Chapter 2

WINTER

After dinner, Crystal and I let our wolves out for a run before taking a walk through the flower fields near the castle. As we passed through the front gates earlier, the maids and guards offered warm greetings. I returned each one with a nod, reminded once again of how deeply this pack had embraced me. 

“Why are there more guards tonight?” Crystal’s voice came from behind me after we shifted back into our human form.

“Kallias has tightened security. There’s been a rise in rogue attacks lately and he wants to be sure I’m safe."

“Oh, right. The ever-mindful husband who loves you so much. Why do i even asked?"

I turned toward her, catching the smile she offered me, except it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Something about her tone felt off and the way she glanced bitterly at the maids who greeted me earlier didn’t escape my notice.

Why does it feel like… Crystal was jealous of me?

Oh come on, Winter. That couldn't be.

Scanning around, I spotted Julian, Kallias’ Beta, striding toward us. He stopped in front of me, bowing with his usual respect though we’d long since become more like friends.

“Luna, what are you doing out here?” 

“Just getting some air, Julian. Is there any issues?"

“Yes, Luna. You should return to the castle now. Alpha ordered me to make sure you stayed indoors cause there will be another rogue attack tonight."

Hearing that, my heart sank.

Rogue attacks weren’t exactly a rarity since I moved here. Unlike my father’s territory, Kallias’ pack borders the wild forest directly, a place teeming with their kind. While many of the recent attacks were minor mere tests of our defenses, there was something more that happened between my mate's pack and those beasts.

A deeper feud that stretched back generations. The Stoneclaw Pack's Alphas even before Kallias had been locked in a rivalry with a faction of elite rogues, not the mindless drifters but the higher-ranked. But the kind that are brutal, merciless, and blood thirsty. The rogue kingdom, ruled by its king who had a reputation for brutality.

Just then, a distant howl that I recognized rang into the air.

“That’s the Alpha’s warning! They’re here! Luna, you must take cover!”

“But my mate-"

“He’ll be fine. Our priority is your safety, that’s his command. Go, Luna! Get back to the castle!” Julian's voice rose, almost a shout.

I nodded quickly and grabbed Crystal’s hand. “Come on!”

Damn it. The flower fields were beyond the castle gates, far too close to the edge of the forest. We'd wandered too deep and now we had to loop around the perimeter to get back to safety.

As we ran, my wolf stirred, her senses flaring. I picked up movement in the trees surrounding us but I pushed the awareness down, trying not to let fear break my focus as I run forward. We had to reach the castle immediately.

Crystal suddenly stumbled. Collapsing to the ground mid-sprint and crouching down.

“Crystal!” I skidded to a halt, dropping to my knees beside her.

“I-I sprained my ankle!” She cried in pain.

Panic surged in my chest, "Hang on, I'll shift. Hop on my back after that alright?"

I closed my eyes. Trying to shift into my wolf form, but as I tried to reach it, there was nothing I felt. My wolf was too rattled by the fear flooding my system. "Damn it!”

We have to move before they can get us.

“Come on,” I said to Crystal, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. “Lean on me.”

With effort, I pulled her up and supported her weight as we staggered forward. We move sluggishly, every step felt like eternity. But at last, the castle came into view.

And that’s when my heart shattered.

The once peaceful lawn was now a battlefield with chaos everywhere. Bodies of our pack members lay strewn across the grass and flames crackled along the road leading to the entrance. 

This wasn’t a reckless raid. Lesser rogues would never dare to go this far.

Gritting my teeth, I guided Crystal toward the castle entrance, searching desperately for a break among the flames. The heat scorched the air around us.

They attacked my home, they came to me and my family.

That’s when I felt Kallias’ voice crashing into my mind through the mind-link,

‘Winter! Where are you? What’s happening at the castle? Answer me, Winter!'

‘I just got back,’ I answered quickly, eyes scanning the wreckage. ‘But it’s chaos here. I'm with Crystal.’

In that instant, I felt his relief pulse through our bond right after he heard that. It was so intense it nearly staggered me.

‘Hang on. I’m coming. I’ll be there in a second.’

Beside me, Crystal choked, coughing as the smoke grew thicker. Her eyes were wide and glassy as they darted over the destruction around us.

“Oh Moon Goddess..no…” Her voice faltered seeing the flames, the broken bodies, the blood on the soil.

After all this pack has become her home too.

“Crystal-”

She turned to me. Her eyes were no longer glassy but flashed with anger.

“This is all your fault, Winter,” She hissed.

“What?” I breathed, stunned.

"The moment they found out you couldn't bear a child, they smelled weakness. They knew Kallias would break and they were right. Now look around," She snapped, gesturing wildly. "All of this chaos? It’s because of you. Your flaw made the whole pack vulnerable!"

Her words hit me like a slap.

My lips parted but no words came.

I stared at her, trying to make sense of the venom in her tone. But Crystal's eyes didn’t soften. They were cold as ice.

Her hand pressed onto my shoulder not to comfort me but to assert something.

“If only I were the Luna,” She whispered.

Before I could react, Crystal shoved me hard, straight toward the flames.

I screamed as my balance gave way, but it was too late. I hit the ground with a searing jolt, the heat licking at my skin. At that exact moment, my wolf snapped to attention when Kallias arrived.

Through the smoke, I saw him shift back into his human form. I opened my mouth to call out, but then Crystal suddenly collapsed to the ground.

“Alpha…” She called.

Kallias’ eyes widened with alarm. I watched as panic flooded his face.

My chest constricted. No. No Kallias... what are you doing?

“Alpha… help me…” She whimpered again, her body trembling as if she were the one who had been thrown into the fire.

“Crystal!” I've never heard him that panicked before.

Two women lying there need his help, I was his mate, his Luna, but Kallias didn’t even look at me. My heart didn't just crack but shattered seeing him rush towards Crystal.

-----

My mother used to say that even a snake you raise with love is still a snake, it will bite you someday. She told me that the day I let Crystal move into Stoneclaw Pack with me right after Kallias and I completed our mating ceremony.

Now, all that remains is regret for not listening to her words.

The door creaked open and Kallias stepped into my room. I kept my gaze fixed out the window, refusing to look at him.

“Snowfall, how are your legs?” He asked softly, sitting at the edge of the bed. He reached for my hand.

But I pulled it away instantly.

Kallias blinked, startled by the rejection.“What’s wrong?”

I turned to him, finally meeting his eyes, and gave him the coldest stare I’d ever offered. 

“Why are you here now after you left me burning to save my maid?”