The drive back to Blood Moon territory was excruciating. Six hours of tense silence broken only by occasional directions from Silas or the low hum of the radio. I kept my gaze fixed out the window, watching as the urban landscape gradually gave way to rolling countryside and then the dense forests that marked the outskirts of pack lands. My stomach clenched tighter with every mile. Memories I'd spent years suppressing came flooding back—the cell, the betrayal, my father's cold eyes as he told me I'd be executed at dawn. 'Breathe,' Rona urged, sensing my panic. 'They can't hurt us anymore.' But the closer we got to pack lands, the more agitated she became too. I could feel her pacing restlessly within me, her excitement building despite my dread. "You okay?" Silas asked, glancing at me as we turned onto a gravel road I remembered all too well. "Peachy," I replied flatly, digging my nails into my palms to ground myself. He frowned. "Your scent changed. You're afraid." "I'm not afr
Rona rumbled with approval in my mind as I walked past my stunned father. I could feel her satisfaction at his shocked expression, at the way several pack members nearby had overheard and were now staring at us with wide eyes.Silas followed me inside, a hint of something like admiration in his expression."I'll show you to your room," he said, guiding me toward the east wing of the pack house.I noticed we were heading to the Alpha family's private quarters, not the guest rooms or, worse, the cells in the basement. It was a pointed statement about my position here—under Silas's personal protection.The hallways were eerily quiet. In the past, they would have been bustling with pack members, especially now, in the late afternoon. But the few wolves we passed moved with a subdued air, their expressions tense and wary. Several openly glared at me, while others quickly averted their eyes."They blame me," I observed quietly.Silas nodded. "Many do. It's easier than facing the truth.""Wh
Dinner was exactly the nightmare I'd expected. Silas had escorted me to the dining hall at precisely seven, his hand hovering near the small of my back but never quite touching me. The room fell silent as we entered, dozens of eyes tracking our movement to the head table.I recognized most of the faces, though five years had changed them. Some looked older than they should have, stress and worry etching lines where there should be none. Others regarded me with open hostility, whispering behind their hands as we passed.My father sat at the high table, his face a carefully controlled mask of indifference. Beside him was an empty chair where my mother would have sat, and next to that, a chair that would have been Angela's. The seating arrangement was a pointed reminder of my absence—and their belief that I didn't belong.Silas guided me to his right—the Luna's traditional place—which sent a fresh wave of whispers through the hall. The symbolism wasn't lost on anyone, least of all my fat
I barely slept that night. Every creak of the old pack house set my nerves on edge, and Rona's restlessness didn't help. She paced through my mind like a caged animal, alternating between excitement at being back in pack territory and rage at those who had wronged us.By the time dawn broke, I was sitting in the window seat, watching the forest come alive with early morning light. The trees looked the same as they had five years ago—tall pines stretching toward the sky, their branches swaying gently in the breeze. It was almost possible to believe nothing had changed.Almost.'Today they will see our strength,' Rona growled, her anticipation making my skin tingle."Today they'll see me keep my cool," I corrected, stretching my stiff muscles. "We're here for answers, not revenge."'Why not both?' she challenged, and I couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips.A sharp knock on my door interrupted our internal debate. I pulled my robe tighter and crossed the room, already kno
My steps slowed as we approached the heavy oak doors. Memories flooded back—standing before the council at sixteen, being told I was a disgrace for failing to shift; my father's cold eyes as he suggested selling me to an allied pack to "at least get some use" out of me.Silas noticed my hesitation. "You don't have to do this," he said quietly. "I can postpone—""No," I cut him off, squaring my shoulders. "I'm not that scared girl anymore. Let's get this over with."I strode forward and pushed open the doors before he could say another word.The council chamber was much as I remembered it—a large circular room with a vaulted ceiling, a round table at its center where the council members sat, and a single chair facing them for whoever was being questioned. The walls were lined with pack history—tapestries depicting great battles, shelves holding ancient texts, ancestral weapons mounted in display cases.Eight people sat at the table, all of whom I recognized. The three elders—Clara, Vin
I spent the next few hours exploring the pack house, reacquainting myself with hallways and rooms that had once been both home and prison. Some areas were as I remembered—the library with its towering shelves, the training hall with its scarred wooden floors. Others had changed—the old game room converted to a security center with monitors showing camera feeds from around the territory, the sun room transformed into a medical area with extra beds.Everywhere I went, pack members watched me with wary eyes. Some scurried away when they saw me coming, while others stared openly, hostility written plain on their faces. I ignored them all, focusing instead on mapping the changes to the territory, noting security measures and potential escape routes.Old habits die hard.I was examining a new wing of the pack house when I rounded a corner and came face to face with the last three people I wanted to see.Aaron, Jacob, and Marcus stood blocking the hallway, their postures radiating aggression
I made my way outside, needing fresh air after the confrontation. The afternoon sun filtered through the trees as I walked the grounds, deliberately avoiding the more populated areas. Eventually, I found myself at the edge of the forest, staring at the path that led to the old clearing where Bella and I used to meet.A sudden wave of nostalgia hit me, followed closely by bitter anger. Bella. My supposed best friend who had betrayed me when I needed her most. Who had lied to protect the boys who attacked me.Without consciously deciding to, I found myself walking the familiar path into the woods. The trail was overgrown now, less used than it had been in years past, but I could have found my way blindfolded.The clearing looked smaller than I remembered—a roughly circular space surrounded by tall pines, with a fallen log serving as a bench on one side. How many afternoons had Bella and I spent here, trading secrets and dreams? How many times had I confided in her about my feelings for
Dinner that night was marginally better than the previous one, if only because I knew what to expect. The stares, the whispers, the barely concealed hostility—it all washed over me like water off a duck's back. My successful shift in the woods had left me feeling more centered, more connected to Rona than I had been in years.I sat once again at Silas's right, ignoring the significance of the placement and the reactions it provoked. My father glared from across the table, while others watched our interaction with varying degrees of curiosity and suspicion."You're in a better mood," Silas observed quietly as I actually ate my food rather than just pushing it around the plate."Am I?" I took a sip of water. "Must be the mountain air."His lips quirked slightly. "Or the afternoon run."I shot him a warning look. "Not a topic for the dinner table."He nodded, understanding my desire to keep my shifting abilities private for now. It was one of my few advantages, and I wasn't eager to broa
I showered again, hotter this time, as if I could wash away the implications of what had just happened. The bond had needed release—that much was true. The supernatural tension had been building since the silver integration, threatening our focus, our control.But it wasn't just the bond. And pretending otherwise was a lie neither of us fully believed.I dressed in practical clothes for the briefing, hair still damp, silver lines faded but not gone. The pendant at my throat seems warmer now, responding to whatever changes were accelerating in my blood.The briefing room was crowded—remaining coalition representatives, pack fighters, medical teams. Silas stood at the head of the table, composed and focused as if nothing had happened between us. Only the bond betrayed him, humming with awareness whenever our eyes met."The situation has changed," he began without preamble. "Red River and Pine Valley have withdrawn from the coalition. Shadow Ridge is wavering. We must adjust accordingly.
The bathroom mirror showed the toll of recent days—dark circles under my eyes, fading bruises from the perimeter fight, silver lines visible beneath my skin even at rest now. I looked like what I was becoming—something between wolf and weapon, neither fully human nor fully monster.The hot water helped, washing away blood and tension. I stayed under the spray until my skin pruned, letting the steam fill my lungs, blanking my mind. Temporary peace.It shattered when I stepped out to find Silas sitting on the edge of my bed."What the hell?" I clutched the towel tighter around me. "Ever heard of knocking?""I did. Three times." He didn't look away. "We have a situation.""Serious enough to invade my bathroom?""Pine Valley's pulling out too."That got my attention. "What? When?""Just now. Chen called. Same story as Red River—Logan made contact, offered terms, council voted.""Fuck." I sat heavily beside him, maintaining careful distance despite the emergency. "That's two packs in one d
Blood spattered across my face as I drove my knife into the hybrid's throat. Not a killing blow—these fuckers were resilient—but enough to buy me seconds. I twisted the silver blade, widening the wound, before kicking it back into the trees."Six o'clock," Silas called.I spun, dropping to one knee as another hybrid lunged overhead. It landed awkwardly, and I slashed across its hamstrings before it could recover. The silver blade cut through enhanced muscle and tendon, sending it crashing to the forest floor.The perimeter breach had turned out to be a scouting party—four hybrids, two human handlers with tactical gear. Test run, most likely. Probing our defenses before the eclipse."Clear on the east," Mason's voice crackled through the radio. "Two neutralized.""South perimeter clear," another voice confirmed.I finished the wounded hybrid with a knife through the eye socket—the most reliable way to kill them, we'd discovered. Silver to the brain. Nothing else stuck.Silas approached
A heavy silence fell. The widow studied me, weighing my words against her grief. Finally, she nodded once—not acceptance, not yet, but willingness to listen.The demonstration continued—questions answered, abilities explained, strategy discussed. By the end, the mood had shifted from hostile skepticism to grim determination. Not unity, exactly, but something approaching common purpose.Reeves declared the gathering concluded. The pack dispersed slowly, many lingering to catch glimpses of the silver lines beneath my skin, or to hear fragments of conversation between their Alpha and me."You've made an impression," Reeves observed when we were relatively alone. "Whether good or bad remains to be seen.""As long as you hold to the timeline.""We will. For now." He studied me with that predatory gaze. "You're not what I expected, Luna Stella.""What did you expect?""Someone broken by rejection. Someone defined by her mate bond rather than her own strength." He inclined his head slightly—
The meeting dragged for hours—strategies dissected, contingencies argued, egos managed. By the time it ended, I had barely enough time to prepare for the Shadow Ridge visit.I found Bella in the library, surrounded by ancient texts and modern printouts. The bags under her eyes suggested she hadn't slept much."Any updates on the ritual site?" I asked.She shook her head. "Surveillance shows continued construction, but no major changes to the chamber layout. The central platform appears to be complete." She slid a satellite photo toward me. "They've added these structures around the perimeter—power conduits, possibly, or some kind of containment system.""For the hybrids?""For you." She met my eyes. "Logan's preparing for your capture, Stella. These modifications match historical descriptions of goddess blood containment."Of course. He'd be a fool not to plan for every contingency, including my capture."We need to adjust our approach vector," I said. "Avoid these areas.""Already do
My blood wasn't right anymore.I stared at the vial Zeta Ruth had drawn that morning, watching how it separated—normal red plasma on bottom, silver particulates floating on top, refusing to mix. Like oil and water, except both were parts of me now."The integration is stable," Zeta Ruth reported, studying her microscope. "No cellular deterioration, no rejection symptoms. Whatever you did when you saved Silas, it fundamentally altered your blood composition.""Great," I muttered. "Logan will be thrilled."Three days since the assassination attempt. Three days of tests, meetings, and preparation. The coalition was holding, but barely—territorial disputes and ancient grievances threatening the fragile alliance with each passing hour."Have you experienced any side effects?" Zeta Ruth asked. "Pain, weakness, unusual sensations?"Besides feeling like my insides were made of broken glass? "Nothing significant."She gave me a look that said she knew I was lying. "The silver isn't just in you
The formal dining room hadn't been used in years. Dust sheets covered the long mahogany table, and cobwebs decorated the chandelier. I stood in the doorway, watching pack members clean and polish under Mason's direction."The Shadow Ridge delegation arrives at noon," Silas said, appearing beside me. "Mountain Creek by three. Red River just confirmed—they'll be here before sunset.""Seven alphas in one room." I crossed my arms. "When's the last time that happened?""1962. The Silver Plague outbreak." He glanced at me. "You ready for this?""Define ready."The corner of his mouth twitched. "Able to navigate pack politics without starting a war.""Then no, probably not."He almost smiled—a rare occurrence these days. The approaching eclipse had everyone on edge, humor in short supply."They'll test you," he warned. "Your authority, your bloodline, your right to stand beside me. Traditional alphas don't adapt quickly to change.""I noticed." I gestured to my training clothes. "Should I ch
The council meeting that night was grim. Bella took notes as we described what we'd witnessed, her face growing paler with each detail."Forced conversion," she murmured. "He's found a way to override the rejection response.""At what cost?" I demanded. "That wolf was being torn apart from the inside.""The cost doesn't matter to Logan," Silas said. "Only the result.""We can't let this happen," Mason declared. "The eclipse ritual—if he perfects this process, makes it permanent...""He'll have an army of controllable hybrids," I finished. "Each one as strong as three normal wolves, immune to silver, loyal only to him.""So we stop him," Eliza said, steel in her voice despite her lingering grief. "We hit the quarry before the eclipse. Destroy his lab, free the captives.""It's not that simple," Silas cautioned. "The quarry is a fortress now. We'd lose half the pack trying to breach it.""Then we need another approach," I said. All eyes turned to me. "Logan wants me. My blood. I'm the k
The quarry lay in a natural depression, surrounded by pine forest and abandoned mining equipment. From our vantage point on the ridge, I could see the extent of Logan's modifications—new structures, camouflaged entrances, subtle signs of extensive underground construction."They've been busy," Eliza whispered, her enhanced vision picking out details in the growing darkness.Marcus crouched beside her, scanning the perimeter. He'd barely looked at me during the journey, maintaining a careful distance that spoke of either respect or fear. Possibly both."Guards at all access points," he reported. "But they're focused outward. Not expecting approach from above.""The main entrance leads to a vertical shaft," Silas said, consulting hand-drawn maps from the previous reconnaissance. "Elevators down to the primary chamber.""Too exposed," I noted. "Alternative routes?""Old mining tunnels." He pointed to a cluster of buildings near the quarry's edge. "They connect to the main chamber from mu