Chapter 31: Smoke Before the Fire
The room trembled with the guttural growls of a wolf too furious to remain in human skin.
Liza Conri—Alpha blood and bearer of spite—roared in frustration, her sharp claws raking across the stone walls of her lair. Her wolf form, tall and menacing, paced back and forth, fur bristling in agitation, eyes ablaze with murderous rage. The plan had failed. Jaguar, one of her fiercest, most loyal warriors—gone. Killed in the ambush that was meant to end Amber and Zachary once and for all.
"Jaguar was dead" she screamed
"He was supposed to win!" she snarled, saliva frothing at her jaws. "He was the best I had!"
"I trusted him to finish the job!" she howled, slashing a thick wooden beam in half. "Now he's rotting in the forest like a common mutt!"
In the corner of the room, Philip—Amber's father—remained motionless. He was only a man, no beast within, no fangs to bare, no claws to strike with. A human trapped in the war of wolves. As Liza raged, Philip stood quietly, shoulders hunched and eyes clouded with helplessness.
"I've lost the Western Region," Liza growled again, eyes lashing like a whip. "The packs there... they've turned on me. Bri Valeborne has returned. The lost heir dares to reclaim his throne!"
She shifted into human form after a violent blur of fur and shadow. She get her coat and wear it, but still her hands now clenched into fists, her face twisted with fury.
Sweat dripped from her brow as she slammed her fists on the table. Her breathing was heavy, furious. Her a eyes narrowed in loathing.
"That hybrid," she spat, "stronger than I anticipated. And the Western wolves—they rally behind his bloodline. I can't get through them anymore."
Philip flinched, but said nothing. His
breath caught in his throat.
"But the Southern Region..." Liza's lips curled into a cruel smirk. "Still fragile. "No Alpha rules in this Southern Region," Liza whispered,
Still unclaimed. "Only that girl—Amber. A half-trained pup with a wolf she hasn't even fully awakened. And she's the last heir. The café, the land, the bloodline—all under her name. But she's weak, only that weak little girl and her pathetic memories."
She turned her burning gaze toward Philip. "Amber is nothing. Just a child playing Luna, pretending she has power. She hasn't even awakened her true gift yet. That makes her vulnerable."
A wicked idea began to take shape in her mind, blooming like a poisonous flower. "If I can't take the West... I will burn the South. And I'll start with what she holds dearest."
I'll destroy everything she cares about until she comes crawling to me."
She leaned over the table, claws re-emerging at her fingertips. "Ok..!!slapped her hands in Philips back, Let's start by burning Luna Café to the ground. Kill every young wolf she's taken in. Leave no trace."
Philip's heart seized in his chest. He looked up, eyes wide. "No—Liza, stop! Please!" His voice cracked, "not the children."
She looked at him with disgust. "You dare raise your voice to me?"
She raised a brow. "The young wolves? Her orphans? Her little rescued pets?"
"She's given them a home," Philip said, stepping forward despite the quake in his voice. "They're innocent. They've done nothing to you."
"They're her strength," Liza growled. "Which makes them a threat."
He stepped forward despite his trembling legs. "Isn't it enough that I've done everything you asked? I've stayed quiet. I've followed your orders. Just please—don't hurt Amber. Don't hurt the children."
Liza scoffed. "You were supposed to hand me the Café, and you failed. Now Zach has it. And you—useless, spineless—stood by while it happened."
Philip dropped to his knees, the weight of his regret heavier than ever. "Then kill me instead. Please. Spare them. If I've no use left, then let me be the one to pay."
Liza narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, amused by his desperation. "Now there's an idea," she murmured coldly. "But perhaps there's a better use for you still."
Her voice turned to ice. "You'll call Amber. Tell her everything—warn her about the Café. But lie. Say she must come alone. No Zach. No help. Just her."
Philip's stomach dropped. He realized what Liza planned to do.
"You want to trap her," he whispered.
Liza's voice was a growl. "Of course. The little Luna wants to play hero? Then let's see how far she'll go. I'll let her save her wolves... then she'll burn with them."
"Call her," she shouted transforming back into a beast face "Now!"
With trembling hands, Philip reached for his phone, mind racing for any way out. If he could at least warn Amber subtly... somehow... maybe she would understand. Maybe she could escape.
He pressed the number, praying she would read between the lines.
Amber picked up quickly, her voice bright but cautious.
"Hello? Dad? What's wrong?"
Even though Amber carried a heavy heart toward her father—for his silence, for his failure to stand up to her stepmother—she could never truly bring herself to be angry with him. To her, Philip was all she had left. He was the only family she could still hold on to, the only presence that hadn't completely abandoned her.
Philip couldn't keep the fear from his voice, But he had to speak the words Liza had taught him, even if they weighed heavily on his heart.
"Amber... there's danger. Liza's planning something... I overheard her speaking with a bandit wolf. They're going to target the Luna Café. Your children... the ones you took in..."
A cold silence passed through the line. Then Amber gasped.
"What?! No—no, not them. Please, not the kids..."
"You have to go," Philip said quickly, pushing the lie. "Come now. Go alone—Zach mustn't come. He could be a target too. Please... there's still time."
Amber didn't question. She didn't hesitate.
She ran.
Inside her bedroom, the moonlight bathed her in silver glow. She threw open the terrace doors. Her heart pounded like a war drum. She could feel the pull—something deep inside her snapping awake, some ancient instinct compelling her to move.
Her body began to shift, bones cracking, fur blooming across her skin like smoke rising. In mere seconds, the young Luna stood in her wolf form—sleek grey fur, striking green eyes glowing with both fear and fury.
Without a sound, she leapt from the terrace and darted into the forest, her paws hitting the ground with lightning rhythm. Branches sliced at her sides. The air was thick with dread. She didn't care.
She had to save them.
She had to save Jam—her best friend. Her family.
The night was quiet except for the rustling wind and her thundering heart. The clock struck nine.
⸻
Back at the mansion, Zach was in the kitchen, an apron dusted with flour tied over his chest as he stirred a saucepot over the stove.
Mamita peeked inside and smiled. "Smells wonderful."
"It's a special dinner," Zach replied without looking up, "for Amber."
Mamita chuckled softly. "Looks like our Alpha is finally learning the language of love."
Zach gave her a brief grin, then turned off the stove. "Maybe I'll bring it up to her room."
"I'll help you," Mamita offered, already heading toward the stairs.
They climbed to Amber's bedroom together. Mamita knocked lightly on the door.
"Amber, darling? Are you awake?"
No answer.
She knocked again. Still silence.
Worried, she opened the door—and gasped.
The room was empty. The glass doors to the terrace were wide open, the curtains flapping in the wind.
"OH my God..." she whispered. "Zach! Come quickly!"
Zach ran up the stairs at the sound of her cry.
"What happened?" he demanded.
Mamita turned, eyes filled with panic. "She's gone."
Zach rushed to the window, the wind cold against his face. His gaze fell on the broken earth below—the pawprints still fresh in the dirt.
His heart stopped.
Without another word, he grabbed his phone and dialed the one person who could help.
"Bri, I need your help," he said, breathless. "Amber's gone."
The line was quiet for a second.
Then Bri's voice came sharp and focused.
"What happened?"
Zach explained quickly. On the other end, Bri placed his palm on the soil beside him. He closed his eyes. A surge of energy surged through him—one he was only recently learning to master.
His power—his gift—came from his mother, Trini, a human with ancient magic. Through her blood, Bri had inherited the ability to communicate with nature itself.
The ground trembled under his fingertips. The air whispered to him. The trees spoke her name.
He opened his eyes.
"She's headed to the Southern Region," he said. "And she's not alone. Danger surrounds her. Go now, Zach. Save her."
Zach didn't waste a breath.
He leapt through the same terrace Amber had fled through, his body twisting midair, muscles expanding, fur erupting along his limbs. His wolf form was a storm of black and silver, sleek and deadly.
He ran with all the speed the earth would grant him, branches tearing at his skin, his breath slicing the wind.
"Amber..." he whispered through clenched teeth.
"Please be safe."
⸻
To Be Continued.