Tears streamed down my face by the time I finished reading. I hadn't cried since the night I fled Blood Moon five years ago, but now I couldn't stop. This was my mother's voice, her words, her love reaching across the years to touch me.Bella moved from her chair to sit beside me, her arm going around my shoulders. "She loved you," she said softly. "More than her own life.""All these years," I whispered, "I believed it was my fault. That I killed her just by being born. My father—""Your father was wrong," Bella said firmly. "Your mother made her choice with full knowledge of what it meant. She wanted you to live, to fulfill your destiny."I wiped my eyes, rereading the part about facing a great trial, a rejection. "She knew about Silas," I realized. "Somehow, she knew what would happen between us."Bella nodded. "The Moon Goddess bloodline often carries the gift of foresight. Your mother likely had visions of your future, just as you're having visions now.""Did she know about the c
We left her room, nodding to the guards as we passed. The pack house was busier now, with members hurrying to and fro on various errands. I caught fragments of conversation as we walked—whispers about Aaron's death, Angela's return, and increasingly, speculation about my role in it all."...heard she killed him," one young wolf muttered to another as we passed."...special blood," came another whisper. "That's why Silver Claw wants her.""...broke the Alpha's mate bond..."I ignored them all, keeping my head high and my pace steady. Let them talk. Soon they'd know the truth—or at least as much of it as Silas deemed necessary to share.We found him in his office, deep in conversation with Mason Sullivan and Dr. Emerson. All three looked up as we entered, conversations pausing mid-sentence."Stella," Silas acknowledged, his eyes briefly registering surprise at Bella's presence. "Bella. How are you feeling?""Well enough," she replied. "I want to be at the council meeting."Silas nodded,
The council chamber fell silent as Silas and I entered, followed closely by Bella. Every eye tracked our progress to the front of the room, whispers dying on lips as the elders straightened in their seats. Unlike my previous appearance before the council, this time I felt no fear, no uncertainty—only a cold determination and the steady presence of Rona in my mind.My father sat in his Beta chair, his face an unreadable mask. I met his gaze directly, letting him see the knowledge in my eyes, the accusation. He was the first to look away."This emergency session of the Blood Moon Pack Council is now in session," Silas announced formally, taking his place at the head of the table. Instead of directing me to the lone chair for those being questioned, he gestured for me to stand at his right—the Luna's traditional position. Another statement that didn't go unnoticed by the council members."We face an unprecedented threat," Silas continued without preamble. "Silver Claw is planning an atta
Silas returned to the matter at hand, his voice bringing the council back to focus. "The threat from Silver Claw remains our priority. According to our intelligence, they plan to attack in two days, the night before the Winter Solstice. Their goal is to capture Stella before the full moon, when her blood will be at its most powerful.""Why her blood specifically?" Gamma Phillips asked, speaking for the first time. "What do they hope to gain?""Control," Bella answered, turning to a new page in her notes. "The silver-blessed bloodline carries unique properties. Chief among them is the ability to bestow or remove shifting capabilities in other werewolves."That revelation caused another stir. Zeta Clara's eyes widened in alarm. "Are you suggesting this girl could prevent us from shifting? Or force a shift against our will?""Potentially, yes," Bella confirmed. "Though Stella has never been trained in these abilities. Most manifestations of her power have been instinctive rather than con
I woke with a gasp, my head pounding and body drenched in sweat. The last thing I remembered was preparing for the bond renewal ritual—Bella explaining the ancient steps, Mason arranging ceremonial items in the sacred grove.Then... darkness."You're awake." Silas's deep voice came from beside the bed. He sat in a chair, dark circles under his eyes suggesting he'd been there for hours."What happened?" My voice emerged raspy, throat dry as sand."Wolfsbane withdrawal," he explained, offering a glass of water. "Your body is purging years of suppression. Dr. Emerson says it's hitting you harder because of your bloodline."I drank deeply, mind clearing with each swallow. "The ritual?""Postponed. The moon set before we could begin." His expression revealed nothing, but tension radiated from his rigid posture. "We still have tonight."I pushed back the covers, determined to stand. My legs wobbled traitorously, and Silas reached to steady me, but I stepped away from his outstretched hand.
As I turned to leave, she called out: "One more warning, sister. The bond renewal connects more than just your bodies. For the silver-blessed, it creates a channel through which power flows both ways. Be careful how much of yourself you surrender tonight."The guards locked the door behind me as I left, my mind analyzing what might be truth versus manipulation in Angela's claims. The warning about the tunnels seemed specific enough to be credible. And her fear of the Director had felt genuine—perhaps the only genuine emotion I'd ever seen from her.I headed back through the corridors, processing Angela's warnings. As I turned a corner, a commotion from the main entrance caught my attention.Several wolves rushed past me toward the command center, expressions grim. I followed, arriving at Silas's office just as a patrol leader was reporting."We've captured a Silver Claw scout at the northern perimeter," he said, breathing hard. He extended a small bundle of papers covered in what look
The hours before sunset passed in a blur of preparations. After Silas left to investigate the tunnel entrance, I forced myself to eat, knowing I'd need my strength for whatever came tonight. My body still ached from the wolfsbane withdrawal, muscles trembling occasionally as the last traces worked their way out of my system.I had just finished showering when a hesitant knock sounded at my door. I opened it to find a teenage girl, maybe sixteen, shifting nervously from foot to foot."Alpha Morrigan asked if you could come to the training hall," she said, eyes downcast. "Some of the younger wolves want to try shifting before..." She swallowed hard. "Before tonight."My first instinct was to refuse. These weren't my problems. This wasn't my pack. But the fear in the girl's eyes struck something in me—the memory of my own desperation to shift, years of failure and humiliation."Fine," I said. "Give me five minutes."The training hall was in the east wing of the pack house, a large open s
Screams tore through the darkness, yanking me from sleep.Not nightmare screams—I knew those too well by now—but real ones. The wet, gurgling kind that meant someone was dying, and they were close. Too close.My limbs wouldn't fucking move. Heart pounding, lungs burning, but I couldn't even lift a finger. Couldn't blink. Sweat soaked the sheets under me while the screams got louder.Get up.Rona's voice cut through the fog in my head.GET UP NOW.Spots clouded my vision. I realized I hadn't breathed since the screams started. My lungs hurt.STELLA!I finally gasped for air, my body responding at last. I fell off the bed, shoulder hitting the floor hard. The pain shocked me alert. Adrenaline kicked in, my hand shaking as I grabbed the wall and pulled myself up.More screams, now closer, and beneath them a sound from below—stone grinding against stone. The tunnels. Someone was coming through the tunnels.I took one step toward the door, then my brain fractured. The hardwood under my fee
I'd heard enough. I needed to see what I was dealing with before bursting in. Near the ceiling was a ventilation grate. I jumped, grabbed the edge, and pulled myself up. The metal groaned under my weight but held. I peered through the slats.The room beyond was larger than the others, clearly the main lab. Scientific equipment lined the walls—centrifuges, computers, machines I didn't recognize. In the center was a metal table, and strapped to it was Silas.My breath caught in my throat. He was naked except for a cloth draped over his hips, his body covered in fresh cuts and burns. Silver-infused needles pierced his arms and chest, connected to tubes that ran to collection bags hanging beside the table. The bags were already half-filled with dark red blood.Logan stood at a workstation, examining something on a computer screen. He'd removed his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves, looking like a fucking corporate exec taking a casual Friday. Angela sat in a chair nearby, one hand res
I didn't go back to the pack house. There wasn't time.The fading scent trail led northeast, toward the old industrial district. I followed it at a dead run, not bothering with stealth. Logan had given me twelve hours, but the silver-laced blade he'd pressed against Silas's throat would still be burning, still be poisoning him. Every minute counted.That tiny thread of our broken bond pulled me forward like a compass needle. I could feel Silas's pain—distant, muffled, but there. It had surprised the hell out of me when our bond snapped partially back during the attack. Five years of nothing, and now this. Fucking inconvenient timing.I stuck to the woods when I could, avoiding the roads where someone might spot a blood-covered woman sprinting through the night. The last thing I needed was human interference. Luckily, at three in the morning, even the occasional passing car didn't slow down.The industrial district loomed ahead, a collection of abandoned warehouses and factories that h
The tunnel was narrow, barely wide enough for two wolves to walk side by side. The walls were rough-hewn stone, occasionally reinforced with rotting timber supports. Water dripped somewhere in the distance, and the air smelled of damp earth and mold. And blood. Fresh blood.We found the first body about fifty yards in—a young pack member named David. I'd seen him at training sessions, eager to please, always trying to impress the older wolves. Now his throat was torn out, his eyes staring sightlessly at the tunnel ceiling. He couldn't have been more than eighteen.Liam made a pained sound beside the body. I placed a hand on his trembling shoulder."We keep moving," I said, my voice harder than I intended. "We'll come back for him after."The tunnel forked ahead, splitting into three separate passages. I closed my eyes, focusing on my senses. The smell of chemicals and wrongness was stronger in the center tunnel."This way," I said, pointing.We moved deeper, the ceiling growing lower
Screams tore through the darkness, yanking me from sleep.Not nightmare screams—I knew those too well by now—but real ones. The wet, gurgling kind that meant someone was dying, and they were close. Too close.My limbs wouldn't fucking move. Heart pounding, lungs burning, but I couldn't even lift a finger. Couldn't blink. Sweat soaked the sheets under me while the screams got louder.Get up.Rona's voice cut through the fog in my head.GET UP NOW.Spots clouded my vision. I realized I hadn't breathed since the screams started. My lungs hurt.STELLA!I finally gasped for air, my body responding at last. I fell off the bed, shoulder hitting the floor hard. The pain shocked me alert. Adrenaline kicked in, my hand shaking as I grabbed the wall and pulled myself up.More screams, now closer, and beneath them a sound from below—stone grinding against stone. The tunnels. Someone was coming through the tunnels.I took one step toward the door, then my brain fractured. The hardwood under my fee
The hours before sunset passed in a blur of preparations. After Silas left to investigate the tunnel entrance, I forced myself to eat, knowing I'd need my strength for whatever came tonight. My body still ached from the wolfsbane withdrawal, muscles trembling occasionally as the last traces worked their way out of my system.I had just finished showering when a hesitant knock sounded at my door. I opened it to find a teenage girl, maybe sixteen, shifting nervously from foot to foot."Alpha Morrigan asked if you could come to the training hall," she said, eyes downcast. "Some of the younger wolves want to try shifting before..." She swallowed hard. "Before tonight."My first instinct was to refuse. These weren't my problems. This wasn't my pack. But the fear in the girl's eyes struck something in me—the memory of my own desperation to shift, years of failure and humiliation."Fine," I said. "Give me five minutes."The training hall was in the east wing of the pack house, a large open s
As I turned to leave, she called out: "One more warning, sister. The bond renewal connects more than just your bodies. For the silver-blessed, it creates a channel through which power flows both ways. Be careful how much of yourself you surrender tonight."The guards locked the door behind me as I left, my mind analyzing what might be truth versus manipulation in Angela's claims. The warning about the tunnels seemed specific enough to be credible. And her fear of the Director had felt genuine—perhaps the only genuine emotion I'd ever seen from her.I headed back through the corridors, processing Angela's warnings. As I turned a corner, a commotion from the main entrance caught my attention.Several wolves rushed past me toward the command center, expressions grim. I followed, arriving at Silas's office just as a patrol leader was reporting."We've captured a Silver Claw scout at the northern perimeter," he said, breathing hard. He extended a small bundle of papers covered in what look
I woke with a gasp, my head pounding and body drenched in sweat. The last thing I remembered was preparing for the bond renewal ritual—Bella explaining the ancient steps, Mason arranging ceremonial items in the sacred grove.Then... darkness."You're awake." Silas's deep voice came from beside the bed. He sat in a chair, dark circles under his eyes suggesting he'd been there for hours."What happened?" My voice emerged raspy, throat dry as sand."Wolfsbane withdrawal," he explained, offering a glass of water. "Your body is purging years of suppression. Dr. Emerson says it's hitting you harder because of your bloodline."I drank deeply, mind clearing with each swallow. "The ritual?""Postponed. The moon set before we could begin." His expression revealed nothing, but tension radiated from his rigid posture. "We still have tonight."I pushed back the covers, determined to stand. My legs wobbled traitorously, and Silas reached to steady me, but I stepped away from his outstretched hand.
Silas returned to the matter at hand, his voice bringing the council back to focus. "The threat from Silver Claw remains our priority. According to our intelligence, they plan to attack in two days, the night before the Winter Solstice. Their goal is to capture Stella before the full moon, when her blood will be at its most powerful.""Why her blood specifically?" Gamma Phillips asked, speaking for the first time. "What do they hope to gain?""Control," Bella answered, turning to a new page in her notes. "The silver-blessed bloodline carries unique properties. Chief among them is the ability to bestow or remove shifting capabilities in other werewolves."That revelation caused another stir. Zeta Clara's eyes widened in alarm. "Are you suggesting this girl could prevent us from shifting? Or force a shift against our will?""Potentially, yes," Bella confirmed. "Though Stella has never been trained in these abilities. Most manifestations of her power have been instinctive rather than con
The council chamber fell silent as Silas and I entered, followed closely by Bella. Every eye tracked our progress to the front of the room, whispers dying on lips as the elders straightened in their seats. Unlike my previous appearance before the council, this time I felt no fear, no uncertainty—only a cold determination and the steady presence of Rona in my mind.My father sat in his Beta chair, his face an unreadable mask. I met his gaze directly, letting him see the knowledge in my eyes, the accusation. He was the first to look away."This emergency session of the Blood Moon Pack Council is now in session," Silas announced formally, taking his place at the head of the table. Instead of directing me to the lone chair for those being questioned, he gestured for me to stand at his right—the Luna's traditional position. Another statement that didn't go unnoticed by the council members."We face an unprecedented threat," Silas continued without preamble. "Silver Claw is planning an atta