The air felt strangely still that morning.
It was too still.
Luna Isolde stood at the south edge of Moonlight land, with her guards and some older members who came. The forest smell of pine, wet ground, and a bit of frost should have calmed her wolf. But it made her fur uneasy, a quiet warning she couldn't ignore.
Because the message that came at dawn was clear:
Panda and Jaguar shape-shifters were pushing in. Again.
This was the third attack in two months.
And this time, the reports didn't say it was just testing or small fights. They were moving forward.
"This could wipe us out," Duke Jordan, her Beta, said quietly, his jaw tight, hand near his sword. "If they get this far north, we can't stop them next time."
Isolde breathed out slowly, calming the shake in her hands. "We will," she said, but her voice didn't sound as sure as she wanted. Even if she had to defend the line alone, she wouldn't let the pack fail.
The older members mumbled behind her, loud enough to be heard on purpose.
"If Alpha Carlos was still alive, "
"This wouldn't happen if she picked a new leader, "
"A wolf needs an Alpha, not a Luna pretending to be one, "
A sharp shake went through the air.
Every fighter became still.
Even the older members stopped in alarm.
Duke turned quickly, hand on his sword without thinking. "Someone just crossed our border," he said quietly. "Someone very strong."
A cold wind blew through the area, with a smell that made her fur stand up.
And then he showed up.
He was tall, serious, and calm.
The old vampire king moved through the morning fog like he was made of shadows.
Leslie Reed.
His boots made no noise on the ground, but every wolf felt his presence cut through the air like a knife. Fighters got ready, claws out, teeth showing.
"What is he doing here?" Elder Rowan whispered.
"He can't be on wolf land without being asked," Elder Mara said sharply, stepping back as if just being near him would ruin her honor.
But Isolde… she froze. And for the first time in months, she had to admit to herself why.
Because his eyes, cold, focused, and unreal, had looked at her. Only for a moment.
She caught her breath.
Her wolf made a soft sound.
Traitor, she told it quietly, but the natural part of her didn't care. It knew something she had been trying hard to ignore, something that made her heart beat faster without her permission.
Leslie didn't say hello or explain why he was there.
He paused by her, close enough to keep her safe, but with enough space to respect what she needed.
Her heart beat faster.
"This land is not yours," Duke said carefully, his eyes showing concern.
Leslie's eyes stayed focused on the dark trees ahead. "I felt a danger coming," he said without adding more.
"You felt it?" Mara questioned, her doubt clear in her tone. "From your home far away?"
He still didn't pay attention to her.
He didn't look at the leaders. Didn't try to argue. Didn't even react. His focus was only on the forest ahead.
Then the ground shook.
Dark shapes rushed out from the trees, huge panda shifters with thick, strong muscles, along with quick jaguar hunters whose eyes shone with wild cleverness.
They stood as one.
A fighting group.
The wolves changed shape, growling softly, their fur standing up, their bodies ready to fight.
"Stay where you are!" Isolde ordered, her voice loud and clear.
Her fighters stopped moving, but the strong feeling shaking the ground under them was easy to feel.
The enemy shifters moved closer, the panda leader smiling cruelly. "Moonlight Pack. Weak. Without a leader. Tonight we finish what we should have finished years ago."
Isolde walked forward, standing up straight, her jaw firm. "You are not going any further."
The panda leader laughed loudly, a rough, unpleasant sound. "Do you think you can stop us? A female leader acting like a male leader?"
Before she could answer, a shadow moved quickly next to her.
Leslie.
He didn't say anything. He didn't make a big show. He was just there, cold, tall, old, and the forest felt colder around him.
The shifters hesitated. Just a little, but it was enough.
Isolde raised her head, her chest filling with new strength. "You want to fight? Then fight both of us."
The fight started like a sudden flash of lightning.
The pandas attacked first, their big bodies hitting the ground hard. Jaguars moved in smooth curves, their sharp teeth showing, their claws trying to hit weak spots. The Moonlight wolves fought back directly, their teeth sharp, their claws cutting through fur and skin.
Isolde's wolf became strong inside her, bright and natural. She attacked a panda twice her size, barely avoiding a strong hit, and hit back, making the panda shout in pain. Her arm hurt, but she kept going.
A jaguar jumped for her neck, but stopped in the air. Stuck. Held by something not visible.
Leslie.
He moved two fingers, and the jaguar crashed into a tree with a loud noise.
Isolde barely had time to understand her shock before another attacker came at her. Leslie was there, blocking silently, being deadly and accurate. Not stopping her fight, but keeping her safe from what she couldn't see, protecting her from attacks she didn't see coming.
Natural. Without thinking. Accurate.
Like he had done it many times before.
Her heart raced, feeling confused. Angry. Tricked. This shouldn't be happening. He shouldn't be doing this. She shouldn't feel…
No. She stopped the thought and attacked another enemy.
Minutes passed in a mess. Blood, fur, and claws were all over the ground. And then, finally, the enemy went back, pulling their injured into the forest, the panda leader making one last angry threat before leaving.
Isolde cleaned the blood from her face, breathing heavily, as her group made a safe ring around her.
The older people spoke softly, quietly, not wanting anyone to hear them.
"It was successful…"
"They were frightened by their teamwork…"
"Maybe this joining together…"
She gave them an angry look that stopped them from talking anymore. They quickly shrank back, acting like they hadn't said anything.
And Leslie…
He calmly wiped red liquid from his arm. He breathed in and out at a steady pace.
He said nothing.
Not to her. Not to anyone else.
He just turned and started walking back into the dark parts of the woods.
But Isolde noticed.
Every hit he stopped, every attack he pushed away, every threat she didn't see, he got rid of it. Not because of the agreement. Not because of what's expected. Not even for reasons related to power.
Because something inside hi
m answered.
Without thinking.
Her inner wolf shook, feeling on edge, with its ears pulled back.
And now… she couldn't stop it, even if she wanted to.