wolves¹[wyatt lykensen]

.08

DESTINY CHANGES

"SEE YOU AT school tomorrow, Addison." I took this as my que to leave as well. I gave Wyatt's hand a small squeeze and sent him a smile as I began to walk away, but I was pulled back. "You should actually stay, Coraline," Willa said, letting go of my arm and gesturing for me to come back.

"If they destroy that building, it'll crush the moonstone underneath. We can't let that happen." She makes her point clear, looking between Wyatt and I.

"Why do you need me? We just have to stop the demolition tomorrow," I say, my brows furrowing slightly.

"Addison can help," Wyatt spoke up.

"Maybe, but until she's one of us, I'm the one that leads this pack," Willa fires back before turning to me. "I want you to come with us. You're already a wolf, Addison isn't. We could use your help."

"Yeah, of course. I'm in." I nod without hesitating.

Willa turns to face the rest of the pack below us, announcing the plan and earning howls from them, making the three of us join in.

➤

My back was pressed against the wall of the cave as I looked up at the ceiling. I had tried to go home, but the patrol wouldn't allow me to go back. Apparently, word that I was a wolf travelled fast, causing me to be separated from my parents and have nowhere to go for the night. Well, that was until Willa had found out and offered for me to stay at the den.

Although the girl put on a show of intimidation and claws, she was actually really nice and caring. At this point, I could basically call her my friend.

"Hey," a voice spoke up, breaking me out of my thoughts. Wyatt sat down beside me, handing a cup of water over. "What're you thinking about?" He studied my face for a second before relaxing against the wall like I was.

"The pack. Willa. You." I bring the cup to my lips and take a small swallow, setting it down in front of me afterwards. His brown eyes watched my movements carefully, a soft smile rising on his lips as subtle dimples began to show on his cheeks. "Being around you guys reminds me of my old pack. It's nice, in a way."

"Coraline...you don't have to leave."

"After everything is over and you guys get the moonstone back, then what? You can't have a stray wolf wandering around the den all the time, Wyatt. That's not how it works." I look down as he lets out a quiet sigh.

"You're right," he says, making me look to him. "We can't have a stray wolf in the den. So, let's change that." Wyatt grabs my hand, entwining his fingers with mine and resting our hands on his leg. "Join the pack, Coraline."

My jaw slacks, but before I can answer, a small shimmer of something bright catches my eye, causing me to turn to where it was coming from. Wyatt noticed what I'd done and turned to see the same thing. "What is that?" I ask, standing up and moving closer to it.

He copied my motions, stepping in front of me and quickly making his way to the small shelf that held the stone that showed us the Great Alpha earlier. He grabbed it and turned towards me.

I stood next to him as the stone continued to glow a vibrant, royal blue. Swirls circled the surface of the stone, causing his brows to furrow. His thumb rubbed at the object, as if it were something he could wipe away, but to no avail.

"What's happening to it?"

He shook his head slowly. "I-I'm not sure." He glanced to me before looking back to the stone. "I think it's changing, but that's never happened before." He visibly gulped and held it up like he did earlier that night, letting it cast an image onto the wall of the cave.

I had expected to see the white-haired alpha that was believed to be Addison, but she was nowhere to be found. Instead, an image of glowing deep, blue eyes surrounded by stark white fur was casted onto the wall as a small growl erupted from the wolf the stone was showing. The image lasted for a moment before morphing again, this time into a human girl with brown hair.

My jaw dropped at what I was seeing. That's impossible, I denied.

"Wyatt..." I trailed off, drawing his attention away from the image. A tone of unsureness coated my voice. I was confused to say the least. "What—what's that supposed to mean?"

His eyes switched in between the image and me, a grin slowly forming on his face. "It's you. You're the Great Alpha." He set the stone back on the shelf, thinking for a moment. "Wait, this makes sense, actually. Addison was just supposed to show us where the moonstone was, not lead the pack. That's why it changed. It's like we unlocked what happens next." Wyatt's arms unexpectedly wrapped around me as he pulled my frame into a hug, causing me to laugh as my arms went around his neck.

"We have to tell Willa and Wynter," I said as I pulled away, setting my hands on his shoulders. Despite being uncertain of what this would mean, I couldn't help the excitement that began to flow through my veins. "Does this mean..."

"You have a pack, Cora," he smiled, pulling me into another hug and picking me up off the ground, twirling me around before placing me back down.

After everything that had happened, it was odd that this was how it turned out. I never expected to get the chance to have a pack again, let alone be the alpha of one.

➤

"It's true. The prophecy says that this could happen. If the one who finds the moonstone isn't fit to lead, another Great Alpha is chosen," Willa announces.

My brows pull together in confusion. "Why wasn't Addison fit to lead?"

"There's a chance she's not a werewolf. That's probably why you were chosen instead."

"What if she is?" I ask the question most of the pack was thinking. If Addison turned out to be a wolf, but the prophecy chose me as the alpha, what would happen then? Who would lead the pack?

Willa lets out a nonchalant sigh, showing the same thing had crossed her mind. She glanced around the room at everyone before her eyes landed on me. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."