Chapter 47 â Fire and SerpentsThe world exploded into chaos.Ravenâs flames blazed across the clearing, cutting through the mist and forcing Seleneâs horde back. The silver fire licked along the ground, weaving through roots and stone, swallowing shadow-beasts whole. The smell of scorched flesh filled the air, but still the creatures pressed forward, driven by Seleneâs command.Ragnarâs blade rose and fell beside her, each strike cutting a path through the writhing serpents. Lucaâs howl rang out above the din, rallying the wolves as they surged tighter, pressing Seleneâs army into the noose Raven had drawn around them.And still at the heart of it all Selene stood untouched.Her eyes glowed like twin suns of molten amber. Her serpentine crown hissed, each snake striking at the air, their venom sizzling where it hit Ravenâs fire. With a slow, deliberate step, she entered the circle of flame Raven had drawn, her aura a tide that bent the shadows toward her.âYou think your tricks w
Chapter 46 â The Forest AwakensThe forest was silent before dawn.Too silent.Mist curled low across the ground, shrouding the world in a pale veil. Raven stood at the ridge, eyes sharp, every nerve taut as a bowstring. Behind her, the wolves waited in silence, their breaths steaming in the cold air, their hearts beating a steady rhythm she could feel in her bones.Her traps were set. The snares hidden beneath pine needles. Pits disguised beneath loose earth. Jagged stakes driven into the ground where the mist was thickest. Every inch of the forest now thrummed with her mark, a hunting ground turned into a killing field.âDo you hear it?â she whispered.Ragnar stepped up beside her, his gaze fixed on the mist. âFootsteps.âAnd then the sound came clearer, the steady, heavy rhythm of an army moving as one. The scrape of claws on stone. The hiss of serpentine breaths.Seleneâs army.The shadows emerged first, slithering forms with glowing eyes, their bodies spilling like oil int
Chapter 45 â The Bait is SetThe moon was high when Raven called the remnants of her forces together.The clearing they chose was ringed with ancient oaks, their branches arching like watchful sentinels. Wolves shifted back into human form, bloodied and bruised, some swaying on their feet from exhaustion, but none dared sit. Their Queen had summoned them, and not a single one would risk appearing weak before her.Raven stood at the heart of them, the silver flame of her power faintly visible beneath her skin. She didnât try to hide it anymore. She wanted them to see. Wanted them to know what walked among them.Her gaze swept over each face, young, scarred, hardened. Once, these wolves had looked at her with doubt, even resentment. Now, their eyes burned with something different. Expectation. Fear, yes. But faith, too.âWe bled tonight,â Raven began, her voice carrying through the hush. âWe fought against shadows that never tire, never reason. And still⌠we stand.âA ripple of l
Chapter 44 â The Queenâs GambitThe forest was silent again. Too silent.Ravenâs chest rose and fell as she leaned against a moss-covered boulder, silver fire still sparking along her claws before fading back into her skin. Sweat clung to her temple, her hair damp with it. Every part of her wolf ached to keep fighting, to rip through the rest of Seleneâs serpents until nothing remained.But she forced herself still. Forced herself calm.Behind her, Ragnar was pacing like a caged storm, his blade dripping black ichor that hissed as it touched the ground. His eyes never stopped scanning the trees. Always vigilant. Always ready to strike.Luca staggered to a halt nearby, his breathing ragged. âWeâve never faced numbers like that,â he muttered. âIf we hadnât pulled back when we did.......ââWeâd all be corpses,â Ragnar finished flatly.Ravenâs head lifted. The two men looked to her instinctively, waiting for the order, waiting for the Queen to decide if they would march again or retre
Chapter 43 â Fang and Fang The forest screamed with movement. Serpent-kin clawed their way up the ridge, shadows streaking through the underbrush like knives. Ravenâs claws extended fully, her vision bleeding silver as her wolf lunged against the cage of her ribs. âHold!â she barked, her voice raw and commanding. Luca didnât listen. He was already in motion, blades flashing silver in the moonlight as he cut down the first serpent that reached them. Ragnar joined him a heartbeat later, his sword cleaving through the dark like a flame through oil. But still they came. âToo many!â Luca snarled, yanking his blade free of a writhing body. Green-black blood hissed as it touched the ground. Ravenâs lips peeled back, a snarl tearing loose from her throat. Power surged, hot and wild, demanding release. For once, she didnât hold it back. Her wolf erupted. The shift wasnât complete, not yet, but the forest shuddered as her aura cracked wide, a tidal wave of silver force rippling ou
Chapter 42 â The Serpentâs Snare Seleneâs gaze lingered a moment too long on the ridge. Her serpentâs instincts whispered of eyes watching, though the forest lay still. When she turned back to Raiden, her smile bloomed wider, a curve of teeth that didnât reach her eyes. âYou speak boldly,â she said, her tone velvet over steel. âPerhaps boldly enough to be useful.â Raidenâs jaw tightened. âOr dangerous enough to be killed where I stand.â âOh, Alpha,â Selene crooned, circling him now, her cloak trailing behind like smoke. âIf I wanted you dead, youâd already be bleeding at my feet.â The wolves around them stiffened, a ripple of unease threading through their ranks. Raiden didnât move. He couldnât afford to. Seleneâs fingers traced the air between them as if writing invisible words. âYou crave a queen who bleeds, you said. What a fascinating confession.â Her voice dropped, serpent, smooth. âBut tell me what will you bleed for? Your freedom? Your pack? Or perhaps