The gathering hall is alive with low murmurs and rustling movements as the entire pack crowds into the space. Warriors stand shoulder to shoulder, their postures rigid, while others sit on the edges of tables or lean casually against walls. The tension is clear, a mixture of curiosity and apprehension hanging in the air like a brewing storm. I stand near the back with my arms crossed, Miyuki beside me, her arms crossed and her sharp eyes sweeping over the crowd. Lucas, Rafe, and Akando are nearby, their easy banter noticeably absent as they exchange uneasy glances. My own nerves are stretched thin, my fingers tugging unconsciously at the sleeve of my jacket. This is it. The moment I’ve been dreading and anticipating in equal measure. .. At the front of the room, Octavius stands tall, his presence enough to silence the restless crowd without him having to say a word. His icy gaze sweeps over the pack, and when it briefly lands on me, I feel a jolt of something powerful ripple throug
The meeting had been overwhelming, to say the least. The looks, the murmurs, the subtle shifts in the pack’s energy...it was all too much. I’d spent so much of my life flying under the radar, just trying to survive, that being thrust into the spotlight as their Luna felt… jarring.I hadn’t seen Octavius since the announcement. He’d spoken with Samson and a few others while I’d stood there, absorbing everything that had just happened. Now, as the hall cleared out and the crowd dispersed, I found myself looking for him.I wasn’t sure why. Maybe I just needed a moment to process everything with the one person who could possibly understand what I was feeling. Or maybe it was something else entirely, something I wasn’t ready to admit to myself.His scent guides me through the packhouse and it’s almost embarrassing how attuned I’ve become to it, how it seems to calm and agitate me all at once.I finally find him in a quieter part of the house, near the edge of the forest. He’s leaning again
My gaze locks on the path ahead of me as I walk behind Octavius. He leads us through the stone corridor that holds the underground cells... Victor's cell. It's silent here, except for the faint and distant sound of water dripping from somewhere in the passage. The sound echoes through the space, and each drop drives me absolutely insane as I try to ignore the silence around me.The cold dances on my skin, but I don't feel it. It's not how chilling the air is that puts me on edge, but the reason we're even down here: the anticipation of acing Victor.I glance forward at Octavius as we walk, and at that moment, he turns to face me, as if he could immediately feel my eyes on him.His expression is cold and focused, his jaw tight, and his demeanour tense, radiating with anger yet calmness. His presence should steady me, but it doesn’t... not this time. My wolf is restless, pacing in the back of my mind, her instincts screaming that something is wrong, telling me that no matter what happe
My face is frozen in shock as I blink at Victor, allowing his words to sink deep into my mind. My heart suddenly drops before racing sharply as I'm finally able to process what he's just said to me. I keep my eyes on him, and it seems my reaction only fuels his ego. A much more sinister expression now forms on his face as he eyes me carefully.My stomach turns, and I suddenly find it hard to breathe, my entire body becoming tense as I take in what he's told me. My pack... My family... Lycans?"That's not possible," I whisper, shaking my head as if the movement alone with dispel his claim."Oh... but it is..." Victor laughs, a grating, hollow sound that echoes in the damp cell.I turn to glance at Octavius, confused and uncertain about What Victor just told me, and once I meet his gaze, I find the expression. Not only is he in shock but he is also in disbelief."The only Lycans to exist, come from the only 3 royal bloodlines..." I shake my head at him. In werewolf society, Lycans are
I feel like at any point now, my feet may no longer be able to support my support. As if the things Victor is telling me couldn't have any more shock factor, he drops the final bomb.My sister...He claims she's alive... and he has her..."Another lie... y-you're lying..." I find my voice cracking as I fail completely at keeping myself together. That seems to give him some sort of satisfaction as his eyes glint with excitement."Am I?" He cocks his head slightly as he maintains his gaze on me."Tell me, Kaida... do you ever remember seeing her body... or did you just assume she was gone like the rest of your family...?" He asks and I fail to answer him. The more I think about that day, the more I remember that I didn't see her die... instead, I did as she told me and ran. I saw my parents, Jace, the rest of my friends and family get slaughtered, but before I could see what happened to Korra, I was out of there..."Octavius, you seem to believe me, don't you, cousin?" Victor asks. My e
The words sink in as I stare at him. Victor’s smirk twists something deep inside me as I finally convince myself that what is he is saying is actually true.My sister is alive.The necklace... He’s telling the truth. He has to be. My knees feel weak, and for a moment, I think I might collapse at the weight of this revelation.“Korra…” I whisper her name like a prayer, a plea, a desperate hope that this isn’t some cruel game Victor’s playing.Victor leans back against the wall, his satisfaction practically radiating off him. “Now you’re starting to see it, little Luna,” he drawls, his tone mocking but sharper, more dangerous. “But I can’t tell you everything all at once. Where’s the fun in that?” He ends up laughing and once again, I'm sent over the edge.“Stop playing games!” My voice cracks as I step closer to him, threatening to pick him off the ground just like Octavius did. “Where is she? What have you done with her?” I yell at him, my voice echoing through the hallways of the ce
Octavius tugs me out of there with such speed, I barely have time to react. In a matter of moments, we are out of Victor's cells, our footsteps echoing down the hallway as he continues to pull me forward.“Octavius, wait,” I protest, trying to tug my arm free, but his grip doesn’t falter and instead he continues to move forward with a quickness I can't keep up with.“Not here,” he snaps, his tone brooking no debate as he continues leading me down the dimly lit corridor.My mind races, Victor’s words still swirling like a toxic fog in my head. But all I can do now is follow Octavius, his presence both grounding and unnerving as we leave the cells, and Victor’s taunts, behind us.I barely wait until we’re out of the cells before yanking my arm free from Octavius’s grip. My blood is boiling, my mind spinning with Victor’s words, and my frustration with Octavius hits its breaking point.“Octavius, stop!” I snap, my voice sharp enough to echo down the hallway. He freezes for only a moment,
“As much as I want justice, and revenge for how they destroyed my family, I want things to be done the right way... I don’t want any lives unnecessarily lost. We have to be careful. We don’t have to play the way they do, where countless innocents die. And that’s what will happen if we rush into this.” He answers me quietly, opening his eyes to finally look at me, his voice calm again as he stares back at me.His words hit me like a wave, and for a moment, the fight drains out of me. I look at him, really look at him, and I see the weight he’s been carrying—the same weight I feel crushing my own chest...“Please,” he says, his voice soft as he looks at me, and listening to him ask me, makes my heart flip, creating a softness in my that I never even knew existed... “I’m asking you to trust me on this. And I promise you, Victor and Lucien will get what they deserve...”I stare at him, my mind racing. His words make sense, but my emotions are too raw, too overwhelming to process it all ri
The entire packhouse is buzzing with activity, every single person on edge, every single person aware of what's at stake. I can feel it. This history, this pack has with Lucien. The day he turned Rogue, the day he killed Octavius' father...The air is heavy as I walk through the hallways of the packhouse, tailing Octavius as we make our way outside, to where the meeting is to take place. he is silent, but I can feel how tense he is. So am I to be honest, and all I want now is to heart the game plan in stopping Lucien and his people.We finally reach outside where members of the pack have gathered. Highly ranked officials as well as ordinary pack members. I make my way to the front of the group, my steps slowing down as I take notice of Lucas, Rafe, Akando, and Audrey, all standing close to each other. Samson and Miyuki are standing in front of them, every one of them seemingly waiting for Octavius and I to arrive.Octavius takes his place at the head of the group, his broad shoulders
The room is quiet except for the faint crackle of the fireplace in the corner. I lean against the desk, my arms crossed, my mind swirling with everything that’s happened. Octavius stands by the window, his broad shoulders stiff, his gaze fixed on something far in the distance. The pack meeting is starting soon, but Octavius thought it best that we keep aware from everyone a while at least before the chaos erupts again. I look over at him and I can immediately tell he’s deep in thought, the lines on his face sharper than usual.“The pack…” I begin hesitantly, breaking the silence. “They’re tense, like they’re holding their breath. Everyone knows what's at stake...” Octavius doesn’t turn right away. His fingers tap lightly on the window frame before he exhales, his shoulders slumping slightly. “Yes,” he says finally, his voice low. “They all know, what Lucien did...” I watch him carefully, and I take this opportunity to ask him... “Octavius... can you tell me what happened that day
“I don’t want to be a Lycan,” Is the next thing I blurt out, the confession tumbling from my lips before I can stop it. Octavius pauses as he looks at me, slowly letting go of my face but still he remains standing close to me.His brow furrows slightly, keeping his eyes on me “Why?” he asks, his tone soft, lacking judgement and at the sound of that, I know it is safe to tell him what I am feeling."Because it’s not who I am..." I say, my voice shaking. "I don’t want to be from an ancient royal bloodline... I don't want an even bigger target on my back than I already do..."I continue, shaking my head just as I take a step away from him for a moment, finding myself suddenly overwhelmed from being this close to him.I don't know much about Lycans. Except that, that nothing good will come from me being a Lycan. Lycans are considered the purest form of a werewolf, primal, ancient and undiluted with the blood of humans... If I became a Lycan, I don't know if I would be myself anymore... and
The forest stretches out ahead on me, my gaze focused on nothing in front of me, instead, all I can do is allow my thoughts to run rampant, collapsing over eah other as I try to figure out what to do now with all this new information. The late afternoon air is warm against my skin, and a sudden breeze passes through me. I need a moment alone, away from everyone, everything... just for a few minutes, just so I can figure out what the hell I am going to do.I begin to hear the sounds of footsteps crunching behind me, soft and cautious and before I can even turn around, I immediately sense his presence, his powerful scent suddenly filling the air and causing a stir of emotions within me."This is insane... this is all so fucking insane..." Is the first thing tht comes out of my mouth, just as I slowly turn around to face him. Octavius' worried eyes meet mine as he walks towards me, a slow exhale leaving his lips as he watches me, but he doesn't yet say anything..."All of this, it's just
Miyuki watches him as he paces, his golden eyes clouded with turmoil, and her chest tightens. She’s seen wolves fall apart before; under pressure, under grief... but there’s something about seeing Cole like this, someone who has carried himself with such confidence when they first met, that makes it hit harder. Her instincts scream at her to step in, to do something, anything, to help him. But what could she possibly say to a man whose entire world has just been turned upside down?“Cole, try to calm down,” she says softly, her voice much more stable than she feels. She takes a small step toward him, unsure if she’s even doing the right thing, and it makes him react almost immediately.“How?” he snaps, whirling to face her, his voice cracking with emotion. “How am I supposed to calm down, Miyuki? I worked for the man who killed my family. Who slaughtered my entire pack!” He raises his arm up, pointing it to nothing in particular, as if to signify Lucien is out there, exhaling sharply
For a moment, the world seems to stop.Cole’s eyes snap to hers, wide and unblinking, and for the first time, she sees the cracks in his cocky façade. The smirk is gone, replaced by something raw and vulnerable, something that cuts deeper than she expected. She finds her heart thumping in her chest, anxiety and guilt filling her body... she didn't expect to feel this bad after telling him the truth...“What?” he says, his voice barely audible, bringing her attention back to the present. A small frown slowly forms on his face and his gaze focuses on her.Miyuki hesitates, her chest tightening as she tries to find the right words to say, the best way to say them...“I’m sorry,” Is the first thing she can muster, her voice quiet and steady despite the storm brewing inside her, taking a few careful steps toward Cole. “But it was him. He ordered it...”Cole doesn’t move, doesn’t speak. He just stares at her, his golden eyes searching hers for any hint of a lie. When he finds none, his sho
Miyuki doesn’t trust Cole.She’s not entirely sure if it’s because of his overly casual demeanour, the sly way he talks, or the fact that his golden eyes seem to linger on her longer than necessary. The way they analyse her, taking in every one of her features... It sends warning bells in her mind, and leaves her unable to think clearly. The question is why, especially for someone she just met... an enemy for that matter. Whatever it is, it irritates her to no end.She remains alone in the room with Cole after everyone has left, her heart suddenly racing as she keeps her eyes on him. She keeps her arms forward as she stares back at him, watching as he takes a few curious steps towards her.The faintest smirk plays on his lips when he notices her walking toward him, and Miyuki feels her irritation spike. She squares her shoulders, forcing her steps to remain steady and controlled, though she can feel her wolf stirring in the back of her mind.Cole watches her approach, his golden eyes
“Lucien has your sister, Korra,” Cole finally says, and for some reason, a weird sense of relief washes over me. It's the moment I realise he has actually been truthful in everything he's been explaining.I remain still as I look back at him, keeping my arms crossed as I frown at him, taking in his words. Those around the room who had not yet heard the news, all turn to look at me, their expressions filled with shock and surprise.As I remain silent, Cole steps forward cautiously, his golden eyes locking with mine. “It’s not just that,” he continues. “The reason your pack was massacred… it wasn’t random. Lucien believed your pack was hiding Lycans. He believed that you, your parents, and your sister were Lycans...” He explains further and the room falls into an eerie silence as everyone’s eyes shift between Cole and me. Finally, I am able to break my gaze from him and instead turn to the person standing next to me.Octavius’s gaze meets mine, his expression hard yet somehow gentle at
I can’t keep still. Every second feels like torture as I try to get a grip on reality, my racing mind. Thoughts and scenarios collapse over each other. Thoughts of my sister, she has been all this time, how she's been living, how she's being kept, what has Lucien been doing to her...The idea that she is even still alive churns inside me, a volatile mix of hope and dread, causing my heart to thump at an abnormal rate as I struggle to contain my anxiety. Victor’s words haunt me, playing on repeat in my mind, and the necklace he pointed out feels like it’s burning against my chest...Is she really alive? Could he be telling the truth?My fingers twitch at my sides as we walk through the hallways of the packhouse. Octavius strides ahead of me, his steps purposeful and focused as he leads us forward. Samson and Miyuki flank him, their faces calm but focused as they both remain silent. Lucas is behind us, ever the carefree one, though even he seems more serious now.I follow, my gaze shift