LOGINSerena’s POV The air reeked of blood and burning pine. Screams tangled with the clash of steel and the guttural roars of wolves mid-shift. The ground beneath my boots trembled alive with chaos, soaked in the blood of both ally and foe. I could barely hear Kael’s commands through the roar of battle, but I didn’t need to. My bond with him pulsed strong and steady, a rhythm that called me to act not as Luna, not as a fragile vessel, but as the storm itself. A soldier lunged toward me, eyes glazed with fury. I sidestepped, my hand lifting instinctively. The air around him shimmered and then he was thrown backward by an unseen force, bones snapping before he even hit the ground. I froze for a heartbeat, staring at my own trembling hands. Power hummed beneath my skin hot, wild, and no longer whispering. It was roaring. Another wave of the Alpha King’s men charged. My fear shattered. I opened my palm, and the ground responded. The earth cracked. Roots exploded upward, wrapping around e
SERENA’S POV The battlefield blurred into chaos. Blood, steel, and flame clashed in every direction. Kael tore through enemy ranks like a storm incarnate, but the Alpha King’s soldiers pressed on, their numbers relentless. Every time we pushed them back, more surged, like a tide determined to drown us. I threw my flames, smaller bursts meant to drive them back, but it wasn’t enough. I was not against this. Marcus slammed his shield into an enemy’s chest, shouting over the roar. “They’ll overrun us if we don’t break their line!” His words rang true. Our flanks strained, warriors stumbling, shields cracking under the force. Lucious’s men gritted their teeth, holding steady, but their formation bent like an old tree against the wind. I felt the heat rising in me. It clawed at my chest, demanding to be unleashed. Fear whispered, what if you lose control, what if you burn your own people, what if you become Freya? But then I saw Kael. His wolf was a beast of shadow and fury, his fa
SERENA’S POV The sky was still gray when the first horn split the silence. This time, it wasn’t a call to prepare. It was the alarm. I sat bolt upright, heart already racing, as Kael threw aside the furs. Outside, the camp was alive with sound boots pounding the ground, wolves barking orders, the metallic hiss of swords drawn from their sheaths. The earth itself seemed to tremble. “They’re here.” Kael’s voice was a growl, sharp and cold as steel. We dressed quickly, and I followed him into the yard. The air was raw with smoke. From the eastern ridge, black plumes rose into the dim dawn, carried by the wind like an omen. The Alpha King’s army had come. Lines of warriors filled the clearing, three packs standing as one. Torren’s wolves adjusted their weapon, Lucious’s men tightened their grips on heavy shields, and Kael’s soldiers stood at the front, grim and unflinching. The unity we had built now forged itself into a wall of resolve. Kael’s voice cut across the chaos. “Positio
SERENA’S POVThe first cry of the horn split the dawn.I jolted awake, Kael’s arm tightening around me instinctively before he stirred. The room was still dim, the faintest gray of morning leaking through the shutters, but the sound was unmistakable a summons. The signal that the day of preparation had begun.Kael’s eyes opened, storm-dark and sharp even from sleep. For a moment, the softness of last night lingered between us, but then duty slid over him like armor. He brushed a kiss against my temple before rising.“Today, we are ready with the pack,” he said, voice low but steady. “Every wolf will know their place in the coming fight by nightfall.”I dressed quickly, my hands trembling as I tied the laces of my tunic. Not with fear, no, not anymore but with the restless energy of knowing we stood on the edge of history.When we stepped outside, the entire stronghold was already stirring. Fires roared in the open pits where breakfast was being cooked, the scent of smoke and meat ming
SERENA’S POV Night had fallen, but the packhouse was alive with light. Torches and lanterns bathed the courtyard in gold, turning the wooden tables into gleaming rivers of food and wine. The smell of roasted meat, honeyed bread, and spiced cider filled the air, so thick and warm it felt like you could drink it. Somewhere in the distance, a flute trilled, accompanied by the beat of a hand drum. I stood at the edge of it all for a moment, watching. Wolves from three different packs mingled together, laughing, sharing mugs of ale, telling stories. There was no tension, no wary stares, only the strange and beautiful sight of warriors who would be on the battlefield tomorrow, sitting side by side tonight. Kael came up behind me, his hand brushing my lower back. “You did this,” he said softly, his voice full of something that felt dangerously like pride. “We did this,” I corrected, turning to meet his gaze. “You gave them something to fight for, Kael. Tonight just reminds them why.” T
SERENA’S POV The morning came soft and golden, as though the moon herself had granted us this one quiet day. For the first time in weeks, the air didn’t taste like tension. The packhouse was alive with sound, the clatter of pots and pans from the kitchen, the thud of footsteps rushing through the hallways, the chatter of women and children as they carried baskets of vegetables and freshly baked loaves. I stood at the top of the stairs for a moment, simply taking it in. The smell of roasted meat drifted up, mingling with the earthy scent of bread and herbs. Laughter echoed from the courtyard below, where warriors were stringing garlands of pine and holly along the wooden posts. “This feels strange,” I said softly when Kael came up behind me, his arm slipping easily around my waist. “Strange good?” he asked, his lips brushing my temple. I leaned into him. “Strange… peaceful.” He hummed, the sound rumbling through his chest. “That’s the point. Tonight is for them as much as for us







