[Karmic Wolves 1] Luminous Howl

Trance

A hush falls over the ballroom as the large double doors swing open, and all eyes shift toward the entrance. A towering man strides confidently into the room, a beautiful woman with long, straight black hair clinging to his arm. There’s something off about the way they carry themselves—their energy prickles at my senses, sending a chill down my spine.

The uneasiness settles deep in my gut as I observe them, my instincts sharpening. The air around them feels heavy, charged with something dark and unfamiliar. My alpha aura stirs restlessly inside me, surging to the surface like it’s being provoked. It takes every ounce of my willpower to suppress it, to keep control. My fingers tremble slightly as I grip the edge of the table, struggling to contain the sudden surge of power.

I glance sideways at Beta Carter and notice the tension in his jaw, the way his teeth are clenched tightly. His usually easygoing demeanor is gone, replaced with a silent alertness. Leaning toward him, I whisper, “Do you sense that strange energy around them?”

His eyes flicker with uncertainty before he gives me a slow, reluctant nod. He senses it too—something about this couple isn’t right. My guardians are also on edge, their eyes fixed on the pair with an intensity that tells me they feel it just as strongly. We’re all watching, waiting.

The king, now standing on the stage, clears his throat, his voice booming through the ballroom. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming tonight.” His words are grand, but there’s an unsettling undercurrent in his tone that puts me on edge. My skin prickles with a strange sense of foreboding, and I feel deeply disturbed by the energy radiating from him and the woman at his side.

“I have returned from my journey with a surprise for you all,” the king continues, his gaze shifting to the woman beside him. “Meet Veronica, my beautiful mate and your future queen.”

The silence that follows his words is deafening, like the calm before a storm. Then, as if on cue, the guests erupt into cheers, their voices loud and enthusiastic. The sound fills the room, but it feels distant, like a buzz I can’t quite connect with. My attention is locked on the king and Veronica, unable to shake the heavy feeling lingering in the air.

Next to me, Beta Carter’s expression has darkened, his face a mask of grim disapproval. He doesn’t clap. In fact, he looks like he’s trying to control some deep inner frustration. His reaction only heightens my own sense of unease. Something is very wrong.

Rage begins to boil inside me, bubbling up without warning. It’s strange—intense and uncontrollable, like a fire igniting in my chest. My body starts trembling, my breath coming in shallow gasps as I struggle to understand why I’m reacting like this. The emotions crashing over me feel foreign, yet all too familiar. I feel as though I’m on the verge of exploding, the storm inside me too wild to contain.

Closing my eyes, I focus on my breathing, trying desperately to ground myself. In, out. In, out. But just as I’m beginning to calm the raging storm, I hear a voice in my head.

Protect him.

The voice is soft, almost like an echo of my own, but there’s something different about it. Something ancient. My eyes snap open, my pulse quickening as I glance back toward the stage.

And that’s when it happens—I accidentally make eye contact with the king.

I freeze. My body locks in place, and I can’t move, can’t look away. It’s like I’m stuck in a trance, held captive by the intensity of his gaze. His eyes are dark, filled with something that looks like pain, sadness, and… rage. A tempest of emotion swirls within him, and for a moment, I feel everything he’s feeling. It hits me like a wave—an overwhelming sense of conflict, as though he’s being torn apart from the inside.

Veronica, still attached to his arm, tugs at him gently, trying to pull him away. But he doesn’t budge. He’s still staring at me, those dark eyes pleading, desperate. And for reasons I can’t understand, my heart aches for him. My breath catches in my throat, and before I know it, tears start streaming down my cheeks, hot and unbidden.

Why do I feel this way?

I try to blink, try to look away, but I can’t. It’s as if something beyond my control has locked us in this moment, a silent exchange neither of us asked for but both of us are bound by. The connection feels too powerful to break.

Finally, Veronica steps in front of him, breaking our eye contact by force. The trance shatters, and I gasp, struggling to regain my breath. My chest heaves as I reach for my wine glass, taking a long sip to wet my parched throat. The tears on my cheeks feel cold now as I hastily dab them away, trying to steady myself.

What just happened?

The king, now led by Veronica, walks hand in hand with her toward the main table. His expression is hard to read, but there’s something unresolved in his eyes, something that makes my heart feel heavy. The room, oblivious to the tension, continues on as though nothing happened. The guests around us chat excitedly, resuming their festivities with laughter and conversation.

But I can’t shake the feeling that something terrible is happening. That there’s a darkness lurking beneath the surface of this celebration, waiting to reveal itself.