เข้าสู่ระบบ[EMRYS]Dawn broke cold and grey over festival grounds that looked like a battlefield after retreat.I walked through the debris with methodical attention, cataloging everything my eyes came into contact with.Extinguished lanterns hung dark and lifeless from their strings. Trampled earth showed where hundreds of feet had danced hours ago. Half-cleared tables still held abandoned plates, food congealing in the morning chill.The scene should've felt peaceful. Aftermath of a celebration, nothing more.Instead, my wolf paced restless circles, hackles raised against a threat I couldn't name yet.'Something is wrong,' my wolf insisted for the hundredth time since Maya's disappearance was confirmed.Everything was wrong. Had been wrong since Ethan's team was ambushed during patrol, and the appearance of that black rose. We'd just been too desperate for normalcy to acknowledge the pattern forming.Warriors moved through the clearing, continuing search patterns that had yielded nothing throu
[HUNTER]The last festival fire guttered out below me, smoke rising thin and pathetic into the predawn sky.I watched from my perch high in the oak, bark rough against my palms, the position offering a perfect vantage of Crescent Moon's frantic scrambling.The sounds reached me faintly—laughter dying into confusion, celebration curdling into panic, and boots pounding earth as warriors realized something had gone terribly wrong.Beautiful.The festival had never been the event. Just the cover. The perfect distraction to remove two people without immediate consequence.I cataloged details with clinical precision. How long it took for the alarm to spread—eighteen minutes from the healer's mate noticing her absence to the first organized search party forming. Which warriors broke formation first? Younger ones, predictably, the ones who still thought speed mattered more than strategy. How fear fractured discipline—watching them double back over the same ground, searching places they'd alre
[MARIS]The honey mead had gone straight to my head in the best way.Everything felt warm and soft around the edges, fear finally loosening its grip enough to let me breathe without bracing for disaster. Lena spun beside me, blue dress flaring with each turn, laughter spilling from her lips like she'd forgotten what it meant to be afraid.'This is good,' my wolf hummed contentedly. 'This is right.'For once, I agreed without reservation.The clearing pulsed with life—visiting packs mingling with Crescent Moon wolves, children weaving through adult legs with the kind of fearless energy that only came from feeling absolutely safe. Music swelled and dipped, drums providing heartbeat rhythm while strings added melody that made my feet move without conscious decision.I'd worked myself to exhaustion preparing for tonight. Hands still ached from chopping vegetables and kneading dough and stirring pots that seemed bottomless. Worth it though. Every sore muscle and burning finger was worth se
[LENA]My hands ached in that good way that came from honest work.Flour dust coated my apron despite three washes throughout the day. The scent of honey cakes and roasted meat had soaked into my hair, my clothes, and probably my skin down to the bone. Dawn had found me elbow-deep in dough, and now sunset painted the kitchen in amber light while I kneaded my thousandth roll."That's it!" Cora snapped her towel like a whip, making me jump. "Out. All of you. Festival starts in an hour, and I won't have my girls looking like flour sacks.""But the second batch of—""Is already done. Safi finished it twenty minutes ago." She shooed us toward the door with the same energy she used chasing mice from the pantries. "Go. Wash. Make yourselves pretty. That's an order."Laughter bubbled up from somewhere deep in my chest. When had I last laughed like this? Free and easy, without fear coating every breath?Maris grabbed my hand, pulling me toward the door. "You heard her. We're officially relieve
[KAEL]The visiting packs arrived in waves throughout the afternoon.I stood at the manor's entrance, greeting each Alpha with the kind of calm authority that made them believe everything was under control. Firm handshakes. Direct eye contact. Words chosen carefully to project strength without arrogance.Alpha Darren of Ironwood Pack clasped my forearm with genuine warmth. "Your territory looks stronger than ever, Kael.""We've worked hard to maintain it." The lie tasted smooth. Years of leadership had taught me how to wear confidence like armor even when everything underneath was cracking.'They can't see the cracks,' Saen reminded me, restless beneath my skin. 'That's the point.'True. But maintaining the facade was exhausting.I watched Darren's Beta scan the grounds with professional assessment. Noted how his warriors positioned themselves with unconscious defensive spacing. Everyone was on edge despite the festival atmosphere.Smart. This wasn't a time for carelessness.More pack
[RHIANNON]The manor kitchen buzzed with energy I hadn't felt in weeks.Fabric samples covered every surface—deep blues, silver threads, colors chosen to complement the harvest festival's traditional themes. Cora argued passionately for crimson accents while Lena insisted gold would photograph better."Luna, what do you think?" Safi held up two ribbons. "Classic or modern?"I studied them, grateful for problems this simple. "Classic. We're honoring tradition, not reinventing it.""Knew you'd say that." Maris grinned, already tying samples to chairs as a demonstration. "Taste test next?"The afternoon stretched warm and comfortable around us. Laughter came easier than it had in months. No forced cheerfulness, just genuine enjoyment of planning something beautiful for people who'd survived too much darkness.Movement at the doorway caught my attention.Kael leaned against the frame, watching with an expression I couldn't quite read. Not Alpha assessing security. Not the protector evalua







