The mark of secrets

The night breeze whispered through the trees as Luna lay in her room, staring at the moonlight streaming through the window. Kael’s kiss still lingered on her lips, his scent still wrapped around her like a spell.

But peace was never meant to last.

A sharp knock shattered the silence.

Before she could answer, the door creaked open — it was Zara, Kael’s younger sister. Her face was pale, her eyes wide.

“You need to come. Now,” she said, barely above a whisper.

Luna followed her, heart pounding. They moved quickly through the back corridor of the pack house until they reached the Council Hall.

Inside, Alpha Magnus — Kael’s father — stood, his expression cold and unreadable.

“There’s been a breach,” he said, locking eyes with Luna. “And someone… left a message.”

He motioned toward the table.

Luna stepped closer and saw a black rose, drenched in silver blood.

Beneath it, a note written in ancient werewolf runes:

"The oath was never yours to break."

Her stomach dropped.

Kael stepped in then, scanning the message before turning to Luna.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

Luna froze

She had spent years hiding the truth — about her birth, her bloodline, and the night her real family vanished. The oath she thought had died with them… was still alive.

And someone knew.

Blood lines and betrayals

Luna’s throat tightened. The room spun slightly as every pair of eyes locked onto her. She could feel the weight of Kael’s stare, filled with confusion… and suspicion.

“I—I don’t know what this means,” she whispered, though even she didn’t believe her own voice.

Magnus stepped forward, picking up the rose and sniffing it cautiously. “This blood... it’s not from any wolf in our territory.”

Zara clenched her fists. “It smells like hers.”

Kael turned sharply. “Zara—”

“No. She’s hiding something,” Zara snapped. “The night the rogues attacked, she was found too easily. No wounds. No blood. Just… conveniently discovered.”

Luna’s chest burned. “I saved your brother’s life that night.”

“And now someone wants us to believe you broke an oath none of us even knew existed,” Zara hissed. “Why would they come after you?”

Kael looked torn. He stepped closer to Luna, his voice low. “Luna… please. If you know anything—”

Something inside her cracked. She couldn’t keep running from her past.

“My real name isn’t Luna,” she whispered.

Everyone stilled.

“I was born Selene… daughter of Alpha Thorne of the Crescent Moon Pack.”

Magnus went rigid

That pack was wiped out years ago,” he said. “Destroyed in one night.”

Luna nodded slowly. “Because my father broke the Hidden Oath.”

The room erupted.

Kael’s voice cut through the noise. “What was the oath?”

Luna raised her eyes to meet his. “A blood pact made to bind a powerful force beneath the land — a spirit wolf. But someone… someone released it.”

And suddenly, Kael realized: this wasn’t just about Luna’s past.

It was about their future.

And a war that had already begun.

The spirit wolf’s curse

The chamber fell silent as Luna stepped forward, her voice calm but heavy with ancient weight.

“The Spirit Wolf wasn’t just a myth,” she said. “It was real. Bound by blood centuries ago by the original alphas of four great packs. My ancestors were one of them.”

Kael narrowed his eyes. “Bound for what reason?”

“To contain its rage,” Luna answered. “The Spirit Wolf is neither good nor evil. It mirrors the hearts of those who summon it. If summoned with vengeance… it destroys.”

Zara scoffed. “And you expect us to believe your family held the key to that?”

“My father didn’t believe the stories,” Luna continued. “He broke the oath. Tried to harness the wolf’s power… and it slaughtered our pack instead.”

Kael’s mind raced. “Why are the signs appearing again now? Why would the Spirit Wolf return?”

Luna met his eyes. “Because someone else has summoned it.”

Magnus’ voice trembled. “You mean… someone from within one of the four packs?”

Luna nodded. “And if they complete the blood rites… it will no longer be a spirit. It will become flesh.”

Kael clenched his fists. “Then we stop them.”

But deep in the shadows of the woods, another figure was watching. Holding a worn scroll… and dripping wolf’s blood onto the soil.

The second rite had begun.