Chapter 2 No vns

CHAPTER 2

Ravenna woke to the hum of whispered voices and the faint flicker of torchlight dancing on stone walls. Her muscles ached, every nerve firing in protest as she sat up, dizziness still clinging to her like mist. The adrenaline of her first shift had worn off, leaving behind an ache that made her whole-body scream.

She swung her legs off the cot in the small barracks room-bunks lined in neat rows, wolves of the Ashenwood Pack sleeping fitfully or staring at the ceiling, lost in uneasy dreams. Ravenna rubbed her temples, trying to clear the fog, and remembered: last night, Varek's rogues. The battle. Her shift. And then, before she could react, the earth-shattering howl of her Alpha.

She shivered. Something had changed in the pack's hierarchy. Something she did-unwillingly-had stirred the tides.

A soft knock echoed on the door. Her heart leapt-guard? Cassie? Or...?

"Ravenna?" Rolf's voice-a low, gentle rumble-came from the other side. Rolf, the pack healer and one of the few who treated her kindly. "Can I come in?"

"Yes," Ravenna whispered, voice hoarse.

The door creaked open. Rolf stepped inside, carrying a basin of water and a damp cloth. His graying eyes were warm with concern. "You pushed yourself too hard," he murmured as he approached. "Here-clean yourself up."

She took the cloth, her hands trembling. "Thank you, Rolf."

He nodded without a word, leaving her to tend to the scratches on her arms and the bruising under her fur. Every nick and cut told the story of her first fight alongside the pack-her proving ground. She had surprised them all, but at what cost?

As she dressed, the memory of dawn's council returned: Alpha Darian's shifting gaze, Cassidy's glare of contempt, Vale's rare nod of approval. Fenrir's presence also lingered-a silent sentinel at the edge of the clearing.

Soon, another knock: this time, Beta Vale. He entered briskly, followed by two silent guards.

"Ravenna," Vale said, voice clipped. "The Alpha requests your presence in the council chamber."

She swallowed, inhaled, and nodded. "I'm coming."

Vale lingered. His storm-gray eyes studied her. "You fought bravely. But this-" he gestured to the room, the aftermath of battle. "-is not enough to earn trust. Come with me."

Ravenna followed him through winding corridors lit by braziers. The castle felt ancient; every stone etched with the pack's legacy. Griffins carved into pillars, banners depicting howling wolves hung from balconies.

Finally, they reached heavy doors carved with the pack's insignia-a wolf head against a moon. Vale pushed the doors open.

Inside, the council chamber stretched wide, lit by moonlight through a towering arched window. At the head of a semicircular table sat Alpha Darian, flanked by Cassidy to his right and Rilka, the Luna of the Moonriver Pact, to his left. Other pack elders filled the seats.

Ravenna stepped onto the dais before the table and knelt, as tradition demanded. She bowed her head.

"Rise, Ravenna," Darian intoned, his voice echoing. "Last night, your actions saved this pack from the rogues' slaughter. You faced the enemy you warned us of-yet you never faltered."

Ravenna's chest swelled with a bittersweet pride. She rose, keeping her gaze low.

"Explain to us how you came to shift," Darian commanded.

Her pulse hammered. "My pack died," she began, voice steady. "When Varek caught the Silverfang Pack in a surprise battle, I- I was caught in his ambush. I nearly died. My anger, my fear... I felt it all flood through me. The moon called me, and I answered."

A murmur ran around the table. Cassidy snorted.

"Is this some Silverfang myth?" Cassidy spat. "A broken Luna howls, and suddenly she transforms? Ridiculous."

"You saw it with your own eyes," Darian said quietly. "She is not the same as before."

Cassidy glared. "A single shift means nothing. Control is everything. Can she control it?"

"We will test her," Rilka said, voice soft but firm. "A Luna must serve and protect. She must prove her worth."

Darrian nodded. "Indeed. You will undergo three trials. The Hunt, the Challenge, and the Rite of Unity. Complete them, and you'll earn your place as Luna of Ashenwood. Fail, and..." He did not finish the sentence, but his meaning hung clear.

Ravenna's heart slammed. Trials-each more grueling than the last. But if she succeeded, she could claim a place she once never dreamed of. She could stand beside the pack that had tormented her.

Cassidy stepped forward. "And the rogue threat? What of Varek and his army?"

Darian's eyes glinted. "We face them at the waning moon. Ravenna will stand with us. I want no second misunderstandings."

Ravenna nodded, resolve forging in her veins.

-

Outside, the night air stung against her skin as Vale led her back down the corridors. Past corridors, past armories where weapons glistened, and strategy rooms filled with maps.

"Trials begin at dawn," Vale reminded her. "Gather your strength. You'll need it."

She nodded.

Alone now, Ravenna stepped into the courtyard. Moonlight painted the world in silver and shadow. She closed her eyes, letting the memory of last night's battle wash over her.

Then she heard it-a soft footfall. She opened her eyes.

Fenrir stood at the edge of the courtyard, cloaked in darkness. His eyes reflected the moon.

"Well done," he said quietly. His voice held neither warmth nor scorn, just a neutral acknowledgment.

Ravenna blinked. "Fenrir-thank you, for..."

He raised a hand to silence her. "Don't thank me. I only ensure the balance. Remember, pack loyalty is fragile."

She frowned. "What does that mean?"

He stepped closer, and the torchlight revealed a thin scar above his brow, a reminder of battles unspoken.

"Trust is everything," he murmured. "Betrayal lurks in every shadow."

Ravenna shivered. "I know."

"Prepare yourself," Fenrir said, turning toward the woods. "Darian expects more than shifting. He wants a true Luna-one who can command loyalty, fear, and respect."

"He has a Luna. Where is my place in all this? Just to earn my life back?" Ravenna asked, dread gripping her.

He didn't answer. Instead, he melted into the shadows, as if he had never stood there.

Ravenna stood alone under the broken moon, heart racing, knowing that the first trial awaited at dawn-and that Fenrir's words were a warning as much as they were guidance.

She clenched her fists. She had endured cruelty and rejection. Now, she had a chance to prove her worth. To claim her place.

But as the wind whipped around her, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone-some power-watched her from the darkness, waiting to see if she would survive.

And she wasn't sure the night would permit her.

A distant howl echoed from the forest edge-multiplied, growing in fury-and Ravenna realized with a jolt that it wasn't the rogues. A lone wolf's howl answered hers from the castle's battlements.

Alpha Darian's challenge had begun-one she might not live to finish.