18

Midnight brought no sleep to the Nightshade compound. The air hummed with preparation as warriors sharpened weapons, checked armor, and made final adjustments to gear that might mean the difference between life and death. Torches blazed in every window, casting dancing shadows across stone walls that had stood for generations but might not see another dawn.

I found myself in the armory, watching Elena help distribute weapons to wolves who would ride out before sunrise. Her movements were efficient despite the tremor in her hands the aftermath of her false accusation still haunted her features, but she worked with determined focus.

"Here," she said, approaching me with a leather-wrapped bundle. "Moira thought you might need these."

I unwrapped the bundle to reveal a set of throwing knives, their blades gleaming with silver inlay. The balance was perfect, the craftsmanship exquisite. These were not weapons for a servant or prisoner they were tools meant for a warrior.

"Why?" I asked, running my thumb along one blade's edge.

"Because tomorrow you'll be fighting beside our Alpha," Elena replied simply. "And dead allies help no one."

The reality of it struck me then. In less than six hours, I would be riding into battle against my former pack, wielding supernatural powers I barely understood in service of wolves who had every reason to hate me.

"Elena," I said quietly, "if I don't return "

"You will." Her voice carried surprising conviction. "I've seen you survive things that would break lesser wolves. You'll survive this too."

Her faith was touching, even if I didn't share it. Too many variables, too many unknowns. My powers were unpredictable, my knowledge of current Bloodfang tactics was months out of date, and I would be fighting alongside warriors who still viewed me with suspicion.

But the alternative was waiting in the compound while Kael's forces overwhelmed the defenses, then watching him reclaim me as his prisoner. That fate held no appeal whatsoever.

"Selene." Darius's voice cut through the armory's noise. "A word."

I turned to find him standing in the doorway, his expression unreadable. He wore full battle gear now black leather reinforced with steel plates, weapons gleaming at his belt and across his back. In the torchlight, he looked every inch the dangerous Alpha his reputation claimed him to be.

I followed him from the armory into a smaller chamber adjacent to the main hall. Maps covered the walls here too, but these showed deeper tactical details supply routes, communication networks, contingency plans for various defeat scenarios.

"Second thoughts?" he asked, closing the door behind us.

"About which part? The battle, the strategy, or trusting former enemies with my life?"

His lips quirked in what might have been amusement. "All of the above."

I moved to study one of the wall maps, noting the evacuation routes marked in blue ink. "Your people will be safe if we fail?"

"As safe as we can make them. The deep cave systems connect to other territories they can reach allied packs if necessary."

"Good." I traced one route with my finger, memorizing the path in case circumstances required desperate measures. "And if we succeed?"

"Then we've prevented a war that would have consumed half the region." Darius approached to stand beside me, close enough that I could smell his scent pine and steel and something uniquely wild. "But success will depend entirely on your intelligence being accurate."

"It is."

"And your abilities manifesting when we need them."

That was the unknown variable, the factor that could destroy everything regardless of how perfect our planning might be. "I can't guarantee that," I admitted. "The power seems to respond to extreme stress or danger, but I have no conscious control over it."

"Then we'll have to ensure you face sufficient danger," he said dryly.

Despite everything, I found myself almost smiling. "I don't think that will be a problem."

We stood in comfortable silence for a moment, studying the maps and considering the magnitude of what we were attempting. Tomorrow would bring either victory or complete destruction there seemed to be no middle ground.

"Why?" I asked suddenly.

"Why what?"

"Why trust me with this? You have experienced warriors, proven tacticians. Why risk everything on the word of a former enemy?"

Darius was quiet for so long I thought he might not answer. When he finally spoke, his voice was softer than I had ever heard it.

"Because you've already lost everything once and chose to keep fighting. That kind of strength is rare." His gray eyes met mine, holding them with surprising intensity. "And because my instincts tell me you're exactly what you claim to be a wolf seeking justice rather than revenge."

The distinction was subtle but important. Revenge was personal, often blind to collateral damage. Justice considered consequences, weighed costs against benefits.

"What if my quest for justice gets your warriors killed?" I asked.

"Then we'll die fighting for something worthwhile rather than huddling behind walls waiting for the inevitable." He moved closer, close enough that I could see the flecks of silver in his gray eyes. "I'd rather trust a dangerous ally than face certain defeat alone."

Something passed between us in that moment not the mate bond I had shared with Kael, but something else. Recognition, perhaps. Or the beginning of something deeper that neither of us dared name.

"Darius," I said quietly, "there's something else you should know. About what happened in the testing circle, about the power I manifested."

His expression sharpened. "What about it?"

"It's growing stronger. Each time it manifests, each time I'm forced to use it, the energy becomes more focused, more responsive." I held up my hand, letting silver light dance across my fingers like captured starfire. "I think it's trying to teach me something."

"What kind of something?"

"I don't know yet. But the visions, the dreams, the voice that calls me 'child of forgotten flame' they're all connected to something larger than just enhanced abilities."

Darius watched the light play across my skin with fascination rather than fear. "Show me."

I concentrated, willing the power to manifest more fully. Silver radiance flowed from my hands, forming shapes in the air weapons, shields, even what looked like wings. The energy was warm, almost alive, responding to my thoughts with increasing precision.

"Incredible," he breathed.

"Dangerous," I corrected. "I don't know what I'm becoming, Darius. What if the power consumes me? What if I become the very threat your pack fears?"

He reached out slowly, his fingers brushing the edge of the silver light. Instead of burning him, the energy seemed to welcome his touch, wrapping around his hand like a gentle caress.

"Then I'll stop you," he said simply. "If necessary."

The promise should have been threatening, but somehow it felt like comfort instead. Whatever I was becoming, I wouldn't face it alone.

A knock at the door interrupted the moment. Marcus entered, his expression urgent.

"Alpha, the strike force is ready. We should move soon if we want to reach the interception point before dawn."

Darius nodded, stepping back from me and the fading light around my hands. "Five minutes."

As Marcus left, Darius turned back to me. "Are you ready for this?"

I thought of all the reasons I should say no the untested powers, the uncertain loyalties, the very real possibility that we were all riding to our deaths. But I also thought of Elena's faith, of the wolves who had died because of intelligence I could have prevented from being gathered, of the chance to finally strike back at those who had betrayed me.

"I'm ready," I said.

"Then let's go to war."

We left the chamber together, moving toward the stables where thirty of Nightshade's finest warriors waited with horses saddled and weapons gleaming. As we walked, I felt the power settling deeper into my bones, preparing for whatever the night might bring.

Behind us, the compound blazed with activity as the remaining defenders prepared for siege. Ahead lay the wilderness where Bloodfang's elite forces moved through the darkness, confident in their tactical superiority.

They had no idea that the Luna they had cast aside was coming for them.

And this time, I would not be dragged away in chains.