Luna's POV

The night was quiet, save for the labored breathing of the pack. The den was dimly lit, the air heavy with the scent of pine and earth. Bellatrix and I moved quickly between the makeshift beds, damp cloths in hand, tending to the wolves who had been affected by the moonstone’s strange reaction. Their eyes still glowed faintly green, a haunting reminder of what we’d just gone through.

“Hold still,” bella muttered to Wyatt as she pressed a cold compress to his forehead. He flinched, groaning softly, and she bit back a sigh. “You’ll be fine. Just... don’t move too much.”

I, crouched beside Wynter on the opposite side of the den, let out a snort. “Says the girl who barely blinked back there. You’re tougher than you look, bella.”

She rolled her eyes. “Not the time, Luna.”

“It’s never the time with you,” I  quipped, but there was no real bite in her  words. My focus back on Wynter, my brow furrowing in an expression of rare concern.

“How’s she doing?” Bella asked

“Better,” I said, glancing at Wynter. Her breathing had steadied, but she still looked pale, her usually vibrant energy sapped. “But it’ll take time.”

Willa entered the den, her expression tight, though there was a flicker of relief in her eyes when she saw the pack alive, if not well. “How are they?” she asked, her voice quieter than usual.

“Alive, which is more than I expected after tonight,” Bellatrix replied, leaning back on her heels. “So, you know. Progress.”

Willa ignored the sarcasm, her gaze landing on me. “Luna, can I talk to you for a minute?”

I hesitated, but something in her tone made me nod. “Sure.” I handed the cloth to Bellatrix and stood, following Willa outside.

The air was cool, the scent of rain lingering from a recent storm. Willa leaned against a tree, crossing her arms. For a moment, she didn’t say anything, and I found myself shifting uncomfortably under her gaze.

“Thanks for helping back there,” she said finally.

I raised an eyebrow. “That’s what packs do, right?”

She nodded, but there was a strange vulnerability in her expression I wasn’t used to. “I mean it. You’ve been solid through all of this, even when the rest of us fell apart. I—I don’t think I would’ve made it without you.”

The admission caught me off guard. “Willa, you’re the leader. You held us together.”

“Barely,” she said with a bitter laugh. “And honestly? I didn’t expect you to stay. You’re... different. Not like us.”

There it was again—that unspoken divide between the Beacon Hills wolves and the Seabrook pack. I crossed my arms, unsure of how to respond.

Willa sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I guess what I’m trying to say is... I care about you, Luna. More than I probably should.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and unexpected. My heart skipped a beat, but I forced myself to stay calm. “Willa, I...”

Before I could find the right words, Bellatrix’s voice cut through the moment like a knife. “Hey, lovebirds! We’ve got company!”

I turned to see Zed standing awkwardly at the edge of the clearing, his hands shoved into his pockets. Willa’s expression hardened instantly, and she pushed off the tree, striding toward him.

“What do you want, Zed?” she demanded, her voice cold.

“I came to apologize,” he said, holding up his hands. “And to, uh, make a peace offering.”

Bellatrix stepped out of the den, arms crossed and a smirk tugging at her lips. “This should be good.”

Zed sighed, clearly bracing himself. “I messed up. I shouldn’t have treated you guys like the enemy. I was trying to keep the peace, but... I ended up just making things worse.”

“No kidding,” Bellatrix drawled. “

“Actually, I lost the election,” Zed admitted, his shoulders slumping. “Bucky’s the new student body president.”

Bellatrix let out a laugh that echoed through the clearing. “Of course he is. What’s the platform this time? Mandatory jazz hands?”

“Bella,” I said, shooting her a look.

“What? You were thinking it too,” she replied, grinning.

Zed rubbed the back of his neck, looking genuinely remorseful. “Look, I know I can’t undo the damage, but... there’s a Prawn tonight, and I thought maybe you guys could come. Crash it with us.”

“Prawn?” Willa asked, her skepticism clear.

“It’s a Seabrook thing,” Zed explained. “Like a prom, but, you know, shrimpy -themed.”

Willa’s eyes narrowed. “You want us to just waltz into this party after everything that’s happened?”

“More like shuffle dramatically,” Bellatrix muttered, earning a snort from me.

Zed looked at Willa earnestly. “I know it’s a big ask. But... it might be good for all of us. Zombies and wolves together. Showing Seabrook that we’re not so different.”

Willa glanced at me, her expression unreadable. “What do you think?”

I hesitated, then nodded. “It might be worth a shot.”

Bellatrix groaned. “Oh, great. Let’s all hold hands and sing ‘Kumbaya.’”

“Don’t be such a buzzkill,” I said, nudging her.

She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue.

“Alright,” Willa said finally, turning back to Zed. “We’ll come. But if this is some kind of trap—”

“It’s not,” Zed promised. “Thank you.”

He left soon after, and we returned to the den to tell the others. The pack was hesitant but eventually agreed, their curiosity outweighing their reservations.

As we prepared to leave for the Prawn, Wynter pulled me aside. Her usual playfulness was absent, replaced by an uncharacteristic seriousness.

“Luna,” she said softly. “I just... I wanted to tell you, before anything else happens... I think I’m in love with you.”

My breath caught, and for the second time that night, I was completely unprepared. “Wynter, I...”

“It’s okay,” she said quickly, a faint smile on her lips. “You don’t have to say anything. I just needed you to know.”

The moment was interrupted by Bellatrix’s impatient voice. “Are we going or not?”

I gave Wynter a small nod, unsure of what else to say, and followed the others out of the den.

The Prawn was chaos, as expected—music blaring, zombies dancing with their usual quirky movements. But for the first time in weeks, the tension between our groups began to fade. Zed and Eliza made sure we felt welcome, and even Bellatrix seemed to relax, though she kept up her snarky commentary.

As the night went on, I found myself smiling more than I had in ages. Maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of something better.