Two days had passed since Daniella was taken, and she had not slept much since the first night. Her dreams had been twisted and vivid—images of Dalton’s worried face, Liam’s cold stare, the flickering blood moon, and the haunting silver eyes of the Iskralith. Every time she drifted off, she woke with a jolt, as though her body knew it was not where it belonged.And surprisingly, she hadn’t been harmed.The inhabitants of the Iskralith Valley, for all their otherworldly strangeness, were gentle. They did not speak often, but when they did, it was with soft tones and clear, serene eyes. There was no resentment. No mockery. No contempt. Their presence was calming, like being wrapped in snowfall—quiet, constant, and strangely intimate.On the morning of the second day, one of the female attendants, whose name Daniella had learned was Saelith, entered her chamber with a kind smile.“The queen wishes you to walk today, if you feel strong enough,” Saelith said gently, offering her a robe of
Warmth.That was the first thing Daniella felt, unexpected, smothering warmth. Her eyes fluttered open, and she gasped. She was lying on a bed of what looked like snow, but it didn’t melt against her skin. Instead, it pulsed faintly with light, like moonlight frozen in crystal. The ceiling above her glimmered with soft, bioluminescent veins, and the air shimmered with specks of silver, like dust caught in perpetual twilight.She sat up with a jolt, her heart pounding. Where was she?Memory surged back in jagged pieces, the snow, the ridge, the sound like glass on ice, her guard disappearing beside her. The eyes. The pressure in her mind. The Iskralith.Daniella scrambled off the strange bed, her limbs shaky. She was still dressed in the clothes she’d worn—thick wool, her fur-lined coat, gloves slightly damp. But her boots were gone, replaced with soft coverings of some fabric she couldn’t identify. There was no visible door, only smooth, curved walls that glowed faintly blue.Panic ro
Snow hissed under the boots of twenty-five warriors as the joint task force moved through the timberline at the edge of Frostrise Valley. The sun was a dim smudge behind thick clouds, casting a steel-gray pallor over the land. Frost laced every branch like silver veins, and the wind carried whispers that made the wolves' hackles rise.Alpha Kyle led at the front, his coat pulled tight around him. Beside him strode Beta Marcus, eyes scanning the horizon like a hawk hunting movement. Gamma Elora flanked them, her hands gripping her leather-bound notebook, the pages fluttering in the cold like restless wings.Dalton walked a step behind them, his pace clipped with frustration. He hadn't wanted to bring her.“Daniella, this is not your fight,” he’d said the night before, his voice quiet but firm in the room they shared at the Silverpine estate.“It became my fight the moment I married you andbacame your Luna,” she’d answered, chin high, eyes steady. “I need to see this with my own eyes.”
Alpha Kyle turned to Dalton with a nod. “Let’s take this to the conference room.” At his cue, the group stood—Dalton, Beta Marcus, the Lunas, and Gamma Elora followed Kyle down the hall, their footsteps echoing softly against polished wood and stone. When they reached the sleek double doors of the conference room, Kyle pushed them open, and the group filed in. The atmosphere shifted—less warmth, more focus. Once inside, they each took their seats around the long table, the low hum of anticipation settling over the room like a held breath.Kyle’s voice was calm but firm. “This council is called in honor of the enduring fealty between Riverdale and Silverpine. Let us speak plainly.”Dalton leaned forward, resting his hands on the carved table. “We didn’t come for the ceremony. We came to reaffirm what was forged generations ago. Riverdale does not forget its bonds. Not in peace. Not in threat.”A low murmur of approval passed through the room.Beta Marcus added, “We’ve seen shifting win
Alpha Kyle gestured for them to sit near the great hearth, where a circle of thick rugs and fur-covered seats formed a quiet gathering space. As the others trickled in, the warmth of the fire cast flickering gold across their faces. Daniella settled beside Dalton, the steady pressure of his presence a comfort as she glanced around, unsure of what she’d stirred with her question.“You asked a simple question,” Alpha Kyle said, the faintest smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “But as with most simple questions, the truth is layered.”The other elders took seats around them, quiet and still. Even the younger wolves who entered with food and blankets paused and sat along the perimeter, sensing something important was about to unfold.Alpha Kyle looked into the fire for a long moment before speaking.“There was a time,” he began, “before the Silverpine were a pack. Before we had a name or even a home. We were nomads. Scattered remnants of bloodlines lost in the wars that tore throug
As Dalton and his group approached, the great lodge doors swung open with a low creak. Out stepped a man tall as a mountain and just as solid. His silver-streaked hair shimmered in the firelight, thick and bound at the nape of his neck. Beside him stood a woman equally striking, her skin weather-kissed and her long braid a cascade of ash-blond. They were flanked by elders wrapped in heavy cloaks of snow fox fur and adorned with bone and silver trinkets that clinked softly in the cold breeze.“Alpha Dalton,” he said, his voice deep and warm, reaching to clasp Dalton’s forearm in a firm, brotherly grip. “Welcome to Silverpine.”“Alpha Kyle,” Dalton returned with a grin. “Still as dramatic as ever.”The man laughed. “Only when it’s earned. And this visit, you’ve earned a full storm.” He then turned to Daniella, his expression shifting with deference and something near reverence. “And Luna Daniella. We are deeply honored by your presence.”Daniella smiled and bowed her head respectfully,