All Chapters of Dagger of the Blood Moon: Chapter 101 - Chapter 108

Mara POVThe new residential hall was built to comfortably house fifty wolves. We currently have eighty-four.The air inside the massive log-framed building is thick, heavy, and practically suffocating with the scent of damp wool, woodsmoke, and eighty bodies pressed shoulder-to-shoulder. The blizzard has been raging outside for a solid forty-eight hours, an unrelenting, howling wall of white that has completely buried the Shadow Ridge courtyard under three feet of snow.I step carefully over a tangle of sleeping pups near the massive stone hearth, wiping a sheen of sweat from my forehead.It is sweltering near the fire and freezing near the frost-caked windows. The claustrophobia is starting to gnaw at the edges of the refugees' sanity. The low, constant hum of anxious whispers and the occasional sharp snap of a territorial growl between stressed adult males keep my nerves strung tighter than a bowstring."Warden," Tessa whispers, intercepting me near the kitchen partition.She looks

Kai POVIt takes three hours of gruelling, freezing labour to completely unload the massive transport trucks. By the time the final crate of winter rations is secured in the pantry and the heavy oak doors are bolted shut against the blizzard, the residential hall is practically vibrating with relief.The fear has been entirely replaced by the smell of roasting meat and the quiet, contented hum of eighty wolves finally realizing they are going to survive the winter.I stand near the roaring hearth, brushing a layer of melting frost from my hair.Across the room, Liora is handing a steaming mug of spiced cider to Elias. She is wearing a fitted, dark thermal henley, her auburn hair falling in damp, messy waves over her shoulders. The heat of the room has brought a beautiful, flushed colour to her cheeks, and the golden Luna mark on her neck is glowing with a soft, steady rhythm.Atlas lets out a deep, entirely feral growl in the back of my mind.Mate.I have spent the last six hours grip

Liora POVI wake up to a sound I haven't heard in three days.Absolute silence.The relentless, deafening howl of the blizzard that had rattled the heavy log walls of the sanctuary has entirely vanished. In its place is a profound, muffled stillness.I slip out from under Kai’s heavy arm, careful not to wake him, and pull my thick woollen sweater over my head. I step over the sleeping forms of several refugees in the quiet, dim hall, making my way toward the front entrance.When I unbolt the heavy oak doors and push them open, the sheer brightness of the morning makes me gasp.The storm has finally broken. The sky above Shadow Ridge is a brilliant, blinding, cloudless blue. Three feet of pristine, untouched white snow completely blankets the courtyard, burying the rusted iron gates and turning the towering pine trees into glittering ice sculptures.And parked right in the centre of the winter wonderland, looking like absolute monuments of salvation, are the massive Blood Moon transpor

EpilogueLiora POV Almost Two Years LaterThe late afternoon sun spills across the wide wooden porch of the packhouse, casting a warm, golden glow over the ridge.I lean back in the oversized rocking chair, resting my hands entirely over the massive, heavy swell of my pregnant belly. A soft, contented sigh escapes my lips as a gentle summer breeze rustles the ancient oaks. Our second pup is due in just a few weeks, and the pack magic humming in the air is thick with anticipation.Beside me, occupying the matching rocking chair, is Kael. She is equally heavy with her own second pregnancy, her swollen belly resting in her lap as she casually sharpens a throwing knife with a whetstone. Some things, it seems, will never change.I look out across the sprawling green lawn of the courtyard, and my breath still catches in my throat. Even after two years, I still can't quite believe that this is my life.Down in the grass, completely covered in dirt and grinning like an absolute fool, is the