The morning begins peacefully.
Which, at Crescent Moon Pack, is a trap.
Sunlight floods through the mansion's windows, golden and serene, the kind of light that makes everything look like it belongs on a postcard. The scent of blueberry scones lingers faintly from somewhere...possibly Grace's doing, possibly a kitchen ghost still trying to impress retired Alpha Luke. No one knows for sure anymore.
Cassandra, however, is not feeling postcard-worthy.
She sits quietly in Darius's office...their office now...curled into the large armchair near the window. A mug of herbal tea rests untouched on the side table, steam curling up and vanishing as her mind runs in circles. Her stomach churns with first-trimester nausea, the kind that makes even the thought of a blueberry scone feel hostile.
But it's not the queasiness or exhaustion that knots her insides this morning.
It's the letter.
The second one.
Ash-grey. No scent. No aura. No trail of magic. Just her name written in dark ink, and inside:
"If you care for Abby and John, you will return before the next moonrise."
No name. No threats. No theatrics. Just pressure, wrapped in silence and perfectly aimed.
Cassandra breathes out slowly. Her hand drifts to her stomach. There's no bump yet...just the quiet, invisible shift of hormones and the odd feeling that everything inside her is changing.
Her wolves...both her own and the ones she now leads...are in motion.
She's not sure which part terrifies her more.
Grace enters without knocking, moving like she still owns the place even though she officially retired. She sets down a fresh mug...chamomile with moonroot and ginger...beside Cassandra's untouched one.
"You didn't drink the first," Grace says gently. "This one should go down easier. You need to keep something in your system."
Cassandra nods, but her eyes stay on the letter. "Another message."
Grace's brows draw down. "Let me see it."
Cassandra silently passes her the envelope. Grace opens it, reads it once, and her entire demeanour hardens.
"This is blackmail," she says bluntly. "Cowardice dressed in calligraphy."
"They know I won't ignore it," Cassandra whispers. "Abby and John stayed behind for me. They risked everything. And now they're being used to force me back."
"You're not going back," Grace says. "You're Luna now. This pack is your home. And they'll have to go through all of us first."
The door bursts open before Cassandra can reply, Darius striding in, shirt rumpled and eyes blazing. He tosses a crumpled page onto the desk...its seal identical to the others.
"This one was pinned to the southern perimeter tree," he snarls. "No magic signature. No scent trail. Just a very clear threat."
Lexie storms in behind him, looking simultaneously nauseous and outraged. "A raccoon just insulted me. Insulted me," she gasps. "Said, 'Tell the wolf girl she's out of time.' I'm too pregnant for this mystical messenger nonsense."
Cassandra lifts an eyebrow. "You're not even showing."
Lexie groans. "Tell that to my stomach. Everything tastes like betrayal and cardboard."
Right on cue, Sasha walks in through the opposite door, her hand pressed against her middle. Aidan follows close behind, guiding her gently toward the leather sofa, concern etched in every movement.
"She threw up twice this morning," Aidan announces with deadpan exhaustion. "Once from the smell of pancakes. Once because I said the word 'eggs.'"
"I swear the word made me gag," Sasha mumbles, glaring at nothing.
Grace raises a brow. "Hormonal landmines everywhere."
Michael arrives next, carrying a tablet and a glowing magical scanner. "The wards picked up low-level illusions again near the outer line. Nothing dangerous, but definitely from High Moon."
He pauses, then adds: "Also, a tree tried to compliment Lexie's hair. It called her radiant."
Lexie lifts her head. "Honestly, it was the nicest thing anyone's said to me all week. I think I bonded with it."
Aidan mutters, "Great. We've got forest flora forming crushes now."
Cassandra stands slowly, the letter clenched in her fist. "This isn't about love notes from enchanted trees. They're cornering me. They're escalating."
Darius moves to her side, slipping his hand into hers. "We won't let them win. We're not waiting for them to make the next move. We get Abby and John out...now."
Grace nods. "Luke reached out to an old contact. She specializes in shadow transport and magical cloaking. If anyone can get them out unseen, it's her."
Cassandra's eyes narrow. "They're hostages."
"They're bait," Darius says. "And they underestimated who you've become."
Michael clears his throat. "Strategically speaking, may I suggest...decoy Cassandras?"
"No," Cassandra and Darius reply instantly.
"Aww," Michael sulks.
Lexie raises a hand. "What if I enchant a fake bump and scream in the forest about early labour? Confuse their scouts with panic."
Grace taps her chin. "Log it. Confusion is useful."
Darius moves to his desk and wakes the computer with a tap of his finger. The screen flickers to life, pulling up the strategy interface. Maps of the territory load, marked with soft glowing lines. New icons begin appearing...patrol routes, message checkpoints, and alerts from the outer perimeter.
"From now on," he says, voice low and full of command, "we act like war is already coming. Because it is. And we won't be caught off guard."
The pack snaps into motion.
Lexie reviews illusion spells. Sasha volunteers to help with layered warding...despite her nausea. Michael runs simulations on shield responses and stealth break-ins. Aidan starts assembling a tactical recovery team.
And Cassandra watches it all from Darius's side.
Her hand rests lightly on her belly again, and though there's no movement...not yet...she feels the pull of something ancient and powerful. Protection. Instinct. Fire.
Later, after the others clear out to prepare, she and Darius step out onto the balcony off their office.
The air is cool. The pine trees sway gently in the breeze, and the Moon is already visible in the sky...faint, pale, and watching.
"What if they've already hurt them?" Cassandra asks softly.
"They haven't," Darius says. "They want you shaken. They want your fear louder than your reason."
"It's working," she admits. "I feel like I'm suffocating in it."
He pulls her into his arms, tucking her close. "Then I'll breathe for both of us until it passes."
She closes her eyes, sinking into him.
"Even if it means war?" she whispers.
He kisses her temple. "Especially if it means war."
Inside, plans turn to action.
Outside, the wind stirs with warning.
And far beyond the mountains, in a fortress of darkness and secrets, Alpha Elijah smiles as another report arrives.
He thinks she's weak. That she's running.
But he doesn't know about the Crescent Moon Pack.
And he's about to find out what happens when you threaten a Luna pregnant with twins...who just inherited the full weight of a kingdom made of wolves, mages and fae's.