Felix was unsettled.
He was the future Alpha, yet his words had been brushed aside as if they carried no weight. Nora was his mate—and the strongest warrior of the pack. He loved her. He respected her. And still, seeing the Alpha and Luna openly support her judgment had wounded his pride.
Deep down, he knew she was right.
But knowing and accepting were not the same.
That night, he arrived late to their chambers, blaming pack matters. Nora sensed his hurt immediately. To soothe him—and to chase away the looming shadow of war—she waited for him dressed in deep crimson lace, bold and unapologetic.
Felix was captivated the moment he saw her.
It didn't take long for his defenses to fall. He pulled her into his arms, hunger overtaking hesitation. The night erased all unspoken resentments and bruised egos.
⸻
Morning came heavy with duty.
Felix rose at dawn, his role as heir demanding his presence in meetings with allied pack envoys. Plans had to be finalized. Troops organized. Borders secured.
The memory of the previous night sent a brief shiver through him.
He woke Nora with a heated kiss.
Together, the future Alpha and Luna welcomed the envoys. Standing side by side, they were a vision of power and unity. Perfectly aligned. Dangerous.
It was easy to see why the packs believed their leadership would make them the strongest force in the region.
⸻
Two weeks later…
Everything was ready.
A war between wolf packs was never clean. Never restrained. There were no weapons. No armor. Only flesh, instinct, fangs, and claws.
Felix and Nora shifted into their wolf forms.
They touched briefly—foreheads pressed, breaths mingling—before stepping forward to lead the pack.
Alpha Alfred and Luna Elara would not fight.
It was a deliberate choice. The heirs had to prove they deserved the throne that would soon be theirs.
Felix's heart thundered in his chest.
He looked at Nora—beautiful, loyal, fearless. The fire in her eyes filled him with pride… and with a quiet, gnawing fear.
Am I standing behind her?
He shook the thought away.
This was not the time.
As future Alpha, he was grateful for the barrier that kept others—Luna included—from hearing his thoughts without his consent. Because Nora's mind was already locked onto one thing alone:
How to win this war.
⸻
Felix drew in a deep breath.
The scent of the land had changed. Even the earth seemed to be holding its breath. The wolves lined up around them in tense silence—muscles coiled, fangs bared, instincts sharpened.
Felix lifted his head, his voice carrying across the clearing.
"Today, we defend more than our territory," he declared. "We defend our right to exist."
The pack answered as one. Low growls and rumbling chests shook the forest.
Nora stepped forward.
Her gaze swept over the pack. There was no fear in her eyes. No doubt. Only clarity.
"The Karaay Pack crossed our borders," she said. "Today, we remind them where the line is drawn."
Within her, Juno stirred.
It is time.
Felix glanced at her without meaning to.
The way she stood—perfectly in sync with her wolf—was flawless.
In that moment, he saw her not only as his mate… but as a true leader.
The realization both filled him with pride and pierced something deep inside.
Felix moved forward and took his place beside her.
Shoulder to shoulder.
The shadows of the future Alpha and Luna stretched across the ground.
"Move," Felix commanded.
The pack surged forward like a single wave.
Wind howled through the trees as they advanced, distant howls echoing—the call of battle. The closer they came to Karaay territory, the heavier the air became.
Blood.
Rage.
Impending death.
Nora's heart was steady. Her mind had
already played the battle out a hundred times. Felix, fueled by adrenaline, felt an unease he could not name.
As if this war was not only against an enemy…
but against fate itself.
A howl rose in the distance.
Then another.
The Karaay Pack had sensed them.
Felix bared his fangs.
Nora dug her claws into the earth.
The drums of war had fallen silent.
Because the war itself…
was about to begin.