Aria's POV
The court of Nightshade was a simple open chamber in the heart of the manor—stone walls hung with faded banners, a long wooden table at the center, and rows of benches for those who came to witness or speak.
Today, the room was fuller than usual.
Word had spread that a dispute between two families needed settling—one over grazing rights on shared land, the other accusing the first of letting their livestock stray too far. Tempers had flared for weeks, and the elders had asked me, as Luna, to mediate.
I sat at the head of the table, hands folded in my lap to hide their slight tremble. Cara stood quietly behind me. Ivan had wished me luck that morning after training, his encouraging smile still lingering in my mind.
Raine was absent. He rarely attended minor disputes anymore, leaving them to the elders—or, now, to me.
The two families faced each other across the table: Harlan, a grizzled farmer with a weathered face and callused hands, and Martha, a younger woman whose herd provided milk for half the pack. Their voices had already risen once before Cara called for order.
I took a slow breath and spoke.
"Thank you for coming," I said, my voice clearer than I expected. "I've heard both sides from the elders, but I want to hear it from you. Harlan, please begin."
Harlan leaned forward. "My fields border the eastern pasture. Martha's goats keep wandering over, eating my winter crops. I've lost half my yield already. I've asked her to mend her fences—politely—but nothing changes."
Martha's cheeks flushed. "My fences are mended! It's his boys who leave the gates open when they hunt rabbits. My goats are my livelihood—if they stray, it's because someone's careless."
Accusations flew back and forth, voices overlapping. The room grew tense, a few pack members shifting uncomfortably on the benches.
I raised a hand firmly.
"Enough," I said quietly. The room stilled. "Blaming won't feed the pack this winter."
They looked at me, surprised into silence.
I leaned forward slightly. "Harlan, you need your crops protected. Martha, you need your herd safe. The land serves both of you—and all of us. So let's find a way it can serve both."
I turned to Harlan. "Would you accept help from the pack to repair any shared fences? We can spare a few hands to make sure they're strong."
He hesitated, then nodded grudgingly. "If it's done proper."
I turned to Martha. "And for the next month, would you be willing to let Harlan's eldest son check the gates and fences every day? Just to see what's really causing the problem—whether it's open gates or weak spots in the fencing. A month should be long enough to spot the pattern."
Martha frowned, thinking. "If he promises not to scare the goats… and if it helps prove my fences are fine."
Harlan grunted in agreement.
"Good," I said. "That way, we'll know the truth—no more guessing."
A murmur rippled through the room—approval.
I pressed on. "In return, Martha, could you spare extra milk for Harlan's family through the lean months? And Harlan, perhaps share a portion of your harvest come spring?"
They looked at each other across the table. The anger was still there, but it had dulled.
Harlan spoke first. "Aye. I can do that."
Mira nodded slowly. "So can I."
I smiled. "Then it's settled. The pack will witness it."
The session ended. As the families filed out, several pack members lingered to offer quiet thanks.
"You handled that well, Luna," one said.
"Fair and firm," another added. "We needed that."
Cara gave me a rare, proud nod as we left the chamber.
I walked the corridor alone afterward, heart still racing. The sun was dipping low by this time, the weight of the day's success still buzzing in my veins.
Everything felt lighter, the pack members I passed offering small nods or smiles that hadn't been there before. Word traveled fast in Nightshade.
I headed toward the training grounds, needing the familiar rhythm of movement to settle my racing thoughts. Ivan had said he'd wait for me there after his patrol duties.
He was leaning against the wooden post when I arrived, arms crossed, watching the horizon. When he saw me, his face broke into that easy, crooked grin.
"There's the pack's new mediator," he said, pushing off the post and walking toward me. "The whole manor's talking about it. You settled that dispute like a pro."
I laughed, a little breathless from the walk and the praise. "You didn't even see it."
"Didn't need to," he said, stopping close. "Everyone's saying the same thing—you were fair, calm, and got them to agree without a single raised voice. That's not easy."
Sweat still clung to my brow from the warm afternoon and the nerves of the hearing. Ivan noticed. Without thinking, he reached out, his thumb gently brushing across my forehead, wiping away the dampness. The touch was light, but it lingered a second longer than necessary.
"You did great," he murmured, voice low, eyes warm.
My breath caught. The air between us suddenly felt thicker.
"Excuse me."
Raine's voice cut through the moment like a blade.
We both turned. He stood a few paces away, arms crossed, silver eyes fixed on us.
Ivan straightened immediately, stepping back. "Alpha."
Raine's gaze flicked to him briefly. "Ivan. I need to speak with Aria. Alone."
Ivan hesitated for half a heartbeat, glancing at me. I gave him a small nod—nothing to worry about.
"Of course," Ivan said smoothly. He turned to me with a quick, reassuring smile. "See you tomorrow."
He walked away.
The clearing felt suddenly emptier.
Raine waited until Ivan was out of earshot before he spoke.
"Well done," he said. "The dispute in the court. You handled it fairly. The pack is talking about it."
I blinked, surprised. It was the closest thing to praise he'd ever given me.
"Thank you," I said quietly, meeting his gaze.
He nodded once. "Expect more assignments like that. The elders—and the pack—will look to you for them now."
There was no warmth in the words, but no coldness either. Just fact.
Then, something unexpected happened.
The corner of his mouth lifted—just slightly. Not a full smile, but enough to soften the hard lines of his face for a fleeting second.
It was gone as quickly as it came.
He turned and walked away, his footsteps steady on the grass.
I stood there, heart pounding harder than it had any right to.
A smile.
From Raine Blackthorn.
I didn't know what to make of it.
But for the rest of the evening, I couldn't stop thinking about it.