I froze, all senses instantly alert. The wind had shifted, now blowing from behind us, which meant we couldn't catch approaching scents. I tilted my head, listening intently.Another snap, closer this time. And another."Someone's coming," I whispered to Bella, pulling her to her feet. "Multiple someones, circling us."Her eyes widened in fear. I pushed her toward Silas, drawing my hidden knife."Get her out of here," I ordered him. "I'll hold them off."Silas's expression hardened. "I'm not leaving you to face them alone.""This isn't a debate," I snapped. "Bella and her baby are the priority. Go."Before he could argue further, three figures burst into the small clearing—Aaron, Marcus, and Jacob, their faces contorted with rage."Found you," Aaron snarled, eyes fixed on Bella. "What do you think you're doing, wife?"Bella shrank back, instinctively moving behind Silas for protection. I stepped forward, placing myself between her and the three men."She's leaving you," I said clearly
"Well, isn't this touching," she drawled, lowering the weapon to point it at Bella. "A family reunion."Silas shifted slightly, placing himself more firmly between the gun and Bella. "Who are you?" he demanded."A messenger," she replied with a cold smile. "Here to remind you all of the consequences of ignoring warnings."I tensed, readying myself to move if she aimed at Bella again. "Warning delivered. Now leave."Her laugh was brittle. "Oh, it's not that simple. You see, the historian knows too much. Her research has become... inconvenient. And now that she's shared it with you..." She shrugged. "Well, loose ends must be tied.""She hasn't told me anything yet," I said quickly. "Her research is still at the archives. No one's seen it."The hybrid's eyes narrowed skeptically. "Even if that's true, the risk remains. She knows. You suspect. And he—" she nodded toward Silas "—is too traditional to allow the necessary changes.""What changes?" Silas demanded. "What are you talking about?
Silas helped Bella to her feet while Marcus and Jacob carefully lifted Aaron's body. The group split, with the men carrying Aaron back toward the pack house while Silas, Bella, and I took a different route, moving more cautiously now that we knew the hybrid was still in the area."We need to get to the archives," Bella said as we walked. "My research—if they're willing to kill for it, it must be important.""More important than we realized," Silas agreed grimly. "What exactly did you discover, Bella?"She glanced nervously over her shoulder before answering. "I found references to a prophecy in the oldest pack records. A prophecy about a descendant of the Moon Goddess who would be rejected by her mate during a celestial alignment, triggering a curse that would weaken the strongest pack. Sound familiar?""That's oddly specific," I commented, frowning. "And convenient.""It gets more specific," she continued. "The prophecy also says this descendant would have 'hair like blood and eyes l
The moment we stepped into the infirmary, the antiseptic smell hit me—sharp and clinical, a stark contrast to the earthy scents of the forest we'd just left. Dr. Emerson looked up from his patient, his expression carefully neutral as he met Silas's gaze."Alpha," he acknowledged with a nod. "She's stable, but weak."My eyes moved past him to the figure on the bed. Angela lay unnaturally still, her once-glossy dark hair matted and dull against the white pillow. Bruises marked her face and arms, some fresh, others yellowing with age. A bandage wrapped around her left forearm, blood seeping through in spots.Despite everything she'd done to me, something twisted in my chest at the sight of her so broken. This was my sister—the girl who had tormented me growing up, who had helped frame me for a crime I didn't commit, who had married the man who rejected me. Yet seeing her injured stirred old protective instincts I thought I'd buried years ago."Is she conscious?" Silas asked quietly.Dr.
Silas led me from the infirmary, his hand still on my arm. We walked in silence through the pack house, passing curious pack members who quickly averted their eyes when they noticed Silas's thunderous expression.He didn't stop until we reached a section of the pack house I'd never been allowed to enter—the Alpha's private quarters. He unlocked a heavy wooden door and ushered me inside.The suite was larger than I'd expected—a sitting area with comfortable furniture, a kitchenette, a short hallway leading to what I assumed were bedrooms. The décor was surprisingly minimal, nothing like the opulent showiness I'd expected from an Alpha's quarters."You'll stay here from now on," Silas said, closing and locking the door behind us. "It's the most secure location in the pack house."I raised an eyebrow. "In your quarters? Won't that cause talk?""These aren't my personal rooms," he explained. "This is the Alpha's guest suite. My rooms are nextdoor. There's a connecting door, but it locks f
After he left, I explored the suite more thoroughly. Two bedrooms, both with attached bathrooms, a comfortable living area, and the small but functional kitchenette. My suitcase and the few belongings I'd brought from my life as Ella Stone had been placed in the larger bedroom.I took a long, hot shower, washing away the blood—both Aaron's and my own—and the sweat of battle. As steam filled the bathroom, I examined my injuries in the mirror. The cut on my cheek from Aaron's claws was already healing, faster than a normal werewolf's would. The hybrid's attack had left bruises on my arms and torso, but they too were fading rapidly.'Our blood heals,' Rona observed. 'The Goddess blood.'"We don't know that yet," I muttered, but I couldn't deny the evidence. I'd always healed quickly, even as a child. It was one of the things my father had found suspicious about me, one of the ways I had been "different" that he'd resented.After my shower, I dressed in sleep shorts and a tank top, then c
A silver pendant on a delicate chain caught my eye. It was a stylized "A.L." intertwined in an elaborate design. The craftsmanship was exquisite, the materials expensive. It didn't match the other pieces in the box, which were simpler and more traditional."Silas," I called again. "Do you recognize this?"He took the necklace, examining it with a frown. "No. I've never seen Angela wear it.""The initials," I pointed out. "A.L. Angela's first initial, but the L doesn't fit. Her middle name was Marie, wasn't it?""Yes," he confirmed, still studying the pendant. "And our last name is Morrigan. There's no L anywhere in her name.""Unless," I said slowly, "it's not her initial at all. A.L. Alpha Logan."Silas's head snapped up, his eyes meeting mine. "Silver Claw's Alpha.""Exactly." I took the necklace back, turning it over. On the back, nearly too small to see, was an engraving—a tiny wolf silhouette with what looked like a silver tear falling from its eye. "This is their pack symbol, is
We left his office, moving through the pack house toward the east wing, where the main library and public archives were housed. Pack members nodded respectfully to Silas as we passed, though I still received curious and often suspicious glances.The library was quiet when we entered, only a few members browsing the shelves or reading at the scattered tables. Silas led me past them all, toward a door marked "Private Collections" at the back. He unlocked it with a key from his pocket, ushering me inside and locking it behind us.The room beyond was small, lined with glass-fronted cases containing what appeared to be fragile scrolls and ancient bound volumes. Silas moved to a bookcase against the far wall, running his fingers along the spines until he found what he was looking for—a small, unmarked black volume.He pulled it partway out, and I heard a faint click. The entire bookcase swung inward, revealing a narrow stone staircase descending into darkness."The original pack house was b
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