*Roxy*One year later. The sun spills through the windows of the healing cottage, dappled light warming the woven rugs and shelves of herbs. A breeze stirs the drying bundles above the hearth. It carries the scent of lavender, thyme, and sage. I sit on the low stool near the back wall, brushing out my hair with fingers slicked in oil. The strands shimmer faintly, like moonlight caught in motion, as they always do now.A year ago, I was still learning what it meant to lead, to love, to live freely. Now, I’m something more. Still Luna, still Leo’s mate, but now something ancient and revered: a healer; my gift from the Moon Goddess. When I braid my hair around wounds, pain fades. Broken bones knit faster. The sick breathe easier. I don’t fully understand it, but I trust it, and I know it’s become my calling.The door creaks open. I glance up as Hanna steps inside, her cheeks flushed from the walk up the hill. She’s carrying a basket of berries, but her smile is brighter than the sun ou
*Roxy*The tent flutters softly in the cool twilight air. Inside, I sit quietly on a cushioned stool, trying to steady my racing heart.My gown hangs from a cedar hook near the center post of the tent, swaying gently with the breeze. It’s ivory and luminous, with silver vines shimmering along the bodice, embroidered by hand, and tiny moonstones stitched into the hem and train. It looks like it was made from the stars for the Moon Goddess, spun from mist and light.I chose it days ago, but seeing it now—waiting—I feel everything all at once: wonder, love, and peace. My mother steps closer, her eyes glistening. “You’re the daughter I always dreamed of. This day is for you, Roxanna.”I swallow hard. It’s strange hearing those words, bearing the weight of them, and yet feeling like I’m still just the girl who once lived alone in a tower, stolen from everything she knew.“I’m not sure I’m ready to be Luna,” I admit, my voice meek.Hanna’s hands are gentle as she reaches for mine. “You’re
*Leo*Three weeks later… The moon is waning gibbous–three days until it’s full. Three days until I marry Roxy.My paws press into the moss, every muscle taut and ready. Today is Roxy’s first hunt. It’s an important rite, a moment she’s been preparing for. Marek, Hanna, Harla, Corwin, and I flank her, moving like shadows through the trees, silent and sharp.Roxy’s wolf is smaller, immature, but her eyes burn with fierce determination. She’s nervous. I can feel it through our bond. But she’s also proud. This is her moment to prove herself not just as our Luna, but as a warrior of Moon River.Ahead, the elk graze in a clearing, calm and unsuspecting. The moonlight filters through the canopy, dappling their tawny backs with light. The herd is large enough to feed us all and celebrate the wedding with honor. Roxy’s shoulders tense as she catches the scent on the wind, her tail flicking in quiet focus.“Remember your training,” I whisper through the mind-link. “Stay with the pack. Move wit
*Roxy*Golden Elm is like something out of a dream I was never allowed to have. The castle is woven into the hillside with silver stone. There’s a gentleness to it—strong, but warm–not like the cold tower I was locked in. This place feels... alive.My mother—Lorna, I remind myself, trying to wrap my heart around the word—leads me through the grand archway. Her hand brushes mine gently, not pulling, just offering. I take it.“It’s not as grand as some of the others,” she says with a smile, “but it’s home.”Home. That word lands hard in my chest.Inside, the halls are lined with tapestries in red and gold. Light pours through stained glass windows, and servants and guards alike bow their heads as we pass, treating me like a daughter coming home.My mother leads me up a staircase that curves like the limb of a tree, the railing polished smooth by time and hands. We don’t speak as we climb. There’s too much between us: grief, wonder, hope, and years lost.We reach a hallway with a wooden
*Leo*The witches are gone. The last rustle of their tattered cloaks disappears beyond the eastern ridge, ushered by two lines of wolves who don’t blink as they pass. Moonbeam Valley holds its breath as a profound silence settles over them—not one of fear or tension, but something sacred: peace.I stand next to a dark bay stallion, offered to me by one of our warriors. The midday sun filters through the trees in golden shafts, lighting up the mist like fire. Roxy is near the edge of the clearing, talking softly with her parents, her actual parents, who look at her like they’ve been holding their breath for twenty-one years and have finally exhaled. I let them have their moment.Marek comes to stand beside me, already halfway through organizing our warriors. He smells of sweat and victory. His energy is focused on getting our pack home safely. “Have you made a plan, Alpha?” he asks. “I’m riding with Roxy to Golden Elm. I’ll give her time to settle and get to know her people.”Marek
*Roxy*I watch in horror as the witches’ magic lifts Leo into the air, his midnight-black wolf twisting in pain, suspended like a marionette on invisible strings. The witches’ chant claws through the morning. “No!” I scream, slamming both palms against the windowsill. My voice breaks, raw and useless against the sky.Then—they drop him.His body hits the ground with a sickening thud. He’s completely still–motionless.A scream tears from my throat. “Somebody help me!” I shout, leaning out the window, desperate. “Please! Someone! Throw me a rope!”Below, chaos churns through the valley. Wolves sprint, warriors cry out, magic swirls like smoke. The witches scream again, louder this time. “Please!” I yell again. “He’s—Leo’s—” My voice shatters on his name.Then, finally, someone hears me. A warrior near the supply wagon—his armor gleaming–looks up, and without a word, he grabs a coil of rope and throws it toward the window.On the third try, I catch it in my trembling hands but nearly d