Shattered skies

blood Rite and mending bonds

The clinic was filled with the soft, clinical sounds of preparation. Usually, this was Fraya’s domain alone, but tonight, Astrid moved beside her in a comfortable, practiced silence. Together, they smoothed crisp white linens over the infirmary beds and stocked the cabinets with fresh bandages and glass vials of mountain-grown tinctures. The refugees would be arriving by dawn, and there was a strange peace in the manual labor.

​Once the last tray was sterilized, the two retreated to the small kitchenette in the back. The scent of rich cocoa began to drift through the air, cutting through the sharp smell of antiseptic.

​Astrid perched herself on the edge of the sofa, clutching the one-eyed stuffed wolf. She looked pale, her green hair appearing almost dull in the dim light of the clinic. As Fraya sat down with two steaming mugs, Astrid didn't hesitate. She crawled onto her newfound mother's lap, tucking her head under Fraya’s chin and curling her small body into a ball.

​Fraya blew gently on her cocoa, the steam rising in the quiet room as she stroked Astrid's back.

​Within minutes, Astrid’s breathing slowed into the deep, heavy rhythm of sleep. Fraya’s hand moved instinctively, stroking the girl’s hair. She felt the faint, thrumming warmth beneath the green strands—a remnant of the energy she’d seen in the garden. Both Fraya and her wolf looked at the hair with curiosity.

​It’s her heart, Fraya thought, her gaze fixed on the girl's peaceful face. The magic isn't separate from her; it’s fueled by her emotions. Every spark, every glow, is just a reflection of what she’s feeling.

​A spark of hope flickered in Fraya’s chest. If the magic was tied to her feelings, then maybe they didn't have to send her away. If they could teach her to master her emotions—to find a center of calm even in a storm—she could stay here. She could be part of the pack house without being dangerous to the pack . They have done this several times for other pack members when they were refugees surely they could teach this child to as well. They just needed time. They needed a way to teach the child the discipline of a warrior.

​Fraya picked Astrid up gently and carried her to one of the beds in the clinic. At a desk, Fraya watched as Astrid slept and wrote her report. Her wolf purring happily in her head.

​An hour later, Fraya made her way toward the Alpha’s wing. The leather folder of observations was tucked under her arm. She reached the heavy oak doors, her hand hovering just inches from the wood, ready to knock.

​Before her knuckles could make contact, a sharp, clear voice rang through her mind.

​“Fraya, come to my office,” Anastasia’s mindlink was steady, but there was an underlying tension that made Fraya’s pulse quicken. Feeling both confused and curious, she took a deep breath. “The twins are here with me. It’s time we all spoke. This also includes speaking about that girl.” Fraya adjusted her grip on the folder, and gently pushed the doors open. "I'm actually already here. I came to report and talk to you about the girl. "

The heavy oak doors creaked as they yielded to Fraya’s touch. The transition from the warm, medical herb and chocolate-scented peace of the clinic to the sharp, static-charged tension of the Alpha’s office was jarring.

​The room felt small, despite its high ceilings. Dino was pacing near the window like a caged predator, his shoulders tight enough to snap. Clayso stood by the bookshelf, her fingers restlessly tracing the spine of a stray volume, her dark stormy blue-green eyes darting between her brother and her mother. In the center of it all sat Anastasia, her silhouette framed by the silver moonlight, looking every bit the Alpha—but with a weariness in her eyes that Fraya rarely saw. At the mention of the girl the twins look in Fraya's direction for a moment. Their eyes lightning up with hope before distracting themselves again.

​The air between the three of them was thick, vibrating with the unspoken words of a family at a breaking point. Fraya stepped into the circle of light, the leather folder of observations feeling like lead in her arms. She could practically feel the tension in the air mixed with a mother’s protective aura that Anastasia was projecting.

​The silence held for a heartbeat too long until Anastasia finally broke it. She didn't look at Fraya immediately; instead, she kept her gaze fixed on her children.

​"Now that everyone is here, we can get started," Anastasia said, her voice dropping into a low, steady resonance that demanded order. She finally turned her head toward the door, her eyes meeting Fraya’s with a silent plea for support.

​"Fraya," Anastasia continued, her hands clasping together on the desk, "it’s time we tell the twins why we ran from their father."

​The air seemed to leave the room. Dino stopped his pacing mid-stride, his head snapping toward his mother. Clayso’s hand dropped from the bookshelf, her curiosity piqued. For years, the topic of their father had been a shadowed corner of their lives—a "before" that was never allowed to be discussed.

​Dino’s jaw tightened, his Alpha-in-training energy flaring. "What does our father have to do with the girl in the clinic? Why are we digging up the past now? And why does that give you the right to keep us from her?"

​Fraya stepped closer to the desk, her healer's instincts sensing the spike in his heart rate. She looked at Anastasia, waiting for the signal to help explain.

The silence that followed was suffocating. Anastasia leaned forward, her voice dropping into a hollow, jagged whisper.

​"I know you guys are only twelve. Trust me, I thought I had until you we're eighteen like normal wolves, but you undeniably found your mate so... I can't keep you blind to the danger ahead. Your father’s pack, The Twin Moon Pack wasn't just a territory we left, kids. It was a prison built on a blood-soaked tradition we fled from. You know the history of Alphas—strength, unity, protection. But your father’s pack... they believed in a different kind of strength. They believed that twins were a flaw in the lineage. Two Alpha’s couldn't rule one pack together. So they had one consumed the other's "potential"."

​Clayso’s breath hitched, her fingers digging into the spine of the book she held. "What are you saying, Mom?"

​"The Rite of the Twin Moon," Fraya added softly, her voice filled with a healer's disgust. She looked at the twins, her heart aching for the burden they didn't know they carried. "In that pack, when an Alpha has twins, they are raised as rivals, never allies. And when they find their mate, they force them to bond with their mate. And when the bond is at its peak—they are forced to fight. To kill the other. The survivor takes the mate and becomes alpha, supposedly with doubling their power through the blood and flesh of their sibling." Anastasia letting a tear slip at the memories of the past flooded her mind.

​Dino recoiled as if he’d been struck, his Alpha energy flickering like a dying candle before roaring back to life with a defensive snarl. "You think... you think we would kill each other? For her? If he told us to?"

​"I think your father wouldn't simple just ask you. He is so mentally gone that he would do anything to get you to do what he wants, and I mean anything." Anastasia snapped, her eyes flashing with a rare, terrifying golden light of her wolf. "He wasn't always a monster. I was in love with both him and his twin brother; they were both my mates... But after the Rite he changed. He became crazed after killing his brother. He didn't just want one of you to be Alpha. He wanted to create a monster. I ran to Fraya and had her take us here. I ran because I refused to let him turn your love for each other—and your love for your mate—into a weapon. If he finds out you’ve found her..."

​She gestured toward the folder on her desk.

​"He won't just come for her," Anastasia whispered. "He'll come to force you to destroy one another to get her back." She sighed with guilt " I know this doesn't excuse my actions, or why I used my Alpha command on the two of you. With my mind clear now , I can see that I overreacted." She paused remembering the look on her children's face when she did it. The guilt of her actions threatening to consume her.

Leto within Anastasia's mind saw her human finally seeing the error of her actions, decided to give her a push in the right direction to help mend the mother and pup's bond."maybe you should apologize properly. I did tell you would regret it and now you do but it seem like you came to your senses and are try to correct it. So I'll help a little, it won't fix everything but it will help the mending process... You need to revoke your command." Anastasia looked between her pups, tears starting to blur her vision as she took a deep breath. "I, Anastasia Lykos, Alpha of the Whispering Willows pack. Revoke my command on Dino Lykos and Clayso Lykos future Alphas of the Whispering Willows pack. " Dino and Clayso stop and looked at their mother in disbelief as their mother humbled herself apologizing to them, and felt the command over them break. Anastasia wiping her tears, took a deep breath " I know this will never fully make up for what I did but im hoping it can be a start to mending your trust in me." Dino and Clayso looked at each other and nodded coming to hug their mother. Fraya looking at everyone reconciling felt like it was the right time to bring up Astrid aka the "girl that fell from the sky." Stepping forward getting Anastasia's attention. " It looks like now would be a good time to talk about the girl you brought to my clinic." Anastasia nodding in agreement for her to continue. Getting the attention of the Twins to at the mention of their mate. But was confused as to why Fraya was referring to her as the girl instead of Astrid.

With everyone's attention on her, Fraya began her report. ​"Based on my observations at the clinic . . . And in the incident in the pack garden," Fraya began , clearing her throat hoping Anastasia would ask what happened opened the folder. Anastasia raised a questioning eyebrow but stayed silent. " she is not human but I also don't know what she is yet. I need more time to observe her. And unfortunately she still cant remember anything." Fraya paused and sighed. "Her physiology is... unique. She appears to be about 7 to 9 years old. But the most important finding so far is the trigger of her powers."

​She looked at the twins, then at Anastasia. "Her magic is purely emotional. In the garden, when she became distressed, I saw a pale green pulse in her hair. It wasn’t a trick of the light; it was a manifestation of her internal state. When I calmed her, the energy dissipated."

​Fraya turned a page, her expression darkening. " This means she can be taught to control it through emotional discipline, much like we train our warriors to control their shifts. But it also means that if she is ever truly terrified or heartbroken... the repercussions are still unknown, but from the power that I felt it's nothing good."

​Dino and Clayso stepped closer to the desk, their eyes searching the folder as if they could see Astrid through the notes." So what does that mean?" Said Clayso, as Artemis paced in her mind thinking of ways they could help their mate. Dino and Apollo both were holding back from running out of there to protect her. If it wasn't about their mate they would have already run to the clinic to be with her.

​"It depends on her surroundings," Fraya corrected gently. "But the bond you share with her might be a key part to helping her, It can help calm her. But it's also a double-edged sword, If you are in pain or danger, her magic will react. To protect her, you three must learn to balance your emotions as one." Anastasia listened to everything and came up with a quick solution. Also hoping this will help the twins forgive her. Leto agreeing with her human's idea.Anastasia leaned back, her eyes moving between Dino and Clayso as a spark of the old, tactical Alpha returned. "If her magic responds to the bond, then keeping you apart is a liability, not a safeguard. Starting tomorrow, you will be her anchors. She will start training once she has settled in. You will join her at the clinic to learn the discipline she needs to help her learn how to control her powers. Your own training is also going to be increased." She looked at Fraya." Fraya, I also would like you and her to move in to the pack house. We will discuss this later since you and your wolf claimed her as your pup." Then she turned back to her pups, her voice dropping into a solemn vow. "We are going to teach her how to survive. And we are going to do it together."