The first howl came at dusk.
It rose from the eastern forests long, measured, deliberate and carried across valleys and rivers as if the land itself bent to deliver it.
Maria felt it in her bones before the sound fully reached her ears. The Moon's mark beneath her skin warmed, not in warning, but in recognition.
"They're calling," Kael said softly beside her.
Not a challenge.Not an attack but a summons.
From the watchtower, Maria could see the horizon darken as packs gathered at distant ridges. Torches flickered. Banners were raised some old, some newly stitched. The world was responding faster than she had expected.
Too fast.
"They won't all come in peace," murmured Elder Thane, leaning on his staff. "Power invites hunger."
Maria nodded. "Then we decide how close they're allowed to stand."
Before orders could be given, a second howl cut through the air sharper, younger, edged with defiance.
It came from the south.
Kael's jaw tightened. "Bloodstone Ridge."
Maria's eyes hardened. "They were silent during the Ashen King's rise."
"And loud during his reign," Kael added.
The silence that followed was heavy.
Maria turned from the tower. "Prepare the council hall. No weapons inside. Any Alpha who crosses our boundary comes as a guest or not at all."
The guards hesitated. "Even Bloodstone?"
"Especially Bloodstone."
Night fell quickly. Fires were lit across the valley, not for defense, but for visibility. When the first delegation arrived, Maria stood at the gates herself unarmored, silver cloak loose at her shoulders, Moonlight threading through her hair.
An Alpha stepped forward, head high but eyes wary. "We come to see the one who ended the Ashen King."
Maria met his gaze. "Then you've seen me. Speak."
Whispers spread. Some bowed. Others stared too long.
Then a familiar, dangerous presence slid into the clearing.
The Alpha of Bloodstone Ridge emerged from the shadows, crimson markings etched into his armor. His smile was sharp.
Calculating.
"Luna," he said, voice smooth. "Or is it Queen now?"
The Moon pulsed.
Maria did not flinch. "Titles don't interest me. Intent does."
His gaze flicked to Kael. "Interesting choice of consort."
Kael stepped forward, power rolling off him like a warning storm but Maria lifted a hand, stopping him.
"This gathering," she said calmly, "is not about dominance. It's about what comes next."
The Alpha of Bloodstone laughed quietly. "And what comes next always begins with blood."
The Moon dimmed slightly.
Arielle smiled not softly, not kindly.
"Then you should be very careful," she said, "whose blood you're willing to spill."
Above them, the Moon slid free of the clouds.
Watching.
Judging.
Because the world had heard Maria's howl
and now it wanted to test whether she deserved to be answered.