The Nightfall Pack did not wake the way Blackthorn did.
Elara noticed it the moment dawn broke.
There was no sharp bark of orders, no tense hierarchy etched into every movement. Wolves greeted one another quietly as they passed, nodding in respect rather than bowing in fear. The air felt… lighter. Not weak—but balanced.
She stood at the edge of the temporary guest quarters, watching as members of the pack moved through their morning routines. Some trained in pairs, laughing softly even as they sparred. Others prepared food or checked patrol routes with calm efficiency.
No one stared at her.
No whispers followed her steps.
The realization settled uneasily in her chest.
"You're up early."
Elara turned. Lucien approached from the path leading toward the Alpha's hall, his presence steady, unhurried. He wore simple training gear, sleeves rolled up, exposing forearms marked with old scars—earned, not displayed.
"I couldn't sleep," she admitted.
Lucien nodded as if he'd expected that. "The bond won't let you."
Her fingers curled reflexively. "No."
They stood in silence for a moment, the morning breeze cool against her skin.
"You're not required to train today," Lucien said. "But if you want to… I'll assign someone."
Elara hesitated. Training meant being seen. Being measured. Being judged.
But hiding had never saved her.
"I want to," she said quietly.
Lucien studied her expression, then nodded. "Good."
At the same time, far across the territory line, Alpha Kael Blackthorn stood at the edge of the forest, fury carved into every rigid line of his body.
He had tracked the bond through the night.
Not by scent—though that had guided him part of the way—but by instinct so raw it bordered on madness. Every step closer to Nightfall territory had made the pull stronger… and the resistance sharper.
She was being shielded.
His wolf snarled, pacing beneath his skin.
"Coward," Kael muttered—to Lucien, to himself, he wasn't sure.
A lesser Alpha would have turned back.
Kael crossed the boundary anyway.
The moment his foot touched Nightfall soil, power surged outward in a violent ripple. The forest reacted instantly—birds scattering, leaves shuddering as if bracing for impact.
He took another step.
And another.
The bond screamed.
Pain lanced through his chest, sharp enough to force a growl from his throat. He staggered, breath coming hard, vision darkening at the edges.
Lucien's presence slammed into him like a wall.
"Leave."
The voice was calm—but layered with unmistakable authority.
Kael lifted his head.
Lucien stood several yards away, flanked by Nightfall warriors. His posture was relaxed, but the air around him vibrated with controlled power.
"You crossed without invitation," Lucien continued. "That's a declaration."
Kael straightened despite the pain. "She is my mate."
Lucien's eyes hardened. "You rejected her."
"She still belongs to me."
The ground trembled.
Lucien took one step forward. "Say that again."
Kael's wolf surged, enraged. "She carries my bond."
"She carries her own will," Lucien snapped. "Something you seem to forget."
The tension between them crackled, thick and suffocating. Two Alphas. Two territories. One bond stretched dangerously thin.
"She is awakening," Lucien added, his voice lower now. "And if you force this—"
Kael's golden eyes flared. "You'll what?"
Lucien didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
The forest itself seemed to lean toward him, moonlight glinting faintly along the trees despite the rising sun.
Kael took a step back.
Not from fear.
From understanding.
"This isn't over," he growled.
Lucien inclined his head slightly. "No. It isn't."
Kael turned and retreated—but the bond did not ease.
It burned hotter.
Elara felt it.
She froze mid-movement on the training grounds, breath hitching sharply as pain flared beneath her ribs. Her knees buckled—and would have hit the ground if the trainer beside her hadn't caught her arm.
"Elara?" the woman asked sharply.
"I—I'm fine," Elara whispered, though it was a lie.
Lucien was there instantly.
"What happened?" he asked.
Her voice trembled. "He came."
Lucien's jaw tightened. "He left."
"That doesn't make it better," she said, clutching her chest.
"No," Lucien agreed softly. "It doesn't."
He dismissed the others with a gesture, guiding Elara to sit beneath the shade of a large oak. The silver markings along her arms shimmered faintly, responding to the bond's agitation.
"You're not just reacting," Lucien said slowly. "You're resonating."
Elara looked up at him. "What does that mean?"
"It means the bond isn't the source of your power," he replied. "It's a trigger."
Her breath caught.
"All this time," she whispered, "I thought I was weak."
Lucien met her gaze. "You were suppressed."
Something in her chest cracked—not painfully, but freeing.
"What do I do?" she asked.
Lucien extended a hand. "You learn."
She hesitated only a moment before taking it.
That night, Elara dreamed.
She stood beneath an endless sky, moonlight cascading down like liquid silver. Wolves circled her—ancient, massive, their eyes glowing with reverence.
A woman stepped forward.
Her hair flowed like starlight. Her eyes held centuries.
You were never meant to kneel, the voice echoed.
Elara opened her mouth to speak—but woke with a gasp.
Silver light pulsed across her skin.
Lucien stood nearby, watching carefully.
"You're changing," he said quietly.
Elara sat up, heart racing. "I saw her."
Lucien's eyes widened slightly. "The Moon Goddess."
Elara nodded.
Far away, Alpha Kael Blackthorn fell to his knees, clutching his chest as the bond burned hotter than ever before.
Regret had teeth.
And it was sinking in.