Nora


    My head is spinning too fast.


    I can''t keep up with what is going on. Someone killed Lily and threw her arm into Leo''s mansion. Then the same person broke the barrier our Leo''s home, and now there is a demon on the loose. And let''s not forget about my new friend, ke.


    My eyes travel down. The little ck-haired fairy is in myp, and I''ve somewhat gotten used to handling a tiny being.


    "The air reeks of demons," kements, scrunching up his tiny nose while looking around the scene. "But I''m not sure where the other ones are hiding... Maybe underneath the ground?" I wet my lips and grow nervous. "Hopefully, there isn''t more than one demon around here."


    Leonds in the forest, growling at a demon further away from us. It doesn''t seem terribly powerful, and the rest of the Snowmoon pack are already here, waiting for their alpha formands.


    A few heads turn, all of them already shape-shifted into wolves. A conversation between Leo and the other werewolves seems to already be happening.


    Since I''m not a werewolf, I have no clue what they are saying. Leo lifts hisrge head, probably telling them stuff through the mind-link.


    Whatever Leo is telling them must be attack rted. The other werewolves howl in unison and then run forward. They are so much smaller than Leo that it''s mind-blowing.


    I watch them, wide-eyed, as they plow into a giant demon that looks like an overgrown worm. It makes this weird, deafening sound, and ke almost tumbles off myp.


    "s**t! That thing is both a wind and earth demon!" ke swears under his tongue. He grabs my clothes to hold on but finds it trouble when the demon makes the winds blow all around us.


    My hair is fanning around my face, and Leo lowers his head, growling threateningly at the demon. His wings are spread, and he nces at me over his shoulder. He seems to be telling me to get off his back.


    I gasp. "No way!" I shake my head. "Uh-uh, we are attacking that thing together! You''re stronger with me close to you!"


    Leo looks uncertain whether to argue or not. Hisrge eyes are still on me but avert when a new voice enters the conversation.


    "Alpha!"


    Hastily, I turn around, and a beautiful blonde woman reaches us. She bends forward, grasping for air while panting, and something about her screams beta. She also resembles Leo a lot. He doesn''t have siblings, so maybe a cousin? "I didn''t think I would reach you in time, alpha," her eyes lift to Leo''s face, and her expression turns stern. "I''m here to take your mate away from here. Like youmanded me through the mind-link-"


    The blonde woman stops talking, widening her eyes. It bes evident that Leo is talking to her through the mind-link.


    "What do you mean your mate isn''t going anywhere? She is a human and shouldn''t be on the battlefield?"


    Leo growls.


    "Oh, I know her presence makes her stronger, but-"


    This time the blonde woman stops talking for an entirely different thing. Her eyes are stuck on ke, who awkwardly waves from myp. He seems tense.


    I have only been around the tiny fairy for like a few minutes, but when the blonde beta narrows her eyes, ke sinks into me. Even his wings slump as if he is scared.


    I poke the fairy with my finger. "Is something the matter, ke?"


    The tiny fairy seems ready to vanish from the face of the earth and fights a shudder. Poor ke. He looks nervous, and I protectively shield him with my hand, meeting his timid eyes.


    I don''t know why, but he acts terrified of the blonde beta. She is also growling, which isn''t making the situation any better.


    "Hey," I whisper at him. "Talk to me. What is happening right now?"


    "I will tell you what is happening right now," the blonde beta interrupts me in an unfriendly voice. "That tiny-a''s fairy is my mate, and I don''t like it. I won''t ept it."


    ke lowers his head, and anger rises in my chest. He looks so sad, and despite not knowing ke that well, I re at Erika.


    "Really? You just looked at him and immediately knew ke wasn''t good enough for you?"


    "Exactly. Like most werewolves, I dislike those weak little fairy creatures, which is why I, Erika Saint, the beta of the Snowmoon pack, reject you, little fairy, as my mate."


    ke looks up then, studying Erika. His tonees out low. "And yet I won''t reject you back..."


    Erika narrows her eyes. "Why?"


    ke shrugs. "You don''t know me, and I think you''re too quick to judge. I might be a fairy, but I''m not weak. Not at all. And I also would like to get to know my mate before deciding whether to ept me as my mate or not." "Whatever..." Erika lifts her pert nose into the air. She is pretty tall for a woman, intimidating too with her picture-perfect beautiful face. "We don''t have time for this. There is a powerful demon that needs to be defeated over there." "Right..." ke turns to face the demon, studying the werewolves jumping at it and attacking. He then looks at me, smiling. "Do you want to fight the demon with me, Nora?"


    I lift an eyebrow. "Uh, what?"


    "C''mon," ke is looking mischievous. "It will be fun."


    I stare down at him. "But I''m... I''m a human?"


    "You''re not a human, Nora," ke lifts his eyebrows, keeping the smile on his face. "You''re a silver wolf, but you haven''t awakened yet. Perhaps I could help you with that?"


    In the background, the demon worm screeches, and more of the same demon, although smaller, erupt from the ground. The Snowmoon pack is suddenly jam-packed, fighting them, but Leo isn''t moving.


    His eyes are on mine, and I realize he is curious about my conversation with ke. I''m interested too, but I''m half-convinced that ke is spreading nonsense right now.


    "Let''s just say I''m a silver wolf who hasn''t awakened yet. If that was the case, how would you help me?"


    ke''s smile grows. "The silver werewolves were originally from the other world and used to be friends with the fairies. We fought demons together, and silver werewolves are the only known creatures that canbine with us fairies." "Combine?"


    "Yes, give me your fingertip and let me ce my hand upon it. I, ke, the fairy prince, will awaken you."


    Confused, I do what he says. I reach out my finger, and ke ces his hand on it.


    "Fairies that are as powerful as me can size-shift and use our magic freely, but I''m tired. So I will do what my ancestors did-bond with a silver wolf and let you use my abilities."


    A warm spread over my skin. "You will let me use your abilities?"


    "Yes. You see, most fairies are too tiny to handle the magic coursing through the veins, so the silver wolves were needed to bond with, but don''t worry. We will only merge temporarily."


    ke smiles brighter and then turns into a glowing, blue light that enters me. A power I couldn''t feel before surges through me, and suddenly I know what I must do.


    "Leo," I look at my giant of a mate. "I will join this battle."


    Leo nods, seeming to understand. I jump down from his back, and for the first time in my life, I feel something inside me wanting to break free from its chains.


    I can''t believe this is actually happening.


    I''ve spent my entire life feeling useless and way too ordinary. I always considered myself a human. But now, there is adrenaline pumping in my veins. There is a tremendous longing in my chest and something howling inside my heart, begging to be let free. Am I dreaming?


    This all feels a little too good to be true...


    ''This is happening and not too good to be true, Nora. I''ve officially unlocked your inner wolf, ke says triumphantly inside my head. ''It wasn''t easy to do since you''ve repressed your wolf with all your negative emotions, Nora. But I''m a professional. And there is more good news: we are a perfect match, Nora.''


    I try to speak telepathically back to the fairy and seed. ''And what exactly does that mean?''


    "It means my magic abilities are yours while we are merged. And that is such a huge relief since I''m too tired to fight alone. This will be a great way to show my mate that I''m not entirely useless. ''And what exactly does your magic do?''


    ke chuckles. ''Why don''t you shape-shift and find out? Enter the battle, Nora! Let''s give those demons hell! I''m excited already!''


    Without further ado, I leap forward and almost pass out of shock at what happens.


    I take the shape of a silver wolf. Skin gets reced with fur, and ws grow from my nails. Ind on four legs instead of two and peer up at Leo''s curious eyes.


    And suddenly, I can hear my mate inside my head. ''Wee to the Snowmoon pack, my beloved silver luna.