The Omega Mated To The Four

The Alpha Bond 83

Chapter Eighty Three

The morning air was thick with the scent of damp earth and fresh pine as we stood at the edge of the enchanted forest surrounding the castle. Mist clung to the towering trees, their ancient trunks wrapped in glowing runes that pulsed faintly with magic. The deeper the forest stretched, the darker and more mysterious it became, as if it held secrets waiting to be uncovered.

Eira stood before us, arms crossed, her sharp gaze scanning each of us. "Today's lesson is about perception," she announced. "Power means nothing if you cannot track your enemy. Your task is to find and subdue a magical creature hidden deep within this forest- without harming it."

My wolf stirred at the challenge, a low hum of anticipation running through me. "What exactly are we tracking?" Elijah asked, adjusting the bracers on his wrists.

"A shadow wraith," Eira said simply.

A cold hush fell over the group.

Shadow wraiths were rare creatures-beings made of living darkness, nearly impossible to see with the naked eye. And as far as I knew they were fairytale creatures. They moved like wisps of smoke, slipping through the cracks of reality itself. If we weren't careful, we'd never find it before it found us.

"You'll need to rely on more than just sight,” Eira continued. "A wraith will test all your senses-your hearing, your scent, your instinct. Trust your wolf, Stormi."

I stiffened at the direct mention of my name.

Eira had never singled me out before training even began.

"Why just Stormi?" Alex asked, frowning.

“Because she struggles with distractions,” Eira said bluntly, and heat crept up my neck. "The forest is full of magic. Some of you will be able to push through it, but Stormi has the strongest bond with her wolf. If she learns to filter out what doesn't matter, she'll be the one to lead you to the wraith."

I swallowed hard. I knew she was right. My connection to my wolf was strong-but sometimes, it was too much. The world was always sharper for me, with scents too vivid, and sounds too overwhelming. It could be a strength, but only if I learned to control it.

Eira motioned toward the tree line. "You have until sundown."

Without another word, she vanished-one moment standing before us, the next melting into the forest like she had never been there.

Well, then the hunt had begun.

We moved cautiously beneath the dense canopy, the air growing heavier with magic the deeper we went. Shadows slithered across the ground, shifting in ways they shouldn't, and distant whispers drifted through the trees-words that didn't quite form, but still sent chills down my spine.

My wolf growled in warning.

"It's too quiet," Austin muttered, his breath visible in the cool air.

Elijah nodded. "Wraiths don't leave footprints, but they disturb the energy around them. We need to watch for places where the magic feels... off."

Chapter Eighty Three

"I'll check the air," Alex offered. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply but after a moment, he frowned. "It's everywhere. The whole

damn forest reeks of magic."

I clenched my fists. The air was thick with enchantment, making it hard to separate scents. My senses were on high alert, too high, every little rustle and

the wind pulling my attention in a different

right-1

took a slow breath, pressing a hand

Stormi. Filter out the

my eyes and reached inward, searching for my

stirred, warm and steady beneath

Trust me, she murmured.

I did.

felt different. The overwhelming noise faded into the background, and instead

was wrong in the

slight ripple

to go east,"

tilted his head. "Are

"Yes."

They didn't question me.

dense undergrowth. The deeper we went, the colder the air became. Not natural cold- this was something

Then-

flickered just beyond the

My heart pounded. "There."

instantly, spreading out, cutting off any

melted into

Damn.

His shadows curled protectively

chase it in circles," Austin said. "We

to think.

Chapter Eighty Three

"The wraith moves

I said. "So what if we force it into the

grinned. "I like the way you

of fire flickering to life. He tossed the

darkness around us lurched, recoiling from the sudden

The wraith hissed.

a glimpse of it—a swirling, shapeless thing, its form constantly shifting between smoke and

retreat, but Isaiah was faster. His shadows lashed out, not

cut off its

in

surged forward,

instincts to fully take control. My hands moved on their

Not with claws.

Not with fire.

With energy.

lunar power burst from my

screeched, its body flickering wildly. But I hadn't hurt it-I had only disrupted

blur, he appeared behind the wraith, his energy wrapping around it like