LOGINChapter 153
Viona's POV The courtyard of the Light Pack fortress was alive with sound. Clashing steel rang out as warriors sparred. Wolves shifted mid-strike, claws raking against shields, fangs flashing in the torchlight. Elders oversaw the drills, their sharp commands cutting through the air. Smiths hammered iron into blades that gleamed beneath the rising sun, their sparks showering the cobblestones. A month had passed since the council's decision, and the world of wolves had changed. Every pack had sent its strongest warriors, its proudest Alphas, its fiercest Betas. The trial loomed over us all like a shadow, a storm gathering just beyond the horizon. The Alpha of Alphas would be chosen in blood-through combat. For some, the anticipation burned like fire. For others, dread coiled in their stomachs. But none could deny it the moment the decision was near. I stood at the balcoChapter 154 Viona's POV The morning air hung heavy with ash. I stood at the top of the packhouse steps, watching as six of the Light Pack's most skilled spell-weavers mounted their wolves and horses. They were warriors trained in both claw and charm, chosen because they could see what others could not. The massacre at the border demanded more than sharp eyes and strong jaws-it demanded knowledge of magic's traces. The scouts who had returned spoke of charred earth, of bodies turned to dust. But what hand had wrought such destruction? What force could erase thousands without leaving a single survivor? The question gnawed at me, and though I masked my face with calm, my heart twisted with unease. "Find the truth," I told them, my voice carrying the weight of command. "Bring back whatever answers the earth will give." They bowed their heads, determination flashing in their eyes. The
Chapter 153 Viona's POV The courtyard of the Light Pack fortress was alive with sound. Clashing steel rang out as warriors sparred. Wolves shifted mid-strike, claws raking against shields, fangs flashing in the torchlight. Elders oversaw the drills, their sharp commands cutting through the air. Smiths hammered iron into blades that gleamed beneath the rising sun, their sparks showering the cobblestones. A month had passed since the council's decision, and the world of wolves had changed. Every pack had sent its strongest warriors, its proudest Alphas, its fiercest Betas. The trial loomed over us all like a shadow, a storm gathering just beyond the horizon. The Alpha of Alphas would be chosen in blood-through combat. For some, the anticipation burned like fire. For others, dread coiled in their stomachs. But none could deny it the moment the decision was near. I stood at the balco
Chapter 152 Viona's POV Two months Two months of uneasy silence had passed. For a time, we breathed easier. Reports of witches clashing with humans, of vampires tearing each other apart, had filled our nights with a strange, grim relief. The enemy was distracted, devouring themselves instead of pressing against our borders. But relief never lasted long in a world of blood and shadow. The first whispers arrived with our spies-shadows slipping through enemy lines, ears sharp to secrets not meant for them. At first, the council dismissed them. Rumors, nothing more. But when three separate spies returned with the same story, when human towns once aflame suddenly stood fortified again, when vampires no longer spilled each other's blood but instead marched in ordered columns alongside witches-it became undeniable. They had turned their hatred elsewhere.
Chapter 151 Viona's POV The chamber air had grown heavy with the weight of silence. Four long minutes, no one spoke. My words-my father's, Nicolas's-still reverberated through the stone walls, pressing against the stubborn pride of the council like an invisible hand. Every wolf present could feel the inevitability of change. At last, the Alpha of the Northern Pack exhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring. "Perhaps... Perhaps there is truth in what you say." Gasps followed. None of us had expected him-the loudest opponent-to bend, even slightly. He raised a hand to silence the whispers. "Do not mistake me. I despise the idea of bowing my head to another Alpha. My pack has stood for centuries on its own strength. But I cannot deny what I've seen. Witches razing towns. Vampires clawing their own kind apart. Smaller packs falling like flies. If unity is the only way to survive..." His jaw clenched. ".
Chapter 150 Viona's POV The silence after my words was deafening. My declaration hung in the air like smoke from a battlefield-one banner, one force. But instead of rallying cries, the chamber filled with disbelief. "Impossible." The Alpha of the Northern Pack scoffed, his voice thick with contempt. "Unity has been spoken of before, but it has never succeeded. Each pack carries its own pride, its own bloodlines. Do you think centuries of tradition will bend simply because you command it?" A murmur of agreement rippled across the table. Elders leaned toward one another, whispering about arrogance, about foolish idealism. A few younger Betas exchanged uncertain glances, as if torn between the weight of the past and the urgency of the present. My jaw tightened. I expected resistance, but the sting of dismissal still burned. Another elder rose, his gnarled hands braced against the ta
Chapter 149 Viona's POV The council chamber buzzed with a restless energy long before I entered. The tall stone hall had been built for moments such as this, its vaulted ceiling etched with runes of unity and protection. A round table dominated the center, its polished surface reflecting the torchlight. Already, the seats were filled: Alphas of neighboring packs, elders draped in ceremonial robes, Betas whose sharp eyes missed nothing. Their scents mingled in the air-dominance, suspicion, unease. The war outside our walls had changed everything. News of witches burning human towns, vampires slaughtering each other, and massacres still surfacing had left the packs uneasy. And when their spies had reported that I, Alpha of the Light Pack, had finally returned from the hospital, no one wasted time in demanding my presence. The moment the doors opened, the murmurs stilled. I stepped inside, my cloa







