CHAPTER 4 – MOONFALL FORTRESS

The first thing I saw was the fortress.

The second thing I felt was fear.

Moonfall Fortress rose from the mountain like something built to keep the world out.

Dark stone walls stretched across the cliffs. Massive towers stood against the gray sky, their sharp roofs disappearing into the mist. Guards lined the entrance, their weapons visible beneath their cloaks.

I had survived the Ash Barrens.

I had slept beneath broken trees, fought for scraps of food, and outrun hunters who wanted my head.

But as Kael's horse carried me toward those gates, something inside me whispered that I had just traded one kind of danger for another.

Kael noticed my silence.

“Change your mind?”

I looked at him.

“No.”

“You've been staring at the fortress for ten minutes.”

“I'm thinking.”

“About?”

“Whether your pack is worse than the Barrens.”

His mouth twitched.

“You'll find out.”

I frowned.

“That isn't comforting.”

“I wasn't trying to comfort you.”

At least he was honest.

The gates opened.

The sound of iron chains echoed through the entrance.

As we rode inside, dozens of wolves turned to stare.

Then the whispers began.

“Who is she?”

“Is that the rogue?”

“Why is she with the Alpha?”

“She's covered in Ash Barrens dust.”

“Maybe she's a prisoner.”

I kept my face blank.

Kael's expression didn't change.

But his horse slowed.

He looked toward the gathered warriors.

“She is not a prisoner.”

The whispers stopped.

For a moment.

Then someone laughed.

“Then what is a rogue doing here?”

Kael's eyes turned cold.

The laughter died immediately.

I looked around.

The courtyard was enormous. Warriors stood in groups, nobles watched from the stone balconies, and servants hurried through the corridors.

But something else caught my attention.

They weren't united.

Some wolves looked at Kael with loyalty.

Others watched him with suspicion.

A few refused to meet his eyes.

Political divisions.

Even I could see them.

Kael dismounted.

Then he looked at me.

“Come.”

I climbed down.

The moment my feet touched the ground, every conversation stopped.

Hundreds of eyes turned toward me.

I resisted the urge to step back.

A woman near the stairs whispered loudly enough for me to hear.

“She can't be serious.”

Another answered, “The Alpha has lost his mind.”

A warrior shook his head.

“She's a rogue.”

Kael's jaw tightened.

“Enough.”

His voice carried across the courtyard.

Everyone went silent.

He looked at the gathered pack.

“I have brought someone here who will stand beside me.”

My stomach tightened.

Kael continued.

“This is Nyra Vale.”

The name sounded strange in his mouth.

Almost official.

“She is my chosen Luna.”

The courtyard exploded.

“What?”

“Impossible!”

“You cannot do this!”

“She's packless!”

“She's a rogue!”

One of the older men stepped forward.

“Alpha, you cannot insult the bloodlines of Ironfang like this.”

Kael looked at him.

“Are you challenging my decision?”

The man's face paled.

“No, Alpha.”

“Then step back.”

He hesitated.

Kael's voice hardened.

“I said step back.”

The man obeyed.

But the anger in his eyes remained.

I watched him carefully.

He wasn't afraid of me.

He was afraid of Kael.

That was interesting.

Another voice came from the crowd.

“What does the Elder Council say?”

The question changed everything.

Several people suddenly became uncomfortable.

Kael's expression turned cold.

“The Council does not choose my Luna.”

A woman stepped forward.

“She does not belong here.”

I looked at her.

She wore an expensive black dress and a silver necklace.

Her posture was perfect.

Her eyes were not.

They were full of hatred.

She looked at me as if I had personally stolen something from her.

Kael noticed her.

“Selene.”

The woman's lips curved into a smile.

“Alpha.”

So this was Selene.

His former betrothed.

I had heard enough to know she wasn't going to welcome me.

She looked me up and down.

“You replaced me with a rogue?”

Kael's expression remained calm.

“This isn't the place for this conversation.”

“It is exactly the place.”

She turned toward the pack.

“Look at her. She doesn't even have a pack name.”

My fingers curled.

I forced them to relax.

Kael stepped closer to Selene.

“Be careful.”

Her smile disappeared.

“She will never be accepted.”

“That is not your decision.”

“And what happens when the Council hears about this?”

Kael's eyes hardened.

“They already know.”

The courtyard went silent again.

Selene stared at him.

“You've done this deliberately.”

“Yes.”

She looked at me.

Then back at Kael.

“You're making a mistake.”

Kael didn't answer.

Selene walked away.

But before she disappeared into the fortress, she glanced back at me.

That look told me one thing.

She wasn't finished.

Kael turned toward the pack.

“Listen carefully.”

Everyone looked at him.

“Nyra is my chosen Luna. Whether you like the decision or not, you will respect her.”

A warrior stepped forward.

“What if we refuse?”

Kael's eyes became dangerous.

“Then you refuse me.”

Nobody spoke.

He continued.

“You don't have to like her.”

His gaze swept across the crowd.

“But you will not insult her, threaten her, or challenge her without answering to me.”

I looked at him.

For the first time since entering the fortress, I didn't know what to say.

He was protecting the arrangement.

That was all.

At least, that's what I told myself.

A woman approached me.

“Luna.”

I almost laughed.

The title felt ridiculous.

She bowed stiffly.

“Your quarters are ready.”

I followed her through the fortress.

Every corridor seemed colder than the last.

People moved aside when we passed.

Some bowed.

Some stared.

Some whispered.

I heard enough to know what they thought.

Rogue.

Impure.

Unworthy.

Dangerous.

I stopped outside a large wooden door.

The woman opened it.

“These are your quarters.”

I stepped inside.

The room was larger than anything I had ever owned.

A large bed stood against the wall.

There was a fireplace, a wardrobe, a table, and a private balcony overlooking the mountains.

I stared at it.

“You can leave.”

The woman looked surprised.

“Excuse me?”

“I said you can leave.”

She bowed and hurried away.

The door closed behind her.

Silence.

I walked slowly around the room.

Everything was too clean.

Too beautiful.

Too comfortable.

I didn't trust it.

People didn't give you comfort without expecting something in return.

I walked toward the balcony.

Before I could open the door, something caught my attention.

The wooden surface beside the entrance.

There were scratches on it.

Fresh ones.

I moved closer.

My heart stopped.

Someone had carved words into the wood.

Four words.

ROGUES DO NOT BECOME LUNAS.

I stared at them.

Then I touched the carved letters.

The door had been marked recently.

Whoever had written it wanted me to see it.

A sound came from the corridor.

Footsteps.

I quickly turned around.

The footsteps stopped outside my door.

I held my breath.

Then came three slow knocks.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

I stared at the door.

The message was still beneath my fingers.

A voice whispered from the other side.

“Enjoy your first night, little rogue.”

Then the footsteps disappeared.

I stood completely still.

Moonfall Fortress was supposed to be my protection.

But someone inside these walls had already decided they wanted me dead.