Chapter 47: The Reckoning

Rayka stood in the war room, the map of their territory spread out before her, every inch of it carved into her memory after years of leading the Moonshadow Pack. But tonight, the weight of its borders seemed to bear down on her shoulders more heavily than ever. The flickering candlelight cast shadows over the faces of her advisors, their expressions tight with worry as they awaited her orders.

Sylvester stood beside her, his face a mask of focus, though Rayka could sense the tension radiating from him. He, too, knew what was at stake. The scout’s words still rang in her ears: Cassian’s forces have attacked the borders.

The implications were clear—Cassian had moved faster than anyone had anticipated. The fact that he had forces at his command was a dangerous revelation in itself, one that Rayka hadn’t fully prepared for. She had thought his dissent was limited to political maneuvering within the pack. Now it was clear that he had been planning something far more sinister.

Rayka’s gaze