The night had grown colder.
Dark clouds slowly moved across the sky, partially covering the moon.
But Ava could still feel it.
The power.
It pulsed quietly inside her chest, like a second heartbeat.
Kael stood a few feet away from her, watching carefully.
Damon remained near the forest edge, silent and unreadable.
Ronan finally broke the tension.
"Well," he said, rubbing his hands together.
"This is officially the strangest night of my life."
Ava let out a tired laugh.
"You're telling me."
Kael looked at her again.
"What are you planning?"
Ava crossed her arms.
"I'm thinking."
"That's usually when things get dangerous."
She smirked slightly.
"You should be used to that by now."
Before Kael could respond, one of the warriors suddenly ran toward them.
"Alpha!"
Kael turned instantly.
"What is it?"
"Scouts just reported movement near the eastern border."
Ronan frowned.
"How many?"
"At least twenty wolves."
The clearing went quiet.
Kael's eyes darkened.
"That's not a scouting party."
Damon stepped forward slowly.
"No."
"It's the council's hunters."
Ava's stomach twisted.
"They sent wolves already?"
Damon nodded.
"They're testing you."
Ronan cursed.
"They don't waste time."
Kael turned toward his warriors.
"Prepare the perimeter."
Immediately, several wolves rushed into the forest.
Weapons were drawn.
The peaceful clearing quickly transformed into a battlefield.
Ava watched them move.
Every warrior looked tense.
Focused.
Ready to fight.
And suddenly she realized something.
They were all doing this because of her.
Because of the power inside her.
She swallowed slowly.
"This is my fault."
Kael looked at her sharply.
"No."
"If I didn't exist, they wouldn't be here."
Kael stepped closer.
"If you didn't exist, the council would still be trying to control the world."
Ava opened her mouth to respond—
But suddenly—
A loud growl echoed from the trees.
One of the scouts burst into the clearing.
"They're here!"
Seconds later—
Wolves emerged from the forest.
Large.
Aggressive.
Their eyes glowed with unnatural yellow light.
Ronan immediately recognized it.
"Council marks."
Kael's voice turned cold.
"Stay behind me."
Ava rolled her eyes.
"I'm not helpless."
"That's not the point."
The enemy wolves slowly surrounded the clearing.
There were at least twenty of them.
Maybe more hiding in the darkness.
One of them stepped forward.
A massive gray wolf with a scar across his face.
His voice came out as a deep growl.
"The council demands the Moon Queen."
Ronan laughed.
"Yeah, that's not happening."
The gray wolf ignored him.
His eyes locked on Ava.
"Come willingly… and we won't destroy this pack."
Ava felt anger rising inside her.
Kael's warriors shifted into defensive positions.
Damon stepped closer to Ava quietly.
"This is the trap."
"I figured."
"They want you to panic."
Ava clenched her fists.
Her wolf stirred again.
The power inside her chest began to grow warmer.
Stronger.
The gray wolf spoke again.
"Last chance."
Kael stepped forward.
"You've already lost."
The wolf snarled.
"Attack."
Everything happened at once.
The council wolves lunged forward.
Kael's warriors met them head-on.
The clearing exploded into chaos.
Growls.
Claws.
The sound of wolves crashing into each other.
Ronan shifted instantly into his massive black wolf form and slammed into two enemies at once.
Kael moved like lightning, knocking another wolf aside.
Damon shifted as well, joining the fight.
Ava stood frozen for a moment.
The battle surrounded her.
And suddenly—
A strange voice echoed inside her mind.
Soft.
Ancient.
Command them.
Ava blinked.
"What?"
You are the Moon Queen.
The power in her chest surged.
They will obey.
Ava looked at the fighting wolves.
Her heart pounded.
"This is crazy."
But then she remembered the vision.
The throne.
The queen.
And the power.
She took a step forward.
Her eyes began glowing silver again.
Bright.
Blinding.
The battlefield slowed as wolves noticed the light.
Ava raised her voice.
Not shouting.
Not screaming.
Just speaking.
But her words carried across the entire clearing.
"STOP."
The effect was immediate.
Every wolf froze.
Even the enemies.
Kael's claws stopped inches from another wolf's throat.
Ronan stared in shock.
The council wolves trembled.
Their bodies refused to move.
Ava felt the power flowing through her voice.
Through the moon.
Through everything.
She took another step forward.
"Drop."
One by one—
The enemy wolves collapsed onto the ground.
Completely powerless.
Kael stared at her.
"Ava…"
Even Damon looked stunned.
The gray wolf struggled to lift his head.
"That's… impossible…"
Ava walked slowly toward him.
Her silver eyes glowed brighter than the moon above them.
"You came for the Moon Queen," she said calmly.
"Well…"
She looked down at him.
"You found her."
The wolf trembled.
"The council will destroy you."
Ava smiled slightly.
"They can try."
She turned toward Kael and the others.
"Bind them."
The warriors immediately obeyed.
The enemy wolves were quickly restrained.
The battle was over in less than a minute.
Ronan walked toward Ava slowly.
His expression looked like he had just seen a ghost.
"Well," he said.
"That was terrifying."
Kael stepped closer.
His eyes were full of something new.
Not just admiration.
Not just curiosity.
Respect.
"You just controlled twenty wolves," he said quietly.
Ava looked at her glowing hands.
"Yeah."
Her voice was slightly shaky.
"I noticed."
Damon approached last.
His expression was serious.
"The council will feel this."
Ava looked at him.
"Good."
"Why?"
Her silver eyes flashed again.
"Because now they know."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Know what?"
Ava looked up at the moon.
Then back at them.
"That I'm not their weapon."
The wind moved through the clearing again.
And somewhere far away—
Inside the council's hidden stronghold—
Three ancient wolves suddenly felt the shift in power.
The Moon Queen had awakened.
And she had just issued her first command.
War had officially begun. 🌙