Page 92 of Moonlit Fate

“Until then,” I said, and he left.

The taste of him lingered on my lips, a tangible reminder that our bond was forged not just in moonlit whispers but in the crucible of shared battles. I turned back to the window, the wilderness beyond no longer a mere backdrop to our saga but a witness to the intertwining of fates—a rogue wolf and a headstrong alpha, united under the banner of love and war.

We exited my bedroom, my father and Eldan flanking me. A hush fell over the sitting room as we entered. The assembled warriors of our pack milled around, anticipation and tension mingling. Every muscle coiled, ready for the charge of his words.

“Tonight, we face the Crimson Fang,” Ragnar rumbled. “And we do not face them alone.” He paused, allowing his gaze to sweep over each member of the pack. “The rogues, led by Atticus, will join us.”

Murmurs crept through the ranks. Trusting outsiders was not our way, but these desperate times clawed at our traditions, leaving us with the need for unity. I caught snippets of dissent before my father raised his hand, silencing them with the ease of a seasoned alpha.

“Listen well,” he said. “We reclaim one of our own tonight. Seren’s blood calls to us, and we answer as one pack, united under a single purpose.” Ragnar turned toward me, his eyes glinting with something that resembled pride. “Aria will be your leader on this mission.”

Faces turned to me, some questioning, others calculating. I straightened, letting the fire of my nature blaze forth. Funny quips and sarcasm were my usual armor, but now I let them fall away.

“Thank you,” I said to my father. “I won’t let our pack down.”

His brief nod was an acknowledgment of the torch being passed. The whispers resumed, but I heard none of it. My focus narrowed to the task ahead, to the faces of my packmates who entrusted their lives to my command.

“Tonight, we run with shadows at our side,” I began. “And we will retrieve our sister from our enemies. Let the Crimson Fang know that our hearts beat with the unity of the wild, the fierceness of our kindred spirits. We are unstoppable.”

Nods of agreement rippled through the crowd. Eldan stepped forward, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. His support was the anchor I needed to keep the surging panic at bay.

“Prepare yourselves,” I said, locking eyes with each of them, letting them see the determination of my soul. “We move as the moon rises, and by its setting, we will be victorious.”

The energy in the room shifted. We were more than just a pack; we were a force of nature. And tonight, we would prove it with tooth and claw.

23

ATTICUS

The night cloaked us as we moved through the forest, each step deliberate and hushed against the carpet of fallen leaves. The moon offered scant light, and the long, sinister shadows between the trees seemed to grasp at us with skeletal fingers.

My pack, my family by choice, flanked me. They were ready. Wary, but ready.

Aria’s presence called to me in the darkness, her scent intertwined with the earthy aroma of the woods. We were joined forces tonight, her pack and mine, melding into one as we infiltrated enemy lines. The Crimson Fang territory lay ahead, an invisible line that we crossed with purpose, trespassers in a land where death waited.

Guilt tickled at me. There was a secret lodged in my craw, heavy and poisonous, and it threatened to spill out. But this wasn’t the time for confessions. By breaching her father’s shields and digging through his thoughts, I’d gained insight into his doubts about me. But I wasn’t sure Aria would see my invasion of her father’s privacy the way I did. I had to push past the insecurity that clawed at my insides, the whispers that I wasunlovable. That once Aria knew what I’d done, her forgiveness would be a treasure beyond my reach.

“Stay alert,” I said, barely above a breath, but they heard. They always did.

Aria moved closer to me, a silent question on her face as her hand brushed mine. I wanted to seize her hand, to reassure her with my touch, but instead, I clenched my fist and focused on the way ahead.

“Is everything okay?” she asked.

“Of course,” I said smoothly. Her apprehension pulled at me, but I couldn’t afford to drown in my own guilt, not when so much was at stake.

We advanced, each footfall a soft thud on the mossy grass, our movements as fluid as the night breeze. My wolf stirred, ready to leap out of my skin and into the fray.

Aria stayed close. She was composed, a born leader. But love would have to wait, at least for now. There were lives to save and enemies to confront. I had captured her love, but tonight, I had to be the protector, the fighter, and nothing else.

We were deep in enemy territory now, in the eerie quiet of the forest. This was the moment of truth, and I was ready. With every step, I cast aside my demons, hardened my soul, and prepared to face whatever hellish welcome the Crimson Fang had in store for us.

The forest’s silence was a heavy blanket, suffocating in its intensity as we advanced into the center of the Crimson Fang’s territory. Moonlight filtered through the dense canopy as my pack moved with a stealth honed from years of survival.

I could feel Aria’s presence behind me. It was for her, for all of them, that I pushed aside the guilt that clawed at my insides. The secrets I harbored were thorns in my side, but they would not deter me from my mission. Seren needed us, and the amulet, that cursed talisman, had to be reclaimed.

Caius’s intentions were a murky abyss I dared not peer too deeply into. The threat of his betrayal loomed intensely. Yet, my purpose remained unbroken. I would let nothing stand in our way.

“Atticus,” a hushed voice said from the underbrush, and I braced myself as the Silver Claw pack members emerged. In their company, we were drawn together by a common cause, bound by blood and allegiance.

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