Chapter 71 – The banners of war fluttered in the morning wind.From the highest tower of the Midnight Citadel, Aria stared down at the gathering packs. Warriors in grey, brown, silver, and black fur lined the outer walls, their Alpha flags rising like a forest of teeth.“They came,” she whispered, hardly believing it.Kael stepped beside her, armored in full Midnight black, his presence a steady warmth. “You called. They listened.”But not all had come willingly.The war hall roared with tension.Alphas from seven major Northern packs stood around the obsidian table claws visible, eyes wary, their distrust thick in the air.Alpha Duncan of the Icefangs, grizzled and scarred, glared at Kael. “You bring us here with no explanation and demand unity? We are not your soldiers.”“We didn’t summon you for power,” Kael said, voice firm. “We summoned you for survival.”Alpha Maera of the Duskrunners crossed her arms. “We’ve heard the rumors. Shadow wolves. Dark magic. But we’ve seen no proof
Chapter 70 – The silence of the Citadel shattered before dawn.A low horn roared from the southern wall, followed by a chilling howl that echoed across the mountain range. It wasn’t a call from Midnight wolves. It was something darker. Something is wrong.Aria sat bolt upright in bed.Kael was already on his feet, bare-chested, sword in hand, eyes glowing fiercely. “He’s here,” he growled.“Theron?” Aria asked, heart thundering in her chest.Kael didn’t answer. He didn’t need to.The sky outside was bruised purple, the first hints of sunrise fighting through the storm clouds gathering above the Midnight Citadel. But fire glowed beneath the tree line burning packs, smoke spiraling like twisted claws.The war had begun.They dressed fast Aria in light armor trimmed with silver moon-thread, Kael in black leather marked with the Midnight crest. Warriors stormed the halls, shouting orders, weapons drawn, fur bristling beneath their skin.“Report!” Kael barked as Lucien sprinted up the
Chapter 69– “She’s what?”Kael’s voice echoed off the stone walls, sharp and filled with disbelief.Lucien stood firm just inside the Alpha King’s private chamber, hands folded behind his back. His face was pale, his jaw tight. “The seer confirmed it. Aria is Moonborn. The last known living wolf of the Moonshade bloodline. The one tied to the original prophecy.”Aria blinked, the words not making sense at first. “That… that’s just an old story. Something Elders used to scare pups. It’s not real.”“It’s real now,” Lucien said grimly. “The Alpha King has summoned the high council. Every Alpha in the North is coming. You’re not just Luna anymore, Aria. You’re something… older.”Kael moved between her and Lucien instinctively, his eyes flashing gold. “What does that mean for her?”Lucien hesitated. “It means she may be the key to ending the war… or starting a much bigger one.”The Alpha King’s throne room was packed by nightfall. Hundreds of wolves filled the carved stone hall. Elders
Chapter 68Aria sat at the edge of the large ceremonial bed, her knuckles white around the armrest as she stared into the golden torchlight dancing across the chamber walls. The fire couldn’t chase away the chill in her spine. Not when Liora Kael’s first mate was alive.Not when she’d threatened everything Aria had fought for.Kael stood across the room, silent, freshly healed from the wounds left by Zane. His shoulders were tense beneath his black shirt, his back to her as he gazed out the window into the cold mountains of Northern Canada.“I should’ve known she wasn’t dead,” he finally said, his voice rough.Aria’s lips tightened. “You didn’t know. But you still chose me.”He turned to her. “I did. And I’ll keep choosing you. But that won’t stop her from trying to take it all back.”Aria’s chest ached. She had fought too long and too hard to be stolen from again. Not by fate. Not by another woman. And definitely not by a ghost from Kael’s past.“What happens now?” she asked, alre
Chapter 67 The iron gates of the Alpha King’s court loomed ahead, taller than trees, engraved with ancient runes that shimmered in the morning light. Wolves lined the stone pathway, silent and watchful as Kael and Aria rode in, side by side, their wolves flanking them like sentinels of war.The air was thick with judgment. Every stare whispered the same question:Mate or mistake?Aria kept her spine straight, her warrior instincts on full alert. But deep inside, her stomach coiled like a serpent. She could smell the power in the air. Alphas from every northern pack had gathered here. Watching. Waiting.Kael’s hand brushed hers on the reins for a moment. A silent promise.She didn’t pull away.They passed through the towering gate and entered the courtyard of the Crimson Citadel, a massive fortress carved into the side of a Canadian mountain. It was ancient, built before the first packs, housing the Alpha King and his council.Guards in silver and crimson armor opened the final doo
Chapter 66 – The moonlight bled through the cracks of the war-torn Midnight Pack halls, drenching the broken stones in pale silver. The scent of blood, smoke, and betrayal still clung to the air. Wolves limped through the debris, tending to wounds, burying the fallen. But deep inside the packhouse, where shadows curled like serpents, another kind of wound had just reopened.Aria stood in the center of Kael’s chambers, her chest rising and falling in sharp breaths, the letter shaking in her hand.“She’s alive.”The words Kael had whispered hours ago before passing out echoed like a curse in her head.Not just alive but watching. Waiting.And she had sent this letter.“I told you,” Lucien growled from the corner, arms crossed, eyes flickering with something between guilt and suspicion. “I told you there were still pieces of the past you didn’t understand.”Aria didn’t look at him. Her gaze was fixed on the note.Kael was never yours to save, Aria. He was mine before the curse, and I