The Packs Connection

The Party

Nova sat down on her bed, taking out the last of her belongings from the box she had brought from home. Her fingers brushed over the frame of an old photo.. it was a photo of her and Dorian, arms wrapped around each other, smiling like they had the world figured out. She hesitated for a moment before sighing and tucking the frame back into the box. Instead of placing it on her desk or nightstand, she pushed the box into the back of her closet, out of sight. She didn't want to think about Dorian right now. She was already overwhelmed with everything else.

Suddenly , her phone buzzed beside her. She picked it up, the screen lighting up with multiple missed calls from Dorian, some unread texts, too. She rolled her eyes. She had just got here, Was he even going to let her get settled in or was he going to smother her here, like he did back at home. She never got to spend a day without him. Anytime she had not answered her phone, he would just show up at her house. Thats another reason hy she was relieved to be here in college, where he couldn't just show up. well - he could, but it would be much harder than it was before. NOW she's about 250 miles away, it would take a few hours to get to her.

Dorian: Hey, did you make it okay?

Dorian: Nova?

Dorian: Are you ignoring me?

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. She began typing a response.

Nova: I’m fine, Going to bed early. Love you :)

The door swung open and Sienna walked in, looking amazing.

Sienna drops down onto her bed "what are you wearing tonight?

Nova blinked. “Tonight?”

Sienna smirked. “The get-together thing I invited you to, remember? You said that you would come!”

Nova had already forgotten, he remind was on everything back at home, with Silver Ridge pack.

Sienna rolled her eyes and hopped off the bed, moving to her closet. “Lucky for you, I came prepared.” After a moment of rummaging, she pulled out a sleek, black dress and a pair of matching heels. “Here. Try this.”

Nova took the dress, holding it up against herself. “I feel like its.. to much. I dont know.....”

Sienna Laughed, holding up the floor- length mirror so Nova could see how she looked when she put it on . “It’s perfect. Trust me.”

With a long, unsure sigh, Nova stood up and changed into the dress. As she adjusted the fabric, her eyes drifted to the pendant around Sienna’s neck. It was a small silver medallion, engraved with a symbol she recognized instantly—the mark of the Crescent Moon Pack.

Her heart skipped a beat. “You’re a wolf!??! ” She Knew she had smelled another wolf, but she was unsure of where it had come from, so many students being packed into one small building and all.

Sienna wasnt so excited to share with Nova “Yeah.” She had come in contact with other packs, unlike Nova, so It wasn't a huge thing for her to meet another wolf here and there. Plus Sienna Wasn't a Freshman, she had already been there for a year. She was aware that other wolfs come and go around here.

Nova pulled out her own necklace, from beneath her dress to reveal her own pack’s symbol...The Silver Ridge Pack. Sienna’s eyes flickered with recognition.

“I’ve heard of your pack,” Sienna said. “You guys are well-respected… traditional.”

Nova nodded. “And I’ve heard of yours. The Crescent Moons are known for being strong, connected with the earth..”

Sienna smirked.

Nova chuckled but before she could say anything else, Sienna’s expression turned serious. “Listen, since you’re new here, there’s something you should know. There’s another pack on campus. Theyre called the Blood Fang Pack.”

Nova frowned. “I’ve never heard of them.”

“There’s a reason for that. They don’t follow the same rules as the rest of us. They dabble in dark stuff. Dark magic. They’re dangerous, and trust me, you don’t want to get tangled up with them. They are a malicious group.”

Nova swallowed loudly. “ok, Stay away from ALL the Blood Fangs.”

“Now you're starting to catch on! .” Siennas smile returned. Now, enough of the serious talk. Let’s go have some fun. Maybe you'll run into the Mystery guy again”

The party was already in full swing by the time they arrived. The music pulsed through the air, mixing with the chatter and laughter of the crowd gathered in the spacious house. The scent of wolves was unmistakable—this was Crescent Moon territory, and everyone here was part of Sienna’s pack.

Sienna led Nova through the throng of people, pausing here and there to introduce her to a few packmates. First, there was a cute wolf couple who were practically attached at the hip, then a lively brunette named June, who gave Nova an approving once-over before pulling her into a quick hug.

“Any friend of Sienna’s is a friend of mine,” June declared with a grin.

Nova smiled, feeling slightly more at ease. But then, as they moved further into the house, her gaze landed on a familiar figure across the room.

Kade.

The mysterious guy she had locked eyes with earlier was here. And judging by the way he was leaning casually against the wall, watching their approach with quiet intensity, he wasn’t just any guest—he was part of this pack.

Sienna caught where Nova was looking and smirked. “Oh, that’s Kade. He’s one of us.”

Kade pushed off the wall, his piercing blue eyes meeting Nova’s once again. There was something electric in the air between them, a tension neither of them seemed to know how to navigate.

“Kade, this is Nova,” Sienna continued. “She’s from Silver Ridge.”

Kade’s expression was unreadable, but he gave a small nod. “I figured.”

Nova wasn’t sure what to say. The moment stretched awkwardly between them until Kade broke it with an easy, “Want a drink?”

“sure,” Nova said, kind of nervous around a new, handsome prospect.

Sienna looked satisfied. “Great! I’ll leave you two to get to know each other.” With a wink, she disappeared into the crowd, leaving Nova and lade standing there alone.

They moved toward the kitchen, where Kade handed her a red cup. She took a sip, the cool liquid easing some of her nerves.

“So,” Kade said, leaning against the counter, “how’s college treating you so far?”

Nova exhaled, setting her drink down. “It’s… different. But in a good way. Feels refreshing, compared to the same s**t day after day back home.”

Kade nodded knowingly. “I get that.” He studied her for a moment , “So, do you have a boyfriend?”

Nova hesitated . “Yeah. Dorian. We’ve been together for a while, but.I’m not as emotionally attached to him as he is to me. Lately, it just feels… forced. hes in the same pack as me and I've known him since we were pups My parents are pushing the relationship , pushing us to Make a permanent bond.”

When Wolves bond physically, they bond for life. She wasn't ready for anything like that, she was young, she wanted to explore her options. She didn't mention THAT to Kade though. She just met him..

Kade giggled , excited to be talking to someone new too.. “Yeah. I know how that feels.”

Nova ws shocked. “You do?”

He nodded, gesturing subtly across the room. “That’s Dina. She’s my girlfriend.”

Nova followed his gaze to a striking woman laughing with a group of humans. “She’s… human?”

“Yeah,” Kade admitted. “And she doesn’t know about—this.” He gestured vaguely to himself. “Eventually, I’ll have to end it. My pack, my parents… they’d never let me be with someone who isn’t a wolf.”

Nova frowned. “That’s really rough. I'm sorry that you have to go through that ”

For a moment, they just stood there, two people caught between expectations and uncertainty. And for the first time in a long time, Nova felt like someone truly understood what she was going through.

Kade hesitantly asks "So, do you think you'd want to hang out with me sometime? I mean- Just as friends, of course. We can go get lunch sometime."

Nova’s hand hovered over her phone as she glanced at Kade across the room. The air between them was thick with something unspoken—something she wasn’t ready to confront just yet. They’d exchanged numbers before Dina had appeared, her sudden arrival cutting the conversation short. "whos THIS girl, Kade? Cheating on me already?" Dina acted as she was joking, but everyone knew she was serious - a jealous look on her face gave that away.

Before Nova could respond to Dina’s sharp questioning, June had swooped in, saving her from the very awkward conversation with Dina and Kade “I invited her, not like its any of YOUR business, Dina. You should have some respect for a guest of mine, You don't HAVE to be here either..” June had said, flashing a quick smile at Nova before turning to Dina. “I need to borrow her for a bit— it's personal stuff.”

Dina had forced a smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes, and Nova couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being sized up and judged. As she and Kade shared a brief glance, he didn’t seem to be in a hurry to stand up for her, and Nova couldn't help but feel disappointment, even though Kade had no responsibility to defend her. She probably shouldn'thave felt like he did. But she smiled through it anyways, said her goodbyes, and walked away with June.

Once they were out of earshot, Nova smiled. “Thanks for getting me out of that - whatever that was ,” she said to June, grateful for the timely rescue. They both let out a loud laugh as they looked back at the unhappy couple. Dina Glatred at them, Jealousy burning in her eyes.

“No problem,” June said. “Dina’s got a real attitude problem. The only reason why she's hanging around is Because Kade is hot stuff around here. If he wasn't popular, she'd want nothing to do with him. Not like he's going to stay with her, shes - human. I wouldnt be able to deal with the smell if it was ME" she let out anothe loud laugh.

Nova chuckled softly, but there was a bit of unease in her chest. “She didn’t seem too thrilled about me being here, and yeah. ... she REAKS of human I wouldn't be able to sleep next to THAT.”

June shook her head. “Yeah, well, Dina’s one of those girls who’s got her claws in deep, and she doesn’t like competition.” She leaned in quietly. “I’m not blind, I noticed the way you and Kade kept looking at each other. Chemistry’s off the charts.”

Nova’s heart skipped a beat. “He’s… gorgeous. But I’ve already got Dorian. I’m not looking for anything else.”

June raised an eyebrow but didn’t press further. “Just don’t let Dina get in your head. She’s all smoke and mirrors. You don’t have to play her game.”

Nova nodded, feeling a weight lifting slightly as June’s words settled in. But then, her thoughts turned back to Dorian. She’d been so wrapped up in the whirlwind of the party, she’d completely forgotten to check in with him. She pulled out her phone, scanning through the missed texts from him—texts that assumed she was asleep, as she'd told him earlier.

Dorian:

Hey, did you make it okay?

Call me when you can.

Good night, Nova.

She sighed, feeling a lot of guilt. He had no idea what she was stepping into, what she was starting to feel for someone else. She stuffed her phone back into her bag, not wanting to ven think about it.

As the night went on, she couldn’t stop glancing over at Kade. He seemed to be doing the same, his gaze settling on her across the crowded room. She felt a mix of curiosity and hesitation—a draw she didn’t fully understand, but she liked it - she knew at least that much.