PROLOGUE

The night carried a strange feeling that made the world go quiet.

The wind that usually moved freely through the forest had almost stopped. The animals hidden beneath the trees became restless. Even the strongest creatures, the ones who had lived for hundreds of years, felt something they could not explain.

Something had changed.

Wolves lifted their heads toward the sky, feeling a strange pull deep inside their souls. Old creatures who had forgotten what fear felt like suddenly became alert.

They did not know why.

Their instincts simply warned them.

Something had shifted.

Even humans, unaware of the hidden world around them, felt the strange energy passing through the night. Some woke from their sleep with their hearts beating faster. Others looked through their windows at the dark sky, feeling an unexplained sadness.

But no one knew the truth.

High above the earth, the moon disappeared behind thick clouds, covering the world in darkness.

And beneath that darkness...

A woman was running.

Her feet hit the cold forest ground again and again as she forced herself forward.

She was exhausted.

More exhausted than she had ever been.

Every breath burned her chest. Her legs felt weak, and pain ran through every part of her body.

Her clothes, torn from pushing through the thick forest, revealed the cuts that covered her arms and face. Dirt covered her hands, and her hair stuck to her sweaty skin.

But she did not stop.

She couldn't.

Not while she was carrying the small bundle in her arms.

The woman looked behind her.

Nothing.

Only darkness between the trees.

Too much darkness.

Her heart beat faster.

She knew they were coming.

She could feel it.

She pulled the bundle closer to her chest and continued running.

"Please..." she whispered.

Her voice shook.

"Just a little longer."

The bundle moved inside the blanket.

A small cry escaped.

The woman's frightened expression softened immediately.

For a moment, all the fear disappeared from her eyes.

The only thing left was sadness.

She looked down at the tiny child in her arms.

The baby was so small.

So innocent.

The woman gently touched the baby's face.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

A tear slipped down her cheek.

"I wish things were different."

The baby opened her eyes and looked up at her.

The woman smiled sadly.

"You don't understand, do you?"

Her voice broke.

"You don't know how important you are."

A loud sound suddenly echoed through the forest.

The woman stopped.

Her entire body went stiff.

Her eyes moved toward the darkness behind her.

They were closer.

Much closer.

She quickly covered the baby again and started running.

"No..."

She whispered.

"Not you."

The baby began crying louder.

The woman held her tightly against her chest, trying to calm her.

"Please don't cry."

Her voice trembled.

"Someone will hear you."

But deep inside, she knew someone already had.

The forest was no longer safe.

The woman pushed herself harder.

She ran until her legs felt like they would give up.

She ran until she could barely feel her feet.

But she refused to stop.

Because she had made a promise.

And she would rather die than break it.

After what felt like hours, she finally saw something through the trees.

A wooden sign.

Her tired eyes widened.

LUNAR CREST PACK

Relief almost made her collapse.

She had made it.

The woman slowed down as she approached the border of the territory.

The moment she stepped closer, she felt the powerful barrier surrounding the pack.

Safe.

The child would be safe here.

She looked into the darkness beyond the border.

Lunar Crest Pack.

One of the oldest and strongest packs.

The place she had been told to bring the child.

Slowly, she lowered herself to the ground.

Her hands shook as she opened the blanket.

The baby looked up at her.

The woman stared at her small face.

Then her eyes moved to the baby's right cheek.

A deep scar marked the soft skin.

The woman swallowed hard.

It looked wrong on such a tiny child.

"You have already suffered so much..."

She reached toward the scar but stopped before touching it.

There were things she could not change.

Things she could not explain.

The baby suddenly became restless.

Her tiny hands moved under the blanket.

Her face tightened.

Then she started crying.

The woman quickly picked her up.

"Shh..."

"I'm here."

She held the baby against her chest.

"It's okay."

But the baby continued crying.

The woman rocked her gently.

"Please..."

Her voice broke.

"Don't be afraid."

Slowly, the baby became quiet.

Her tiny fingers wrapped around the woman's hand.

The woman looked down.

Then she looked into the baby's eyes.

And froze.

For the briefest moment...

Something flickered there.

Something she could not explain.

The woman stopped breathing.

Her heart seemed to stop with it.

She blinked.

Once.

Twice.

It was gone.

The baby's eyes looked completely normal again.

The woman stared at her.

Had she imagined it?

She had been running for hours.

Fear and exhaustion were making her mind play tricks on her.

Yes.

That had to be it.

She looked away for a moment and took a deep breath.

But when she looked at the baby again, a strange uneasiness remained in her chest.

She did not know what she had seen.

She knew it had frightened her.

The woman reached inside her clothing and pulled out a small tag with a name on it.

With trembling fingers, she tied it around the baby's wrist.

Lyra.

Nothing else.

No family name.

No explanation.

Only a name.

The woman looked at the child one last time.

"I wish I could tell you everything."

Her voice was full of pain.

"But the time has not come."

The baby looked at her quietly.

The woman leaned closer.

"Stay strong."

She kissed the baby's forehead.

"One day, you will find out…."

Another sound came from the forest.

Closer.

The woman's face changed.

They were here.

She stood quickly.

Her eyes filled with tears.

Leaving was the hardest thing she had ever done.

But staying would put Lyra in danger.

She took one step back.

Then another.

The baby reached its tiny hands toward her.

The woman almost broke.

Almost turned around.

Almost took her back.

But she remembered her promise.

"I'm sorry", she whispered.

Then she disappeared into the darkness.

The forest became silent again.

For a few moments, the only sound was the soft movement of the wind through the trees.

Then...

The baby's cry broke the silence.

Inside Lunar Crest Pack's territory, Beta Adrian Vale was finishing his last patrol of the night.

In his wolf form, he moved quietly between the trees. His dark fur blended with the shadows, and his sharp senses searched every corner of the territory.

The night had been peaceful.

Nothing unusual.

No threats.

No strangers.

No signs of danger.

Until now.

Adrian stopped.

His ears lifted.

He heard it again.

A baby.

His wolf became alert immediately.

A baby crying near the border was impossible.

No one from the pack would leave a baby outside.

And no outsider should have been able to reach their territory without being noticed.

Adrian moved quickly toward the sound.

The closer he got, the more confused he became.

There was no unfamiliar scent.

No sign of an attack.

No sign of a struggle.

Only the sound of a crying child.

When he reached the pack gate, he searched the area carefully.

His eyes moved across the darkness.

Nothing.

Then he saw it.

A small bundle lying near the border.

Adrian froze.

For a moment, he could only stare.

A baby.

He quickly shifted back into his human form and grabbed a cloak from the guard post before approaching.

Carefully, he picked up the child.

The crying slowly stopped.

The baby opened her eyes.

Adrian looked down at her.

She was so small.

So fragile.

A strange feeling moved through him.

His wolf, usually calm and controlled, became restless.

Adrian frowned.

"What is wrong with you?"

He was not sure if he was speaking to the baby or his wolf.

"Who left you here?"

The baby only looked at him.

Adrian noticed the small tag around her wrist.

He carefully read the name.

Lyra.

Only one name.

Nothing else.

His eyebrows pulled together as he looked around once again.

Just a baby and a name.

Before he could think more, the baby’s expression changed and she started crying again.

Adrian immediately tried to comfort her.

"Easy."

His voice softened.

"You are safe now."

He locked eyes with the baby, trying to comfort it.

For the smallest moment...

Adrian saw something strange in her eyes.

He froze.

His breath caught.

His wolf reacted violently inside him.

Adrian blinked.

The strange sight was gone.

He stared at the baby again.

Her eyes looked normal.

Completely normal.

He looked away for a second, then back.

Nothing.

Adrian swallowed.

Maybe he was tired.

Maybe the darkness had played a trick on him.

But his wolf disagreed.

His wolf seemed to recognise something.

Adrian's expression became serious.

He had heard old stories.

Stories passed down through generations.

Stories most wolves believed were nothing more than legends.

He did not know what he had just seen.

And he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

He immediately opened a mind-link.

"Alpha Cassian."

The response came quickly.

"Adrian? What happened?"

Adrian looked down at Lyra.

For the first time in many years, he struggled to find the right words.

"I need you at the northern gate."

A pause followed.

"Is there a threat?"

Adrian looked at the innocent baby in his arms.

"I don't know."

His voice became serious.

"But you need to see this yourself."

Within minutes, Alpha Cassian Blackwood and Luna Seraphina Blackwood arrived at the border.

Cassian's expression was calm, but his Alpha instincts were alert.

Something had disturbed Adrian.

And Adrian was not someone who frightened easily.

Seraphina walked closer first.

The moment she saw the baby in Adrian's arms, her heart softened.

A newborn.

Alone.

Abandoned.

Her expression filled with sadness.

"Who would leave a child here?"

Adrian looked at his Alpha and Luna.

"I don't know."

He handed the baby carefully to his Luna.

The moment Seraphina rested Lyra in her arms, the child stopped crying.

Seraphina looked down at her.

The baby's tiny hand wrapped around her finger.

Something inside Seraphina shifted.

She could not explain it.

It felt strangely familiar.

As if she were destined to hold this child.

Then Lyra became restless.

Her tiny face showed fear again.

Seraphina immediately held her closer.

"Shh..."

"You are safe."

The baby looked up at her.

For one brief second, Seraphina saw something in the child's eyes.

Her breath caught.

She blinked.

It was gone.

Seraphina stared at Lyra.

The baby's eyes looked completely normal.

She looked at Cassian.

He was already looking at her.

He had seen it too.

Or at least...

He thought he had.

Neither of them spoke.

Cassian stepped closer.

He looked into Lyra's eyes.

Nothing.

Just a frightened baby looking back at him.

He blinked slowly.

Could exhaustion be affecting all of them?

He glanced at Adrian.

Adrian's expression told him everything.

He had also seen something.

The three of them stood in silence.

None of them dared to say what they thought they had seen.

Not here.

Not in front of the guards.

Not until they were certain.

Cassian finally spoke.

His voice was low.

"Bring her inside."

That was all he said.

But Adrian understood.

This child needed to be taken somewhere private.

Somewhere safe.

Somewhere they could talk.

Inside the packhouse, Doctor Mira Ashford examined Lyra carefully.

The doctor had seen many injuries and strange situations during the years serving the Lunar Crest Pack.

But never a newborn appearing at the border in the middle of the night.

"She's healthy," Mira said after a careful examination.

Everyone released a quiet breath.

"But she's hungry and cold. She needs food and warmth."

Seraphina stayed beside the baby.

She could not bring herself to leave.

Cassian watched his mate carefully.

He knew how much she loved children.

But this was different.

Something about Lyra had touched a part of Seraphina's heart that Cassian had never seen before.

"Seraphina," he said quietly.

She looked at him.

Neither needed to say much.

They both knew something strange had happened.

But they had no proof.

A memory of something they could not be sure they had actually seen.

Seraphina looked down at Lyra.

The baby was sleeping peacefully.

Nothing unusual.

Nothing frightening.

Just a little girl who needed a home.

"We will protect her," Seraphina whispered.

Cassian placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes."

He looked at the sleeping child.

"Whatever happens..."

"We protect her."

Outside, the clouds drifted away from the moon.

A soft light returned to the forest.

But inside the Lunar Crest Pack, three people remained awake, carrying the same unanswered question.

What had they seen?

Had they really seen anything at all?

Who was Lyra?

And why would someone take the risk to place her at their gates?

No one in the Lunar Crest Pack knew the answer.

Not yet.