Chapter 7 Tension Rises Between Moonblade and Nightshade Packs

The morning light filtered through the small cracks in my window, but even its warmth couldn't melt the chill in my chest. I had barely slept. My dream, if it was one, still clung to me like smoke: fire licking the trees, a blood moon hanging low in the sky, and wolves-so many wolves-howling, snarling, circling around me. Their eyes weren't just yellow; they brimmed with knowledge. With a warning.

I pulled my shawl tighter and stepped outside. The air felt different. Heavy. Tense. It was as if the forest was holding its breath.

Whispers followed me like shadows as I walked toward the village square.

"They say Alpha Caden sent scouts again."

"Moonblade is provoking us. We can't keep ignoring them."

"They want war. The blood moon is coming."

I kept my head down and my steps steady, though my stomach twisted. Ever since that strange dream and the elders' odd behavior, I had been on edge. Something was shifting. Something no one wanted to discuss openly-but it lingered, coiled beneath the surface.

As usual, I wasn't included in any of the strategy meetings. Omegas were seen as too weak, too emotional, too... expendable. We were meant to clean, run errands, and remain unseen. But I had ears, and I listened.

What I heard lately filled me with dread.

Moonblade patrols were getting closer. Nightshade sentries were doubling their shifts. There were quiet talks of strengthening the border spells and old war chants echoing in the training grounds. Everything was happening quickly.

That day, I sneaked behind the old granary to watch the warriors train-a habit from my youth. It made me feel less powerless, like I might absorb some strength. It never worked, of course.

I watched as the Pack's strongest sparred. My eyes followed Jareth, the lead warrior, as he pivoted, muscles rippling, sweat glistening down his back. I envied their control, their strength.

Then something caught my attention. Two unfamiliar wolves-cloaked figures with silver armbands-stood at the edge of the field.

Moonblade.

They were speaking to Beta Rowan and Elder Garrek.

I moved closer, heart pounding, crouching low behind the worn fence.

"...Alpha Caden extends his final warning," one of the cloaked wolves said. His voice was gritty.

Beta Rowan crossed his arms. "We've followed the terms. The border holds. We've sent no scouts past the ridge."

"Lies," the other wolf hissed. "Your young ones have been seen near Silver Creek. If this continues-"

"Are you accusing us of espionage?" Elder Garrek stepped forward, voice calm but threatening.

"We're not here to argue. We're here to prepare you. The Blood Moon is approaching."

At that, all three men fell silent.

My breath caught.

"We all know what that means," the gravel-voiced wolf continued. "Caden won't let the prophecy slip into enemy hands. If you've been hiding something-if she's here-"

"She?" Rowan interrupted. "There's no 'she.' Go back to your Alpha and tell him to stop chasing shadows."

The Moonblade emissaries turned and vanished into the woods without another word.

I crouched there, stunned.

They were talking about me.

No, it couldn't be. But what else could it mean? The dreams. The strange mark on my shoulder that flared during the last moon cycle. The whispers I heard after training. The way the elders looked at me as if they were calculating my next breath.

Who was I, really?

I didn't have time to dwell on it.

That evening, Alpha Alaric called an emergency council. Although Omegas weren't invited, I climbed onto the roof of the Assembly Hall, hidden by the thick branches of a leaning pine tree. I lay on my stomach, ear pressed to the old clay tiles, listening.

"They've escalated," Alaric said. "The Moonblade Pack is preparing for war."

"And what about the prophecy?" someone asked. I recognized Elder Miriam's voice.

Alaric sighed. "We believe she's here. The signs point to it. The Blood Moon is only three weeks away."

"Lyra?" Miriam whispered.

My heart raced.

"Her aura's changing. The power is awakening. Her wolf will rise soon, and when it does, Moonblade will come for her."

"She doesn't even know who she is," Rowan said. "She's still too fragile."

"Then we must prepare her," Garrek replied. "Train her in secret. Hide her in plain sight. If the Moonblade Alpha takes her before she's ready, the entire prophecy could be ruined."

Silence fell.

Then a somber voice said, "She will be the spark. Or the blade. The war will start with her."

I didn't sleep that night. I couldn't.

I wasn't just a nameless Omega anymore. I was a pawn in something ancient. Something dangerous.

That's when I felt it. A flicker. Deep inside me.

Aira.

My wolf stirred, faint and muffled, like a heartbeat beneath the ground.

I wanted to scream. To ask her what I should do. But she remained silent.

I was alone.

The next day, I tried to follow my routine-fetching water, helping with laundry, tending to the injured warriors-but everyone was on edge. The air was thick with tension. The younger pups whispered about war games, while the older wolves sharpened their blades and reread ancient scrolls.

I passed Zara near the healer's hut. She flashed me a smile, but her eyes didn't match it. They held something cold. Calculating.

"I heard you've been dreaming," she said softly.

I froze. "What?"

"Dreams of fire and moonlight."

I swallowed hard.

"I dream, too," she continued. "But mine didn't come true." She turned away before I could respond.

That night, a thick fog rolled in from the northern hills. It wrapped around the village like a warning.

Then we heard it.

A long, deep howl. Not from our territory.

Moonblade.

They were close.

The warriors gathered. Bells rang. Sentries shifted. The elders stood at the edge of the sacred grounds, eyes raised to the blood-red moon now climbing higher in the sky.

And I stood alone in the shadows, heart racing, as the storm began to rise.

---

I didn't know what was coming next. But I knew I couldn't stay invisible forever. They were coming for me. All of them.

Moonblade.

Nightshade.

Fate.

The blood moon would burn, and I would be the match.