Chapter 19: Episode 19: "Whispers in the Dark"

Episode 19: "Whispers in the Dark"

Briar’s POV

The sound of my heartbeat was the first thing I noticed.

It was pounding, loud, almost deafening in my ears as I jolted awake. My chest rose and fell rapidly, sweat clinging to my skin as I sat up in bed. The room was dark, moonlight spilling through my curtains, casting eerie shadows across my walls. I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breathing.

It was just a dream.

Just. A. Dream.

But why did it feel so real?

I ran a shaky hand through my hair, my fingers trembling slightly. The whispers... I could still hear them, like an echo bouncing off the walls of my mind. They weren’t in English, not in any language I could recognize, but they had slithered into my thoughts, wrapping around my brain like a suffocating vine.

And then there were the eyes. Golden, piercing, watching me from the darkness.

I shivered and shook my head. Get it together, Briar.

I forced myself to breathe in through my nose, out through my mouth. My wolf stirred uneasily inside me, her presence usually a source of comfort, but tonight... she felt just as unsettled as I did.

I glanced at the clock. 4:12 AM. Great. No point in trying to sleep again.

---

At College

The exhaustion weighed on me, but I did my best to act normal. I sat with Tara and Ethan in the cafeteria, listening to them bicker over an upcoming assignment.

“I’m telling you, Professor Lewis hates me,” Ethan groaned, stabbing at his salad with unnecessary aggression.

Tara snorted. “No, you just don’t do your work until five minutes before class.”

“Excuse you? I am a very dedicated student.”

“You wrote our last report in crayon because you lost your laptop.”

Ethan looked at me for backup. “Tell her she’s being dramatic.”

I tried to focus, but my brain was still sluggish from the nightmare. I forced a smirk. “Did you at least use the fancy gel crayons?”

Ethan threw up his hands. “See? Briar gets it.”

Tara rolled her eyes. “Briar’s just too nice to tell you you’re a dumbass.”

Despite the lingering unease from last night, I found myself relaxing a little. These two made everything feel... normal. But even as I laughed along with them, I couldn’t shake the lingering sensation that I was being watched.

---

Olivia’s POV

I was reviewing patrol reports in my office when Caleb walked in, dropping into the chair across from me. His usual playful smirk was absent, which immediately told me something was wrong.

I raised an eyebrow. “You look like you have bad news.”

“I do.” He slid a folder across the desk. “Another patrol found strange markings near the northern border. They’re... unfamiliar.”

I opened the file, my jaw tightening as I took in the images. Claw marks gouged into the trees, symbols etched into the bark that I didn’t recognize.

Something was out there. And it was getting closer.

I exhaled through my nose. “Have we picked up a scent?”

Caleb shook his head. “No scent. No tracks. Just these.” He tapped the photos. “It’s like someone wanted us to find them.”

That didn’t sit right with me.

I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms. “Increase patrols. I want shifts doubled at night.”

“Already done.”

I gave him a small nod of approval, but my mind was already drifting to something else. Briar.

I hadn’t told her about this yet. I didn’t want to worry her unnecessarily, but something in my gut told me that this and her restlessness weren’t a coincidence.

“By the way,” Caleb said, interrupting my thoughts, “how’s Briar?”

I hesitated. “She’s... adjusting. But I can tell something’s on her mind.”

Caleb gave me a knowing look. “And let me guess—you’re hovering?”

I shot him a glare. “I do not hover.”

“You totally hover,” he smirked. “Let the girl breathe, Liv. She’s new to all this, and she’s obviously been through a lot. You can’t alpha your way into her trust. You have to let her come to you.”

I sighed, rubbing my temples. “I know. I just—”

“You care,” Caleb finished, softer this time.

I didn’t respond. Because we both knew he was right.

---

That Evening – Training Grounds

Briar was already waiting when I arrived, stretching out her arms. She looked tired. Not just physically, but like something was weighing on her.

I approached her slowly. “Rough day?”

She gave me a weak smile. “You could say that.”

I debated pushing for more, but instead, I just nodded toward the training mats. “You up for this?”

She rolled her shoulders. “Always.”

I smirked. “Alright, show me what you got.”

We started sparring, our movements fluid and quick. Briar was fast, unnaturally fast for someone still new to her abilities. She kept up with me longer than I expected, landing a solid hit to my ribs that actually made me stumble.

I grinned, feeling a surge of pride. “Nice hit.”

She smirked. “I’ve been practicing.”

But then, something changed.

She lunged at me again, but this time, her movements blurred—too fast for even me to track.

Before I could react, she was behind me.

I spun, heart pounding. “Briar—”

And then she collapsed.

“Briar!” I caught her before she hit the ground, her body limp in my arms. Her breathing was erratic, her skin cold.

She stirred, her voice weak. “I... I don’t know what’s happening...”

Her eyes flickered open, and for a brief second—just a second—they weren’t their usual color.

They were gold.

---

Briar sat on the edge of the training mat, still catching her breath. I knelt beside her, worry clawing at my chest.

I reached for her hand instinctively. “You’re okay. I’ve got you.”

She looked at me then, really looked at me, and something in her expression shifted.

Something raw.

Without thinking, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to mine.

It was soft, hesitant, but it set my entire body on fire.

I felt her shiver against me, but she didn’t pull away. Neither did I.

When we finally broke apart, she was breathless. “I—”

I cupped her cheek gently, searching her eyes. “We’ll figure this out, Briar. Together.”

For the first time that night, she nodded.

And I knew, without a doubt, that she was beginning to trust me—not just with her heart, but with her soul.

---

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