A Desperate Call

The Northern Highlands were cloaked in a thin veil of fog, the early morning light barely piercing the dense trees. Aveline stirred the embers of last night’s fire, watching as the soft, gray smoke curled upwards. Her twin children were still asleep, curled beneath thick blankets that shielded them from the mountain chill. She had grown accustomed to this silence, to the isolation that offered a fleeting sense of peace—at least on the surface.

A snap of twigs startled her, and her hand instinctively went to the knife at her side. But as the figure emerged from the fog, she felt her heart leap into her throat.

“Hazel?” Aveline breathed, disbelief lacing her voice.

Hazel stepped forward, her face pale and drawn, her breathing labored from the long trek. She glanced around the secluded camp, her eyes lingering momentarily on the sleeping children before she focused on Aveline. “I didn’t think I’d find you,” she whispered, her voice trembling with both exhaustion and urgency.

Aveline stood, her pulse quickening. Hazel’s presence here—so far from the safety of Whispering Woods—could only mean one thing. “Why are you here?” she asked, her voice low and tense.

Hazel took a deep breath, struggling to compose herself. “I came to warn you,” she replied, her eyes pleading. “Morgana… She's planning something. Something terrible.”

Aveline felt her stomach twist with dread. She had feared this—feared that the darkness she had left behind would find a way to follow her, even in this place. “Tell me everything,” she said, her voice steady despite the storm brewing within her.

Hazel nodded, her expression grim. “Things are worse than you think,” she began, her voice hushed as if afraid the forest itself might overhear. “The pack is divided. The Elders… they’re losing faith in Killian, and Morgana knows it. She’s using that division to her advantage, turning those who are loyal to her against anyone who speaks out.”

Aveline’s eyes narrowed. “And Killian?” she asked, though she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer.

“He’s… not the same,” Hazel admitted, her voice thick with emotion. “He’s blinded by Morgana’s influence. And now, she’s convinced him that the only way to solidify their rule is through the Blood Moon ritual.”

Aveline’s breath caught in her throat. “The Blood Moon ritual?” she echoed, her voice barely a whisper. It was a sacred ceremony, one that marked the passing of leadership and the solidifying of new bonds within the pack. It was supposed to be a time of renewal and unity, but in Morgana’s hands, it could become something far darker.

“Yes,” Hazel replied, her eyes wide with fear. “She’s planning to use the ritual to cement her power, to silence the Elders who oppose her and force the pack to submit. And if she succeeds…”

Aveline didn’t need Hazel to finish the sentence. She knew what would happen. Morgana’s cruelty would go unchecked, her rule enforced through fear and bloodshed. The thought sent a chill down Aveline’s spine, and she forced herself to focus on Hazel’s next words.

“The Elders believe you’re the only one who can stop her,” Hazel continued, her voice desperate. “They’re losing hope, and so are the pack members who still remember you as their Luna. They’re waiting for you to come back, Aveline.”

Aveline shook her head, her mind reeling. “Hazel, I can’t go back,” she said, her voice barely steady. “I left to protect my children. I can’t risk their safety by returning.”

Hazel’s eyes brimmed with tears, but she didn’t look away. “I understand,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “But if you don’t return, Morgana will destroy everything. She’s planning to use the Blood Moon as a show of force, and those who stand against her… they won’t survive.”

The weight of Hazel’s words pressed down on Aveline like a crushing tide. She turned away, her gaze drifting to where her children lay, still peacefully unaware of the turmoil unfolding beyond the safety of their camp. She had left Whispering Woods to protect them, to keep them from becoming pawns in a battle they couldn’t understand. But now, it seemed that battle was coming for them anyway.

“What if I go back and it’s not enough?” Aveline asked softly, her voice laced with doubt. “What if I make things worse?”

Hazel stepped closer, reaching out to grip Aveline’s arm. “You’ve always been their Luna,” she said fiercely. “They trusted you, believed in you. And they still do. If you don’t come back now, they’ll lose all hope.”

Aveline closed her eyes, her chest tight with the weight of the decision before her. She had thought she could escape this—leave it behind and start anew. But the pack was part of her, a piece of her soul that she couldn’t sever, no matter how far she ran. And now, the pack needed her.

But her children needed her too.

As if sensing her turmoil, Hazel’s voice softened. “The Blood Moon is only days away,” she said quietly. “If you don’t return by then, it’ll be too late. Morgana’s rule will be solidified, and the pack… the pack will be lost.”

Aveline felt her heart race, her thoughts spinning in a chaotic whirl. She didn’t want to return—didn’t want to face Killian, or Morgana, or the ghosts of the life she had left behind. But she couldn’t ignore the plea in Hazel’s eyes, the desperation in her voice.

“How can I protect them?” Aveline whispered, her gaze drifting back to her sleeping children. “If I go back… how can I keep them safe?”

Hazel squeezed her arm, her expression unwavering. “You’re their mother,” she replied softly. “And you're Luna. You’ll find a way.”

Aveline took a deep breath, trying to steady the storm inside her. She knew the risks—knew the dangers that awaited her if she returned. But she also knew that she couldn’t turn her back on her people, not when they needed her most.

The Blood Moon ritual was a ticking clock, counting down to a moment of reckoning. And if she didn’t act, if she didn’t find the courage to return, everything she had fought to protect would be lost.

Aveline met Hazel’s gaze, a spark of determination igniting in her eyes. “If I do this… there’s no going back,” she said quietly.

Hazel nodded, her expression resolute. “I know.”

Aveline turned to look at her children one last time, memorizing the peacefulness of their slumber. Then, she took a deep breath and made her decision.

“Let’s go,” she said, her voice steady.

Hazel smiled through her tears, relief flooding her face. Together, they extinguished the campfire and gathered what little they could carry. As they set off into the fading fog, the weight of the journey ahead pressed down on Aveline, but the spark of resolve in her chest burned brighter than her fear.

The path back to Whispering Woods was fraught with uncertainty and danger, but Aveline knew one thing for certain: she couldn’t let Morgana win. Not without a fight.