All Chapters of The First Luna : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Lane Conlay’s POV The freezing night air was thick with the metallic stench of fresh blood and rusted iron, a testament to the brutal siege Prince Kaelen had been leading. But as Lane stood beneath the flickering light of the campfires, staring directly at the towering figure of the Iron Savage, she realized the man before her was completely different from the sweeping romantic tales told in the Capital. The court gossips always whispered that the Alpha Prince was extraordinarily handsome—a male of such breathtaking, flawless beauty that every high-born she-wolf in the realm would gladly bare her neck for him to mark her. But this man? His lower face was almost entirely covered by a thick, untamed beard frosted with snow, and his skin was weathered by harsh mountain winds and splattered with battle grime. He looked less like a polished royal heir and more like a merciless, battle-hardened warlord. Deep within her soul, Nyra let out a loud, dramatic scoff, crossing her paws in disap

**Lane Conlay’s POV** *‘He knows exactly who you were mated to, Lane! That means he has been secretly keeping an eye on you this entire time!’* Nyra shouted inside their shared consciousness, her tail wagging furiously despite her previous complaints. *‘And don't forget the rumors Maya mentioned! The royal elite guards who were sent to clean up and protect the Silvermoon packhouse—those weren't just random soldiers from the Capital. They were personal vanguard warriors sent directly by him!’* Nyra continued pacing around frantically in Lane's head, her massive white paws kicking up imaginary dust. *‘Although he seems completely, madly in love with you, that untamed beard is still deeply traumatizing to my aesthetic standards. We have officially removed him from our list of future mate candidates. Lane, do not you dare fall in love with him!’* *‘Nyra, shut up!’* Lane snapped internally, forcing her inner wolf into absolute silence. The idea was completely preposterous. This was Pr

The next morning, the crisp scent of pine and melting snow filled the air as a low-ranking private brought a tray of hot breakfast to the guest tent. From that moment on, nobody restricted Lane Conlay's movements. She was free to walk anywhere she pleased within the sprawling northern military grid. She did not see Prince Kaelen at all, nor did she encounter any of the other senior commanders. As she walked along the camp's snowy perimeter, she gathered from the whispering sentries that Kaelen was out in the neighboring border territories recruiting soldiers. The situation was growing increasingly tough; the combined forces of the Valkirk Kingdom and the Gorgon Pack heavily outnumbered Kaelen’s current standing army, making rapid recruitment the best possible solution. By midday, Kaelen’s immense influence yielded results, as he successfully recruited 10,000 new soldiers—all of them Betas from the rugged northern settlements. Just the day before, the camp had harbored a mere 30,000

That is absolutely ridiculous!" one of the senior military officials shouted, glaring at Maris in open disgust. "The capital soldiers were personally trained by General Conlay himself, right in the presence of Prince Kaelen! Every single soldier on that front knows Kaelen's command style. All troops *must* be under Prince Kaelen the moment they step onto the battlefield." Another elder councilor stepped forward, pointing an accusing finger at her. "She shouldn't think that just because she is the first female warrior in the vanguard, she can afford to be this cocky! This is an imperial war, not a stage for your personal pride!" The officials began to shoot insults and criticisms at her one after another, their voices echoing off the high stone walls of the throne room. Maris swallowed her rising anger, her chest heaving as she forced herself to keep her wolf from baring its fangs. She knew that no matter how much she argued with the council, the King's decision would still be final

**Lane Conlay’s POV** We fought fiercely from night until dawn, killing systematically until our limbs went completely numb, yet the waves of oncoming enemies seemed endless. It wasn’t until a long, piercing wolf howl cut cleanly through the battlefield chaos that the surviving warriors of the Valkirk Kingdom and the Gorgon Pack finally began to pull back. The blood-soaked, brutal night came to an exhausted end. Sitting amidst the settling dust, I couldn't help but wonder how many horrific nights exactly like this my father and my brothers had endured during their years on the front. This particular battle belonged to the pack of Prince Kaelen. We had won. The moment the enemy fully retreated across the ridge, the Omega soldiers assigned to logistics moved onto the snowy plains to clear the field, gently carrying away our wounded and meticulously counting the pile of enemy dead. My Academy classmates and I slid down to lean our backs against a half-destroyed stone barrier, every