Insight

Flint and Eve were right. The bindings broke early, earlier than even Flint’s. When this happened, everything on the mountain seemed to change rapidly. The rumors about Eli’s power and destructive ability began to circulate again. It was at this time that some changes to Eli happened as well, surprising his parents as well as himself.

It was a warm summer afternoon, when Eli’s wolf emerged. Flint, Eve, Ellie, Duncan, and Johnny were sitting on the back porch and watching the pups play. Griffin, Jason, Nora, Eli, and Bailey were wrestling in the grass. Everyone was taking turns, but it seemed like Nora was the strongest. Even though Bailey was two years older than she was. This set the two against one another.

Everything was fine until Bailey pinned Nora to the ground. Eli trembled and stepped forward, demanding a rematch. Bailey laughed at him and told Eli to join the fight, himself.

The next wrestling match began. Eli got knocked down and pinned to the grass. He tried to struggle free, but couldn’t. At ten years old, his power overwhelmed him.

The growl that emerged from his chest was more than animalistic. It was furious and explosive. The adults jumped up and ran toward the group, but Eli was too fast. He threw Bailey off of him as the cracking of his bones filled the air.

A young wolf stood before them, forcing everyone in his presence to their knees, even his peers. Flint refused to bow. He and Eve stood, struggling to remain on their feet. The wolf lifted his head in confusion as power radiated off of him. His eyes had changed. One was green and one was blue, like his sister’s. Except his colors were on opposite eyes.

Mom?! Dad?! He reached into their minds without effort.

“Eli, don’t be scared. Everything is okay. You found your wolf. It’s a good thing.” Eve tried to comfort him.

Flint examined his son’s peculiar fur coat for a moment. There was a line splitting Eli’s face nearly in half. One side was white, the other was black. This difference continued down his spine, chest, and tail. It was as strange as it was beautiful.

Calm down, now. The Alpha’s voice breezed across his mind.

What do we do?! Eli was frustrated and panicking.

Calm down! Now! The white wolf replied sharply.

Eli may have been stronger than any other wolf on the mountain, but Flint was still his Alpha and his father. He took a deep, huffing breath and sat on the ground. Eli wanted to obey the orders he was given, even if his animal was actively fighting the urge to run into the forest.

The guests were still unable to stand up straight or look in the direction of the youngest Dolan. Still, they forced themselves to move. Johnny grabbed Griffin and Nora, taking the awestruck pups away from the scene. Ellie took Jason’s hand and followed Johnny into the house. Duncan checked on Bailey. The boy was uninjured, just shaken up. They walked to the driveway, planning to head home.

“Eli...” Eve approached him calmly. “All you have to do is focus. Can you feel something turning, trying to get out?”

Yes. He answered silently.

Let him out. Flint entered his mind.

“Do it, sweetie. Just let that feeling out.” She coaxed him.

It took nearly half an hour before Eli was able to transform back into his human guise. Flint took off his shirt, wrapping it around his son’s shoulders. He knelt in front of him, wearing a serious expression.

“How do you feel?” Eve asked worriedly.

“Strong.” Eli replied in an unsure tone.

“You are strong.” Flint drew his son’s gaze. “The stronger we are, the more responsibility we have. Understand?”

“No...” He answered thoughtfully.

“I’m Alpha because I’m the strongest. It’s my job to protect our pack and everyone in it. Just because I’m stronger than they are.” His father answered, taking him by the shoulders. “You’ll be even stronger than I am. It’s your job to use your strength to protect StarLight, like I do. Never to hurt anyone. Just to protect.”

Eli nodded slowly as he took in his father’s words. No one was upset about his turning, it had just scared them. His power was so strong at his wolf’s immergence that everyone had been forced to the ground. Flint and Eve nearly had to kneel as well.

It turned out that this wave of strength was felt by every pack on the mountain. They knew the moment Eli shifted, they felt it. He was already their superior. The rumors about Eli eventually amounted to the creation of a legend. One that seemed as probable as it was tasteful.

It’s said that on the mountain, an Alpha with unfathomable power would unite the packs under his own leadership. He would be stronger, faster, and more brutal than any of those that came before him. He would be unbeatable, with or without his mate. Most saw this as an inevitability, once they met Eli and felt his power.

However, Nora turned just after her twelfth birthday. She was also stronger and faster than all her peers. With the exception of her brother, of course. Flint and Eve were proud of their children, even if the mountain feared them.

The Alpha trained them harder than Elijah had done to him. He wanted them to be better than he was. He also wanted them to have more control over themselves than he did. Flint and Eve spent most of their time trying to instill these lessons into their children.

Luckily, Eli seemed to get his logic and reasoning skills from Eve. He got his defensive nature and his facial features directly from his father. His personality was much like Flint's. Nora’s personality was nearly the opposite of her brother, even as she grew. She was impulsive and explosive like Flint, while being social and well-liked like Eve.

The legend about Eli haunted the mountain for a long time. Still, those closest to him knew better than to fear him. Yes, at age fourteen he was strong enough to defeat any Alpha on the mountain. Though, he hardly ever fought and never for himself. He only fought for others. To protect them, just as Flint had told him time and again.

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Once a year a sound rolls over the mountain, sweeping through the valley below. The townspeople come to hear the tones in fascination and wait for the moment they lay eyes on the creators of that hollow chorus. The wolves calling for their mates.

Eve had done all that she was taught, as a Lycan in Acres. She listened to the pull of the wind on the night of the Call, and found her mate. Flint Dolan. She'd been marked by him, making her his mate for life and bonding their souls together. She'd marked him as hers as well, giving him everything and asking for no less in return.

She'd had pups... The future of the StarLight pack. Whether that 'legend' about Eli came true or not.

Flint had helped her destroy the enemies that would stand against them and between them. Even if those enemies were simply victims of circumstance. Yes, Eve had done all that she was taught and more than she thought she was capable of.

Only one thing was certain in her mind, after all the years she'd spent in Green Tree... Only one thing. Eve wouldn't change any of it. Not the pain or the loss. The pain made her stronger and the loss she'd experienced stopped her from taking anything for granted.

No, Eve wouldn't change anything about her life. Not even a moment of it. Her instincts led her to Flint; to her fate. Her intuition kept her pups safe inside her, even when she didn't know about the Dolan power or the generational Alpha legacy. Her insight into the Shadow pack, Bastian, Flint, and StarLight had been what helped her escape to return back to her home.

Flint and Eve had overcome insurmountable odds just to find one another and have their family. Now that they had, nothing could stop them. And for the rest of their lives, no one dared to try.