LOGINAéron's point of view The meeting room was already crowded when I entered.Every allied Alpha who had arrived at Red Moon Pack was seated around the long table, along with their Betas, our elders, my mother, Lucian, Kreos, and the witches who had come with Soren. The atmosphere was nothing like our usual council meetings. There was no arrogance, no political argument, no unnecessary challenge between Alphas.Everyone in that room wanted the same thing. Elara.I walked to the head of the table and remained standing. My eyes moved toward the oldest witch among them. She looked fragile at first glance, her silver hair braided down her back, her skin lined with age, but the moment she lifted her eyes toward me, I felt the weight of something ancient behind them."Tell me everything you know," I said. "I don't care how old the information is, how impossible it sounds, or whether you think it is relevant. If you know something about the fortress, Henry, ancient magic, or Elara, you tell us
Aéron's point of view The sound of claws striking the training ground echoed through the forest. I stood at the center of the clearing, watching two warriors circle each other."Again."They lunged. One shifted halfway through the movement, claws extending as he slammed into the other wolf. The second warrior twisted aside and knocked him into the dirt."Too slow," I growled.The warrior immediately got back up."Again."This time, he was faster. Better. That was what we needed. Not ordinary training. Not warriors who could fight one enemy at a time. We needed wolves capable of surviving whatever Henry White had prepared inside that fortress. The allied Alphas had brought some of their strongest warriors to Red Moon Pack, and for the past several hours, we had been training together.Alpha Rowan's warriors specialized in close combat. Alpha Kael's wolves were faster. Alpha Lucan had brought trackers who could identify scents that most wolves couldn't detect. I used all of them. Every
Elara's point of view I didn't sleep. Not even for a minute. Every time I closed my eyes, Henry's voice returned.I've already waited centuries.And then there was Nyra's silence. That was worse. I lay on the bed staring at the ceiling, one hand resting against my chest where the bond with Aéron pulsed faintly beneath my skin.He was out there. Somewhere, searching for me. I could feel it. Not his exact location. Not his thoughts. Just the distant warmth of our bond, like a thread stretched across an impossible distance."Aéron," I whispered.For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then warmth spread through my chest. I closed my eyes."Elara! Don't worry! I'm coming to get you back. We are looking for this fortress." "I knew you will come. I am fine and fighting to find a way out of here.""Keep fighting my queen! I love you, my star!" I almost smiled. The words weren't spoken aloud. They didn't need to be. I knew him that he would come. But waiting for him wasn't enough. If Henry ha
Elara's point of view My head had been hurting for hours.It wasn't the kind of headache that could be cured by sleep or food. It felt as though something was pressing against my skull from the inside, tightening with every passing minute. Sometimes the pain became so sharp that I had to close my eyes and hold my temples, waiting for it to fade.But it never completely did. I sat on the edge of the enormous bed, staring at the dark windows of the fortress. Clouds moved beneath them. That sight still made my stomach twist. I had no idea how high this place was, how far I was from Red Moon Pack, or how long Henry intended to keep me here.But there was one thing I knew. I couldn't keep sitting here waiting for someone else to save me."Nyra." I closed my eyes. "Nyra, please." Silence and my frustration grew. "You have been inside my head this entire time. You know everything I don't. You know Henry. You know what this place is. You know what happened before I was born. So please, just
Aéron's point of view Lucian returned to the council room a short while later, closing the heavy doors behind him. I looked up from the ancient manuscript spread across the table. "What did you find?""A few of the allied Alphas have arrived," he replied. "Their chambers have been prepared, and their warriors are being settled in. The others should arrive shortly. The elders suggested that we allow everyone to rest before the meeting and schedule it for the earliest possible hour in the morning.""The earliest possible hour?" I repeated.Lucian nodded. "Yes.""No." I shook my head.He frowned."The meeting happens at dawn.""Aéron, some of them have traveled through the night.""I know." I pushed away from the table and stood. "But we don't know how much time Elara has. Every hour we spend resting is another hour Henry has with her. I want everyone in the meeting hall at dawn. Make sure the Alphas are informed."Lucian studied my face for a moment before nodding. "I'll make sure it h
Aéron's point of view The moment I stepped into the council room, I knew something had changed. The air was heavier than usual. Every elder was already seated around the long wooden table, their faces grim and their eyes fixed on me. Lucian stood near the window with his arms crossed over his chest, while Kreos was beside him, looking like he had been waiting for orders for hours.But the empty chair beside mine was the one that hurt the most. Elara should have been there. My Luna should have been sitting beside me, probably rolling her eyes at the elders whenever they became too serious. Instead, her absence filled the entire room like a wound that refused to close.I walked to my seat and remained standing."We received confirmation from the eastern territory this morning," one of the elders began. "Henry White's rogues attacked an allied pack during the night."My hands tightened against the edge of the table. "How many?"The elder hesitated. "Twenty-three wolves were killed. Seve







