Misguided Wolves

24. Runes of Destiny

In Logi’s stone temple, the air hummed with ancient magic, the sun-and-moon crest glowing softly under the skylight. Kate sat on a cushion, her tanzanite bracelet catching the flicker of candlelight, its violet facets pulsing faintly. Ara sat beside her, violet eyes steady, while Jackson stood near the statue of Fenrir and the Moon Goddess, their entwined forms radiating quiet power. Hova, blindfold removed, gazed upward with silver eyes, reading the stars through the open roof.

“The coming year will test you, Princess,” Hova said, her voice resonant with prophecy. “War brews in the north. Vintr’s claws tighten around Fror, driven by lies and ambition. You are the sun-and-moon’s chosen, destined to lead your people in battle.”

Kate’s breath caught, her hand tightening around Ara’s. “Lead in battle?” she whispered, the weight of loss—her mate, her pup—clashing with Hova’s words. “I’m… broken. How can I lead?”

Hova’s silver eyes softened. “Your pain forges your strength, child. The pup’s spirit lives in you, a bridge between sun and moon. You must rise as Fror’s queen.”

Jackson stepped forward, his braids swaying. “I’ll train you, Kate. Logi’s combat runes will sharpen your wolf and blade. You’re not alone.”

Ara squeezed her hand, fierce. “You’re stronger than you know. We’ll stand with you—always.”

Kate’s chest ached, Elliott’s blue eyes flashing in her mind, cold with rejection. She pushed the memory aside, focusing on Hova. “What must I do?”

Hova gestured to a grass-woven rune embedded in the floor, its intricate knots glowing faintly. “Touch the rune. Let the stars speak.”

Kate hesitated, then pressed her palm to the rune, her bracelet flaring with violet light. A vision flooded her senses: she stood on Fror’s battlements, a sun-and-moon blade in hand, leading wolves against Vintr’s forces. Her pup’s spirit, a faint silver glow, hovered beside her, whispering strength, linking her to Elliott’s distant howl. A shadow loomed—a golden-eyed figure casting a charm, its malice tied to her loss. The vision faded, leaving her trembling but resolute.

“The pup binds you to your mate,” Hova said. “The charm that stole it was wrought by a serpent’s hand. Forgive, but do not forget. Your destiny awaits in Fror.”

Kate nodded, tears brimming. She turned to Ara, voice breaking. “I lost our pup… because of a charm, not just his rejection. Someone meant to break us.”

Ara pulled her close, wings rustling softly. “We’ll find who did this. Focus on Fror. We’ll face it together.”

Jackson knelt beside her. “Let’s start training tomorrow. You’ll be ready, Princess.”

As they left the temple, Kate felt a spark of purpose ignite, her grief tempered by the rune’s vision. The grasslands whispered around her, Logi’s serenity a fleeting shield against the coming storm.

****

In Vargr, Kyle led Leo through the forest, the witch doctor’s hut hidden among ancient oaks. The air thrummed with magic, a faint rune-glow pulsing in the undergrowth. The witch, an old woman with eyes like polished obsidian, greeted them, her hands clutching a gnarled staff etched with sun-and-moon symbols.

“You seek the prince’s soul,” she said, voice rasping like leaves. “He’s buried deep, bound by lies and pain. I’ll need a relic of his mate to reach him.”

Kyle produced a tanzanite earring, one of Kate’s, saved from the cottage. “Will this do?”

The witch nodded, placing the earring on a rune-carved altar. She chanted, her staff glowing, and a violet mist rose, swirling around Leo. His amber eyes flickered, then shifted to Elliott’s piercing blue, wide with anguish.

“Kyle?” Elliott rasped, voice raw. “What… what’s happening?”

Kyle knelt, gripping his shoulders. “Elliott, listen. Castiel lied. Kate never betrayed you. Ella’s accusations were forged. And… Deborah’s charm caused her to miscarry your pup. She’s in Logi, broken but alive.”

Elliott’s blue eyes glistened, a choked sob escaping. “My pup… Kate…” Leo’s growl echoed in his mind—Find her, you fool!—spurring him to his feet. “I have to go to her.”

The witch raised a hand. “Not yet. The charm’s maker, the golden-eyed twin, wields dark magic. Break her influence first, or it’ll cloud your path.”

Kyle nodded, resolute. “We’ll expose Castiel and Deborah. I found Ella’s forged letters in the archives—proof of their schemes.”

Elliott’s fists clenched, blue eyes blazing. “I’ll confront them. Then I’m going to Logi.”

****

In Logi’s grasslands, Ara scouted from the air, her wings cutting through the dusk. A shadow moved below—a tiger’s sleek form, Bex’s scent sharp with malice. Ara landed, alerting Jackson. “She’s here, stalking Kate.”

Jackson’s eyes narrowed, his hand on a rune-etched dagger. “Vintr’s spies are closing in. I’ve had reports—troops massing near Fror’s border. Bex must be their vanguard, though not the charm’s source.”

They hurried to Kate, who stood in the grasslands, her bracelet pulsing faintly. “Bex is here,” Ara said urgently. “And Vintr’s moving.”

Kate’s jaw set, the rune’s vision steeling her. “Then we prepare. Jackson, train me now. Ara, keep scouting. Fror needs us.”

As night fell, Logi’s stars shone above, the sun-and-moon prophecy guiding Kate toward her destiny, while in Vargr, Elliott prepared to unravel the twins’ lies, their paths converging toward war.