Three days after the mating, the great hall of Blackthorn Keep hosted its most tense gathering in generations. Long tables had been arranged in a wide circle—no head seat, a deliberate symbol of equality. Blackthorn warriors in crimson and obsidian sat shoulder-to-shoulder with Silverfang rogues and Elowen's shadow pack, their banners intertwined for the first time: thorns entwined with silver moons.
Leon and Akira entered together, hands linked, mating marks visible and proud. The hall quieted. Power radiated from them—the completed bond made them a force few could meet without lowering their gaze.
They took seats side by side in the center. Elowen sat opposite, flanked by her most trusted lieutenants. Kai stood behind Leon, ever watchful. Lara and a healed Jaden sat with the younger warriors, eyes bright with curiosity.
The merged council had one purpose: forge a single pack from two proud bloodlines and prepare for Roxas's inevitable return.
Elder Garrick of Blackthorn rose first, voice gravel-rough. "With respect, Alpha King, the old ways favor one banner. Blackthorn has held these lands for centuries. Silverfang remnants—"
"—are not remnants," Elowen cut in smoothly, eyes flashing. "We are survivors of genocide. Our blood awakened the Moonthorn Key that saved every wolf here. We claim equal standing."
Murmurs rippled. A Silverfang captain named Thorne—broad-shouldered and scarred—leaned forward. "Some say the key makes Princess Akira the true ruler now. Blackthorn bends knee to Moonthorn."
Leon's growl silenced the hall. "My mate rules beside me, not above me. We are equals." He squeezed Akira's hand. "But Captain Thorne speaks a fear many share. We must address it openly."
Akira stood, voice clear and commanding. "The Moonthorn Key is not a crown to be worn alone. It is a weapon and a shield for all wolves. I will not sit on a solitary throne. Blackthorn and Silverfang become one pack—Thornmoon Pack—under two alphas."
Gasps echoed. Dual alphas were rare, almost legend.
Elowen smiled faintly. "A wise compromise. But structure matters. Patrol rotations, resource division, mating rights between bloodlines—"
"—will be fair," Leon finished. "Kai and Captain Thorne will co-lead border forces. Mia and Elowen's healer Sira will share infirmary command. Jaden—" his gaze found the boy—"will train under both packs' masters, his prodigy gifts serving all."
Jaden straightened, pride shining.
But not all accepted smoothly. A Blackthorn lieutenant named Corvin rose, face hard. "Forgive my bluntness, but Silverfang brought Roxas's war to our door. Some lost kin in the valley. Why should we bleed again for their vendetta?"
Akira met his eyes without flinching. "Because Roxas will not stop with Silverfang. He seeks to corrupt every bond, twist every pack. United, we end him. Divided, we fall one by one."
Corvin hesitated, then sat.
The debate raged hours—territory lines redrawn, ranks reassigned, traditions blended.
Old grudges surfaced and were soothed, sometimes with difficulty. Lara's sharp humor lightened tense moments; Jaden's earnest questions earned fond chuckles.
By dusk, exhaustion lined every face, but agreement had been forged. The Thornmoon Pack was born.
As the hall emptied, Elowen approached the mated pair privately.
"You handled them well," she said. "But one issue remains unspoken." Her gaze flicked to Akira's abdomen, then away. "The Moonthorn bloodline strengthens through true mate offspring. Some will press for heirs soon."
Leon's arm slid protectively around Akira's waist. "That is our choice, and ours alone."
Akira nodded, though unease stirred. Heirs meant vulnerability—something Roxas could target.
Later, in their chambers, Leon pulled her close. "Whatever comes—politics, pressure, war—we face it together."
She leaned into him, breathing in his scent. "Together."
But as they slept, a messenger arrived at the gates—wounded, half-mad, bearing Ironclaw colors turned inside out.
"Roxas gathers broken packs," he gasped to the guards. "He promises power through corruption. Three border villages already turned—wolves killing their own alphas in the night."
The fragile unity of Thornmoon Pack would be tested sooner than anyone hoped.