Man, that wind had a bite to it—carrying something raw, almost electric. Like, you know when a storm's coming, and everything feels off? That kind of vibe. Something old waking up, and not the good kind of old either.
Evangeline stood there, toes sunk in the dirt, just staring out into the wild forest. No fences, no neat little boundaries. Just a whole lot of "who the hell knows what's next." She hadn't exactly signed up for this new life, but—hell—maybe it was what she needed.
Behind her, the camp was buzzing. People whispering, tents rustling. The RedHowl Pack—yeah, they'd finally started calling themselves that—could barely sit still. Guess the whole "red wolf" thing freaked everyone out. Mostly because she wasn't supposed to exist, not really. But she did, and now, folks actually believed in something again. Yeah, seriously weird.
"They're still watching, right?" she muttered, practically burning holes in the floor with her stare—like if she just wished hard enough, it might open up and eat her.
Silas's voice floated over, easy as ever. "Because you're what they've been waiting for."
She spun on him. "They don't even know me."
He just shrugged. "Doesn't matter. They saw what happened to you, and they saw you make it out alive."
Her gaze dropped to her hands. Still the same hands that'd shook like leaves when Kieran looked at her. Same hands that ripped through dirt when she changed into… whatever the legends whispered about late at night.
"How'd you all make it this far?" she asked. "No pack, no safety net."
"Sticking together," Silas said, stepping in close. "We built our own family. The kind we never got."
Family. Ugh. That hit. Her mom—Selina—probably losing her mind looking for her. But even the memory of her mother's arms couldn't erase what happened. Kieran. Her mate. The guy who broke her right down to the marrow. Like she was nothing.
"You've still got people waiting for you," Silas said, softer now. "You don't have to stay here."
Her head snapped up. "You tryna ditch me or what?"
He threw out a grin, but honestly? His eyes weren't even playing along. "Not a chance. But I'm not locking you in a golden cage. Not my style."
She swallowed, throat tight. "He never caged me. He just… didn't want me."
Silas's jaw clenched hard enough to crack. "Then he's no Alpha."
Silence. Thick enough to choke on. The air felt heavy, like it might rain, or maybe just explode.
And honestly? War felt closer than anyone wanted to admit.
That night, everyone piled into the clearing under a sky packed with stars. They'd built a bonfire big enough to roast a bear (not that anyone was volunteering). Orange light flickered over faces, making everything look wild and half-magic.
Silas stood in front, looking like he was born for it—tall, steady, but his eyes kept darting to Evangeline. She was wrapped in some borrowed cloak, hair wild, but she held herself upright. Still kind of broken, but definitely not beaten.
"Tonight," Silas called out, his voice carrying, "we stop just surviving. We start building something real. We've been ghosts long enough. The red wolf is our second chance."
People started nodding, low voices murmuring.
"We're not rogues anymore. We're pack."
He turned to Evangeline.
"And this—this is your Luna."
For a second, dead silence. Then the place exploded—howls, shouts, a few people actually crying. Evangeline just stood there, heart hammering, but she didn't run. Didn't flinch.
One after another, the group stepped up. Not bowing like slaves or whatever—more like… trust. Drew was first, then Hann, then this whole line of faces she barely knew.
Something warm unfurled in her chest, steady and strong. For the first time in forever, she felt solid. Like maybe she could do this.
"You don't gotta be perfect," Hann whispered as she passed. "Just be you. That's enough."
Evangeline managed a shaky grin.
When it was over, the howls shook the whole damn forest. Bet the MoonClaw Pack heard and wondered who had the guts to throw a party in rogue territory. Who the hell was rising up.
Guess they'd find out.
Meanwhile, Kieran Cross sat on the edge of the training grounds, shirtless, bruised, sweating like he'd just run through hell. Warriors circled him, licking their wounds from the last scrap with the rogues. Guy looked calm, but you could see the anger boiling right under the surface.
Ariella Moon lounged beside him, wine glass dangling from her fingers. She looked like trouble wrapped in silk.
"Rogues are getting cocky," she purred. "Hit one of our posts last night. Didn't even bother hiding."
Kieran didn't even blink. "They were testing us."
She smirked. "They took weapons. Left a mark, too."
He looked. Just looked, this time.
There—a fat, streaky smear of red paint slashed across one of the guard towers. Wolf paw. Like someone dipped their hand in blood and left a warning. Real subtle.
Kieran got up, slow as molasses. "They're marking their turf."
"No, they're marking her," Ariella shot back, voice sharp as broken glass. "That girl you tossed aside? She's the red wolf now."
And bam, dead silence. Kieran froze.
He tried to shake it off, voice flat, "Nah."
"Yeah," Ariella spat. "Silas Woods found her in the forest, remember? Word is, she shifted the same night you dumped her. Same damn night."
His fists balled up so tight his knuckles went white.
"She was nothing," he snarled. "She is nothing."
"Then why's she stronger?" Ariella fired right back. "Why are half your fighters whispering she's the real Luna, the one the Moon Goddess sent?"
Kieran turned away, jaw locked so tight you could probably hear his teeth grinding. He stared at the trees like they'd give him an answer. "I picked my path. Not looking back, not sorry."
But honestly? Deep down, something ugly and cold twisted inside him. Doubt. Just a flicker, but it stung.
He'd dumped a nobody.
Now she was a legend.
Way out in the woods, Evangeline crouched beside a skinny stream, moonlight spilling all over the water. Hann dropped down next to her, quiet as a ghost.
"Nice night," Hann said, hugging her knees. "You didn't pass out. That's progress."
Evangeline rolled her eyes so hard you could hear it. "Wow, thanks for the pep talk."
"Hey, just keeping it real."
They just sat there for a bit, listening to water and not much else.
After a while, Evangeline broke the silence. "You believe any of that prophecy junk? Think I'm really supposed to… I don't know. Change the world or whatever?"
Hann shrugged, not looking her way. "Prophecies, who knows. But these people? They look at you like you hung the damn moon. You're not like them, Eva. You survived hell and came out swinging. That's gotta count for something, right?"
Evangeline's chest clenched up—felt like somebody just yanked a rope tight around her ribs. She tipped her head up, eyes hunting for answers in all that empty sky and glitter. Just stars—no help there.
"I just wanna be enough," she breathed, voice so thin it almost got stolen by the night.
"You already are."
Meanwhile, way off by the edge of camp, Silas and Drew stood watching the MoonClaw border. Looked like they were waiting for the sky to crack open.
"They'll come after her," Drew said, no question about it.
Silas nodded, eyes glinting green in the dark. "Let 'em."
"She's not ready for a fight like that."
"She doesn't need to be," Silas replied, voice low. "She just needs to be herself. That's scarier than anything we could throw at them."
Drew snorted. "MoonClaw's about to get a wake-up call."
"Yeah," Silas said, a little too calmly. "They don't have a clue."
But they would.
Sooner than they'd like.