But I’m just a human?

CHAPTER NINETEEN: SHADOWS AND SHIFTS

Koda's sleep was uneasy.

He tossed and turned beneath the moonlit window, heart racing with every flicker behind his eyelids. In his dream, the world burned—blood-red skies, bones beneath blackened trees, screams swallowed by fire. A battlefield stretched endlessly, wolves and monsters locked in war. And at the center… him and Tristian. Back-to-back. Glowing with power not of this world.

Koda blazed in silver and moonlight. Tristian burned gold and flame. Together, they pulsed like the beating heart of the battlefield—gods walking among mortals. And still, the enemy closed in. A dark army with red eyes and twisted limbs. A shadow moved behind them all. Watching. Waiting.

He woke with a strangled gasp.

Tristian, already beside him, gripped his shoulders tightly. "I saw it too," he whispered. "The fire. The death. Us… in the center."

"Our powers…" Koda said softly, "they're not just for protecting the pack. We're meant to fight."

"The prophecy," Tristian whispered, eyes wide. "We're descended from them. The Goddess. The Sun Spirit."

Their bond had deepened again, entwining their dreams, their fears. Without speaking, they curled into each other. Comfort wasn't spoken. It was shared.

The next morning, training resumed with renewed urgency.

Koda trained harder than ever, both in human form and wolf form. Orion and Tristian drilled him on form, speed, defense, and stamina. When he shifted, his wolf form dazzled—pure silver-white with shimmering streaks of gold along his spine. Even seasoned warriors paused to stare.

"Beautiful," Orion muttered. "Like something out of prophecy."

"He is," Tristian whispered back.

Koda was now sparring with Tala, Jace, and even Kairo. One strike from Kairo pushed him to release a surge of energy that flung them both backward. The ground cracked beneath them.

"Whoa," Orion whistled. "You come with a manual?"

They trained in magic too—telekinesis, invisibility, enhanced strength. Tristian's power bloomed in daylight, solar flames dancing in his hands. Koda thrived under the moon, his aura pulsing with lunar force.

"You two are balance," Tala reminded them. "And balance is dangerous… because if it tips—everything falls."

Koda started asking more questions. About the Raven Blood pack. About ranks and history. About the Goddess, the Moon and Sun Blessings, and—most of all—the prophecy.

He learned of the Eclipsed Alpha, a wolf touched by both celestial forces. Born once in a thousand years. A wolf who could bring peace—or ruin. His bloodline traced back to long-forgotten royals. A child not just of fate—but of fire and shadow.

In the library, Koda, Orion, and Nova uncovered an ancient, sealed tome. It opened only when Koda's blood touched its worn leather. Inside: visions, poetry, warnings.

"The moon will kiss the sun… or burn with it."

Elsewhere, Reed grew strange. Slipping away from gatherings. Avoiding training. Watching from the treeline.

At night, he wandered deep into the forest and stood before a silent figure cloaked in shadow.

"He trusts you," the figure hissed. "Stay close. The Eclipsed Alpha must fall before the Solstice."

Reed said nothing. He only nodded, face unreadable.

Back in the pack house, peace tried to hold.

Koda shared a quiet moment with Orion, who opened up about his own painful past—the loss of his sister, the guilt he carried. They sat beneath the stars, laughter easing the weight in their chests.

"You're my brother," Koda told him.

"Damn right I am," Orion grinned, pulling him into a side hug. "Now let's make sure you don't get possessed or eaten or cursed or whatever weird thing's coming next."

Nova and Zara weren't far. They were found holding hands, sneaking kisses, pretending nothing had changed.

And for one night, everything felt normal.

Until the stranger arrived.

Hooded and silent, he appeared at the border asking for "the boy who dreams in fire."

Tala and Jace turned him away. But his eyes… they glowed.

That night, Koda stood at his window. Carved into the tree across the yard was a symbol from the prophecy tome—three circles, one eclipsed, glowing faintly.

Tristian joined him, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"They've found me," Koda whispered.

Tristian's jaw tightened.

"Then we fight."