Bab 6

A low growl rose from the trees at the edge of the park. Mist drifted along the grass as three massive figures stepped out of the dark. Their eyes glowed blood-red, the unmistakable mark of an enemy clan. Their fur was thick, charcoal-gray, slick with rain, their bodies twice the size of an ordinary wolf. Kael moved first, just a half-step forward, but the tension rolling off him felt like a blade pulled from its sheath. Raven stood beside him, jaw locked, every muscle ready to shift if needed. The largest wolf approached, its voice warped and gravel-deep as it spoke through a half-transformed throat. “We didn’t come to fight… not yet.” Kael’s stance tightened. Raven let out a low, warning hiss, one heartbeat away from lunging. “We want the Luna Doble,” the creature continued. “We know you’re hunting her too. But she isn’t yours to claim. She belongs to us. Hand her over, or we’ll take her ourselves. We don’t care whether she’s alive or dead. A single piece of her is enough to restore the power of our great master.” A cold shiver cut down Kael’s spine. “Whatever you think you know, we don’t understand what you’re talking about,” he replied, voice steady even as he masked his tension. At least they didn’t know who she was. Not yet. “Ha..ha..ha…!” The wolf laughed, a distorted rumble. “Don’t pretend. Our instincts aren’t so different from yours. You’re after her too. But hear this—we will find her first.” Raven snapped, losing what little patience he had left. “Even if we haven’t found her, you think you can just take her—” Kael’s arm shot out, bracing against Raven’s chest before he shifted fully. “Not here,” Kael hissed under his breath. “This is human territory. If a fight breaks out, Aurin will feel it. Her apartment isn’t far.” “Let go of me, Kael,” Raven growled. “They deserve a lesson for daring to threaten—” “I know.” Kael held his stare, golden eyes to golden eyes. “But if you fight here, you’ll put her at risk.” Raven clenched his teeth, trembling with the force of holding himself back—but he didn’t fight Kael’s restraint. The leading wolf snorted, pleased with the chaos they stirred. “Good. Save your strength. You’ll need it when we return.” Night wind swirled as they retreated into the fog, one by one fading into the darkness like they had never been there. Their lingering presence left the air colder, sharper. Raven exhaled violently, staring up toward the tall building nearby toward the faint window light where Aurin slept, blissfully unaware. Silence settled again. Kael finally released him. Raven’s hands shook with rage. “You see? This is because your clan can’t keep the balance,” he snapped. Kael didn’t answer. His eyes remained fixed on Aurin’s window on the fifth floor. “We protect her,” Kael said at last, voice low, firm. “No matter how many of them come… they won’t touch her.” “No. Not we.” Raven shot back, voice quiet but dangerous. “Me. You can’t protect her, your father wants her too. We don’t even know if Aurin is the girl they’re after, but I’m taking her away when the time comes. I’m a wanderer. I’m not bound by anyone’s rules. I can protect her in ways you can’t.” Raven stepped closer, dominance radiating off him. He wasn’t planning to share Aurin with anyone. He wanted her entirely. Kael only gave a soft, humorless smile. “You can’t force her to go with you. She’ll choose.” Raven’s fists tightened. He hated how true that was. Aurin wasn’t someone who could be dragged anywhere, not with the power awakening inside her. A power even he couldn’t fully restrain. She was unstable, unaware, one wrong push could destroy her… or everyone around her. The only chance he had was to stay close, win her trust, pull her toward him before Kael did. Damn the perfectly-composed, infuriating Lunaris heir, he’d always be in the way. Before Raven could speak again— Kael’s phone vibrated. The name on the screen made his lungs constrict: Father. Kael breathed out slowly, glanced at Raven, then stepped back. He answered. The deep, commanding voice of Alpha Aldric, his father, the supreme leader of Lunaris filled his ear. “Kael. The meeting begins in ten minutes. Be here.” A command, not an invitation. Kael’s eyes lifted toward the wet night sky. “I’ll be there,” he said quietly. He looked toward the treeline where Raven still stood, half-shadowed, scanning the area like a predator guarding invisible territory. Kael said nothing before vanishing into the dark. *** Hall Lunaris The council chamber lay deep beneath the city, a vast cathedral carved from stone. Blue lumina crystals dripped light from the ceiling like falling stars. The scent of earth, old wood, and lunar energy filled the air. Kael entered with an easy, controlled stride. Elite warriors stood in a circle, their armor catching the silver light like scales. At the center stood Alpha Aldric, draped in the white mantle reserved only for matters of grave importance. “Kael,” his father greeted with a small nod. His gaze sharp and assessing. “I heard the Umbra wolves prowled near our borders tonight.” Kael kept his expression unreadable. “They’re looking for something. Or someone.” A murmur rippled through the hall. The Alpha raised a hand, silence snapped in place. “Our enemy is not Umbra alone. They’re merely shadows cast by something far worse.” The crystal light dimmed, as if recoiling from his words. “Shadowborn,” he said, his voice a low thunder. “Creatures of darkness rising from the fractures in the Liminal realm. Two border territories destroyed. And traces of their energy now appearing near human settlements.” Kael’s chest tightened. The memory of the earlier attack flashed in his mind. Alpha Aldric unfurled aether maps, silver light blooming to reveal two intertwined moons. “There is only one way to stop them,” the Alpha continued. “A girl of pure blood. The heir of the Twin Moons. A power born once in centuries.” The hall erupted in agitation. “We don’t know who she is.” “Which clan hides her?” “Or… if she even survived this long.” Kael didn’t move. But something inside him pulsed hard, like a whisper calling his name. Aurin. Targeted. Marked by lunar energy even she didn’t understand. Aurin. Kael swallowed, though his face stayed composed. His father’s eyes narrowed, reading him too easily. “You seem… unsettled.”