem to this pack. I could feel it in my bones. If my power got out of control again, there would be no saving anyone. And with Liam still out there, watching, waiting... I couldn’t afford to be reckless.
I slipped out of the room, my hair still damp, trying to look composed. The scent of breakfast — roasted meat, honey, and herbs — filled the air. My stomach growled, reminding me that I’d barely eaten the night before.
When I entered the dining room, Thorne was the first person I saw.
He stood by the window, his broad shoulders stiff, arms crossed over his chest. His silver hair caught the light, and for a brief, traitorous second, I remembered what it had felt like to be held by him — strong, certain, devastating.
I hated that I remembered.
"Good morning," I muttered, walking toward the long table.
Thorne turned, his golden eyes meeting mine. For once, there was no edge to them. Just... quiet.
"Morning," he said softly. "You look better than you did last night."
"I’ll take that as a compliment," I replied, trying to sound light.
He gave a small nod, then turned back to the window. The silence stretched, tense and oddly heavy. I fidgeted with my sleeves, unsure what to say, when his voice cut through the quiet.
"Josie... I wanted to apologize."
That made me pause. "For what?"
He faced me fully this time, and the look in his eyes was something I didn’t expect — remorse.
"For the way I acted toward you," he said. His jaw flexed. "I don’t remember everything, but I know I hurt you. And that’s something I can’t ignore."
I blinked. "It’s too early to fight, Thorne."
"I’m not trying to fight," he snapped, then sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "I just... I’m owning up to it, that’s all."
I stared at him for a moment, unsure how to respond. "Do you feel sorry because you care about me, or because you can’t remember what happened?"
He looked at me, and for a heartbeat, something raw flickered in his eyes. "Because I can’t even remember the taste of you," he said quietly. "And it makes me feel like I’ve lost something I didn’t deserve to have in the first place."
My chest tightened. The room suddenly felt too small.
Before I could say anything, Kiel and Varen appeared in the doorway, both looking freshly groomed and annoyingly satisfied with themselves.
"Everything okay here?" Kiel asked, his gaze flicking between us.
"Perfect," I said, forcing a bright smile. "Just talking."
Varen arched a brow, clearly unconvinced, but he said nothing.
Breakfast was a blur of awkward glances and quiet chewing. Thorne didn’t speak again, and I was thankful for it. The last thing I needed was to unravel in front of all of them.
Halfway through the meal, Kiel leaned close, his breath brushing against my ear. "Be ready after breakfast," he whispered. "We’re going on an outing."
"An outing?" I frowned. "Now?"
"Mm-hmm," Varen added from my other side, his lips curving. "Don’t worry, we’ll take it easy on you."
"Easy, my ass," I muttered, stabbing a piece of bread with my fork. "The last time you said that, I ended up running through half the forest."
Kiel chuckled. "Then this time, we’ll only make you run through a quarter of it."
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at my lips. For a moment, things felt... normal. Almost peaceful.
And then the door creaked open.
The air in the room shifted, a chill crawling up my spine. I turned, my heart stuttering — and froze.
A figure stood in the doorway, frail and pale, like a shadow come to life. The light from the window barely touched them, but I could make out the sharp hollows of their cheeks, the way their shoulders trembled slightly as they stepped inside.
The conversation at the table died instantly. Kiel straightened, Varen’s hand stilled mid-reach for his cup, and even Thorne’s jaw tensed.
My pulse quickened, a sudden dread blooming in my chest.
Because even without seeing their face clearly — I knew that presence. I could feel the air shifting, heavy with something dark, something wrong.