The cheering had barely faded when Adriana slipped away from the ring. Her body moved like it was on fire, blood humming with adrenaline, but her heart was still fractured. She had claimed her place as Luna in front of the pack—but not in front of Adrian.
And he had said nothing.
She found him standing in the corridor near the East garden, his arms crossed, jaw clenched like stone.
"You didn't tell me," he said.
Adriana didn't flinch. "You didn't earn the truth."
His gaze burned into hers. "You think taking the mantle like that makes you ready to lead?"
"I think exposing the truth makes me more of a leader than you've ever been."
That hit hard. Adrian's eyes flashed, and for a heartbeat, she thought he might walk away.
Instead, he stepped forward. "I made a mistake. But everything I did was to protect you."
"You watched me like a threat. Not a partner."
"I've done things I regret," he said, his voice low. "But what I feel for you is real, Adriana. It's the only thing that's ever felt real."
She wanted to believe him. But the wound was still too fresh.
"Then prove it," she whispered. "Tell me everything. No more secrets."
Adrian hesitated. Then nodded. "Meet me at the ruins tonight. Alone."
---
Meanwhile, deep in the woods surrounding the Crescent Moon territory, a shadow crouched between gnarled roots.
The cloaked figure removed a small device from their sleeve—a black stone carved with runes. A green pulse blinked once. Twice.
The signal had been sent.
The Order knew exactly where to strike next.
And one of the warriors would let them in.
---
Adriana approached the ruins at midnight.
The moon bathed everything in silver light. Moss crept over old stone columns. Wind howled softly between broken arches. It was a place where Crescent Moon warriors once pledged fealty—or were cast out.
Adrian stood at the center, facing the old altar. He didn't turn when she approached.
"This place is sacred," he said. "The old world bled here. So did mine."
Adriana stayed quiet, letting the wind fill the silence.
"My parents were killed here," Adrian continued. "By the Order. They were caught trying to rescue a defector. The council didn't approve."
He looked back at her.
"They called it treason. I called it sacrifice."
Adriana's breath hitched. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"
"Because I swore I'd never let emotions cloud my duty again. Until you."
He stepped closer.
"I fought it. The bond. The pull. You were never supposed to be part of my world. But when I saw you—really saw you—I knew I could never let go."
Adriana's anger melted, but fear remained in its place.
"If you had to choose now," she asked, "between me and your pack... would you choose me?"
Adrian hesitated.
Then: "I'd find a way to choose both."
---
Suddenly, the air shifted.
Adriana's senses screamed. She spun just as a dark figure launched from the shadows.
Adrian tackled her to the ground a second before a blade sliced the air where she'd been standing.
A masked assassin stood before them—lean and fast, bearing the crescent wound of the Obsidian Order on their neck. More shadows emerged from the trees, closing in.
Adrian growled. "They found us."
Adriana's magic surged to the surface. Her skin glowed faintly with her hybrid energy, her eyes lighting with a silver flame.
"Good," she said, baring her teeth. "Let them taste what it means to face a Luna."
---
The battle erupted in a blur of steel, claws, and magic.
Adriana moved like lightning—dagger in hand, slicing through shadows. Her power flared, sending shockwaves across the forest floor. Adrian shifted mid-strike, his wolf form larger and faster than any creature in the Order had faced before.
But the assassins kept coming.
They weren't here to kill.
They were here to distract.
Adriana realized too late.
One figure slipped past her defense—hood down, violet eyes burning.
It was Torren—a Crescent Moon warrior. A loyalist. A traitor.
He vanished into the woods, heading toward the estate.
"They're going for the vault!" Adriana shouted. "They want the prophecy scrolls!"
Adrian snarled. "Go. I'll hold them here."
She didn't argue. She ran.
---
Back at the estate, Lira was already preparing defenses.
She met Adriana at the eastern gate, blade in hand, her robes soaked with rain.
"They breached the outer wards," she said grimly. "Torren disabled the inner sigils."
"He's working with them," Adriana said. "They're after the Scroll of Awakening."
Lira's face paled. "If they get that scroll, they'll awaken the ancient hounds."
Adriana's heart thundered.
"Then we stop them."
They moved through the corridor like lightning, bursting into the inner sanctum where the ancient scrolls were kept. The stone chest stood open. A cold wind swept through the chamber.
Torren stood at the far end, scroll in hand, eyes glowing violet.
"Don't take another step," he warned, holding a talisman over the scroll.
Adriana raised her hand. "Why, Torren? Why betray your own?"
Torren's laugh was hollow. "Your own? I watched my sister be banished for falling in love with a hybrid. I saw our traditions twisted into cages. The Order promised freedom. Power. And revenge."
"They lied," Adriana said.
"They believed in me," Torren spat. "Unlike Adrian."
Adriana's power crackled around her.
"You can't unlock the scroll," Lira warned. "Not without sacrificing blood."
Torren smiled darkly. "I know."
He cut his palm and pressed it to the parchment.
The scroll shimmered—then burned.
Adriana surged forward, power exploding from her chest, knocking Torren back. But it was too late.
The scroll disintegrated.
The ground trembled.
Far beneath the estate, a howl answered the call.
Something ancient had been awakened.
---
Adrian arrived minutes later, bloodied and furious.
"They got it?" he asked.
Adriana nodded grimly. "They've awakened the hounds of Nocturne."
Adrian cursed.
"They were sealed for a reason," Lira whispered. "Even the Order feared them."
Adriana's gaze hardened. "Then we end this."
She turned to Adrian.
"We build our forces. We train day and night. And when the hounds rise—we meet them head on."
Adrian's eyes met hers. "Together?"
Adriana took a breath.
"Together."
But deep down, she knew:
This was only the beginning.
The war wasn't coming.
It had already begun.