เข้าสู่ระบบDarius stood at the far end of the long mahogany table, gripping the back of his chair. He could hardly breathe as he stared at the woman standing in the doorway.Valkira was wearing a dark, perfectly tailored business suit, and the scar across her face only made her look more striking. The light from the hallway caught her silver eyes as she looked around the room at the people who had been discussing her.A faint smile appeared on her lips.“For my return,” she said, “one Valkira is all it takes.”The room stayed quiet as everyone stared at the legendary warrior standing before them, alive after five years of believing she was dead.Darius locked eyes with Valkira, and for a moment, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had spent five years mourning her and telling himself that she was gone, yet here she was, standing right in front of him. He wanted to let his emotions show, but he forced himself to stay calm, even though his heart was pounding hard against his ribs.Darius w
Darius was still adjusting his cuffs when he stopped and looked at the assistant.“What did you say?”“Yes, President.” The assistant hesitated, then said quietly, “Ms. Valkira isn’t dead. The news of her return is already spreading across the entire continent.”Darius leaned back and let out a slow breath, resting his hands on his thighs as his fists tightened.For five years, he had believed Valkira was dead. Five years had passed with nothing but silence, loss, and memories of the people they had buried, and now he was hearing that she was alive.He closed his eyes briefly, then looked back at the assistant. “How long have you known?”“Only a few hours, President,” the assistant said. “The border scouts confirmed it.”“Where is she now?”“We don't know. She’s keeping her location hidden.”Darius nodded, trying to keep his emotions under control. He had spent five years believing he had lost his sister, and now there was a chance she was still out there. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Da
Valkira unfolded the list and started reading through the names. The six major packs were all there: Blackwood Pack, Whitesmith Pack, Ashen Pack, Vespar Pack, Aegis Pack, and Obsidian Pack. The Bloodmoon Pack was on the list too, along with several other powerful packs. Her face tightened as she read the names. “I remember them,” Valkira said. “Back when Crescent was at its strongest, none of these families could stand against us.” Chris nodded. “Your father could have kept them from growing.” “But he didn't.” Valkira looked down at the list. “He helped them instead. He gave them what they needed to become stronger.” “And this is how they repaid him,” she said, her voice low. Chris looked at her. “They've grown powerful since then.” Valkira's grip tightened around the paper. “My father trusted them. He helped them when they had nothing, and they turned around and betrayed the Crescent Pack.” Chris took a breath. “You cannot fight them all at once.” “No,” Valkira said.
The name brought a warmth to Valkira’s heart. It had been so long since she had said it, and hearing it again brought back memories of when she was just two years old and Alpha Hertos brought Darius home. He was four at the time, and from that day on, he became part of their family.Darius had not always been his name. His biological father had been killed by enemies when the Crescent Pack was still young and not yet powerful enough to protect him, so Alpha Hertos changed the boy’s name and kept his past hidden to keep him safe.Darius grew up beside Valkira after that, and over the years, he became more than just her father’s ward. He became the older brother she had known all her life.Valkira opened her eyes and looked across the table at Helen, whose expression had softened.“He risked everything,” she said.“He did,” Helen replied. “He did it for your father, and he did it for you.”Valkira nodded, finally understanding why the Pack House had remained theirs all these years. “So
Helen gasped, her lips trembling as she struggled to answer. She wanted to ask Valkira to stop, to let the revenge and bloodshed end now that Valkira was home and they finally had their own place again.They had Yana back. They were alive and safe for the moment. Helen wanted to say, We are alive. That is enough. But she couldn’t bring herself to say it. She had been forced to kneel before, and she still remembered the humiliation of losing everything.The memory of the Blackwood intruders came back, their heavy boots on her floors, their cruel smiles, and the way they shoved her down and laughed at her.Helen had once been the Luna of the Crescent Pack, standing beside Alpha Hertos and helping rule one of the strongest packs on the continent. Now she was an old woman who had been beaten, humiliated, and forced to kneel.The memory still hurt. No matter how much time passed, Helen knew she would never forget what they had done to her.Helen looked at Valkira and saw the determination
Valkira froze, her eyes turning toward the dark corner of the room. She had heard a faint click, but she couldn’t tell where it had come from. Her body tensed as she listened carefully, suddenly aware that someone else might be inside the house.She held her breath and listened carefully. A floorboard creaked near the velvet sofa, but when she looked in that direction, everything went quiet again. Valkira slowly moved along the wall, keeping her eyes on the room as her black claws slipped halfway out.She checked the dark corners, listening for any movement, but there was nothing.It was getting late. Helen was already upstairs, and Chris was still outside in the garden. Valkira looked around the quiet house, wondering who else could be there.She reached for the light switch and turned it on. The room lit up, and Yana was standing in the corner, shivering.The sudden light made Yana blink. Her silver hair was all over the place, and sweat still covered her pale face. She looked tire







