The Alpha's Fierce Luna Kyra

Crossing Into Enemy Territory

It's been a couple of weeks since the party, and I still hadn't made a decision. Unfortunately, the rumors and gossip had only gotten worse since then — and increasingly ridiculous.

Apparently, I'd called Irene "fake" and told everyone "I will destroy her to pieces." Come on. That doesn't even sound like me. Not that Irene would know that.

The more days that passed, the more I found myself leaning toward accepting the request. Why? Curiosity, mostly. I wanted to see how well Irene could actually fight — what made her so unbeatable, so worthy of the name "The White Devil."

Doesn't the devil work in nasty ways? I definitely wouldn't want that title myself, though I'll admit it's effective at intimidating people.

I was completely absorbed in a YouTube video, snacks lined up on my bed so I wouldn't have to move, when my bedroom door flew open. Jay stood there in grey sweatpants and a white tee.

"Don't you know how to knock?" I exclaimed, trying to discreetly hide the family-size bag of Cheetos.

"Don't you ever get tired of saying that every time I walk in?" he shot back, diving onto my bed and rumpling the covers even further.

"Don't even think about hiding those Cheetos. I could smell that flavor from a mile away."

Sighing, I shifted to make room for him. He got comfortable and immediately tore into the bag, making me scoff.

I bought that with my own money. But he probably hadn't eaten since breakfast, so I let it slide.

"So how was college today? How'd it feel driving all the way to campus for one lecture?" I laughed, digging a handful of Cheetos out of the bag.

His reply was a glare and an eye roll.

"It wasn't just lectures. Our class had gown fittings."

I frowned. "Gowns?"

He turned to face me. "Graduation gowns. I'm graduating in a month, remember?"

Already?

I could still picture his first day of college. Three years, just like that. He'd been studying business — something that would come in handy once he became our Alpha.

"Feels like just yesterday you started," I said, half in a daze. "You've grown up so much."

The words were barely out of my mouth before he smacked the back of my head. "You say that like you're older than me!"

Rubbing my head, I muttered, "I just wanted to say it. Didn't need to hit me for it."

"In two years, you'll be graduating too. That's when I get to say 'you've grown so much.'" He pulled the laptop out of my hands before I could stop him.

Then, before I could even protest, he asked, "So — are you thinking of accepting Irene's request?"

I looked at him, caught off guard. "I don't know what to do," I admitted honestly. "Part of me wants to accept, just to put the rumors to rest once and for all. You know how much I love competition, and it's been forever since I've faced anyone worth fighting. But another part of me doesn't want to put the pack's reputation at risk. And since there's no peace treaty between our packs, there's a real chance they could hurt our people."

Jay sat up straight, nodding along. "So which part's stronger?" he asked, serious now.

It was an easy question, honestly. I wanted to accept — but I didn't want to be selfish about it either. I had to think about everyone else, not just myself.

I stayed quiet, weighing whether to tell him the truth. He waited patiently. Should I actually say it out loud?

"I really want to accept," I finally said, low. Saying it out loud made me feel strangely guilty. Am I being selfish?

To my surprise, Jay burst out laughing, hard enough that I nearly lost my balance — which shouldn't even have been possible, given I was lying on my bed.

"I already knew. I just needed you to say it," he said, clapping his hands together. "For the record, you have my full support."

I sat up so fast I nearly toppled over. "Whoa, whoa. Hold on. I never said I'd accept it."

"You said you wanted to. Might as well," he shrugged, like it was nothing.

"But the consequences—" I started.

"Screw the consequences. If I go with you, no one touches either of us. Is that what you're actually worried about?" His eyes narrowed, serious now, laced with concern.

"You'd come?" I stared at him, stunned. He'd never come to a single one of my matches before — not that it usually mattered whether he showed up. Future Alphas just don't travel without their Alpha and Luna, for safety reasons.

"Your parents would never let you."

"You'd be surprised what they'll allow when you're part of the deal," he said, winking.

"And the pack's reputation? Other packs might think we're teaming up with the strongest pack in the country just to grab more power." I was scrambling for excuses now, anything to avoid admitting how badly I wanted to go.

Because of course I wanted to. I just had to think about the bigger picture.

"We'll call every pack in the country before we leave and explain exactly why we're visiting the BlackShadowed Pack. That way there's no confusion about us allying with them for power." He answered fast, like he'd already prepped for every excuse I could throw at him.

I sat there quietly as the excitement crept in. Could I really go to their territory and fight there? I'd be lying if I said I wasn't dying to see what their pack was like. Barely anyone gets access to their land — you need permission from both packs just to set foot there. Trespass, and it's up to them how you're punished.

Our pack, the Imperial Pride, usually questions a trespasser first before deciding on punishment. I'd heard that BlackShadowed Pack kills trespassers on sight — no exceptions for age, gender, or rank.

"It's not enough to convince me. We still have to convince the Alpha and Luna," I sighed. It felt impossible, especially remembering their reaction after the party.

"Good news!" Jay shouted directly into my ear, making me shove his face away on instinct. "I already got Mom on our side. She'll back us up with Dad."

I gaped at him. "You convinced Kaitlyn? Seriously? I figured she'd be the first to say 'absolutely not, that's a suicide trip.'"

He shrugged, clearly pleased with himself. "I have my ways."

"Now, the actual reason I barged in and stole your Cheetos — Dad's about to get home. I needed you to admit you wanted this, so you'd be ready to convince him. We've been talking a while, so his car could pull up any minute."

I stared at him, honestly stunned by how far he'd gone to give me a real fight. He must've noticed how starved I'd been for real competition — every match I'd had lately had been far too easy.

I hadn't changed my training at all, and yet somehow I kept getting stronger by the day. I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that he'd gotten Kaitlyn on our side.

Just then, I heard a familiar engine pulling up out front. Jay jumped off the bed, shooting me a knowing, mischievous look. His timing never ceased to amaze me — like he had an internal clock built for exactly this. I took a breath, gathered my courage, and followed him out of my room. Magnus's footsteps were already on the stairs, heading toward his office as usual.

Jay and I stood outside the office door, silently arguing over who should knock first. We must've taken too long, because the door opened on its own — Magnus, standing there.

"What brings you kids to my office today?" he asked, one eyebrow raised in amusement.

Of course he'd heard every whisper, caught every trace of our scent. He might've raised Jay with love — raised me with love — but he was still our Alpha, and still every bit as intimidating as one.

Jay spoke first. "We wanted to talk to you about something."

Magnus opened the door wider and let us in. Once he was seated, he motioned for us to go ahead.

I spoke up this time — it felt wrong to let Jay carry the conversation when I was the one asking the favor. "It's about Irene's match request."

Magnus nodded, and I kept going. "After a lot of thought, I've decided I want to accept."

He sighed. "You understand the risks outweigh the benefits, right?"

Jay jumped in. "Actually, we've already worked out some strategies to make the trip safer."

The Alpha still looked unconvinced. "And what, exactly, are these strategies?"

Before either of us could answer, the door opened again. I didn't need to look — Kaitlyn's scent filled the room before she even stepped in behind us.

"Good timing!" I said through our mind link.

"Jayden wouldn't stop pestering me about a promise. I've got a mountain of paperwork today, but it'll wait," Kaitlyn replied, before cutting the connection.

"Honey, have you heard Kyra's decision about Irene's match request?" Magnus asked, clearly expecting her to side with him.

Not today. I kept my expression carefully neutral.

"Yes, I have. And I think we should let her go," she said, resting a warm hand on my shoulder.

I leaned into her touch, comforted knowing she had my back.

Magnus's expression flickered from shock to confusion to frustration in the span of a few seconds. He clearly hadn't expected his own wife to go against him on something he saw as reckless.

"For the safety of whichever pack members travel with Kyra, I think Jayden should go too," Kaitlyn continued, arms crossed. "His presence significantly lowers the odds of anything going wrong."

Magnus shook his head, disbelieving. "You want to send not just one of our best warriors, but our future Alpha too? To the BlackShadowed Pack? Really?"

Kaitlyn nodded like it was the most reasonable thing in the world. I could tell every instinct in her was screaming against it, but she knew how to stay objective when it mattered.

"I've never traveled outside the pack on my own, Dad. I'd really appreciate the chance to go with Kyra," Jay added, pressing his palms together. "And as for our reputation — one phone call to every pack, explaining why we're going, clears that right up."

Magnus looked between Jay, me, and finally Kaitlyn. His expression softened the moment his eyes landed on her.

"Do you really think they can handle this?" he asked her quietly.

Her own expression softened in turn. "Honey, I know you're worried. But look at it objectively — they're an untouchable pair. Jayden's an Alpha's son, and Kyra's an incredible warrior. They'll have pack members with them, people who'd lay down their lives for either of them without hesitation. I'll help you call every Alpha myself to explain the visit."

Silence.

It was killing me. Will he actually let us go?

"Fine. I'll let them know you've accepted," Magnus sighed, turning to his computer. "But first, let me pull up the email with their conditions."

Jay's hand shot out beside me, and I slapped it in a triumphant high-five. I felt pumped — a real match, finally on the horizon. Not just any match, either. A match against a female warrior everyone considered real competition. Exactly the kind of challenge I'd been craving.

"The conditions were set by them, since they made the request," Magnus reminded us, scrolling. "First — the match takes place on their territory." I shrugged; fighting on foreign ground was nothing new to me.

"Second, the date is chosen by their Alpha. Third, the match will be primarily Mixed Martial Arts. And finally — the length of your stay is also up to their Alpha." He looked up from the screen.

"Wait." I held up a hand. "The length of my stay is undecided?"

"That's what it says," Magnus replied, leaning back. "Having second thoughts?"

I shook my head fast, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. "No — it's just that usually, how long I stay somewhere is up to me. The change caught me off guard."

"This pack doesn't operate the way ours does. Or the way most packs do, honestly," he explained, watching me carefully. "The arrival date, though, is up to us. So — when do you want to go?"

"Next week!" Jay blurted before I could even open my mouth. I whipped my head toward him, alarmed. He just shrugged.

"No way, that's way too soon!" I said, shaking my head.

He shrugged again. "Might as well get it over with. Isn't that basically your motto?" he added, winking.

"Don't use my own words against me," I groaned, dropping my head into my hands. Still — he had a point, and I was in peak fighting shape. "Fine. Maybe you have a point."

"So?" Kaitlyn asked, waiting. I glanced at Magnus, fingers already hovering over the keyboard.

"We'll fly out in a week," I said, letting out a sharp breath.

Jay leapt out of his seat. "BlackShadowed Pack, here we come!"

I slid off my chair, far less gracefully, and joined him. "Here we come!"

Excited as I was, I couldn't quite shake the unease creeping under it — like something unexpected, something inevitable, was waiting for me. I brushed the feeling off and headed back to my room.

Time to prepare for the BlackShadowed Pack.

~~

Kyra got permission!! Off she goes to the most dangerous and mysterious pack…