The scent of old paper and magical dust had long lost its charm. Rhiannan adored books so she never imagined saying that.
Rhiannan slammed another book shut, the ancient leather binding cracking like her last thread of patience. This library was impressive but they were not finding what they needed.
"Nothing," she muttered, tossing the tome across the table. "Not a single fucking mention of silver star tattoos, moonblood, divine bloodlines, or ancient goddess reincarnations. But hey, six different volumes on lunar fertility spells for sheep. Super helpful."
Arwen sprawled across a velvet lounge chair, one arm over his eyes. "My brain is melting."
Kaleb didn't look up from his scroll, jaw clenched. "We're missing something. These texts are centuries old. The prophecy's older. This is surface level bullshit."
He scratched behind his ear and cocked his head to the side, "I bet the dragons have more information." Rhiannan sucked in a breath, the word dragon causing a visceral reaction in her body. She shuddered.
Arwen and Kaleb eyed her curiously.
Rhiannan pushed up from the table, pacing. "I'm the literal reincarnation of a pissed off cosmic nuke and your entire library has nothing except astrological gossip and alchemy cookbooks. Great."
She stopped. "Fuck this. I need to hit something."
Kaleb finally stood, stretching his arms and showing off his god like muscles. "Training grounds?" He asked.
Rhiannan admired hom openly and blushed when he caught her gaze. "Sorry." She muttered quietly, embarrassed. Kaleb grinned that wide handsome grin and said sharply but playfully, "Goddess I am available at any and all times for your viewing pleasure!" He flexed again to show off for her, laughing cockily.
Arwen groaned. He was already over his goddess admiring another man. He answered Kalebs question. "Praise the moon. Let's train and let off some steam. Yes."
Rhiannan nodded eagerly as well, she wanted to show off her skills. She had a lot of memories back from her time in the mortal Marine Corps and she was ready to kick her mens asses. She just had to nail how the hell to control her magic. "YAASSS please I wanna kick both your asses!"
The boys grinned in challenge and Arwen boasted, "I will be the one kicking asses!"
They all headed to get changed.
Rhiannan arrived at the training field first. Hopping from foot to foot ready to train like hell and let all this frustrated energy out.
The pack's training arena was carved from the edge of the forest wide, open, and ringed with glowing rune stones. Moonlight spilled across the field like a challenge.
And something felt... off.
The air shifted. The shadows moved.
Rhiannan's hand went to her dagger as she peered around cautiously.
Then Lettie stepped out from behind a pillar, wrapped in some insane bright pink two piece, with her huge boobs almost falling out the top. Rhiannan couldn't help but stare.
"Oh no," Rhiannan muttered. "Not you again."
Lettie smiled, all venom and lip gloss. "You don't belong here, WHORE! You will NOT steal Kaleb from me! She screeched like a banshee.
Rhiannan rolled her eyes. "Haven't we already done this, Barbie? Kaleb never belonged to you. He doesn't want you. He wants ME."
Lettie let out a howl of rage and Rhiannan caught something out of the corner of her eye.
That's when the rogue struck.
A huge, wild eyed wolf lunged from the tree line, his fangs bared, blood matted fur standing on end. He tackled Rhiannan hard, knocking her to the dirt, wrapping his claws around her throat.
"FUCK..." She spat as she tried to twist out of his grasp. She growled.
Claws raked her side. "That hurt bitch!" she hollered as she was rolling.
She was faster than the rogue.
Her body rolled, magic flaring, and she kneed the beast in the gut hard enough to crack ribs. He yelped, and staggered but came again, eyes rimmed in red as he reached for her throat with his jaws.
Rhiannan's mind burned as she sent out the mind link message.
Kaleb. Arwen. Help. Now.
The bond snapped open like pure lightning down her spine. Pain blurred her vision. Her fingers sparked with fire, wind, rage.
She kicked the wolf back, just as Kaleb and Arwen stormed into the field in full feral fury.
Kaleb grabbed the rogue mid lunge, slammed him into the dirt, and snarled, "Who sent you?!" His fierceness lit a fire inside Rhiannan and she immensely became aroused. Arwen sniffed the air and narrowed his eyes.
The wolf whimpered but Arwen's blade was already at his throat.
"Speak. Or die slowly." He spat venomously. "You touched our Goddess and you will pay."
The rogue trembled. "Th the she wwwolf. Pink robes. She paid me." He mumbled.
Kaleb turned, growling low. "Lettie."
Lettie's smug smile cracked. Her wide eyes showed real fear and she stepped towards Kaleb, plastering a sickly sweet smile on her face. "Darling, let's leave them here, let's rule together," she purred into his ear softly.
He choked and laughed hard, pushing her away so she fell into the dirt. She hopped up, wiping dirt from her pink leather outfit furiously.
Rhiannan wiped blood from her lip. "You had someone jump me? That's coward shit."
Lettie straightened. "You don't deserve to be Luna. You're not pack. Not wolf. You're a fucking abomination. Useless whore!"
And then, loud and clear, she spat the words...
"I challenge you. For the title of Luna. Trial by combat. To the death."
Silence.
Rhiannan's heart dropped.
"You can't be serious." She growled.
Kaleb stepped forward. "You don't have to accept this"
"I can't decline," Rhiannan whispered. "Pack law, right?" She turned to Kaleb, eyes wide. "I have to fight her."
Kaleb snarled evilly and Arwen growled in unison. They were pissed.
Lettie smirked. "Then let's end this."
The circle was drawn.
The pack gathered in a silent ring with eyes wide, the atmosphere tense. The rune stones glowed red.
Rhiannan stood barefoot in the dirt, blood still dripping from her wounds. Lettie circled her like a vulture.
She didn't want to kill her. Not another body. Not more blood on her hands.
But as the fight began and Lettie lunged, claws out, teeth bared, Rhiannan knew this....
This wasn't about hate.
This was survival.
And survival meant letting go.
Letting the power take her.
She screamed, and the ground split beneath her feet.
Bones cracked. Her skin shimmered. Light burst from her core.
And then she shifted.
Not into a fae. Not into flame.
But into a goddess sized white wolf, pure moonlight, massive and wild, her silver eyes burning like twin stars.
The pack gasped.
Kaleb fell to his knees. His Luna. His Queen. His eyes sparkled with reverence.
Arwen whispered, "So fucking hot."
Lettie barely had time to scream.
Rhiannan lunged forward, fangs tearing, power roaring, magic howling with her. It was brutal. Clean. Final.
She ended it with one swift strike, her teeth closing around Lettie's throat as she mercilessly ripped it out.
A flash of pain.
Then stillness.
Blood soaked the ground.
And Rhiannan stood trembling, her wolf form towering, glowing, panting in silence.
The moonlight dimmed.
She shifted back.
Naked. Bleeding. Silent.
She didn't speak as Kaleb wrapped her in his coat. Didn't meet Arwen's eyes. Didn't acknowledge the stunned silence of the pack.
Another death. Another burden.
She walked off the field without a word.
Later, back at the compound, Rhiannan sat in the shadows of Kaleb's war room while he and Arwen planned.
"She's shutting down," Arwen murmured. "That fight... rattled her."
Kaleb nodded. "She's not meant for killing. She just keeps having to do it."
Rhiannan finally spoke.
"Whatever the prophecy is... it's not here. Not in this library. Not in these lands."
They turned to her.
She looked up, eyes hollow but determined.
"We need to move. Find the rest of the mates. The relics. The truth."
Kaleb crossed his arms. "Where do we go?"
She pointed to the map on the wall, her finger landing on the jagged peaks of the Firewind Mountains.
Dragon Territory. She spoke softly, "You mentioned earlier the Dragons may have more information, and my gut tells me that's where we need to go. I'll find a missing piece there."
Kaleb smirked. "Guess it's time to prep the ship and meet Sasha!" Arwen and Rhiannan grinned and they clasped hands. A journey awaited them, and they were together.