Chapter 5: The Hunt Begins
1006 Words
The forest was silent except for the sound of Daven's footsteps.
Hours had passed since he left the council hall, yet he continued searching.
The scent had disappeared.
Wildflowers.
Fire.
Moonlight.
No matter how hard he tried, he could no longer find its source.
Frustration burned inside him.
"Damn it."
His wolf growled in agreement.
For ten years he had lived with the memory of a girl who vanished without explanation.
Now a mysterious woman appeared carrying a scent that awakened feelings he thought had died long ago.
And she disappeared before he could learn her name.
"Daven."
Marcus emerged from the darkness.
The Beta had tracked him down once again.
"You skipped another council meeting."
Daven sighed.
"Let me guess. My father is angry."
"Furious."
A faint smirk appeared on Marcus's face.
"Good."
Marcus shook his head.
"You've changed since that night."
Daven didn't answer.
Because Marcus was right.
Something had changed.
The emptiness that had followed him for years was gone.
Replaced by questions.
Questions only one woman could answer.
Meanwhile...
Inside the hidden resistance camp, Verra stood in a clearing surrounded by warriors.
A wooden training sword rested in her hand.
Across from her stood six resistance fighters.
"Attack together," she ordered.
The warriors hesitated.
"My Lady—"
"Together."
The moment she finished speaking, all six charged.
The training ground exploded into motion.
Verra dodged the first strike.
Blocked the second.
Swept the legs from beneath a third attacker.
Within seconds, all six warriors lay on the ground.
The camp erupted into cheers.
Elder Rowan laughed.
"Remind me never to challenge you."
Verra smiled.
"You wouldn't survive."
The old warrior placed a hand over his chest dramatically.
"Such cruelty."
The camp laughed.
For the first time in years, hope filled the resistance.
Their true Luna had returned.
And she was becoming stronger every day.
But Verra's smile faded when a scout suddenly entered the clearing.
His face was pale.
"Elder Rowan."
The camp instantly fell silent.
"What is it?" Rowan asked.
The scout swallowed hard.
"Geneva has increased patrols along every border."
Verra's expression darkened.
"How many?"
"Twice the usual number."
Rowan cursed under his breath.
"She's hunting us."
The scout nodded.
"There is more."
Everyone waited.
"Geneva has placed a bounty on the rightful heir."
The camp erupted with angry murmurs.
Verra remained calm.
"How much?"
The scout hesitated.
"One thousand gold coins."
The clearing fell silent.
That amount of money could tempt almost anyone.
Even loyal wolves.
Geneva wasn't just searching anymore.
She was preparing for war.
Several days later...
The Dragon Fire Palace.
Geneva Dragona sat upon her throne.
Beside her stood Sylvia Dragona.
Unlike her aunt, Sylvia looked uncomfortable.
"The wedding preparations are progressing well," Sylvia said carefully.
Geneva smiled.
"They should."
Sylvia lowered her gaze.
"What if Daven refuses?"
Geneva's expression became cold.
"He won't."
"And if he does?"
The older woman slowly stood.
"Then Storm Wind Pack will learn the cost of defiance."
Sylvia shivered.
She had grown up under Geneva's rule.
She knew exactly what that meant.
War.
Later that evening...
A lone rider approached the borders of Storm Wind territory.
The guards immediately surrounded him.
"Halt!"
The rider raised both hands.
"I carry a message from the Dragon Fire Pack."
Within an hour, the messenger stood before Alpha Fredrick Morgan.
Daven and Marcus were also present.
The messenger handed over a sealed scroll.
Fredrick broke the seal.
As he read the contents, his expression darkened.
"What is it?" Marcus asked.
Fredrick handed him the letter.
Marcus read it aloud.
"'The wedding between Alpha Daven Morgan and Lady Sylvia Dragona shall take place during the next full moon. Any delay will be considered an act of hostility against the Dragon Fire Pack.'"
The room became silent.
Daven's fists clenched.
The next full moon.
Two weeks away.
Geneva was forcing their hand.
Fredrick looked toward his son.
"You understand now?"
Daven's silver eyes flashed.
"No."
His father frowned.
"No?"
"I understand that Geneva is threatening us."
The Alpha's aura filled the room.
Power rolled from him like a storm.
"And I don't respond well to threats."
For the first time, even Fredrick seemed concerned.
Because he recognized that look.
Daven was reaching his limit.
That same night...
Verra stood atop a cliff overlooking the distant Storm Wind territory.
The moon illuminated the valley below.
Her hand rested over her heart.
Ever since the night beneath the Narra Tree, the mate bond had been growing stronger.
She could feel him.
Not clearly.
Not completely.
But enough.
Enough to know he was searching.
Enough to know fate was pulling them closer together.
A twig snapped behind her.
She immediately reached for her dagger.
"Easy."
Verra relaxed when she recognized Rowan.
The old warrior approached quietly.
"You should be sleeping."
She smiled faintly.
"I could say the same thing."
Rowan stood beside her.
For a while, neither spoke.
Then he asked the question she had been avoiding.
"When are you going to tell him?"
Verra froze.
The wind howled across the cliff.
"I don't know."
"You still love him."
It wasn't a question.
Verra closed her eyes.
"Yes."
The answer came so quietly it was almost lost in the wind.
Rowan nodded.
"And what if he hates you?"
Pain flashed across her face.
That was the fear she carried every day.
The fear that Daven still believed she abandoned him.
The fear that ten years had changed everything.
Before she could answer, a strange sensation suddenly shot through her chest.
Her wolf stirred.
Alert.
Excited.
Verra's eyes widened.
Somewhere far away...
Daven had felt it too.
The mate bond.
For the briefest moment, their emotions brushed against one another.
Longing.
Loneliness.
Hope.
Then the connection vanished.
Leaving both of them breathless.
And for the first time, Daven became certain of one thing.
The mysterious woman wasn't a stranger.
She was connected to him.
In a way neither of them yet understood.
And somewhere in the shadows, the Moon Goddess smiled.
Because the path of true mates had finally begun.
- Writer
