INICIAR SESIÓNErica steps inside and closes the door behind her.
The worry on her face hits me hard. Dark circles sit under her eyes. She looks like she hasn’t slept in days.
“You seem like shit,” I say.“So do you.” She gives a tired smile and sits on the edge of my bed. She pats the space next to her. “Come here.”I hesitate, then sit. She pulls me into a side hug right away.“It’s okay not to be okay,” she whispers.“Tell me more about her,” I say. “About Seraphine. What else did your source reveal?”I feel Kael relax slightly behind me. “He said she wasn’t always the Bloodmoon Prophet. Long ago she was just a powerful magic user who wanted to help. She dreamed of bringing peace between wolves, witches, and every other magical kind.”“What changed her?”“Her methods.” Kael’s voice stays low. “She decided that understanding wasn’t enough. Some people needed control for their own good. When others pushed back and rejected her ideas, she dug in deeper instead of backing off.”“And now?”“Now she believes real peace only comes through total control.” His tone turns darker. “For decades she’s worked to tear wolf society apart. Every fight, every border clash, every pack war—she either started it or kept it burning. All to prove we can’t ru
“I realize the timing was terrible.”“The timing was shit, Kael!” My voice echoes off the walls. “Roderic is dead because I picked the wrong fight. Shadowpeak just slammed the door in my face because they think we’re weak. Four packs have already joined Donovan, and the rest are ready to jump ship. All of that happened while you were gone. So whatever you have to say, it better be worth abandoning me for three days.”Kael sets his glass down slowly. “I went north to meet someone who might have real answers about our true enemy.”“Crimson Moon?”“Bigger than Crimson Moon.” He looks me straight in the eyes. “The Bloodmoon Prophet. Seraphine.”The name hits me like cold water. We’ve suspected her hand in everything, but we never understood why.“What about her?” I ask.“There’s a man who knew her before she became the Prophet. Before
Lydia freezes. “From everyone?”I feel something inside me crack. “From Crimson Moon. From the Bloodmoon Prophet. From anyone who wants to use him as a weapon or a bargaining chip. He’s only six, Lydia. He shouldn’t have to carry a prophecy on his back. He shouldn’t be a pawn. That’s why I’m keeping his location secret. The second anyone finds out where he is, he becomes a target again.”Lydia exhales slowly. “I get it. I really do. But you have to see my side too. I can’t send my wolves to war based on secrets and half-truths. I need real honesty.”“And if I give you that honesty, how long before it leaks to Donovan? Or Crimson Moon? Or whoever else wants to hurt him?” I shake my head. “I can’t take that risk.”“Then you can’t have my loyalty.”“There has to be some middle ground,” I say. “Some way we can work toget
She’s younger than I expected. Around forty. Sharp eyes and dark hair with silver streaks.Lydia watches me walk up. I can see her weighing every step I take.“Luna Sophia,” she says. “Welcome to Shadowpeak.”“Alpha Lydia.” I stop right at the base of her platform. I don’t bow. “Thanks for meeting me.”“I didn’t think I had much choice.” She gives a small smile. “Not after what happened to Giga when he turned you down.”“Giga chose war. I gave him every chance to surrender.”“And when he refused, you broke his pack and took his wolves.” Lydia leans forward. “You’ll understand why I’m not excited to negotiate.”“That’s precisely why I’m here.” I glance at the
If I knew where Alaric was, I’d be gone already. Kingdom be damned.“I hate it,” I mutter. “I hate that he’s right. I’m stuck here fighting a war I might lose, while my boy sits locked away in that cursed place.”“You’re doing everything you can,” Erica says softly.“What if that’s not enough?”She stays quiet. We both know the answer. If my best falls short, everything collapses.“My Sight showed me something,” she says after a long pause. “Pieces of a future. I still don’t get all of it.”“Tell me.”“I see you standing at the edge of the Black Realm. Two paths. One leads to Alaric, but you’re completely alone. The other brings you back here. After that… everything goes dark. Something blocks me.”“When?”“Soon. It could be days. It could be weeks.
Erica steps inside and closes the door behind her.The worry on her face hits me hard. Dark circles sit under her eyes. She looks like she hasn’t slept in days.“You seem like shit,” I say.“So do you.” She gives a tired smile and sits on the edge of my bed. She pats the space next to her. “Come here.”I hesitate, then sit. She pulls me into a side hug right away.“It’s okay not to be okay,” she whispers.“No, it’s not. I’m the Luna. I’m supposed to be the strong one. The one with the answers.”“You’re also my sister. You lost your son and your mate in the same week. Anyone would be falling apart.”“I can’t fall apart.”“Then stop trying to do it alone.” She squeezes my shoulder. “Let us help. Me, Helena, Martin, and Theron. We’re still here. We’re not leaving.”“Kae
It was part history, part warning.She wrote about Silvermane's powers—our resistance to control, our ability to sense truth, and our connection to the moon's cycles.She wrote about the Blood Moon Cult's obsession with a relic—the Moon's Tear—a crystal said to command any wolf.The Cult seeks the M
Dinner that evening was a loud, cheerful affair.The Black River pack house dining hall was nothing like the formal banquets at Silver Moon. Here, everyone ate together, alphas and omegas, warriors and children.Long wooden tables were packed with wolves passing plates and sharing stories.Erica sat
"But Leighton will have evidence, too. And he's desperate. Desperate wolves do dangerous things."As if summoning danger with those words, a loud knock interrupted us.A young warrior burst in, breathless."Alpha! There's someone at the border. Says she needs to speak with Sophia immediately.""Who?
I walked to the window and looked out over the packed settlement.In the distance, I could see the healing house.Please be okay; I sent it through the mate bond.Please.A faint pulse came back.Weak but there.He was still fighting.I closed my eyes and let myself feel the bond.Really feel it.Th







