The Advisor

**LEILA**


I trudge through the dense underbush, my senses on high alert as I scan our surroundings. My brother, Liam, walks beside me, his eyes fixed on me with a mixture of concern and understanding.


My mind races with thoughts of how to lift the darkness that's shrouded over this pack.


Its not like I knew a way but somehow I know that I was going to find a way even if it took everything inside of me.

My powers, fueled by my emotions, have become unpredictable and destructive.


I can feel the weight of the pack's suffering bearing down on me, and it's suffocating. But it helped stop the fight for the main time so that was a good thing too.

"Leila, you need to calm down." Liam stated softly, his voice piercing through my thoughts.

"From the look of things, your powers react to your emotions. If you can settle your nerves, maybe we can figure out how to lift the darkness." I nodded, knowing he was somewhat right.

But it's easier said than done. Fear, anxiety, and guilt swirl inside me like a toxic storm. I feel like I'm drowning in my own helplessness.

Liam stops walking and turns to me, his eyes locking onto mine.

"Hey, look at me." He takes a deep breath, his voice calm and soothing.

"We'll get through this together. We always do."

I force myself to breathe, to slow down my racing heart.

I focus on Liam's steady gaze, his calm energy.

Slowly, my mind begins to clear, and my powers simmer down, like a pot removed from the flame.

"Thanks, Liam." I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

It has barely been days that we got together as siblings but the bond wasn't even hard to explain, we just clicked.

He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"You'll never have to find out, little sister. We're in this together, always."


As we walk, the darkness that had shrouded the forest for so long begins to lift.

A warm, golden light breaks through the canopy above, illuminating the forest floor.

I feel a sense of hope rising within me, and my powers respond, stirring with a newfound sense of purpose. The darkness was lifting and little chirps and murmurs rented the air while I stared at Liam's surprised face with an amused expression.

"Where you really having a mental breakdown?" I asked as I waved my hands in his face and he blinked twice.

"Do I look okay? If I do then it is as a result of rigid training."

Suddenly, two figures emerge from the trees ahead. Damien and Lucian, their faces etched with concern and relief, rush towards us.

"Leila!" Damien calls out, his voice filled with emotion. "Thank the gods we found you!"

Lucian's eyes lock onto mine, his gaze intense. "We've been searching for you everywhere. What happened?"

I took a deep breath, trying to process the events that led us here. "I...I lost control of my powers. The darkness consumed me, and I couldn't find my way back."

Liam steps forward, his eyes narrowing. "But she's been working to regain control. She's getting stronger, Lucian."

Damien nods, his expression softening. "We can help her. Together, we can restore balance to the pack."

Lucian's gaze never leaves mine. "We'll do whatever it takes, Leila. We won't give up on you."

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes as I realize the truth in their words. I'm not alone. I have my brother, my friends, and my pack. Together, we can overcome anything.

With a newfound sense of determination, we set off towards our pack's territory, ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead.

The tension between Lucian and Damien is palpable as they face off, their eyes locked in a fierce stare. Liam positions himself beside me, his eyes fixed on Damien, his body tensed and ready to defend me.

"You're not taking her anywhere, Damien," Lucian growls, his voice low and menacing. "She has made her choice. She's staying with us."

Damien snarls, his face twisted in anger. "You're not her family, Lucian. I am. And I'll do whatever it takes to protect her."

"Protect her?" Lucian repeats, his voice dripping with disdain. "You call manipulating and controlling her protection? She's finally found her true strength, and you want to take that away from her."

Damien's eyes flash with rage, and he charges at Lucian. The two shifters clash, their bodies colliding in a flurry of fur and claws. Liam joins the fight, standing back-to-back with Lucian as they face off against Damien.

I watch in horror, my heart racing with fear. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me.

"Stop!" I screamed, my voice piercing through the chaos. "Please, just stop!"

But they don't listen. The battle rages on, the sound of snarling and growling filling the air.

I know I have to do something. I focus my powers, calling upon the light within me. A brilliant glow erupts from my body, illuminating the dark forest. The fighting slows, and then stops, as all three shifters turn to face me.

"Enough," I say, my voice firm and commanding. "This ends now."

"I'll go with you, Damien," I said, my voice firm but heavy with sadness. "But please, no more fighting. I can't bear the thought of anyone else getting hurt because of me."

Damien's expression softens, and he nods. "Thank you, Leila. I promise, no more bloodshed."

But Lucian's face twists in anger. "No, Leila! You can't just go with him! He's been manipulating you for years!"

I took a deep breath and approached Lucian. "I know you're trying to protect me, Lucian, but I need to do this. I need to face my past and my family. But I promise, I'll find a way to make things right. I'll make sure Damien doesn't hurt anyone else."

Lucian's eyes blaze with frustration, but I can see the hurt beneath. "You're just going to leave us, after everything we've been through?"

I take his hand, my heart aching. "I'm not leaving you, Lucian. I'm just taking a step back to fix things. I'll come back to you, I promise. And when I do, we'll work together to rebuild our pack and our lives."

Lucian's grip on my hand tightens, but I can see the resistance in his eyes slowly fading. "You'd better come back to us, Leila. We need you."

I nod, tears pricking at my eyes. "I will, Lucian. I swear it."

With a heavy heart, I turned and followed Damien out of the forest, leaving behind the only family I've known for so long.

My brother!!!


As I arrive, I saw Antonio and Amelia standing, waiting to receive me.

Their faces light up with warm smiles as they approached me, and I feel a wave of relief wash over me. They're okay. They're alive.

"Leila!" Antonio exclaims, embracing me tightly. "We were so worried about you. We thought we'd lost you forever."

Amelia's eyes well up with tears as she hugs me. "We're so glad you're back. We need you now more than ever."

I pull back, concern etched on my face. "What happened? I can sense that something's wrong."

Antonio's expression turns grim. "Alpha Xander and his pack attacked us. We were defeated, Leila. Our pack is in shambles."

My heart sinks, and I feel a surge of anger and determination. "I won't let him get away with this. I'll make him pay for what he's done to our pack."

Amelia places a hand on my arm. "We've been waiting for you, Leila. We need your strength and leadership to rebuild and fight back."


"Tell me everything," I said, my mind racing with strategies and plans.

Antonio nods, his eyes clouding over with memories of the battle. "It was a surprise attack. Xander's pack was too strong, too well-trained. We fought hard, but...we were outnumbered and outmatched."

Amelia's voice is barely above a whisper. "We lost many good people, Leila. Our pack is broken, our home is destroyed..."

I feel a fierce determination burning within me. "We'll rebuild, Amelia. We'll make our pack stronger than ever. And we'll make Xander pay for what he's done."

As we talked, I noticed the surroundings. Our once-thriving hub is now in ruins. Buildings are destroyed, trees are uprooted, and the air is thick with the smell of smoke and ash.

My heart aches at the sight, but I know I can't afford to grieve now.

But now I knew that they all had ulterior motives and I was more than willing to okay their game.

If they attacked Alpha Xander, then they were up to no good.

Did they think I had now become a part of them for them to tell me without fear that they had attacked Alpha Xander?

"Oh my goodness, what just happened?" Amelia asked, blinking her eyes repeatedly as she stared at me in shock.

"Did you just hypnotize us to get your answers?" Antonio questioned and I stared at the both of them oblivious of what they were saying.

"Its her powers!"