Chapter 5 The Shattered Crown

Death's odor clung to the air as the dark wolves retreated into the shadows for the last time. My body was bruised, battered, and spent, but the fire inside me burned brighter than ever.

Kieran stood next to me, his chest heaving with exertion, his silver eyes locked on mine. There was no question about it-he was as much a participant in this war as I was now.

"You're lucky I got there when I did," he said, his voice low and teasing.

"I don't need luck," I retorted sharply, though I couldn't keep the small smile that played on my lips from spreading.

The woman, the pack leader of the dark wolves, was nowhere to be seen. She had vanished into the shadows, dissolving like the ghost that she was. But I had no doubt that she wasn't lost forever. If anything, she had only made way for something far worse.

I glanced at my pack, my heart heavy with the price of our losses. There were casualties, more than I had anticipated. But we had held our ground. And that, of itself, was a victory.

"Take the injured," I ordered, my tone steady. "We must regroup. And when we do, we hunt down whoever has caused this."

The warriors signaled, their vision a blend of determination and trepidation. They recognized what was at risk. If we failed to figure this out, we'd be battling on several fronts simultaneously.

I caught up with Kieran, who had already begun walking towards the edge of the clearing. He walked smoothly, but with purpose. He wasn't even breathing hard, not after what we had just been through. I couldn't help but wonder just what kind of power he really possessed.

"Stay with me," I insisted. "We need to talk."

He stopped, turning back to look at me with an arched brow. "Talk about what?"

"The woman," I told him, my voice falling. "She wasn't some lone bandit. She was involved in something bigger. I can feel it."

Kieran's gaze softened, the flame in his eyes giving way to something more introspective. "You're right. I've seen her before. But not like this."

"What do you mean?" I pressed, taking a step closer.

Kieran whispered softly, hesitating before he spoke. "There are rumors. Whispers of a dark coven, a cult of some sort, that has been gathering in the darkness for years. They're not just wolves. They've been performing dark magic, blood rites, and old rituals. They want to rule the entire wolf world. And they will stop at nothing to get it.".

I shivered. "So, this woman. she's one of them?"

Kieran nodded. "I think so. She's their leader. And she won't rest until she gets what she's after."

"And what is it that she's after?" I asked.

"The crown," Kieran said, his voice serious. "The throne that was stolen from your family. She's been searching for it for years."

I recoiled at the thought. "The throne? But why me? Why now?"

"Because you're the last of the Blackthorn bloodline," Kieran said. "And because you've proven that you're a force to be reckoned with. She wants that power."

I clenched my fists at my sides. "Then we'll stop her. We'll stop her before she can take another step toward that throne."

"You'll need something greater than power to kill her," Kieran warned. "She's not Ronan. She's much more deadly."

"I do," I replied. "But we can't wait. We'll rally our armies. We'll find her. And we'll make sure she never comes near that throne again."

Kieran's gaze caught mine, a flicker of something foreboding in his eyes. "Then we must hurry. Because the coven will not stop until they have destroyed everything you hold dear."

---

We rested for the next couple of days, preparing. The cleanup of the remnants of the battle took place, and the wounded were treated. My pack were tired, but they persisted. They had seen firsthand what the coven was capable of. And they hungered for revenge.

But the road ahead of us would not be easy. We had to move fast, attack before they were able to rally themselves. I knew that the coven was waiting, out there in the shadows, for their next move. And we needed to be ready.

I sat in my tent, studying the maps of the lands around us. The Midnight Howl pack had pulled deeper into their territory, but still there was no sign of Ronan. He seemed to have disappeared.

"Where is he?" I muttered to myself.

Kieran stood in the doorway, a shadowy presence like a cloud of storm. "He's not the one you should be afraid of," he told me, his voice heavy.

I looked up, our eyes connecting. "What are you referring to?"

"To the woman," he said. "She does not want merely the throne. She desires something else-something that will place her in command of all the packs. And if she gets it, we won't stand a chance."

My heart constricted in my chest. "What's worse than the throne?"

Kieran's eyes were glacial as he stepped into the tent, closing the flap behind him. "An old relic," he breathed. "The Heart of the Moon."

I tensed. The Heart of the Moon. The thing my family had bled to protect for centuries.

"Where is it?" I whispered, my voice choked with fear.

"We don't know," Kieran said, his eyes flashing with skepticism. "But we know she's looking for it. And when she does find it, she'll have the power to destroy everything."

I stood up from my chair, my hands trembling. "Then we'll stop her. We'll get it first."

"Agreed," Kieran said, his expression stern. "But we can't do it alone. We'll have to have allies. Beyond the forsaken. If we're going to take down the coven and keep her from getting the Heart of the Moon, we'll need to unite the packs."

I nodded. "I'll do anything."

Kieran gazed at me, his expression impassive. "Then we'd best be moving. The coven won't wait for us."

---

The days passed by in a blur of travel, scheming, and gossip regarding the Heart of the Moon. Every scrap of information only led us down some dead-end, but still, we pushed onward. We were conscious that time was not with us.

The full moon loomed ahead of us, along with the danger of the last blow of the coven.

We arrived at the first of the allied packs at sundown. The Alpha was a gigantic wolf with coal-colored fur and eyes that glowed like embers. He was the leader of the Blackstone pack, a tough, independent group that had never really joined any other pack.

He met us in the clearing, his gigantic frame casting a shadow that extended for yards. His deep voice was commanding. "You've come to request my pack's allegiance. But what is it you think you have to offer me?"

I stepped forward, refusing to blink in meeting his look. "Because the coven is moving against all of us. If we don't stand together, we'll all perish."

He looked at me for a long time before he nodded. "You are right. But I do not give my loyalty to anyone. I give it to those who earn it."

I extended my hand, my heart pounding in my chest. "Then let us strive to earn it together."

There was a moment of silence, and then very slowly the Alpha took my hand, his grip firm.

"We fight side by side," he said.

And with that, the first alliance was forged.

The remainder of the pack merely watched as we turned to meet the next horde. The road ahead would be long and dangerous, but at least now we had the strength of greater than mere damned behind us.

We were no longer survivors.

We were a force.