Chapter 21:The Void Peaks trembled as a rift of crimson light tore through the dawn sky. Eclipseborn poured from it, their fur blazing with blood-red runes, claws dripping with shadow. Aria stood before the Crimson Altar, her palm still bleeding from binding the Blood Oath, her body humming with its dark power. Kael’s black wolf form bristled beside her, his fangs bared, while Lyra and Torin flanked them, battered but unyielding. The pack’s howls rose, a desperate cry against the onslaught, but the air was thick with dread.“Hold the line!” Aria shouted, her claws glowing crimson, the Oath’s power surging through her veins. It was wild, hungry, threatening to consume her, but she gripped it like a weapon. An Eclipseborn lunged, its eyes twin voids, and she slashed, her crimson light slicing it in half. Ash rained down, but more shadows took its place.Kael tackled another, his claws tearing through its rune-etched hide. “They’re endless!” he growled, blood staining his fur.
Chapter 20: The Bloodhowl camp was a fortress of scars and resolve, its wolves patrolling under a moon that flickered like a dying ember. Aria stood at the camp’s edge, her hand in Kael’s, her chest bare of the mark that once defined her. The Lunar Pact was broken, her power scattered, but her heart burned with defiance. The Daughter of the Iceborn’s threat echoed in her mind: We take her pack. Starting with her mate. She tightened her grip on Kael, vowing to protect him, no matter the cost.A sharp howl shattered the silence. Lyra sprinted from the woods, her silver hair streaked with blood, her bow trembling in her hands. “Aria! They’re here!”The ground shook, shadows spilling from the trees like ink. Eclipseborn hundreds of them, their fur etched with glowing lunar runes, eyes blazing with hunger. But at their head wasn’t the Daughter. A new figure emerged, a wolf with fur like molten night, its eyes twin voids that swallowed light. The air grew heavy, the pack’s wolves c
Chapter 19: The fire crackled, casting long shadows across the Bloodhowl camp. Aria’s mark burned against her chest, the vision of Kael bound in shadows seared into her mind. She gripped his hand, her claws digging into his palm. “They’re coming for you,” she repeated, her voice low, urgent.Kael’s eyes narrowed, his wolf stirring beneath his skin. “Let them. I’m not the one who breaks.”But Aria’s mark pulsed again, sharper this time, like a blade twisting in her chest. She stood, pulling away, her eyes scanning the dark beyond the camp.The pack’s howls faded, replaced by an eerie silence. The air grew heavy, the moon dimming further, as if swallowed by an unseen force.Lyra sprinted toward them, her bow drawn, her face pale. “Aria, the perimeter’s breached! Eclipseborn hundreds of them!”Torin roared from the camp’s edge, his massive wolf form already charging into the fray. “To arms!” he bellowed, his voice shaking the ground.Aria’s mark flared, silver light spilling from her
Chapter 18: The Eclipseborn struck at dawn.Claws of shadow tore through the Bloodhowl camp, shredding tents and scattering warriors. Aria’s mark blazed to life, ripping her from sleep. She leaped from her bedroll, claws extended, moonlight pulsing from her skin. Kael was already shifting, his black wolf form a blur as he tackled an Eclipseborn mid-lunge.. Its ash-black body dissolved under his fangs, but more poured from the trees, their eyes burning like dying stars.“Aria!” Lyra’s voice cut through the chaos. She stood on a ridge, firing glowing arrows that pierced the shadows. “They’re after the temple!”Aria’s heart pounded. The Moonstone. Her mark screamed, tied to its power, urging her to move. She dodged a claw swipe, her moonlight blasting the attacker into dust. “Kael, with me!” she shouted.He was at her side in an instant, blood dripping from his fur. “The pack can hold. Go!”They sprinted toward the Moon Temple, the ground trembling under the Eclipseborn’s assault. T
Chapter 17: Bloodhowl camp buzzed with life, but Aria’s heart was restless. Her mark, though faint, throbbed under her skin, a quiet warning. The Void King was gone, his rift sealed, but the Daughter of the Iceborn’s final words haunted her: The war is just beginning. She stood at the edge of the camp, staring at the northern horizon where snow-capped peaks loomed like silent judges. The wind carried a chill that bit deeper than winter.Kael approached, his boots crunching on the frost. His dark eyes softened as they met hers. “You’re doing it again,” he said, voice low. “Carrying the world alone.”She turned, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Not alone. I have you.”He stepped closer, his hand brushing her cheek. “Always.” His touch was warm, grounding, but even that couldn’t quiet the unease in her chest.Her mark pulsed, sharp and sudden. She winced, clutching her arm. Kael’s hand steadied her. “What is it?”“I don’t know,” she whispered. “But it’s calling me.”Before he coul
Chapter 16: The sun spilled golden light over the Bloodhowl territory, warming the frost-kissed ground.Aria leaned against Kael, her body heavy, her mark dim but pulsing faintly. The pack gathered around them, their howls of victory echoing through the valley. Yet, Aria’s heart wasn’t at peace. The Sealed Alpha was gone, his Heart of Winter shattered, but that distant whisper from the peak lingered in her mind like a splinter.Kael’s hand tightened around hers. “You’re quiet,” he said, his voice low, eyes searching her face.She forced a smile. “Just tired.”His jaw clenched. He didn’t believe her, but he didn’t push. Not yet.Lyra approached, her silver hair streaked with dirt, her bow still in hand. “The pack’s holding, but we lost too many. The Phantom wolves… they’re gone. For good.”Aria’s chest tightened. The Phantom wolves had fought beside her, their spirits tied to her mark. Their loss felt like a piece of her soul had been carved out. “They saved us,” she whispered.Lyra n