The grand Hall was abuzz with esteemed guests from the clan, all gathered all gathered to witness the formal betrothal of Lylah, Lord Girad's daughter, to Cormac, the Alpha’s son. Although it was merely a formal betrothal ceremony, the hall was packed full with eager, excited high lords and chiefs. Lylah sat on a carved wooden chair, her gaze fixed determinedly on the floor, avoiding eye contact with Cormac, who sat opposite her. The Alpha and his Luna, Cormac's parents, stood supportively behind him, while her own parents stood behind her as well; her mother beaming with pride, and her father looking on with a very high sense of satisfaction. Councillor Gallen, the moderator delegated by the Lunar Council, stepped forward to formally begin the event. The hum of conversation in the Great hall faded as he began to speak, looking most solemn, in his blue, ornamented robe - one which the elders wore only on very special occasions. "Our gathering here today is marks a significant occas
Lylah stood transfixed, staring at Thane. Time seemed to stand still, and everything else melted away into the ground. All that remained was Thane's handsome face, with his soulful blue eyes, plump lips and determined expression which seemed to call out to her. She wanted to run into his arms, to hug him tight and never let go, to pour out all her worries to him, and run away with him forever. But standing there in her resplendent gown, surrounded by guests, she couldn't react. She couldn't even breathe without drawing attention to herself. So she stood frozen, her heart pounding in her chest. Thane seemed to read her anguish, because he finally allowed Shay to guide him out of the hall. Lylah wanted to run after them, but just then, she felt a gentle touch on her arm. She turned to face her mother. "Come, my dear," Lady Clarina urged, "go stand at the podium with Cormac." Lylah had almost forgotten that Cormac existed. In fact, she had almost forgotten that the event happening in
The midnight breeze carried a chill that seeped into Lylah's skin as she made her way to the Gannar Inn. She had chosen the longer, more concealed route to avoid detection, even though the village was asleep. The risk of being seen on the shorter route, with its wide, open terrain, was too great. She wouldn't make the journey through the bush in her wolf form either, as her mother had the uncanny ability of sensing her whenever she turned into her wolf form on nights other than the full moon. Earlier she had pretended to go straight to bed and had locked her door loudly behind her. But no sooner than her parents gone to sleep had she slipped out of bed, her bare feet making barely a sound on the cold stone floor. She tied up her full hair behind her head and wore a wig. Next she brought out a very old dress at the bottom of her drawer and put it on, and, having convinced herself as she stood before the mirror that she looked nothing like Lylah Vale, she'd slipped out of the house. Th
Lylah woke with a start, her mind foggy from sleep. She looked around the unfamiliar room, where was she, and how did she get here?Thane stirred beside her, and as her gaze fell on him, memories of the previous night came flooding back to her mind - the tears, the kisses, the lovemaking, the promises... The first light of dawn was already creeping into the room, and with it came the weight of reality. Lylah’s heart raced. How could she oversleep this much? And most importantly, how was she to find a way back home before her absence was discovered? "Is it morning already?" Thane's groggy voice came from beside her."Yes," Lylah replied, throwing off the covers. "And I need to get going, my parents are going to discover my absence soon." She started putting her clothes on. Thane sat up, wide awake now, his eyes filled with a mix of sadness and reluctance. "I'll come for you, Lylah," he promised, his voice low and urgent."Don't make promises you can't keep." Lylah said as she pulled
The days after Thane's promise to Lylah, and her expectation of his return saw her in very high spirits. She went about her duties happily, readily availed herself whenever Cormac called in to meet with her, and went along with the wedding preparations as though it was the most important thing for her in the world. Her father was most impressed with this new development. "Now there's my girl!" He hailed her, "This is how happy you should be, you will make the best match of the century!" He went around telling anyone who cared to listen what a proud father he was, and spared no expense in her wedding attires and other neccesities. Lylah was happy that she had everyone fooled, and counted the days patiently until Thane would come for her.A week to the wedding saw her in Shay's house. She had come late in the afternoon, without prior information. Despite her excitement which was reaching its peak, as she was expecting Thane anytime soon, she was deeply troubled by one singular event. H
"Lylah, what did you mean by your last statement?"Lylah had been silent since her careless outburst, thinking about the best way to exonerate herself from the situation, but Shay's skeptical, almost disappointed look, put her in a turbulent conflict within herself. "It's... I... it's nothing..." She stuttered, trying to downplay her previous statement. Shay's eyes narrowed, her gaze piercing as she stared at Lylah. "What is 'nothing'? I'm talking about what you just said." Lylah's heart was pounding furiously now. There was no way of escaping this, unless... "What are you talking about?" she asked, feigning ignorance.Shay's expression was cynical. "Don't play dumb, Lylah. You said the wedding wasn't even going to happen eventually. What did you mean by that?"Lylah hesitated, unsure of how to respond. She couldn't reveal Thane's plan to Shay, not yet. But she also couldn't deny what she had said. "I...I don't know what I meant," she stammered.Shay's eyes flashed with anger. "Lyl
Thane's heart sank as he entered the Alpha's chambers. He had been away for only two days, and had expected to return to a sense of normalcy. But instead, he was met with a scene that made his blood run cold.Alpha Ryker lay on a sick bed, his chest wrapped in bandages. A doctor was stopping over him, making fast the bandages, while a warden - one of the most trusted members of the pack - sat beside him, watching over him with a grave expression.Thane's instincts kicked in, and he rushed to his brother's side, shoving the doctor aside. "What happened?" he demanded, his voice low and urgent.The warden, a grizzled old wolf named Thorne, looked up at him. "He was shot," he said, his voice firm. "He went hunting with his guards yesterday, and...and someone shot him."Thane's eyes narrowed. "Who did it?" he growled.Thorne shook his head. "We don't know. The shot came from a distance, and by the time the wardens got to its source, the shooter was long gone."Thane's mind was racing. He f
Thane sat at the head of the table, surrounded by members of the Lunar Council. The air was thick with tension as the men seated themselves, ready to give their report about the ongoing investigation into the attack on the Alpha. It had been two weeks since the incident, but they seemed to be making very little progress. "Let me hear the latest from the past days." Thane said, his voice firm.Chief Candar, the Chief Warden, was the first to speak. "We have combed the forest again as you requested Sir, however the tyre tracks found near the scene of the crime have led us nowhere especially since the heavy rain that fell two days after the attack washed away the trail."Thane's eyes narrowed. "What about eyewitnesses? I asked for inquiries at the other clans."Aurora, the pack's lead scout, shook her head. "We've questioned everyone in the surrounding Clans, but no one saw or heard anything suspicious."Thane's gaze hardened. He slammed his fist on the table, startling the others. "Tha
The days that followed the quiet meeting in the strategy chamber were anything but quiet.Thane, together with Alpha Billam and Alpha Cochram, wasted no time. With the alliance now formed—small as it was—they began fortifying Lunarville and their own clans. Patrols were doubled. Old signal towers were repaired and rekindled. Hidden caches of silver-resistant armor were dug up from storage, and training resumed with renewed intensity.Archers were drilled from dawn till dusk, their arrows tipped with sharpened obsidian and infused with wolfsbane extracts in case of ambush. Gauntlets—thick, rune-etched iron bracers designed to deflect both blades and bullets—were redistributed to front-line fighters. Trap-masters, a nearly forgotten order from the First Hunt Era, were summoned back into service to lay intricate trigger snares through the outer paths of the Heartwood.Fire pits laced with scented herbs to mask scent trails were dug near every village boundary. Night sentinels were traine
LUNARVILLE The hearth crackled quietly in Lunarville's strategy chamber, its warmth casting shifting amber light across the stone walls. Afternoon sunlight filtered through high windows, illuminating the maps and war tokens spread across the long table.Alpha Thane sat at the head, jaw tight, eyes on the flames rather than the two Alphas seated with him. The silence between them was heavy—not hostile, but thoughtful.It was Alpha Billam who broke it.“I know it felt like last week's convention was a failure,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “But don’t let that deter you. All isn't lost yet.”Thane didn’t respond at once, but his eyes flicked briefly toward Billam.Billam continued, “For what it’s worth, I stand with you. And you know I mean that fully. Unity is the only way forward, and though the others can’t—or won’t—see that yet, some of us do.” He glanced at the other man across the table. “Cochram agrees.”Alpha Cochram gave a short nod. “I do. After I slept on it, I couldn’t
The sterile air in the lab still shimmered faintly with the heat of success. The scientists’ footsteps had barely faded from the corridor, and the applause they had given still rang in Justine's ear. The moment had felt victorious, but Dr. Ganner's last words were now threatening to throw him off balance. He had remained where he stood, his hands behind his back, eyes fixed on the matte-black weapon at the center of the table. Beside him, Dr. Ganner was no longer smiling.“Well?” Justine asked, his voice low. “What kind of problems?”Dr. Ganner didn’t answer immediately. He moved to a nearby screen, fingers tapping with habitual precision until streams of data and gene sequences rolled into view. His expression was taut.“I’ve encountered challenges with developing the antidote,” he said. “Serious challenges.”Justine’s brow furrowed as he turned toward his friend. “Peter, you’ve had weeks. You've had Kael’s blood for ages, full lab access, state of the art equipment, financial suppo
The research lab on the second floor buzzed with quiet urgency. Blueprints were spread across metal tables, glowing monitors tracked chemical reactions, and at the center of the room sat the Kyrexin-X—a matte black, angular device. Its surface was fitted with slim vents and illuminated digital panels that pulsed with soft blue light, casting a faint glow onto the surrounding equipment.A group of white-coated scientists moved with precision around the device, performing final checks and calibrations.In the far corner, Justine stood beside Dr. Ganner, observing the work going on before them. Right behind them, Kael stood in front of a desk, watching them with apprehension.“I believe we should move in a week,” Justine said, his voice calm but resolute. “They’re tightening their patrols. Harris’ intel confirms it. If we wait too long, we lose the element of surprise.”Dr. Ganner stroked his grey-speckled beard thoughtfully. “And I believe a fortnight is more prudent,” he said with gent
Kael closed the door to his room behind him, leaning against it as a long, shaky breath escaped his lungs. The silence was deafening. He pressed his palms into his eyes, trying—and failing—to shut out the memory of Lylah’s anguished cries, the pain in Angela’s eyes, the sound of the tray crashing to the ground.Why did everything feel so wrong?He paced the room, restless, agitated. Losing sight of the fact that he had been preparing to go out earlier, he pick up a book from his nightstand and pried it open, but the words blurred uselessly before him. He turned on his computer, then shut it off almost immediately. His chest felt tight, his mind a whirlwind of guilt, anger, confusion. He couldn't focus, couldn't be himself.Without even consciously deciding, his feet carried him down the hallway. His pulse hammered in his ears. His heart twisted with a feeling he didn't want to name. Before he could second-guess himself, he reached Angela’s door and, without knocking, slid it open.Ang
Lylah’s morning began with silence, save for the occasional sound of the kitchen clock ticking rhythmically in the background. She stood by the stove, preparing a breakfast as if it were any other day, as though her world hadn’t gotten even worse over the last few weeks. The aroma of crispy bacon, sizzling eggs, and freshly brewed coffee filled the kitchen, offering a fleeting comfort in an otherwise bleak atmosphere. But the food wasn’t for her; it was for Kael.She carefully arranged the tray—scrambled eggs, some bacon, a slice of buttered toast, and a cup of coffee—and, once everything was set, carried it from the kitchen with quiet determination. As she passed through the hallway, a security guard, who had been standing outside the door like a silent sentinel, followed her closely. Lylah didn’t mind the guard, though; she had grown used to the twenty-four hour surveillance. What she couldn't get used to was the coldness in Kael’s eyes every time he looked at her, as if she were n
A heavy silence cloaked the Great Hall after Thane's words. For a brief moment, it seemed the weight of truth might bind them.Then Alpha Hijar of Villapaw leaned back, one brow raised, voice laced with pointed skepticism. “You speak of unity as though it’s a simple thing, Thane,” he said. “But the clans are autonomous for a reason. Always have been. Your... noble motive notwithstanding,”—he tilted his head with a wry smirk—“suggesting that we all come together might sound heroic, but it’s just like telling us Alphas to give up our autonomy, and that's not the way of our kind.”Thane’s eyes flared, his patience strained. “This isn’t about anyone giving up his autonomy, Hijar! It’s about survival. About werewolves standing as one realm against a common enemy. Humans don’t care which banner we raise or which clan they attack first, they want us all gone.”Alpha Renosh raised a calming hand, his voice the most level among them. “I understand you, Thane. I truly do. But I also understand
The warm, amber glow of crystal lanterns hung from the high arched ceiling of the Great Hall, casting soft light over the polished timber walls and intricately patterned stone floor. The space was grand yet refined, a testament to Lunarville's blend of tradition and progress. The long council table, carved from a single ancient tree, stretched the length of the hall, surrounded by high-backed chairs marked with the sigils of each clan.Seven Alphas sat in their respective seats, their faces drawn with the gravity of the moment. Though the Great Hall buzzed faintly with the low hum of energy panels lining the edges—hidden cleverly behind natural textures—the air was heavy with silence. Tension rippled beneath the surface.At the head sat Alpha Thane, his expression as resolute as the blade of a warrior who has seen too many battles. His eyes swept the room before settling briefly on the youngest Alpha among them.“I want to acknowledge Alpha Cormac of Ravenhurst,” he began, his voice e
The boardroom was quiet, lit by the soft afternoon glow filtering through the tall glass windows that lined one side of the room. The city skyline framed the background in still motion. Justine stood by the windows, one hand in his pocket, the other loosely holding a glass of water he hadn’t touched.He heard the door open behind him.“Commander,” he said without turning.“Yes, sir,” came Harris’s voice, steady but laced with fatigue.Justine turned to face him. His expression wasn’t angry. It was more measured, and sounded even a little tired. “You’re back.”“I am,” Harris nodded.Justine looked him over, then quietly asked, “How many of your men made it back with you?”There was a pause.“Seven,” Harris replied. “Seven, out of eleven.”Justine’s gaze lingered on him. “I heard.”Harris gave a small nod, saying nothing.“What happened to the others?”“They… fell behind,” Harris said. He ran a hand across his brow. “Didn't run fast enough. Things got messy. If we’d stayed or waited for