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
The previous evening, Angel had spent the night at Aurora’s house, Mia and Nathan sharing grateful kisses and tearful goodbyes as they slipped out for a much-needed evening alone.Aurora stirred before dawn, the soft whisper of the full moon lingering in the sky’s last violet shadows. She lay still in the darkened nursery, listening to Malcolm’s gentle coos and Angel’s quiet snuffles. Their small bodies curled against each other in the crook of her arm, warm and familiar. With a careful breath, Aurora eased out of bed, the floor cool beneath her bare feet.She padded across the hall to the window, brushing aside the gauzy curtain. The riverbend glimmered pale and peaceful in the tacit light, the gum trees whispering their morning song. A new day. A day to prove herself both as Luna and as a mother.Behind her, the soft pad of footsteps heralded Mia’s arrival. Mia carried a steaming mug of chamomile tea and wore trouser
The first light of dawn crept across the riverbend, painting the water in silver streaks. Aurora sat cross-legged on her favorite flat stone, the ancient scroll spread open before her. She closed her eyes, inhaled the eucalyptus-tinted air, and willed her aura to gather into a perfect, invisible sphere around her no larger than a birdcage. For a heartbeat, the bubble held steady: crisp, defined. Then, as sunlight shifted through the gum trees, the edge shivered like a wavering flame. Aurora’s breath caught. She drew it back in, forced herself to steady her heart and wolf alike, and the sphere collapsed without incident.Progress, Sam purred softly in her mind.Aurora opened her eyes and made a careful note in her leather-bound journal: Attempt #7: bubble stable 3.7 seconds. Need a steadier anchor. Then she rolled the scroll closed, tucked it into her satchel, and stood as the sun climbed higher.By midmorning, the historic cobblestone square bustled with b
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