LOGINThe children returned to the celebration just as the afternoon sun began to fade. Music filled the hall again.Servants carried fresh trays of food between the tables while warriors gathered around the open training area. Audra walked beside Caelan, unusually quiet. Ren noticed immediately. "You're thinking about the door." Audra glanced at him. "I'm not." Caelan looked at her. “You are. It’s so obvious.” "I said I'm not." Ren smiled. "You've been quiet for almost five minutes." "So?" "That's how we know there’s something mischievous going on in that small head of yours.” Audra sighed. "Fine." She lowered her voice. "I just want to know where that door leads." Caelan shook his head. "We were told not to go back." "I know." "Then leave it alone." Audra looked toward the door. "I will."Ren raised an eyebrow. "You don't sound convincing." Caelan laughed. "She never does. Just let her be.” Audra rolled her eyes. "You all worry too much." They continued toward the main cel
The ceremony lasted nearly hours. The people of the Lycan Kingdom stood gathered beneath the banners while the newly restored royal hall overlooked the celebration.At the center of the platform stood the current Lycan council, surrounded by representatives from the allied packs. Kael stepped forward. He was chosen as the spokesperson. His gaze traveled across the crowd. "Ten years ago, this kingdom stood broken." The crowd grew quiet. “Their homes were destroyed and so many families suffered casualties, And many believed the Lycan Kingdom would never rise again." He paused. "But we were wrong." A cheer erupted. Kael smiled. "We rebuilt not because one person demanded it, but because every person who returned chose to believe that this kingdom was worth saving." Aria watched from beside Rowan. She felt something tighten in her chest. Kael continued. "Today, we don't celebrate stone or the walls. We celebrate the people who brought this kingdom back to life." The crowd erupted i
Music filled the Lycan Kingdom from the moment the sun rose. The streets were covered with silver and white banners. Large tables had been arranged throughout the central square, filled with food from the different allied packs. Warriors stood along the main roads, not because there was danger, but because they had been assigned to keep the celebration organized. Everywhere Aria looked, people were smiling. For years, she had imagined what this day might look like. She had never imagined it would feel this peaceful. "This is beautiful." Rowan stood beside her. "It is." They watched as several Lycan families gathered near the fountain. Children ran between the tables. Older wolves sat together, talking about how much the kingdom had changed. Aria smiled. "We really did it." Rowan looked at her. "We did." A voice came from behind them. "Enjoying the view?" Aria turned. Kael approached with several other Alphas. She recognized some of them from previous meetings, while others
The morning of their departure arrived sooner than Audra expected.Mooncrest's eastern gates stood open as several horses waited beyond them. Travel bags had already been secured. Guards stood nearby, checking the final arrangements.Audra looked toward the road impatiently. "Why is everyone taking so long?" Caelan glanced at her. "We've been waiting for you." Audra frowned. "I was the first to get ready." Ren laughed. "You've changed your clothes three times." "That was necessary." Caelan shook his head. "It wasn't." Ren immediately laughed. Audra pointed at the two of them. "Both of you are annoying." "We know," Caelan replied. Ren nodded. "We're friends. It's part of the job." Eliot laughed from beside the horses. "You two really haven't changed." Dax adjusted the strap of his travel bag. "Nothing changes with those two." Corvin and Ren just quietly watched them. "You've been complaining about us for ten years." Caelan whined jokingly. "Not any I can remember."Eliot sm
TEN YEARS LATER... Morning sunlight spilled across Mooncrest Pack. The pack had changed. The scars left by the war had long since faded from the buildings, the walls had been repaired, and the people had settled into a peace that once seemed impossible. But the greatest changes were not in the pack, they were in the people. Aria stood on the balcony of her chambers, looking over Mooncrest. For a moment, she simply watched the pack awaken. Warriors crossed the training grounds. Some merchant coming to trade horses. Children hurried through the pack. It was an ordinary morning. And Aria had learned to appreciate it A knock sounded behind her. "Come in." The door opened. Rowan stepped inside. He looked almost exactly as she remembered him, though the years had added a quiet maturity to his expression. "You've been standing here for a while." Aria smiled. "I was just looking across the pack and trying to think.” "About the Lycan Kingdom?" She turned toward him. "Partly." Rowan
Kellan left the council hall the moment Aria dismissed him. He barely noticed the warriors he passed in the corridor. His thoughts were already somewhere else, Nyssa. By the time he reached the training grounds, the afternoon sun had begun to lower over the trees. Nyssa was still there. She sat beneath the same tree where they had spoken earlier, her sword resting beside her. When she saw him approaching, she stood. "You’re finally back." Kellan smiled. "Sorry I took so much time.” Nyssa nodded. "It’s fine." He stopped in front of her. For several seconds, neither spoke. Then Kellan took a breath. "Where were we?" Nyssa gave a nervous laugh. "You were about to tell me something." "Right." He looked at her. "I've spent the last few days trying to understand what I was feeling." Nyssa's expression became serious. "About Alice?" "About you." Her breath caught. Kellan continued. "When Alice told me how she felt, I thought the difficult part would be deciding whether
Aria stepped into the grand hall slowly, her breath catching as the massive doors shut behind her with a dull, echoing thud. The scent of polished wood and warm candle wax mingled with the heavy perfumes lingering in the air, creating an intoxicating atmosphere that was both regal and suffocating.
The whispers started early, as they always did, but there was something different about them that morning, something that carried a kind of restless excitement through the pack house.“The ceremony is in a week and I also heard multiple packs are coming.”“Alpha Magnus wants it to be the biggest ga
The pack house felt different that day, louder than usual and filled with excitement that Aria didn’t share. She stood at the top of the stairs, her fingers resting lightly on the railing as wolves moved past her in a hurry, their voices overlapping as they spoke.“They’re here.”“I heard she’s st
The sharp scent of sweat and damp earth clung to the air around the training grounds, pressing heavy on Aria’s skin as she stood at the edge of the field. Her arms were wrapped tightly across her chest, not just to ward off the chill but to cage the tremors of a heart weighed down by years of unspo







