Mag-log inThe next morning, Aria went to Lina’s quarters. She had Audra balanced on her hip, the baby gnawing contentedly on a wooden teething ring. The door was slightly ajar, and through the gap she could see the two sisters together, Lina seated on the edge of the bed with Ren nursing quietly in her arms, Bryn in a chair beside the window with her cane resting against the armrest. Bryn was still pale from her recovery, she was stabbed with a silver dagger so her recovery is slow, but her eyes were brighter than they had been in weeks. Aria pushed the door open with her free hand. Both women looked up. For a heartbeat, no one moved. Then, in perfect, near comical unison, Lina rose from the bed, careful not to startle Ren, and Bryn pushed herself up with her cane. They bowed their heads together, their voices overlapping. "Luna." The word was stiff and formal, delivered like a line rehearsed but never quite mastered. Lina's shoulders were tight, her free hand pressing flat against her thi
It’s being one month after the war. The morning was soft with the promise of spring. Aria stood at the window of the nursery, Audra cradled in her arms. The baby was awake and alert, her silver eyes tracking the clouds that drifted past the glass. She was nearly six months old now, still small, still delicate, but with a fierce grip and a laugh that could fill any room. Rowan had already left for the training yard, kissing both of them on the forehead before he went. The fortress was quiet, its rhythms slow and steady. The walls had been rebuilt. The dead had been honored. The pack was healing. A soft knock came at the door. "Luna? I've brought fresh linens for the little one's cradle." "Come in, Gretta." The older woman entered with a stack of neatly folded blankets. Her apron was clean, her grey hair pulled back in its usual severe bun. She moved with the quiet efficiency of someone who had served the pack for decades, her steps careful. She set the linens on the small table n
The trial was over. Simeon's body had been taken away. The Silvermoon delegation was preparing to leave. It was already mid day. Aria found Lina in the garden, sitting on a stone bench with Ren cradled in her arms. The baby was awake now, his hazel eyes blinking up at the sky. Lina looked tired but peaceful, as if some great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "There's something I need to tell you," Aria said, sitting beside her. "About Bryn." Lina turned. "The girl who helped my father?" "Yes. And also his daughter." Aria paused. "Your sister." The words hung in the cold air. Lina's face went still. "What?" "Your father took her when she was a baby. He told her the White Wolf killed her parents. He raised her to be a weapon. But at the end, she refused. She tried to save Audra. He stabbed her for it." Aria's voice was quiet. "She's your blood, Lina.” Lina stared at her. Ren stirred, letting out a small, sleepy sound. "Where is she?" "In the healer's wing. Reco
The great hall was silent as the grave. Wolves lined the walls, Mooncrest warriors still bandaged from the battle, Silvermoon elders in their dark robes, servants who had lost friends in the attack. The benches were full. The torches burned steady in their sconces. And at the center of it all, bound in silver chains, knelt Simeon. Aria stood at the head of the hall, Rowan beside her. Alpha Magnus sat with the other witnesses, his face grey, his hands gripping the arms of his chair. Lydia was beside him, hollow eyed and silent. The Silvermoon elders flanked them. Lina sat in the front row, Ren cradled against her chest, her mother's hand clasped tightly in hers. Bryn had been brought from the healer's wing in a wheelchair, her chest still wrapped in bandages, her face pale but determined. She had asked to be here. The charges were read aloud by Elder Orin, his voice carrying through the silent hall. Treason. Conspiracy. Murder. The corruption of wolves used as weapons against their
Lina could not sleep. The quarters Nyssa had led them to were small but comfortable, a hearth crackling with warmth, a cradle for Ren, a window that looked out over the dark mountains. Her mother had fallen asleep almost immediately, exhausted from the journey. But Lina lay awake, her son nestled in the crook of her arm, watching the firelight dance on the stone ceiling. Tomorrow, she would see her father. She tried to imagine his face. The last time she had seen him, she was a child. He had been kind, she remembered. Distant, sometimes, but kind. He had told her stories about the old wolves, about the great packs of the north. He had taught her to read the stars. She had believed he loved her. Now she knew the truth. He had never loved her. He had only ever loved a dead woman and the power she had refused to give him. Ren stirred, his tiny fingers curling against her chest. She pressed a kiss to his downy hair. "I'll be better than him," she whispered. "I swear it. I'll be bett
The carriage rolled to a stop in the courtyard of Mooncrest. Lina felt the jolt through her bones, or perhaps it was only her nerves, wound tight as bowstrings since the moment Beta Morris had appeared at her cottage door. Outside, she could hear the stamp of hooves on cobblestone, the low murmur of voices as the delegation dismounted. Her mother touched her knee. "We're here." Lina drew back the curtain and looked out. The courtyard was larger than Silvermoon's, wide and well kept, surrounded by high stone walls draped with green banners bearing the crescent moon. Warriors stood at attention near the main doors, their armor clean. And there, near the entrance to the pack house, stood a small cluster of wolves who could only be the Mooncrest leadership. Lina recognized Aria immediately. She was thinner than she had been in Nightfang, the softness of pregnancy replaced by the hard muscle of a warrior. Her silver white hair fell past her shoulders in a loose braid. Audra was
The carriage rolled to a stop in the courtyard of Nightfang. For a moment, everyone stood still. The warriors who had been drilling near the outer wall paused mid swing. The servants carrying linens and water buckets stopped in their tracks. A Mooncrest carriage. An Alpha they did not recognize.
The sky was pale and cold, the mountains shrouded in mist. Aria stood at the gates of Mooncrest with her hand resting on the curve of her stomach, watching the carriage being prepared for the journey. It was sturdy and dark, built for long travel through rough terrain, its wheels reinforced with i
The celebration in the corridor had faded. Liana was resting, little Caelan swaddled in her arms. Lois had not left their side. The pack had returned to its rhythms, but Aria lingered outside the healer's wing, her hand pressed against the heavy curve of her stomach. She had been counting the d
It’s been two days since Aria woke up. Her strength was returning slowly, her body no longer screamed when she moved, her legs no longer trembled when she walked short distances across the room. Elara had cleared her for light activity, though the healer's sharp eyes watched her every movement.







