Chapter 15 – From Mia’s Eyes
There was something different about walking through town with Aurora. Not just because she was Luna now, though that was part of it. No, it was the way Aurora took everything in the curious sparkle in her eyes as she listened, the patience in her steps when they stopped to greet elders or answer questions from wide-eyed young wolves.
Mia hadn’t expected it to feel so natural. In truth, she’d been nervous about it. She had loved being close to Nathan’s work, trusted Jason like family, but the Luna? That role came with expectations. Pressure. Distance, sometimes. But Aurora... Aurora was real. She never pulled rank, never demanded attention. She just... connected.
Their days had fallen into an easy rhythm. Mornings might begin with a trip to the market or coffee at the small café near the town’s south corner. Afternoons were often filled with planning Aurora asking thoughtful
Three days after the Gathering, the Midnight Pack had returned to its calm rhythms, though a quiet awe still hung over the village. Aurora had become something more than daughter and Luna she was now a living legend, whispered about with both reverence and caution.In her parents’ small sitting room, she held Malcolm on her hip while her mother fussed, packing up little containers of dried herbs and woven talismans for the journey home. Jason was outside, loading bags into the SUV, and Aurora felt a shiver of anticipation for their return to the Moon Swept Pack, to their pack.Her father entered carrying a small wooden chest, polished but worn, etched with faded runes. His expression was grave, weighted.“Aurora,” he said gently, “I want you to take these with you.”She set Malcolm down and reached for the box. Its surface pulsed faintly, as if charged by old power.“What is it?”
Nathan caught Jason alone near the front steps. “Jase,” he said, voice quiet, “what really happened over there?”Jason hesitated, guilt flashing behind his eyes. He could still feel the bite of silver, still taste the fear of what Aurora had unleashed to save him. How could he explain that?He swallowed hard. “It was… handled,” he answered carefully. “Aurora handled it.”Nathan’s gaze lingered, suspicious but loyal. “If you ever want to talk ”“I know,” Jason cut in, forcing a small smile. “Thanks, brother.”That night, after the noise died down and the pack had returned to their homes, Jason and Aurora sat together in their own living room. The house felt peaceful, safe, with the quiet hush of a sleeping child in the next room.Jason’s shoulders slumped as he stared into the fire. “I should tell him,” he said finally. “Na
They crossed the border back into Midnight Pack territory just as the sun began to rise, gold light washing away the last chill of night. Jason leaned on Aurora’s shoulder, still unsteady, but alive. His wounds were raw where the silver had burned into his skin, but his grip on her hand was strong and sure.A line of Midnight Pack warriors waited for them, heads lowered in respect. When they saw Jason supported between Aurora and one of the healers, a collective sigh of relief rippled through them. Howls rose into the air, victory, welcome, relief carried across the valley like a hymn.Aurora’s father stepped forward, eyes bright with pride and worry. He looked Jason up and down, then nodded. “Welcome home, Alpha. You did well, my daughter.”Jason tried to answer, but exhaustion stole his words. Aurora steadied him, murmuring, “Save your strength.”They guided him straight to the healer’s hut, where
The morning air was cool and sharp as Aurora stood on the rise overlooking the Midnight Pack’s central meeting grounds. Banners from every pack in New Zealand rippled in the breeze, vibrant greens, reds, and deep blues, each symbol etched with wolf marks of old alliances.Jason stood at her side, dressed in clean, simple ceremonial clothes. His wounds were healing, but she could still see the faint scars of the silver, a brutal reminder of what had been risked and what had been saved.“Ready?” she asked softly, touching his hand.He squeezed her fingers. “With you, always.”Below them, a sea of wolves had gathered. Betas, elders, warriors, younglings, all drawn by the stories of what had happened, of how Aurora, daughter of the Midnight Pack, had forced an Alpha to kneel and broken silver with a thought. There was awe in their eyes, but also fear.Aurora felt that fear like a needle under her skin. Sam stirred inside h
Night had fully fallen, cloaking the world in deep shadows and streaks of moonlight. Aurora stood at the edge of Kaweka territory, her wolf senses stretched to their furthest reach. Sam was prowling in her mind, coiled and eager for a fight.Behind her, twenty of the Midnight Pack’s best warriors shifted anxiously, claws flexing, their breath steaming in the cold air. They were family, cousins, old allies, wolves who would fight for her without question.Aurora lifted her head, inhaling the scents on the breeze. Sweat. Iron. Wolves. Jason. Her heart stuttered at the faint trace of him, tinged with pain and exhaustion.We are close, Sam growled, hackles raised.Aurora nodded, a single determined movement. “No mercy,” she whispered to the warriors behind her. “But do not kill if you can help it. I want Rawiri alive.”They surged forward, paws silent on the forest floor. The Kaweka sentries didn’t even know what hit
Jason woke with a metallic tang on his tongue and the searing bite of silver shackles burning into his wrists. His head throbbed with a heavy, poisonous fog, the aftereffects of wolfsbane making his wolf sluggish and his mind dull. As his vision steadied, he took in the dim stone chamber around him. Water dripped somewhere, echoing against rough walls darkened by damp.He tried to shift, to call on Jack, but the silver shackles sent shockwaves of agony through every nerve. He gritted his teeth, sweat breaking across his brow. The chains rattled, biting deeper, until he was forced to still himself and breathe shallowly.Footsteps approached, measured, and confident. The scent hit him first, pine, iron, and something sour that set his hackles on edge. Rawiri stepped into view, flanked by two of his warriors. The Kaweka Alpha looked every inch the predator, his grin sharp and cruel.“Good morning, Alpha,” Rawiri sneered. “Or shall I