Chapter 3 Dahlia's Destiny.

I stood frozen as the call sent chills down my spine. As I looked around the pitch-black forest, my breath came quickly and shallowly. Nobody was present, merely shadows and swaying trees in the wind.

"Somethings must be coming for me".

I was still gripped by fear. Even though the silver wolf was real, the voice and the whisper of my name were too close and too eerie.

I stepped back and looked over my shoulder. The sensation that I was being watched persisted. It was oppressive, like if something invisible was waiting in the dark. I had to return to the group.

I turned, heading towards the clearing, but the moment I stepped out of the trees, I spotted her, Dahlia, standing alone near the training grounds. Her posture was rigid, her arms crossed as if she was lost in thought. There was something different about her. The usual smugness in her expression was gone, replaced by something I couldn't quite explain.

With fear, I made my way toward her. Dahlia?" I made a soft call.

At first, she didn't turn; instead, she just kept looking out at the horizon like she was thinking deeply. Her face was hard to read when she finally looked at me.

"Where did you go?" She asked, speaking in a cool, but not as sharp, tone.

I lied by saying, "I needed to clear my head." It was pointless to tell her about the voice. In any case, she wouldn't believe me.

Dahlia was unimpressed and raised an eyebrow. You must always "clear your head." Her eyes narrowed slightly as she paused. You should be concentrating on more pressing matters. The group requires us right now.

"Us?" Surprised, I couldn't help but ask.

She replied emphatically, "Yes, us," locking her eyes on mine. The Alpha... well, he won't be in charge forever, and Father is struggling to keep control."

I grinned. What do you mean?"

Dahlia looked intently as she moved closer. Do you believe that without new leadership, this pack will be able to survive? Without someone capable of taking charge? Father and the Alpha are getting older, and..." she abruptly ended, her jaw tightening. Father is naive. He is losing control.

I blinked because I was at a loss for words.

Dahlia had always had high goals and ambition, but this was different. Her words had coldness in them, and her calculation made me feel cold.

"You... do you think you ought to be the leader?" I was uneasy and asked.

She did not pause. I do, of course. Who else is skillful? The majority of the others follow my example, and Rowan is loyal to me. The rest of the group will soon discover the truth.

My heart raced as I fixed my gaze on her. However, Father is the Beta.

Dahlia said it again, harshly and in a low voice, "Father is weak." He delays, he questions himself, and thus, the pack is floundering. They require a decision-maker who is not afraid to carry out the necessary actions.

The weight and danger of her words floated in the air. As I tried to process what she was saying, I took a big breath. This was more than just about succeeding Father. Dahlia was referring to overthrowing the hierarchy as a whole. She was also eager to carry it out without hesitation.

"What happens to the Alpha?" I inquired softly. You can't just...Dahlia said, her eyes shining with determination, "The Alpha is old." Whether he admits it or not, his time is coming to an end. The pack will require new leadership at that point. Influential leadership.

"And do you consider yourself that leader?" My question was barely audible above a whisper.

Dahlia replied, her self-assurance intensifies. "I know I am. Daisy, I've been preparing for this all my life. I deserve it. Instead of Father, the pack already looks to me for direction. Even the Alpha cannot."

The majority of the pack did look to her, and she was correct about that. They relied on her skill and strength. They went straight after her. However, this went beyond just leadership; This was a grab for power. A coup. Her words made me feel sick.

"Dahlia, you cannot simply..." "Can't just what?" She yelled, cutting me off once more. Daisy, what's the problem? Why do you always feel so helpless? Why the fear? With the current state of affairs, do you really believe that the pack will survive?"

She yelled, "I don't know, but...". "But nothing," her eyes flashing with frustration. This group is disintegrating and dividing. I can see it, but Father is too blind to see it. If you won't be the one to step up, someone else will.

Her words slapped me hard. The fact that they were true hurt, but what hurt more was how she looked at me, as if I were nothing. As if I were not even worthy of consideration.

I mumbled, fighting the urge to spit, "I'm not trying to lead." However, you are discussing Father's betrayal. Dahlia, this is not right.

"Right?" She cracked a bitter grin. Daisy, it's no longer important to be right. It's about survival. You wouldn't comprehend because you are too preoccupied with hiding and afraid to take charge of your own life.

Even though I didn't believe it, I fired back. "I'm not hiding, I have not been hiding, I never was".

Dahlia yelled, her voice like ice, "Then stop acting like it." Daisy, this pack is mine. It is my fate. You can either watch from a distance or move out of the way. Don't try to stop me, though.

I made an effort to dispute and say something, but I was unable to get the words out. I couldn't think of anything to say. Dahlia was overly determined and self-assured. And perhaps she was correct. It's possible that the group actually required a strong leader. I was however frightened by her cold, calculated, and ruthless approach.

A sharp and urgent howl pierced the air suddenly. We both froze and turned toward the sound. It came from far beyond the pack's usual territory, deep within the forest.

Fear tightened my chest as I whispered, "That's... that's not one of ours."

Dahlia's eyes got smaller. No, it isn't.

She turned and started walking toward the trees without saying anything else. My heart was pounding as I followed after a brief hesitation. The howl had appeared to be a warning or a sign that something or someone was approaching.

I noticed movement between the trees from a distance as we got closer to the woods' edge. The air felt electric and charged. I could tell that something powerful and dangerous was present.

I said in a trembling voice, "We shouldn't be out here."

Dahlia didn't respond because she was too focused on the forest ahead. She moved quickly and determined, as if she knew exactly where she was going.

Again, something moved abruptly, and this time I clearly saw them; figures emerging from the gloom. Wolves, but not members of our group. Their fur was silver beneath the moon, and their eyes sparkled strangely. The man from before stood towering and ferocious in the middle of them all.

As I grabbed her arm, I whispered in her ear, "Dahlia, stop."

Her eyes were blazing with disdain as she shook me off. I don't worry about them.

The man with silver eyes stepped forward and fixed his attention on Dahlia. Cold and shrewd, he smiled slowly across his face.

His deep, uneasy voice said, "We've been waiting for you."

Dahlia didn't back down, even though her jaw tightened. And who are you?

The man's grin broadened. Your true destiny will be revealed by me.

Dahlia's eyes showed a glimmer of unease for the first time. But she quickly covered it up and stood tall and headstrong.

Her tone was steady, and she said, "I make my own destiny."

The man chuckled, a dark, unsettling sound. "Do you? Or have you simply been playing a part in a story much bigger than you?"

Dahlia's expression hardened, but before she could respond, the man stepped closer, his eyes gleaming with a strange intensity.

"You have no idea what's coming," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

I took a step back, fear gripping me. Something was wrong. This man wasn't like anything I had ever seen. And the way he looked at Dahlia, like he knew something we didn't, made my skin crawl.

"We need to go," I whispered, pulling at Dahlia's arm again.

She didn't move, her gaze locked on the man. "I'm not afraid of you," she said, her voice cold and steady.

The man's eyes darkened and his smile vanished. You ought to be.

A sudden gust of wind carried a deep ominous howl through the clearing. I felt a strange force pulling me toward the man and his wolves as the air erupted in energy.

"Dahlia!" My heart was racing with fear as I yelled.

However, it was late. The man extended his hand, causing the chaos in the area around