The Ironclaw Stronghold shuddered as Voidfang claws battered its gates, the wood splintering under shadow-wreathed blows. Kaida Vren stood atop the blood-slicked ground, her silver fur matted with sweat and crimson from her wounded flank. The Moon pulsed above, its light calling to her her moonforged magic, but the moon gnawed at her bones, a warning she was pushing too far. Beside her, Zane Korr fought with feral grace, his black-and-silver form a blur as he tore through a Voidfang beast. Their eyes met for a split second, and the fated mate bond sparked again between them, it was hot, insistent, and utterly unwelcome.
"Focus, rogue!" Kaida snarled, her voice half-human, half-growl. She summoned a moonlight shield, the glowing crescent deflecting a shadow claw aimed at her throat. The effort sent a jolt of pain through her chest, her vision flickering. Not now.She couldn't afford weakness, not with her pack's lives on the line.
Zane shifted back to human form, his storm-gray eyes glinting with defiance. "You're the one bleeding, Luna." He dodged a Voidfang's lunge, driving his fist into its jaw with a crack. "Maybe thank me for saving your hide first."
Kaida's lips curled, baring fangs. "Save the charm for someone who cares." But her pulse quickened, the bond tugging at her like a leash. She hated how his scent of pine and leather, stirred something wild in her, pulling at memories of Torren she'd buried deep. Focus, Kaida.
"Mara!" she barked, glancing at her beta, who was rallying archers on the ramparts. "Get the wounded inside. Now!"
Mara's auburn hair whipped in the wind as she nodded, her voice sharp. "On it. But we're losing ground, Kaida. There's too many!" Her bow sang, a lunar-runed arrow piercing a Voidfang's eye. The beast howled, collapsing, but more surged from Bloodfang Woods, their shadows coiling like living smoke.
Kaida's heart sank. The Voidfang weren't just attacking,they were coordinated, their movements too precise for feral curselings. Someone was leading them. She scanned the treeline, her silver eyes narrowing. A massive silhouette loomed, its fur black as the abyss, eyes glowing red. Korrath. The Voidfang Alpha. Her blood chilled, but she stood taller, moonlight flaring around her hands.
"Zane, cover me," she said, her tone brooking no argument. She didn't trust him one bit,not with that secretive smirk and a past he hadn't shared but the bond made him her best shot at surviving this.
He raised an eyebrow, wiping blood from his knuckles. "Bossy for a Luna. I like it." He shifted, his wolf form lunging to intercept a pair of Voidfang charging her.
Kaida didn't waste the opening. She sprinted toward the gates, moonlight pooling in her palms. The Moon's power surged, and she shaped it into a spear, its edge sharp enough to cut through shadow. Pain lanced through her but she gritted her teeth and hurled the spear. It struck a Voidfang at the gate, pinning it to the wood as it shrieked, dissolving into ash.
The gates groaned, splintering further. Her pack fought fiercely, claws and arrows holding the line, but they were outnumbered. Kaida's mind raced. They needed a miracle or a plan.
A new sound cut through the chaos, it was low hum, like the tolling of a distant bell. The air shimmered, and a figure emerged from the woods, cloaked in silver robes that glowed faintly under the moon. A woman, her pale hair braided with lunar beads, her eyes milky with the haze of a seer. She raised a hand, and a pulse of wind magic scattered the nearest Voidfang, their shadows recoiling.
"Enough!" the woman's voice rang out, clear and commanding. The Voidfang hesitated, and even Korrath's silhouette paused, as if wary. Kaida's pack froze, their eyes on the stranger.
"Who the hell are you?" Kaida demanded, her moonlight blade reforming. The bond with Zane pulsed, his presence at her side a steady heat, but she kept her focus on the woman.
"Lyss Veyra, priestess of the Moonspire Temple," the woman said, stepping closer. Her gaze flicked to Kaida's glowing hands, then to Zane, a flicker of recognition in her eyes that set Kaida's hackles rising. "You're the Moonforged Luna. I've seen you in the Moon's visions."
Kaida's jaw tightened. "Visions don't help my pack. Speak fast, priestess, or you're next."
Lyss's lips curved, unperturbed. "The Voidfang serve a curse older than Vyrn. Only the Moonforged Luna can stop it, with the Lunar Relic hidden in Moonspire Temple. I'm here to guide you."
Zane growled, shifting back to human form, his shirt torn, revealing taut muscle and old scars. "Convenient timing, priestess. You always stroll into battles with cryptic prophecies?"
Lyss's eyes narrowed, locking on Zane. "I know you, rogue. Be careful what you question." The air crackled, and Kaida felt a jolt through the bond, Zane's tension mirroring her own. He knew Lyss,how?
Before Kaida could press, Korrath's roar shook the earth. The Voidfang Alpha charged, shadow magic erupting in tendrils that lashed toward the gates. Kaida reacted on instinct, summoning a moonlight barrier. It held, but the impact drove her to one knee, moonburn searing her chest. Zane caught her arm, steadying her, his touch igniting a spark that made her breath hitch.
"Easy, Luna," he murmured, his voice low, too close. "You're no good to anyone burned out."
She yanked her arm free, glaring. "Don't touch me." But the bond hummed, her skin tingling where his fingers had been. Damn him.
Lyss raised her hands, wind magic swirling. "Together, now!" she called. Kaida nodded, swallowing her distrust. She and Zane flanked the priestess, their movements syncing despite her resistance. Kaida's moonlight blade slashed through shadow tendrils, Zane's claws ripped into Voidfang, and Lyss's wind scattered their ranks. The pack rallied, inspired by their Luna's stand.
Korrath loomed closer, his red eyes fixed on Kaida. "Moonforged," he growled, his voice a guttural rasp that echoed with power. "Join us, or your pack burns."
Kaida's blood roared. "You'll burn first." She channeled the Crimson Moon's full might, moonlight coiling into a massive spear. The moonburn was agony, her vision swimming, but she hurled it with a scream. It struck Korrath's shoulder, forcing him back, but he didn't fall. He retreated, his pack following, shadows swallowing them into the woods.
The stronghold fell silent, save for the pack's heavy breaths and the creak of battered gates. Kaida swayed, her legs buckling, but Zane caught her again, his grip firm yet gentle. "Stubborn," he muttered, a hint of admiration in his eyes.
She shoved him off, though the bond made her want to linger. "I don't need your help."
"Keep telling yourself that." His smirk was infuriating, but his gaze held something deeper,concern, maybe, or something she didn't want to name.
Mara jogged over, her face grim. "We lost three wolves, Kaida. The gates won't hold another attack." She glanced at Zane, then Lyss, her distrust clear. "Who are these two?"
"Lyss claims she's a priestess with answers," Kaida said, her eyes on the seer. "Start talking. What's this Lunar Relic, and why's Korrath after me?"
Lyss's expression softened, but her voice was grave. "The Voidfang curse is waking an ancient darkness in Eclipse Hollow. The Lunar Relic can seal it, but only the Moonforged Luna can wield it. Korrath wants your power to break the Crimson Moon's hold, to free his master."
Kaida's stomach twisted. "His master?"
"A shadow older than Vyrn," Lyss said. "I've seen it in visions. If you don't act, Ironclaw falls first."
Zane shifted, his jaw tight. "And you just happen to know all this, priestess? What's your stake?"
Lyss met his gaze, unflinching. "Redemption, rogue. Same as you."
Kaida's eyes flicked between them. Secrets. Too many secrets. The bond with Zane pulsed, urging trust, but her heart that was scarred by Torren's loss resisted. She turned to her pack, their eyes on her, waiting for their Luna's lead.
"We rebuild the gates," she said, voice steady despite the moonburn's ache. "Mara, double the patrols. Lyss, you're coming with us to Moonspire Temple. I want proof of this relic." She glanced at Zane, the bond sparking again. "You're in or out, rogue. Decide now."
Zane's grin returned, dangerous and warm. "In, Luna. Someone's gotta keep you alive."
Mara snorted. "Great. Another stray."
Kaida ignored the jab, her mind racing. The Voidfang would return, stronger. Korrath's words echoed—join us, or burn. And Zane's presence, his touch, his scent, was a distraction she couldn't afford. Yet the bond whispered of fate, of a fire she couldn't extinguish.
Under the Moon, Kaida steeled herself. She'd protect her pack, claim this relic, and face whatever darkness waited. But as Zane's gaze lingered, she knew the real battle was just beginning within her own heart.