Sofia's voice dropped to a whisper as she leaned forward. "It might sound absurd, Gonzalo, but hear me out. What if there's a traitor in our midst? Right here in my pack. Someone high up in the Ironclaw pack who's been feeding information to the rogues?"A traitor in the Ironclaw pack? What gain could they possibly achieve from betraying their people? For all he knew, wolves were dying everywhere in the hands of those feral rogues.He scoffed. "A traitor? That's a serious accusation, Sofia. We're all hurting here. The rogues are attacking everyone, not just the Moonstone pack. People in the Ironclaw pack are also hurting.”"I understand your point, believe me," she said, and a plume of circled smoke followed. "My husband was one of those killed recently, I'm sure I have mentioned that earlier."Her words struck a chord with Gonzalo. He remembered the grief etched on her face when he emerged wearing her late husband’s clothes arrived.He flinched and a wave of sympathy washed over him

River~~Annemarie was only confusing her further. The idea of needing werewolf blood and hunting rogues didn't quite sit well with her. She has had a couple of violent moments in her life but all she sought now was peace. As her mind reeled. "Rogues? Hunting rogues? But... but those bastards are dangerous! They're outlandish creatures!" She queried.Annemarie snorted at her words. "Dangerous, yes. But darling, are you underestimating us? We're witches, and powerful ones at that. We can handle a couple of rogue wolves."“But why?" River interjected. "There has to be another way. Please, let's not go seek trouble in its abode.”Tara stepped forward and placed a hand on River’s shoulder. "River, trust us. We know what we're doing. This isn't just about the hunt. Think of it as your initiation, a way to learn to control your own magic. It would be a lesson for you. We want to help you, River. But you must first help yourself. Or perhaps, want to help yourself.” River's eyes darted betw

Terror squeezed River's lungs as the rogue lounged for her. But before she could even scream, Tara was there. With a flick of her wrist, a shimmering blue net materialized around the wolf and trapped it before it could pounce on River. "Use your emotions, River!" Tara shouted, her voice hardly audible over the thrashing of the trapped beast as it struggled to get freed. Another rogue somehow managed to be freed from the spell and it lunged at River. By the moons, why her? River’s breaths seized. It seemed they were aiming for the easier target. Panic froze her limbs when this one successfully threw her on the floor in a very sickening thud. The beast's claws raked across her arm in slash and a stinging pain seared through her. She stumbled up and back again, crashing onto the damp earth. A throaty roar echoed through the trees as the enraged wolf tore free of Tara's net. Holy hell, those beasts were powerful, it seemed. No wonder they were able to take over Gonzalo’s pack; River

River's mind was a ball of confusion and indecision as she met Annemarie's gaze. "Rain doesn't need to perform this ritual," she blurted out finally. She would not expose her daughter to darkness. Annemarie's brow furrowed. "What do you mean, child? The ceremony requires us to mask both your scents, not just yours. Or do you not want her human scent masked?” "But you said it has to be renewed every month," countered River, trying to be logical. "wouldn't it be pointless for Rain? She is still so young. Her wolf won't awaken for years, not until puberty. Surely people won't suspect anything if she doesn't have the wolf scent yet. They will take it as her wolf not being awakened yet.” Tara stepped forward with her expression uncharacteristically serious. "River, are you absolutely sure about this? Rain is part of this now. We can't leave her human scent exposed." Well, what they didn't know was that Rain didn't have a human scent. Rain was an Alpha’s daughter. Rain was a Luna. Rive

As sleep finally claimed her, River held her daughter tight while a promise bloomed in her heart - she would protect Rain, no matter the cost. The weight of her responsibilities pressed down on her, but this wasn't the time to cower. She was a witch now, and she would find the strength within herself to be the protector Rain needed. Also, to be the protector her people needed. Echo had failed them. Echo had failed their parents. The next morning… … Sunlight streamed through the window, its golden stripes lining across the floor. Rain was already awake, seated on the windowsill, her chin resting on her hands as she gazed out at the street below while glaring at a certain figure ahead. River, however, stirred much later. The exhaustion of the previous night was not done taking its toll on her. She groaned as she stretched while all the memories of the night before flooded back to her. Annemarie’s words; “You are a powerful witch.” Continued to echo in her head. Wrong though. She