The Silver Wolf Series

Chapter Eight - Family Dinner

Dinner at the Moonstone house was supposed to be sacred.

No matter what happened during the day—pack business, territorial disputes, training

sessions that ran long—the family gathered at six o'clock sharp around the heavy oak

table in the dining room. It was one of Kieran's few unbreakable rules, a tradition he'd

maintained even after their mother died. Especially after their mother died.

Tonight, Fiona would have given anything to break it.

She sat in her usual chair, the one facing the window that overlooked the pack lands,

and tried to focus on the plate of food in front of her. Roasted chicken, potatoes, green

beans—all of it prepared by Mrs. Callahan, the pack's head cook, who still insisted on

sending meals to the Alpha's family despite Kieran's protests that they could fend for

themselves. The food smelled delicious. Fiona's stomach churned at the sight of it.

Across from her, Siobhan was holding her phone at arm's length, angling it to catch the

golden light streaming through the window. Her younger sister—seventeen and blissfully

unaware of anything beyond her own reflection—pursed her lips in that practiced pout

that seemed to be required for every photo these days. "Siobhan," Kieran said without looking up from his own plate. "Phone away during dinner. You know the rules." "Just one more, Dad, the lighting is perfect right now." Siobhan snapped three more photos in rapid succession, her red hair—the same shade as Fiona's and Ennis's—cascading over one shoulder in carefully arranged waves. "Besides, I need to post something before the pack run tonight. Aiden Briarwood has been watching my stories, and I want him to see—""Phone. Away." Kieran's voice carried that Alpha edge that meant the discussion was over. Cian reinforced the command with a low growl of authority that made Siobhan pause her excited chatter. Siobhan sighed dramatically but complied, setting her phone face-down on the table beside her plate. ‘You're all so old-fashioned. Everyone posts during dinner now. It's, like, a thing." "Then everyone can be rude together," Ennis said, reaching for the serving bowl of potatoes. "Revolutionary."

Inside Ennis's mind, his wolf Niall was alert and watchful. The future alpha wolf had been on

edge since they'd returned from the river, sensing something wrong in the pack

dynamics. Father is tense. Sister is afraid. Something happened. Niall's protective

instincts were fully engaged, scanning for threats even at the family dinner table.

"You're just jealous because your last post got, like, twelve likes." Siobhan speared a

green bean with her fork, examining it critically before taking a tiny bite. "I got three hundred on my shift announcement photo. Three hundred, Ennis. That's practically viral for our pack."

Fiona's fork clattered against her plate. The sound seemed unnaturally loud in the

sudden silence that followed. "Shift announcement?" The words came out strangled. "What shift announcement?" Niall's attention snapped to his sister immediately. Fiona. Something wrong with Fiona. Danger? The wolf pressed forward, trying to assess the threat through Ennis's senses. Siobhan rolled her eyes, that particular expression of teenage exasperation that

suggested Fiona had just asked the stupidest question in the world. "Uh, my eighteenth birthday? Which is in, like, two weeks? The shift I'm going to have at the ceremony?" She said it slowly, as if speaking to a child. "You know, the thing that literally everyone in the pack has been talking about?" Two weeks. Siobhan would shift in two weeks. The room tilted. Fiona gripped the edge of the table, her knuckles going white. She could feel Kieran's eyes on her, sharp and assessing. Could feel Ennis glancing between them, sensing the tension but not understanding its source. “I didn't realize it was so soon," Fiona managed. Niall growled low in Ennis's mind. Father knows something. Fiona knows something. They're hiding it. WHAT IS THE THREAT? The future alpha wolf's protective instincts flared hot and urgent. "Well, it is." Siobhan was back to her food, cutting her chicken into precise, tiny pieces. "And I've been doing so much research about first shifts. Did you know that the color of your wolf can sometimes be predicted by your personality traits? Like, there's this whole t****k series about it. Apparently, if you're creative and empathetic, you might get a lighter coat. If you're aggressive and dominant, darker." She

paused, considering. "I'm hoping for something pretty. Like Ennis's wolf—that russet color is gorgeous. Or maybe something unique, you know? Something that'll photograph well."

"Photograph well," Fiona repeated numbly. "Obviously." Siobhan gestured with her fork. "The shift ceremony is going to be the event of the season. Everyone will be there, everyone will be posting about it. I need to look good. Well, my wolf needs to look good. You know what I mean." Fiona knew exactly what she meant. And the knowledge was suffocating.

She looked at her sister—really looked at her—and saw a child. A beautiful, vain, silly

child who cared about likes and followers and whether boys thought she was pretty. A

child who had no idea that in two weeks, she might become something that would make

her a target for the rest of her life. If Siobhan was a silver wolf... Fiona's throat closed. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't think past the image of her sister—her baby sister who still slept with a stuffed wolf she'd had since childhood, who cried during sad movies, who spent hours perfecting her makeup—being hunted. Being captured. Being bred like livestock by monsters who saw silver wolves as nothing more than valuable property. "Fiona?" Ennis's voice cut through her spiraling thoughts. Niall was snarling in his mind, alarm bells ringing. Sister is in distress. Father is watching her. Something is WRONG. What are they hiding? "You okay? You look like you're going to be sick." "I'm fine." The lie tasted like ash. "Just tired. It's been a long day."

Niall didn't believe it. Not fine. Lying. Both of them lying. Father and Fiona both know

something. The future alpha wolf's protective instincts were screaming now, demanding

answers, demanding to know what threat his family was facing. “Because of the rogues?" Siobhan perked up, her attention finally shifting from her own concerns. “Ennis told us about the shadows. That's so creepy. Do you think it was, like, a witch or something? I read about this pack in Oregon that had a witch problem last year. She could do all sorts of crazy stuff—"

"It wasn't a witch," Kieran said firmly. His eyes met Fiona's across the table, and she

saw the same fear she felt reflected back at her. Cian was there too, pressing close to

the surface, his grief and protective fury a palpable presence. He was thinking it too.

Wondering if Siobhan carried their mother's bloodline. Wondering if in two weeks, they'd

have two silver wolves to hide instead of one. "It was likely another predator. A bear,

perhaps, or a mountain lion. The patrols are investigating." Niall's skepticism was immediate and sharp. Not a bear. Not a mountain lion. Father is lying. Why is Father lying? The wolf's instincts were screaming that something far more dangerous was at play. "A bear that leaves shadow-corpses?" Siobhan wrinkled her nose. Enya shuddered in her mind. Scary. Don't like. Want to think about pretty things instead. "That's weird even for nature." "Nature is often weird," Ennis said, but his gaze was fixed on Fiona. Niall was focused entirely on his sister now, reading every micro-expression, every tension in her body language. She's terrified. Not of rogues. Of something else. Something to do with Sister's shift. "You sure you're alright? You've barely touched your food." Fiona looked down at her plate. He was right—she'd managed maybe three bites, pushing the rest around in a pathetic pretense of eating. "Just not very hungry."

"You need to eat," Kieran said, and there was something in his voice—a plea disguised

as a command. Cian reinforced it with desperate concern. Must stay strong. Must

protect both daughters. Can't lose them like we lost Elara. "You need to keep your

strength up." For what? Fiona wanted to ask. For running? For fighting? For watching my sister

potentially become the same thing I am and being powerless to protect her?

Instead, she picked up her fork and forced down a bite of chicken. It sat in her stomach

like a stone. "So," Siobhan continued, oblivious to the undercurrents swirling around the table, "I wasthinking about my shift ceremony outfit. I know I'll be naked after, obviously, but the

before photos are important too." "I'm thinking something flowy, maybe that blue dress I got last month? It would look amazing in the moonlight. And then for the after-shift photos, I'll need to have clothes nearby, but like, artfully placed, you know? Nothing tacky.”

“You’ve put a lot of thought into this," Ennis observed, a hint of amusement in his voice.

But Niall wasn't amused. The future alpha wolf was cataloging every reaction around the

table, every tension, every unspoken fear. "It's literally the most important night of my life," Siobhan said seriously. "Well, except for when I meet my mate. That'll be even bigger. But this is a close second." She turned to Fiona, her green eyes—their mother's eyes— bright with excitement. "You must have been so disappointed when yours didn't happen. I felt so bad for you." The sympathy in her voice was genuine, which somehow made it worse. Siobhan felt

sorry for her. Poor Fiona, the wolfless sister. Poor Fiona, who would never know the joy of shifting, of running with the pack, of being whole. If only she knew.

"It was disappointing," Fiona said carefully. "But I've adjusted." "I mean, you have to, right?" Siobhan reached for her water glass. "It's not like you have a choice. At least you're still part of the pack. Dad would never let anyone exclude you, even if you can't shift. That's something."

That's something. As if being tolerated was a gift. As if pity was kindness.

Fiona wanted to scream. Wanted to shift right here at the dinner table, let her silver fur

gleam in the lamplight, show them all exactly what she was. Wanted to grab Siobhan by

the shoulders and shake her, tell her that in two weeks she might become something

that would destroy her shallow, simple life forever. But she couldn't. Because Kieran was right—the fewer people who knew, the safer she was. The safer they all were. "Siobhan," Kieran said, his voice carefully neutral, "have you given any thought to what you'll do if your shift doesn't happen on your birthday?" Cian pressed forward with the question, needing to know, needing to prepare for every possibility. Siobhan laughed, the sound light and carefree. "Dad, come on. That's not going to happen. I can already feel my wolf. She's right there, just waiting. I'm not like—" She stopped abruptly, her eyes widening as she realized what she'd been about to say.

"Not like me," Fiona finished flatly. "It's okay. You can say it." "I didn't mean—" Siobhan's cheeks flushed. "I just meant that I can feel her, you know? She talks to me sometimes. Tells me things. So I know she's there." Fiona's blood ran cold. "She talks to you?"

"Well, not like, actual words. More like... feelings? Impressions?" Siobhan tilted her

head, considering. Her wolf, Enya, chimed in playfully. Like the red dress! I liked the red one

better! Told her so! She listened! "Like earlier today, I was trying to decide between two

outfits, and I could feel her preference. She liked the red one better. Isn't that cool?"

Kieran had gone very still. Cian surged forward with sudden, terrible understanding. She

hears her wolf. Already communicating. Like Mate did. Like the blessed ones do. Fiona

could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw tightened. He was thinking the

same thing she was; silver wolves were blessed by the moon goddess. They had gifts.

Foresight. Hindsight. The ability to sense things others couldn't.

If Siobhan could already hear her wolf, already sense its preferences and feelings...

Niall caught the shift in his father's demeanor immediately. Father is afraid. Truly afraid.

Not of rogues. Of Siobhan's shift. Why? What does it mean? The future alpha wolf's

protective instincts flared hotter, more urgent. Must understand the threat. Must protect

the pack. Must protect sisters. "That's normal," Ennis said, breaking the tension. But even as he spoke, Niall was growling in disagreement. Not normal. Father's reaction says it's not normal. Something is very wrong here. "I could feel my wolf before I shifted too. It's part of the process."

"Right," Kieran agreed, but his voice was strained. Cian's fear bled through every word.

"Perfectly normal." Niall wasn't convinced. Lying. They're all lying. Something about Sister's shift terrifies them. What aren't they telling us? Siobhan beamed, reassured. "See? I told you guys I was going to have an amazing shift. I can just feel it. My wolf is going to be beautiful and strong, and everyone's going to be so impressed." She picked up her phone and checked the screen. "Oh! Aiden just liked my last post. The one from this morning by the lake. Do you think that means something? "And just like that, she was back to her shallow concerns, her teenage obsessions. Enya was right there with her, already planning the next post, the next photo, the next moment of attention and validation. As if the last few minutes hadn't happened. As if she

hadn't just revealed something that made Fiona's worst fears seem terrifyingly possible.

Fiona pushed back from the table, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. "I need

some air." "Fiona—" Kieran started. “I’m fine. I just need a minute." She was already moving toward the door, desperate to escape the suffocating normalcy of it all. Behind her, she could hear Siobhan asking what was wrong, hear Ennis murmuring something about the rogue attack, hear Kieranmaking excuses. Niall was snarling in Ennis's mind. Go after her. Find out what's wrong. Protect her. But Ennis stayed seated, recognizing that Fiona needed space, even as his wolf demanded action She made it to the back porch before the tears came.

The evening air was cool against her flushed skin, carrying the scent of pine and earth

and the distant promise of rain. Fiona gripped the porch railing, her whole body shaking

with the force of emotions she couldn't name. Fear. Rage. Helplessness.

Siobhan was going to shift in two weeks. And if she was a silver wolf—if she carried

their mother's blessing—then everything Fiona had learned today, every terrible truth

Kieran had revealed, would apply to her too. Her baby sister would become a target.

Would be hunted. Would spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder, wondering

if every stranger was an enemy, if every day might be her last. And there was nothing Fiona could do to stop it. The door opened behind her. She didn't need to turn to know it was Kieran. She could feel his presence, solid and steady, as he came to stand beside her. Cian was there too, his grief and protective fury a palpable weight in the air. "She might not be," he said quietly. "Silver wolves are rare. The chances of both of you —" "But she might be." Fiona's voice was raw. "You heard her. She can already sense her wolf. That's not normal, is it? Not like that."

Kieran was silent for a long moment. Cian's acknowledgment was heavy with dread.

"No," he admitted finally. "It's not." "So what do we do?" "We wait. We watch. And if she shifts into something... extraordinary... we protect her the same way we're protecting you." He put a hand on her shoulder. Cian reinforced the promise with fierce determination. Will protect both daughters. Won't fail again. Won't lose them like we lost Mate. "We keep her safe, Fiona. No matter what." "How?" The word came out as a sob. "How do we keep her safe when she doesn't even understand the danger? When she's so focused on photos and boys and being pretty

that she can't see what's really at stake?" "We teach her," Kieran said. "If we have to. If it comes to that. But Fiona—" He turned her to face him, his hands on both her shoulders now. "We can't live in fear of what might happen. We can only deal with what is. Right now, Siobhan is a normal teenage girl about to have her first shift. Let her have that. Let her have these last two weeks of innocence." "And if she's like me?" "Then we'll face it together." His eyes were fierce, determined. Cian's vow echoed through his words. Together. As pack. As family. Will protect them both. "All of us. As a family." Fiona wanted to believe him. Wanted to trust that they could protect Siobhan, that they could keep her safe from the hunters, from the terrible fate that awaited silver wolves. But she'd seen what her mother's protection had cost. Had heard the story of Elara leading the hunters away, sacrificing herself so her children could live. What if history repeated itself? What if in two weeks, Siobhan became something that would require the same sacrifice? What if Fiona had to be the one to make it? "I can't lose her," Fiona whispered. "I can't watch her go through what I'm going through. She's too young, too innocent. She doesn't deserve this." "Neither did you," Kieran said gently. "Neither did your mother. But the moon goddess

doesn't ask permission, Fiona. She doesn't consider what we deserve. She simply... is."

Inside, through the window, Fiona could see Siobhan laughing at something Ennis had

said, her phone in her hand, probably already composing her next post. Enya was there

too, playful and excited, completely unaware of the danger that might be waiting. She

looked so happy. So blissfully, beautifully unaware. In two weeks, that might all change.

And Fiona would have to watch it happen, powerless to stop it, carrying the weight of

knowledge that her sister didn't yet possess. The secret of what they might both be. The terrible, beautiful, cursed gift of the silver wolf.