The forest had gone unnaturally quiet.
Not the peaceful kind of silence—the kind that felt like the world itself was holding its breath.
Every mber of the clan stood frozen, eyes wide, hearts pounding, watching as I planted my boot harder against Dylan’s head. His face was pressed into the dirt, blood and soil mixing beneath him, his body trembling—not from pain alone, but from fear.
I looked up at them.
At the wolves who had been running and hunted like exotic animals for generations by different supernaturals.
"At one point," I said calmly, my voice carrying across the clearing, "I agree with what John said—that we are hunted everywhere we go."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"But handing ourselves over to vampires as a vassal race ?" I scoffed, shaking my head. "That isn’t survival. That’s slaughter delayed."
I lifted my foot slightly, just enough for Dylan to gasp for air before pressing down again.
"If we bow our heads now," I continued, my voice sharpening, "we will live as livestock for generations. Mistreated. Marked as weak by our equal. And our children—our descendants—will inherit chains instead of claws and grit."
I turned slowly, letting my gaze sweep over every face.
"So I ask you," I said, letting my wolf press against my words, "do you want to be slaves..."
The air trembled.
"...or do you want to be warriors?"
For a heartbeat, no one spoke.
Then—
"WARRIORS!"
The roar shook the forest.
It wasn’t just sound—it was release. Rage, fear, pride, centuries of humiliation exploding into one unified cry. I felt it surge through , through them, like wildfire as I smiled.
And that was when Dylan’s pack moved.
They didn’t hesitate.
One of his n lunged first, claws bursting from his hands as he dashed toward . I didn’t move.
I slamd my hands into his skull.
The crack echoed.
In the sa breath, my claws extended—long, black, razor-sharp—and I drove them clean through his head. Bone parted like soft fruit.
He collapsed before he even realized he was dead.
The others rushed .
A mistake.
I vanished.
To them, it felt like the wind passed by—until their heads hit the ground one after another. Blood sprayed across the dirt. Bodies fell in pieces. Confusion never had ti to turn into fear.
When it ended, silence returned.
This ti, no one dared breathe too loudly.
I turned to one of the guards who stood frozen, his knees visibly shaking.
"Lock him up," I said, nodding toward Dylan. "Sowhere deep."
The guard swallowed hard and nodded.
"Oh," I added casually, "if he goes missing..."
I t his eyes.
"...I’ll borrow your head."
He nearly tripped over himself dragging Dylan away.
Only then did I untie the elders and pack leaders.
" we need to have a private eting," I said. "Now."
They followed without argunt.
The elder eting tent was vast—woven from enchanted blackhide and silver-threaded fabric that shimred faintly under moonlight. Totems of old Alpha spirits lined the interior, their carved eyes watching silently. A circular arrangent of stone seats surrounded a low fire pit at the center, blue flas flickering without heat.
This was where decisions reshaped history of our clan.
And tonight, history would bleed and reform.
As we sat, my gaze swept the room.
"Where is Supre Elder Jasper?" I asked.
The silence that followed was wrong.
Elder Thorne shifted first. His face was still swollen from the punch Dylan’s n had given him—thick beard streaked with gray, eyes sharp despite the pain. A warrior carved by decades of battle.
"He disappeared," Thorne said grimly. "Not long after he gave you the Astex token. We thought... perhaps you had seen him or you were training with him."
I clenched my jaw.
Before I could speak, a woman leaned forward.
Alia.
She didn’t need to announce herself.
Her posture was straight, her gaze calculating, her presence suffocating without being loud. She wore dark leathers instead of ceremonial robes—functional, precise. The kind worn by wolves who watched from the shadows and struck without warning.
"Our scouts traced movents days after that festival," she said coolly. "it was then we realized that the Lightning Pack hunted you down a during the festival. Over an Astex token Dylan and his n didn’t hesitate to kill you."
My fingers curled slightly.
If only they knew the Astex token given to was fake.
"And where is the token now?" Alia asked.
"Joseph took it," I replied. "After Dylan tried to kill ."
A ripple of shock moved through the elders.
"Enough of the past," I said. "We have a present problem."
Alia narrowed her eyes. "You already handled Dylan."
I shook my head. "If you think this was just about submission, you’re dreaming."
The fire crackled softly.
"A vampire ca to my ho and ambused and my father," I continued. "Not a weak one. Not a scout."
Their faces darkened.
"My father tried to protect ," I said, my voice steady despite the mory clawing at my chest. "He never stood a chance. To that thing, we were nothing but ants trying to shake a tree."
Though I didn’t tell them I was killed by Klaus.
"He wanted the Astex token," I said. "And when he didn’t get it..."
I paused.
"He twisted my father’s head off."
The tent felt colder.
"If vampires can reach us," I finished, "then our clan base has already been compromised."
Alia exhaled slowly. "And the Battle of the Saints is approaching."
I looked at her. "Explain."
"The Astex Realm will open in two years," she said. " Before anyone will enter the realm there will be a trial were each representative will compete showcasing there strength and techniques. Then guardian spirit decides which race assigned to the Lower realm, High realm and the legendary Divine realm , if we could find soone talented enough to enter the Highrealm our status in supernatural world would not be shaken or questioned for a few centuries ".
" What of the divine realm " I asked
She shook her head has she smirked. "No one has been considered talented enough by the guardian Spirit to enter it for over two centuries."
" Until the realm opens we have to unite ," I said. "All packs. All resources. Under one command."
Murmurs erupted.
"Our techniques—"
"Our bloodlines—"
I slamd my hand into the stone.
"Enough!"
My wolf surged.
"You people are too weak to worry about secrets being stolen or known," I snarled. "Strength is the only language out enemies will understand."
I stood.
"That is why I propose myself as Chief of the Moon Clan."
Silence.
Then Alia spoke. "Why you?"
I t her gaze without flinching.
"Because none of you are half as strong as I am even though you are twice my age," I said flatly. "And I can make you stronger."
One by one, hands rose in agreent for my succession.
Until Alia’s did too.
They knelt.
"All hail Chieftess Luna."
Their voices echoed.
The elders’ knees hit the ground one after another.
The fire in the center of the tent flared higher, casting long, trembling shadows across the ancient totems.
"All hail Chief Luna."
Their voices overlapped, growing louder, stronger, until the words filled the tent like a vow carved into stone.
"All hail Luna!"
The sound pressed against my chest.
Against the na that had been hunted. The girl who had run. The daughter who had died on a blood-soaked floor.
I felt sothing inside snap.
"Stop."
My voice cut through the chant like a blade.
The tent fell silent instantly.
I stepped forward, the firelight reflecting in my eyes, my shadow stretching unnaturally tall behind .
"Luna," I said slowly, tasting the na, "That girl doesn’t exist anymore."
A ripple of confusion passed through them.
"That na belonged to a girl who trusted rcy," I continued. "A girl who believed ecy alone was enough to stop wars."
I clenched my fist.
"She died."
The fire bent inward, reacting to my presence.
"I was born under the moon," I said, my voice low and absolute, "but I was forged in blood."
I lifted my chin.
"From this mont on... I am Raven."
Gasps echoed.
"Raven," I repeated. "Of the Old Moon."
I looked down at them—elders, Alphas, warriors alike.
"Your Chieftess."
For a heartbeat, no one moved.
Then Alia was the first to bow her head fully, her fist pressing against her chest.
"All hail Chieftess Raven."
The others followed.
The tent shook with it.
"All hail Raven!" "All hail the Moon’s Shadow!" "All hail our Chieftess!"
The moon outside disappeared behind clouds.
And in its place—
Sothing darker watched back
–––
The dungeon stank of iron and despair.
Dylan hung in chains, head bowed.
I nodded to the guards.
Water splashed over him.
He gasped awake.
His eyes widened when he saw .
"You little—"
I drove the blade into his gut.
Blood poured.
"I don’t have ti," I said coldly. "Where is the vampire?"
He shook, teeth chattering. "They’ll kill if I talk."
I twisted the blade.
"I’ll give you ti," I whispered. "Think fast."
I turned away.
"Before the wolfsbane reaches your heart."
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