"Ugh, Ellie, I'm starving."

"Go eat, then," I said, trying to figure out the math problem in front of me.

"Do you wanna eat?"

"I'm not going to the cafeteria. Are you crazy?"

She sighed heavily.

I put my pencil down and looked at her. "Fine. Let me finish this up, and we'll get lunch."

She smiled big and sat back. "These tests suck so bad."

"We're almost done, though."

"Are we leaving tonight?"

"In the morning?" I suggested.

She nodded. "That's a good idea. Did you tell your parents?"

"Not yet. I honestly don't even know what to say." I shrugged.

"That's not a bad idea. My mom would totally freak out if she knew I was planning on leaving for an extended period of time."

"You didn't tell them yet?"

"Kind of I did. I left my dad a voicemail," she laughed. "He's intense."

I nodded. Gamma Arthur was a very intense man who didn't have much of a sense of humor. Luckily for Ashley, she took more after her mother. She had a great sense of humor and was fiercely loyal.

"I'll tell them tonight. What if, by some miracle, you meet your mate?" I asked.

"That would be awesome because he obviously doesn't live in this pack."

"Neither does mine."

"You've only been eighteen for a day. You don't know that yet."

"You've only been eighteen for six months." I rolled my eyes.

"And I've had six months of roaming the streets of the pack, searching and searching and searching." She feigned fainting and lay on the floor.

I laughed again. "Doesn't matter; either way, I need to leave."

"Right. While you finish that up, I'm going to the bathroom."

I nodded as she hopped up and left the room. I tried to focus on the numbers that were blurring on the page. My head felt heavy, and blackness began creeping in around the edges.

"Oh, what..." I muttered.

I blinked as the room around me dissolved into darkness, the air growing thick and heavy. My breath caught in my throat as a bright light began emanating from the space where the wall should have been. The light wasn't harsh—it was pure, almost soothing—but it filled the room entirely, swallowing every shadow.

"Hello?" I called, though I had a sinking suspicion I already knew what—or who—was coming.

The figure of a woman materialized, her form silhouetted against the brilliance. She moved with grace, each step deliberate. Her presence commanded respect, but this time I wasn't as scared as before. I knew who she was.

"Artemis."

She frowned slightly, a knowing look in her eyes. "Mother," she corrected, her voice gentle but firm.

"Right. Sorry. Mother," I muttered, shifting in my seat. Despite the calm tone in her voice, there was an underlying tension in the air. Something was wrong.

I sat back, glancing at the glowing figure before me. "Why are you here again? Is everything okay?"

Artemis hesitated for a fraction of a second, which immediately sent my heart racing. "I have felt something off since yesterday," she said, her tone measured, but there was no missing the weight behind her words.

"Off?" I sat up straighter. "What do you mean? What is it?"

She sighed, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of uncertainty in her celestial eyes. "I do not know," she admitted. "But the magic involved is greater than even my own. The power that's coming—it's strong enough to mask itself from me. From all of us."

My blood ran cold. Greater than a goddess? I swallowed hard. "Who could have that kind of power?"

"The only ones who can hide from gods and goddesses are other gods and goddesses."

I stared at her, feeling my stomach twist. "So... you think it's another god? A goddess?"

Artemis' expression remained neutral, but I could see the unease in the way her eyes darkened slightly. "I do not know, child. But whatever is coming—it's powerful. More powerful than I've felt in a very long time."

I leaned forward, my pulse quickening. "But how am I supposed to stop something like that? I'm just... I don't even know what I am yet." My voice cracked at the end, and I felt a wave of panic rising in my chest. The enormity of what she was saying finally hit me like a freight train. I wasn't prepared for this. How could I be?

Artemis softened her gaze, stepping closer. "You are more than you know, Elanor. You carry my blood, my strength. But you must believe in that strength. You will be tested, and you will need to rely on both your wolf and your instincts as my daughter."

I looked down at my hands, trembling slightly in my lap. "What if I'm not strong enough?" The question came out before I could stop it, and I hated how small and scared my voice sounded. But this was too much. Gods? Goddesses? A looming threat that even Artemis couldn't see? How was I supposed to face any of this?

Artemis reached out and cupped my chin gently, lifting my gaze to meet hers. "You are stronger than you think, my little love," she said softly. "You are destined for something far greater than the future Alpha of Moon Mist. You will lead a mighty army, protect all of my beautiful wolves, and find your true mate."

Her words settled over me like a blanket, but they didn't erase the fear curling in my chest. An army? Protecting all wolves? And this threat... this thing... that was out there, watching, waiting. I didn't even know where to start.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "Okay. I'll try. But... where do I even begin?"

"The royal city," she said, her voice firm again. "Their archives hold knowledge, ancient texts that may provide insight. You must go there and seek answers."

I nodded slowly, even though my mind was spinning. "Right. The royal city. The archives."

Her expression softened again, and she placed a hand on my shoulder. "You will not be alone in this, Elanor. I will guide you, and you will find allies. Trust your instincts, my daughter."

I swallowed hard and nodded, though my chest still felt tight. "Okay. I'll try."

"You are destined for greatness, Elanor. Remember that," Artemis said, her form beginning to fade as the light around her dimmed. "But be careful. The threat looms closer than you think."

And then she was gone, leaving me alone in the room, bathed in darkness.

The room was quiet now, but my thoughts were anything but. I felt like I was drowning under the weight of what she'd just told me. A looming threat. An unseen force. And me—just one wolf—meant to somehow protect everyone from it.

I stood slowly, my legs shaky as I walked to the window. The sunlight outside seemed too bright, too normal for the storm brewing inside me. How could everything look so calm when my world had just been turned upside down?

I pressed my forehead against the cool glass, trying to push back the anxiety that gnawed at me. I was supposed to trust her, trust myself. But all I could feel was this heavy sinking fear. How could I protect anyone when I didn't even know what I was up against? When I didn't even know if I could lead?

A leader. That's what she said I would be. I thought back to Alex and Harmony, to the rejection that still stung like an open wound. They had their future, their path laid out clearly. And me? I was supposed to face something that even gods couldn't see coming.

I shook my head, letting out a shaky breath. This wasn't what I had expected. But there was no turning back now. Whatever this threat was, it was coming. And I would have to be ready—whether I wanted to be or not.

"What the hell is going on?" she asked.

"What?"

"You were just, like, sitting there. Like in a trance. Are you okay?"

"Well, you remember me telling you about Artemis?"

"Yeah?"

"That was what that was."

"Huh?"

"Artemis was here."

"Here? In this room?"

"Yes and no. I went back into that abyss, and she was there."

"What did she want?" Ashley asked.

"Apparently there is a threat looming over us all."

"A threat? What threat?"

"She doesn't know. She can't see it."

Ashley sat down. "But she's a Goddess."

"Yes, which is why she thinks another God or Goddess is behind this."

"Oh, my Goddess."

"Yeah."

"What are we supposed to do?" she asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Stop it, I guess."

"How do we stop something that we don't know about?"

"Hopefully something will be in the Royal City's archives."

"So this is a lot. Let's go eat and focus on our tests before we focus on saving all of wolfkind."

"That sounds like a good idea."

As we left the library, the bell for lunch rang.

"Awesome. Now I do have to see everyone."

"It'll be okay."

I rolled my eyes as we entered the somewhat empty cafeteria. I hurried into line and grabbed my food as more and more people filed in.

"Ellie!" I heard Harmony call.

"You have to be kidding me. Can't she take a hint?"

I turned to look as she and Alex, hand in hand, came toward me.

"Ell..."

"No. What don't you two understand? No. I don't want to see either of you. I don't want to talk to you. I don't know either of you," I snapped.

"You can't speak to us like that. I am your future Luna, and Alex is your future Alpha. You have to acknowledge us and our relationship."

"You can both fuck right off."

"That is enough, Elanor. You will not speak to us this way. We can't help that we're mated and in love."

"Oh, my Goddess. I don't want to hear anymore. Stop talking to me."

"I can banish you from the pack."

"Then do it. I don't care."

I turned on my heels with my tray and left them both standing there.

"Hey, Ellie! Wait up."

I stopped and waited for Ashley to catch up.

"What are you going to do if he does banish you?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Not care? I can be a rogue. I can apply to another pack. I mean, I'm smart and useful. I'm sure I would be accepted. Maybe my mate is from somewhere else and I'll find him."

She sighed heavily. "He has a long-distance relationship with his common sense."

I laughed a bit too loudly. "Don't worry about me, Ash. I will be fine. This is just a new thing, and I'm still just really mad at the whole situation."

"I understand. So let's eat, finish up these tests, pack, and leave for the foreseeable future."

I nodded and hurried back to the library. As I ate the mystery meat and some random vegetable that jiggled on my lunch tray, I hurried through the rest of the math testing. The English, Wolflore, history, and ancient tales were simple enough to finish. It was all information we'd been told since the day we were born.

Ashley and I handed the folders to the dean and left for our separate homes.

"Do you want a ride?" she asked.

I shook my head. "Nah, I think I'll run."

"That's a ten mile run, Ellie."

"Not human-run, Ash."

"Oh. Okay. Yeah, have fun. I'll be at your house at seven?"

"Make it six. I want to leave before everyone wakes up."

"Sure thing!"

As I drew closer to the source of the smell, the trees thinned out, revealing a clearing. And there, in the center of the clearing, was the source of the smell—a body. But not a wolf. No. The smell was off. It was different.

I approached cautiously, my wolf senses on high alert. I sniffed at it, trying to discern where it had come from and what it was doing in the woods in wolf territory.

I let out a low growl, trying to decide what to do. As I stood there, torn by indecision, the figure stirred, their eyes fluttering open. They looked up at me, and the mouth moved.

Let's get home, said my wolf. We can tell Dad. He can get a patrol to get this thing.

The eyes seemed to bore into my soul. The hair was thin, and the eyes looked bloodshot, almost like the capillaries burst in both of them.

We can't deal with it. Let's go home. Dad will handle it.

I snuffed at the body, hoping they understood that I was going for help.