LOGINThe hospital room smelled like antiseptic and sunshine.I was awake. Kai was asleep, head on my bed, still holding my hand.My whole body hurt. Like I’d been hit by a truck. Twice.But the Gate was closed. Viktor was locked up. We were alive.That was enough.There was a soft knock. Marisol.She peeked in. "You up?""Barely," I said.Marisol came in with two cups of tea. And a plate of toast. "Figured you’d need this."She set it down. Looked at Kai. "He hasn’t left you.""He won’t," I said. "He’s stubborn.""Good," Marisol said. "Pack needs stubborn Alphas."She sat in the chair. "How are you really?"I thought about it. "Tired. Sore. But... okay. Better than okay."Marisol nodded. "The healers said the mark burned hot. You channeled a lot of Moon magic.""Is that bad?" I asked."No," Marisol said. "It means you’re strong. Stronger than we thought."She hesitated. "Vex is asking to see you."My stomach twisted. "Is she okay?""Physically? Yes. Mentally..." Marisol sighed. "She feels
The Gate was open.Not cracked. Not torn. Wide. 20 feet tall. And behind it: darkness moving."Close it!" I yelled."Can’t!" Torren shouted from our side. His voice came through the tear. "Not while he’s anchoring it!"Viktor stood between us and the Gate. Arms raised. Black eyes glowing."Run," Kai said to me. Low. "Now.""And leave you?" I said."I can handle him," Kai said. He had his stick. His mark was burning. "You can’t handle them."He nodded to the army.Hollow wolves. 20 at least. Eyes empty. Teeth too long. Shadow men. Taller. Smoke for skin. Claws.And more coming out of the towers."On my count," Kai said. "3. 2. 1."He charged.---Chaos.Kai hit the first wolf. Stick cracked against bone. It went down.I grabbed silver from my pocket. The dagger Mason gave me.A shadow man came at me. I ducked. Slashed. It screamed and dissolved."Get to the Gate!" Kai yelled. "We have to close it from this side!"I ran. Viktor saw me. "You’re not going anywhere, Moon."He threw his
The shard was warm.Too warm. Like it remembered being part of the Gate.Kai turned it over in his hand. The Morozov crest stared back at us. Two wolves, circling a moon. But the old version. The one before the pack split 30 years ago."Where did you see this before?" I asked. We were in the pack house kitchen. 4am. No one was sleeping.Kai’s thumb brushed the carving. "My dad’s study. He had books. Old records. Before he... before he left."Left. Kai never talked about his dad.Marisol came in. Hair tied back. No tears this time. Just Alpha face."Let me see it," she said.Kai handed it over.Marisol went still. "This is Viktor’s."The room went cold."Viktor?" I asked."My brother," Marisol said. "Kai’s uncle."Kai sat down hard. "Uncle V’s been missing for 10 years.""Presumed dead," Marisol said. "After he tried to open the first Gate."The pieces clicked. Too fast."He didn’t die," I said. "He’s on the other side.""And now he’s back," Mason said from the doorway. He looked wrec
There was no sound.Then there was too much sound.The explosion threw me back. Heat. Stone. Light so bright I saw white.Kai’s arms around me. His body shielding mine.We hit the ground hard."Lila!" Kai’s voice. Muffled. "Lila, can you hear me?"I blinked. Ears ringing. "Yeah," I croaked. "I’m— I’m okay.""Don’t move," Kai said. But he was already moving. Checking me. Hands on my face, my arms, my ribs."I’m fine," I said. "Are you—"The world came back in pieces.Smoke. Dust. People yelling.Marisol: "Get the medics!" Mason: "Perimeter! Now!" Torren: "The Gate! Look at the Gate!"I turned.The Gate was gone.Not cracked. Not broken. Gone. Where it stood was just a crater. 10 feet wide. Black stone. And in the center: a swirling hole. Not a Gate. A wound in the air.And it was still open."That’s not good," I whispered.Kai helped me sit up. His shirt was torn. Blood on his temple. But he was looking at me like I was the one bleeding."You’re bleeding," I said, touching his f
The photo didn’t make sense.The Crimson Gate. Standing in the middle of the woods behind Black Ridge. And down the center: a thin line of red light. Like a crack."That’s photoshopped," I said. My voice was shaking. "It has to be."Kai was already on his feet. Jacket on. Keys in hand. "We’re going.""It’s 2am," I said."Exactly," Kai said.---The drive was 20 minutes of hell.Silence. Except for Kai’s jaw ticking. And my phone buzzing.Mason: *You seeing this?* Nova: *Lila call me NOW* Marisol: *Is Kai with you?*I didn’t answer any of them.When we got to the treeline, the air was wrong. Cold. But not snow-cold. Gate-cold.And there it was.The Crimson Gate. 12 feet tall. Runes glowing faintly.And down the middle: a crack. Thin. Pulsing.Like a heartbeat."That’s impossible," I whispered. "We closed it. I watched you close it."Kai stepped forward. His mark burned. Mine answered."Don’t," I said. "Don’t touch it."Kai stopped. Hand inches from the stone. "It’s warm.""Of cou
The Frostbite office was 8 hours away. But the call came in 12 hours after graduation.Kai’s phone rang at 7am. Unknown number. Area code from the Frostbite city.He stared at it. Didn’t answer."Answer it," I said from the kitchen. Coffee in hand. Mark still tender."I will," Kai said. "Later.""Later is now," I said. "Don’t run from it."Kai looked at me. Tired. "I’m not running. I’m choosing."He picked up on the third ring."Hello? This is Kai Morozov."I couldn’t hear the other side. Just Kai. Nodding. "Yes sir." "Thank you." "I appreciate it."Then silence.He hung up."Well?" I asked."They want me at camp in 3 weeks," Kai said. "Rookie contract. Third round money."My chest squeezed. "That’s... that’s your dream.""Was," Kai said."Was?"Kai stood. Paced to the window. "I’m Alpha, Lila. The pack just went through a war. Elder Torren quit. Marisol is 52. Mason is trying to run security and work. The council needs me.""And hockey?" I asked."Hockey will be there," Kai said. "T







