Dane's POV
The sun had already started sinking beyond the western ridge when I finally decided I'd waited long enough.
I'd spent half the day pacing the manor, my patience thinning with every heartbeat that wasn't hers. The pull between us was maddening, faint but constant, like an invisible thread tugging at my chest no matter where I went.
My wolf stirred restlessly beneath my skin, whispering her name in the back of my mind.
Donna.
I told myself it was curiosity. That I only wanted to make sure she'd recovered, to see with my own eyes that the healers hadn't missed something.
But the truth burned deeper, I wanted to see if that bond would still stir between us when I looked into her eyes again.
Mother's words had lingered all afternoon. Let her breathe, Dane. Don't rush her.
I tried. Spirits, I had tried. But waiting was never something I'd been good at.
I reached the hallway that led to her chamber, the guards straightened immediately when they saw me, heads bowed, scent sharp with unease.
My hand brushed the doorknob, heat rising in my chest. One twist and I'd see her. One breath and…
"My Alpha!"
The sharp voice broke through the haze. I turned to see my beta, Kael, jogging toward me, his expression grim.
"Not now," I warned, voice low.
"I'm sorry, but it can't wait."
His tone made me still. Kael wasn't the kind of wolf to interrupt unless it was serious.
I drew a breath, pulling my hand back from the door.
"What is it?"
"Follow me," he said.
The air shifted. Whatever this was, it wasn't routine.
We moved quickly through the corridors and down the northern steps, our boots echoing against the stone.
The temperature dropped the closer we got to the training field with the scent of blood reaching me before I saw it.
A circle of warriors stood gathered near the gates, their heads lowered, voices hushed. When they saw me approach, they stepped aside immediately.
The stench of iron filled the air.
A wolf lay sprawled in the grass with silver fur matted with dark blood, body twisted unnaturally, eyes already glazed over.
I crouched beside him, jaw tightening. "Who is he?"
"Ryn," Kael said quietly. "One of the northern scouts."
My chest clenched. "He was patrolling the border near the creek, wasn't he?"
Kael nodded once. "Found him less than an hour ago. No survivors."
A low growl rumbled from my throat. "What happened?"
"Rogues," Kael said grimly. "Or something that looks like them."
"That's impossible." I rose sharply, anger cutting through my voice.
"We signed the truce with the Bloodfangs three moons ago. No rogue activity has been allowed this far North since then."
"I know," Kael said. "But there were at least four. They moved fast, attacked cleanly. Not desperate like rogues usually do."
I clenched my fists, the scent of death thick in the air. "Keep this quiet. I don't want panic spreading through the ranks until we know what we're dealing with. Send trackers to the nearby villages, check the forest routes, and make sure every border patrol is doubled."
"Yes, Alpha."
I turned back to Ryn's body. His pack mark had been clawed over, deliberate, symbolic. A warning I presume.
My mother's voice echoed faintly in my head: Be careful, Dane. Don't act blindly.
Too late for that. Whoever did this was testing us.
Kael cleared his throat gently beside me. "There's… something else, Alpha."
I looked at him sharply. "What?"
He hesitated for a second, then said, "Word's spreading. About the woman you brought back."
My jaw tightened.
"Some of the pack already call her your Luna," he continued carefully. "They say the Moon Goddess finally blessed Shadowfang with a queen. They're… celebrating."
I turned on him, eyes narrowing. "Tell them to stop celebrating."
Kael blinked. "Alpha—"
"She's not ready," I cut in. "And neither am I. This isn't the time for songs and gossip. We have blood on our borders, Kael. The last thing I need is talk about love."
He nodded quickly, lowering his gaze. "Understood."
Silence stretched between us, broken only by the rustle of the evening wind and the faint crackle of torches being lit around the yard.
I stared down at Ryn one last time, then exhaled through my nose, fighting the mix of anger and exhaustion crawling under my skin.
Kael shifted, sniffing the air. "Alpha," he said after a pause, "there's something else you should see."
"What now?"
He gestured to one of the younger wolves standing near the gate. It was a lean boy, barely past his first transformation.
The pup bowed quickly before approaching, clutching a small, dirt-stained pouch in his hands.
"I found this, Alpha," he said, voice trembling. "Near his side."
Kael took it from him and opened it. Inside was a folded piece of parchment, edges burned, sealed with wax but the mark stamped into it made my blood run cold.
A serpent coiled around a crescent moon.
"Bloodfang," I muttered.
Kael nodded grimly. "Seems like the truce didn't last after all."
I reached for the letter, but Kael's hand came up quickly. "Let me handle this, Alpha. You've got other matters waiting, Luna…" I shot him a look that made him stop mid-sentence.
He cleared his throat and corrected himself. "Donna. She's waiting for you, I assume. I'll take care of this and report once I've confirmed what's inside. If anything gets out of control, I'll mind-link you immediately."
I hesitated, torn between instinct and duty. Every fiber of me screamed to stay, to hunt, to destroy whoever dared touch my pack.
But another part, the quieter one that still heard her heartbeat in my head, reminded me of what Mother had said.
Let her see who you are.
I sighed. "Fine. Handle it. But if it's a trap"
"I'll burn their borders myself," Kael finished with a faint, grim smile. "I know."
I gave a short nod. "Thank you."
He clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Go on, Alpha. Before your mother finds out you're standing over corpses instead of meeting your future queen."
That earned a faint snort from me. "You sound like her."
He grinned briefly. "Maybe she's rubbing off on me."
I left the field, boots heavy against the earth, the scent of blood following me all the way up the hill.
By the time I reached the manor again, the torches along the corridor had been lit, their flames painting the walls in gold and shadow.
The air smelled of warm herbs and honey, faint traces of the room she was in. My chest tightened.
I paused outside her door once again.
Behind it, I could sense her faintly, the rhythm of her breath, slow and uneven. Healing. Resting. Trying to piece together a life that fate had ripped apart and thrown into my arms.
I wasn't sure what I was supposed to say to her when I walked in. "Welcome home"? "I
didn't mean to buy you." "The Moon Goddess might be playing with both of us."
None of it seemed right.
So I just stood there, listening.