Nora woke with a sharp breath, her heart still racing from the remnants of a dream she couldn't fully remember.
Darkness clung to the edges of her mind—blood, screams, and a sense of loss so heavy it made her chest ache.
She turned instinctively.
Felix was there.
Warm. Solid. Real.
Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt as she pressed closer, burying her face against his chest. The steady rhythm of his breathing anchored her, pulling her back from the shadows of sleep.
It's just a dream, she told herself.
Wrapped in his arms, the fear loosened its grip, and she drifted back into sleep, trusting the world to remain as it was when she woke.
⸻
She woke again to an empty bed.
Sunlight filtered through the wooden walls of the den, and the scent of the morning had already replaced the safety of the night. Felix was gone.
Nora sat up quickly. He never left without waking her—unless something was wrong.
Then she remembered.
The meeting.
She cursed softly under her breath and moved fast, braiding her dark hair with practiced hands as she dressed. Being late was not something she did—not as a warrior, and certainly not as the future Luna.
As she stepped outside, members of the pack bowed their heads in respect. Nora acknowledged them with a nod, her pace never slowing.
Despite being female, she was one of the strongest warriors the pack had ever produced.
She had earned it.
Her parents had been Betas—elite fighters who had died in a brutal battle years ago. Their loss had carved something sharp and unbreakable into her, and she had taken their legacy into her own hands. On the battlefield, her name carried weight. In strategy, her voice was heard.
The pack trusted her.
And one day, she would lead beside Felix.
⸻
The meeting hall was already full when Nora arrived.
Every step she took toward the long wooden table drew eyes. She paused at the entrance, lowered her head respectfully.
"Forgive my lateness, Alpha."
Alpha Alfred studied her for a moment before nodding. Luna Elara gestured for her to take a seat.
The tension in the room was thick enough to taste.
The Karaay Pack had crossed the borders again.
They hunted too close to human lands, careless and loud, drawing dangerous attention. Their Alpha, Boris, was a brute—violent, unpredictable, and proud of it.
Nora listened silently at first.
Then she spoke.
"The Karaay Pack must be eliminated."
Her voice was calm. Certain.
"If humans discover us because of their recklessness, it won't just be our end—it will be the end of every pack in this region."
Some shifted uncomfortably. Others nodded.
Felix leaned forward beside her.
"There is another way," he said. "We can send an envoy. Boris values strength, but he values his pack as well. We should attempt peace before choosing war."
Nora turned to him.
"Boris understands force, not words."
Their eyes locked—hers steady, his thoughtful.
After a brief deliberation, Alpha Alfred made his decision.
"Prepare for war."
The verdict settled heavily over the room.
Felix leaned back in his chair, his expression composed, but Nora noticed the tension in his jaw.
For the first time in years, she felt it.
They were standing on opposite sides.
⸻
That night, the den felt different.
Felix lay beside her, close but distant, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. Nora stared at the ceiling, Juno's presence heavy in the back of her mind.
Her wolf was restless.
Something is coming, Juno warned.
Nora closed her eyes, pushing the feeling aside.
Tomorrow would bring battle.
And after that—victory.
She didn't know yet that this night would be remembered as the last peaceful one